Belgian, 54 years old, Denis Van Weynbergh has been passionate about sailing since he was a child, sailing every summer with his family all over Europe. The revelation of the open sea and racing came to him in 2001 during his participation in the Mini Transat.
Determined, passionate, creative, courageous, organized... Denis Van Weynbergh's qualities are those of a man who likes to undertake and he has proved it many times in his career.
After graduating from Sciences Po before training as a journalist, the Belgian, who speaks French, English and Dutch, did not hesitate to resume his studies at the age of 35 and then set up his own company, "PN Express Worldwide", a small business specializing in the distribution of express mail and parcels, both nationally in Belgium and internationally.
He knows that setting up a project means realizing a dream. Taking part in the mythical Vendée Globe, rightly called the Everest of the seas, is a difficult and demanding challenge, which involves personal life. However, Denis knows how to show determination, but also perseverance. No success has been achieved without failure, and if he was forced to throw in the towel during the last edition due to a lack of financial means, the Brabant sailor based in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, who has for a while been backing out, is getting ready to jump back in!
Denis has always been passionate about sailing and started as a sailing and cruising instructor at the UCPA, while working as a nautical journalist for Yachting Sud, a specialized French-speaking Belgian magazine. But very quickly, the competition dimension was added to his practice, and this is how he found himself at the start of the Mini Transat in 2001. After having reached Salvador de Bahia (Brazil) alone, without any modern means of communication, on a 6.50 meter boat, the navigator has continued to accumulate miles, especially in Class40, lining up at the start of the most prestigious races such as the Route du Rhum in 2010, the Transat Québec Saint-Malo in 2012, the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2013 or the Rolex Fastnet Race in 2015.
In 2021 and 2022, prestigious races such as the Transat Jacques Vabre, the Guyader Bermuda 1000 Race, and the Vendée Arctique have been added to his list of achievements and have allowed him to have more than 80,000 miles on the clock. He legitimately dreams of the Vendée Globe.
To be at the start will be a first victory, to be at the finish will be the second, but his passion opens the way for him.
2022: Vendée Arctique - ABD
Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 21ème
2021: Transat Jacques Vabre - 19th
2019: Rolex Fastnet Race
Bermudes 1000 - 17ème
2013: Transat Jacques Vabre - 16th Class40
2012: Transat Québec - Saint Malo - 19th Class40
2011: Les Sables - Horta - Les Sables - 12th Class40
Record SNSM - 8th Class40
2010: La Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale - 39th Class40
2009: Record SNSM - 9th Class40
2001: Mini Transat