At 24, the sailor is preparing to compete in his first Route du Rhum, following in the wake of Laurent Bourgnon, two-time winner of the race.
On Sunday, November 1, Basile Bourgnon will set sail in his first Route du Rhum between Saint-Malo and Guadeloupe. For the 24-year-old sailor, it is the fulfilment of a dream born in adolescence, under the influence of a name that carries considerable weight in the world of sailing.
His father, Laurent Bourgnon, remains to this day the only sailor to have won this legendary transatlantic race twice. Lost at sea in 2015, he leaves behind a remarkable record and the image of a passionate offshore racer whom his son has never stopped watching closely. Following in his footsteps is therefore not merely a sporting endeavour: it is also a deeply personal, emotionally charged journey.
In the final instalment of a lengthy interview given to Ouest-France, Basile Bourgnon reflects on this inheritance. He describes the strength that comes with carrying such a name, without treating it as a burden, and the way he strives to build his own trajectory as a sailor. His paternal legacy appears less as a constraint than as a source of motivation and reference points.
This first participation in the Route du Rhum is part of a patiently built path, made up of time at sea, competitive races and gradual learning of the demands of offshore sailing. The transatlantic, renowned for its severity and unpredictability, remains a major challenge, regardless of the palmarès of those who take it on.
As the start approaches, attention focuses as much on sporting performance as on the human story accompanying this return to Saint-Malo. Caught between family memory and personal ambition, Basile Bourgnon approaches this race as a stage that is both intimate and public, whose outcome remains to be written.
His father, Laurent Bourgnon, remains to this day the only sailor to have won this legendary transatlantic race twice. Lost at sea in 2015, he leaves behind a remarkable record and the image of a passionate offshore racer whom his son has never stopped watching closely. Following in his footsteps is therefore not merely a sporting endeavour: it is also a deeply personal, emotionally charged journey.
In the final instalment of a lengthy interview given to Ouest-France, Basile Bourgnon reflects on this inheritance. He describes the strength that comes with carrying such a name, without treating it as a burden, and the way he strives to build his own trajectory as a sailor. His paternal legacy appears less as a constraint than as a source of motivation and reference points.
This first participation in the Route du Rhum is part of a patiently built path, made up of time at sea, competitive races and gradual learning of the demands of offshore sailing. The transatlantic, renowned for its severity and unpredictability, remains a major challenge, regardless of the palmarès of those who take it on.
As the start approaches, attention focuses as much on sporting performance as on the human story accompanying this return to Saint-Malo. Caught between family memory and personal ambition, Basile Bourgnon approaches this race as a stage that is both intimate and public, whose outcome remains to be written.
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Source: Ouest-France