Skipper Damien Seguin on his arrival in Les Sables d'Olonne on Thursday January 28, 2021. -

L.Venance / AFP

  • Damien Seguin finished sixth in his first Vendée Globe.

  • Born without a left hand, he is the first sailor with a disability to complete a solo round the world without assistance.

He was already a two-time Paralympic champion and a five-time world champion.

At 41 years old, Damien Seguin has added a new line to his record by becoming the first disabled sailor to complete a Vendée Globe on Thursday noon.

The Nantes skipper, born without a left hand, has also completed a high-end solo round-the-world race, always well classified and finally finishing sixth at 6 p.m. behind the winner Yannick Bestaven.

Damien Seguin is even the leader of the unofficial ranking of competitors without foil.

A feat that did not make him lose his sense of humor since he went up the channel of Sables d'Olonne disguised as Captain Hook.

Damien Seguin, disguised as Captain Hook when he arrived in the Vendée Globe.

- L.Venance / AFP

"I have a physical peculiarity, that does not prevent me from trying to achieve my dreams, explained the Nantais at a press conference.

We will never stop a disabled kid from dreaming.

So the message I have to get across is: don't put up barriers!

I'm not trying to be a role model, nor to be an example.

Just to raise the debate a little bit, to try to take disability out of its box.

It is clear that my Vendée Globe is something that marked, that pleased.

I have received many messages of support.

"

Back in four years with a foil?

The Nantais, who says he came to this mythical event simply "to finish", believes to have "rather well apprehended the difficulties".

“Every day I discovered something new, until I crossed the 18-day threshold which was my solo limit, until I passed Brazil which was the furthest place I had been.

There are times when it's difficult, when you wonder what the hell you're doing here.

Except that we are not on a football field, we cannot go to the locker room if we want to go out.

We're in the middle of nowhere and the only way to get home is to continue.

I wanted to confront this reality and know how I was going to react.

"

Hardly arrived, he is already planning on the next Vendée Globe, in four years, with probably a new boat.

“I want to come back.

Maybe I'll consider taking a step.

And the performance will necessarily go through a foil.

"

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Vendée Globe: "Sometimes I get up wondering what the hell am I doing here", says Damien Seguin

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  • Handicap

  • Vendée Globe

  • Sail

  • Sables d'Olonne

  • Nantes

  • Sport