Vincent comes from a sailor family. His father and his uncles were all sailors, in love with boats. In the 70's (Vincent was 5 years old at the time), his father started to build his sailboat. He buys a hull of Domp 8.60 to finish.
A 8.60 m sailing boat to be fitted out
The Domp is a sailboat built in steel by a Dutch shipyard. Vincent's dad will receive the bare hull with the mast and the boom. To carry out the fittings, this worker will take evening classes in naval cabinet making. Then for 10 years, he will build his own shipyard. The yacht is on the grounds of the Brussels Royal Yacht Club. That's where Vincent will learn to sail while his father is working on it.
10 years on the yard and only one day sailing
After 10 days the boat is ready to sail, but Vincent's parents want to buy a house. The banker (no doubt a little jealous of this worker who owns a yacht!) forces the parents to sell the boat, to turn it into a down payment for the house.
The sale took place in early 1980. The sailboat is finished, but the family has only spent one day at sea... All his life, Vincent's father will regret this sailboat and will not be able to buy another one. In April 2020, he dies without having fulfilled his dream.
Experience the start of the Vendée Globe as close as possible to the racers
For his part, Vincent has another dream: he would like to see the start of the Vendée Globe from the sea. He has already experienced the race starts from land, especially the Jacques Vabre where he was at the top of the cliff. But closer to the boats, it must be much better!
So he sets out to find a used RIB. A boat he can tow behind his car to launch it and be present at the start. Not for the next Vendée Globe in November 2020 (it won't be ready by then), but for the next one in 2024. He is therefore spending time searching through the announcement sites.
Domp 8.60 for sale 750 euros
One morning, a site offers him an ad. It is about a Domp 8.60 to be restored sold 750 euros. On the pictures the sailboat has a black hull (like the one of his dad's sailboat). Vincent sends an email to the seller and tells him that his father has fitted out a Domp called Beaufix. In response to this email, Vincent receives a photo of the bow of the boat with "Beaufix" painted on it. By chance, after having searched for it without success, Vincent has just found the sailboat of his childhood.
1 symbolic euro
The boat is dry, in a farm less than 40 km from Vincent's house. He leaves to visit it with the idea of making an offer at 500 euros to buy it. Vincent is not Croesus. A bricklayer, he also has other passions such as motorcycling, which already take up a lot of money.
But there will be no negotiation. Too happy to find someone who loves this yacht, happy to know that it is going to be refloated, the seller simply offers Beaufix to Vincent for 1 symbolic euro! In addition the boat can stay in the farm for the time of the work with the possibility of connecting to water and electricity. He even lends a scaffolding to finish the hull.
Works that don't impress Vincent
Vincent, who is resourceful with his hands, will carry out the work himself. We have to finish painting the hull and provide an antifouling. On the mechanical side, the 12hp Yanmar was completely overhauled last year. All the sails are there in good condition.
Some work is to be expected inside in which Vincent would like to change the plan a little by creating a toilet area with a shower. Just to give a bit of comfort to this 8.60 m sailboat. So that his three children and especially his grandchildren will want to come and sail as a family. In memory of the grandfather... And certainly that we will meet Beaufix in Les Sables-d'Olonne at the start of the 2024 Vendée Globe.
