Teo Georges
co-skipper
Cigare Rouge
Boat Type
Tradewind 35
Designer
John Rock
Builder
Blondecell Marine, Lymington, U.K
loa
35ft
LWL
26ft
Beam
10ft
Draft
6ft
How long have you been sailing your boat?
Since 2020
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What is it about the World STAR that appealed to you the most?I can’t wait to be all alone in the Southern Ocean, riding huge waves. I’m also looking forward to the many technical challenges this race will throw at me—and, hopefully, the incredible feeling of overcoming them.
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Who is your inspiration and why?I love adventures, and I think the World STAR—a singlehanded, nonstop circumnavigation—is one of the last true adventures we can experience.
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You can invite 2 people to dinner, past or present, who would they be and what question would you ask?First, Wilfried Erdmann—a legendary German solo sailor who completed three solo, nonstop circumnavigations. He was my inspiration for getting into sailing. My second guest would be someone like Boris Herrmann, Sam Goodchild, or Conrad Colman—sailors who’ve taken on the world in a Class40 and now compete in the IMOCA Class. Their experiences and insights would be invaluable for someone preparing for the World STAR.
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What is the one thing you cannot wait to be without and the one thing you cannot live without whilst doing the World STAR?I definitely won’t miss the everyday tasks of normal life, like doing taxes! What I’ll miss most is a comfortable bed, a hot shower, and a good meal—and, of course, my girlfriend.
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Tell us an interesting fact about you?In my last career, I was a paragliding instructor and went on expeditions around the world. I flew up to 6,500 meters in the Himalayas and crossed the length of New Zealand by paraglider and on foot.
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What do you see as the biggest challenge for you in the lead up to the World STAR and whilst doing the World STAR?I think the most important thing is to get as many miles as possible on the boat before completing a major refit to get it into perfect shape! The right funding is essential to do this, and finding it might be the toughest part.
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What are you most looking forward to about the World STAR?Big winds, big waves, big surfes :P
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What is your biggest achievement to date?In sailing, my biggest achievement was crossing the Atlantic twice singlehanded on my 1970 Hurley 18. I´m also quit proud of 12 years of flying and basejumping adventures without any injuries.
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What song would you say is your theme tune and why?Magic Carpet Ride – Steppenwolf
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Finally, what is your favourite joke?I don’t really know any good ones... I’m not exactly a comedian 😛
what would you say to someone to encourage them to take up sailing?
I am a very happy man because I have been able to exercise my two passions all my life: writing and sailing. At the age of 23, I participated in the first Whitbread aboard Grand Louis and more than 50 years later, I am delighted to participate in the WorldSTAR. In the meantime, I have 5 race laps around the world, including 3 solo and almost 50 Transat, most of which racing. On the writing side, I am the correspondent in France of Seahorse Magazine, I write regularly in the magazine Course au Large and I publish the «yearbooks» of IRC, Class40 and Société Nautique de La Trinité-sur-Mer, of which I have been a member for decades, as well as the UNCL, now the Yacht Club de France. During my last Transat (May/June 2024), I brought my boat Groupe 5 (JPK) from Fort de France to Brittany. I embarked a “last minute” crew, Téo Georges (26), who proved to be an excellent sailing companion, and when I got acquainted with the WordlSTAR, I thought it would be a good idea to do it together. I raced around the world solo or with a crew, but never two-handed. Time is on!