Last Sea Dog

6 solo circumnavigations resulting in 5 podiums & 1 world record The Last Sea Dog tells the story of Jean-Luc Van Den Heede's life and his many sailing adventures, focussing on his triumph in the 2018/19 Golden Globe Race. Jean-Luc has rounded Cape Horn 12 times and completed six solo circumnavigations. He currently holds the overall record for a west-about circumnavigation. He has been on the podium twice in the Vendée Globe single-handed race around the world, coming third in 1990 and second in 1993. More recently he won the Golden Globe Race in 2018/19 at the age of 73. This race was run as a fiftieth anniversary of the 1968 race won by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. While the restriction of no assistance and no stopovers were not particularly unusual, more challenging were the requirements to sail the race 'as in 1968' with yachts similar to those available in that year and, except for safety equipment, no modern technology allowed. No satellite-based navigation aids were available to the sailors and they had to use a sextant to navigate around the world as Robin had done fifty years previously.

Jean-Luc was born in Amiens, far from the sea, and he became a maths teacher. Nevertheless, he developed a passion for competitive sailing. He is friendly and easy to approach, but he is also a formidable competitor with an abundance of courage and perseverance. This personal account of his life and the Golden Globe Race is an amazing story of a man who has faced the toughest times and sea and won through.

Praise for Last Sea Dog

"An honest, very readable and absorbing account (I struggled to put it down, inhaling the words from the page!) … This is an absolute page-turner."
— Practical Boat Owner

"A recommended read for sailors and non-sailors alike."
— Cruising Association

"An extremely compelling read."
— Lifeboat Magazine

"An amazing story of a man who has faced the toughest times at sea and won through."
— Sailing Today

About the Author

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede has rounded Cape Horn twelve times and completed six solo circumnavigations. He has podiumed three times in single-handed races around the world, finishing third then second in the Vendée Globe, and finally winning the retro ('as in 1968') Golden Globe Race in 2019 at the age of 73.

About Fernhurst Books

Fernhurst Books was founded in 1979, initially publishing books related to dinghy racing. The list soon expanded to include cruising and other watersports. In 2006 the business was sold to John Wiley, but in 2013 a group of sailing enthusiasts (including the original founder) bought the list and name back, once again creating an independent nautical publisher owned and run by sailors. Fernhurst continues to publish books that instruct, inform and inspire those with a passion on, in or under the water. Their 140+ titles range from how-to guides to narrative to coffee-table books, covering sailing, surfing, canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, swimming, diving and fishing.