A Canadian sailor is setting his sights on one of the most demanding challenges in his sport, preparing to become only the third Canadian ever to compete in the Vendée Globe. Scott Scheuer plans to take on the solo round-the-world race aboard a 60-foot yacht, and in a profile aired by CBC News he opened up the cramped vessel that will effectively become his entire world once the race is under way.
The Vendée Globe is widely regarded as one of sailing's most punishing events, and Scheuer did not sugar-coat it, calling the race grueling and describing it as brutal and hugely demanding of physical stamina. Based in France, the competition is held only once every four years, and the next edition is scheduled for 2028, the race Scheuer says he is determined to reach the starting line for.
What sets the contest apart is its sheer isolation. The race takes roughly three months to complete, which means Scheuer will have to live aboard his boat entirely alone for the full duration, with no crew alongside him. The yacht, for all its length, offers only a tiny cabin where, he said, he expects to spend most of his time through the long months out at sea.
Sleep, in particular, becomes a luxury rather than a routine. Scheuer showed off the main sleeping area, a simple mattress with a sleeping bag, and admitted that the bed does not get much use while he is racing. On a good day, he said, he might piece together around six hours of rest across a full 24-hour period, and even that would come in stretches of roughly half an hour at a time.
The conditions outside the cabin are just as unforgiving. Competitors in the Vendée Globe must navigate often treacherous stretches of ocean, where the waves can climb as high as 15 meters in some areas. For a solo sailor with no one else aboard to share the watch, managing seas like that around the clock adds another layer of danger to an already extreme undertaking.
Perhaps the most striking part of Scheuer's bid is his own story. At 54 years old, he is, by the broadcast's own account, not exactly a seasoned veteran of the sea, a detail that stands out against the scale of what he is preparing to attempt. It points to an unconventional route into a race defined by extreme solo endurance, and underlines just how steep the climb will be before 2028.