The Figure Eight Challenge, or “Le grand 8,” is the crazy challenge taken on by Philippe Monnet. The sailor from Cannes and extreme sports enthusiast is embarking on a double solo circumnavigation in a multihull. This true modern-day expedition, which forms the basis for many projects, will conclude in 2015.
It all started with the dream of a little mountain boy. For young Philippe Monnet, lulled by famous stories of the big blue sea, the sea was “a magical world.” He wondered what could be behind that mysterious horizon line. The long-awaited Atlantic crossing was accomplished at the age of 25, alongside the great Eric Tabarly.
The adventurer is not tired, even past the age of fifty. Always looking to reinvent himself, he is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Solo circumnavigation? Already done in 1987 and still holds the unbroken record today. Four records later: New York – San Francisco, Hong Kong – London, Nice – Calvi, and a reverse world tour (against the winds), he has no choice but to make history to do better.
The project of a lifetime
It requires “interest, a passion from the start.” It was crucial for him to “surround himself with a team” that did not spare any effort in presenting this daunting roadmap: two parts, one athletic and the other historical. “For my second solo round-the-world trip, I wanted to share more,” declares Philippe Monnet.
Eleven years after completing it in a monohull, the reverse world tour will be attempted in a multihull. He gives himself “100 days,” 50 less than his 2006 record. He confidently adds that “it’s realistic!” His track record speaks for itself, and given his fierce determination, it’s hard to doubt him.
And after this anticipated express record, he will have time to spare: 23 stopovers of 2 months each, in cities across five continents (New York, Sydney, Tahiti, Shanghai, …), a pleasant pre-retirement indeed. For Philippe Monnet will not be idle; in every port where he stops, he will decipher the role these places played in the history of navigation (and consequently of humanity).
He will produce television programs about the history of humans through water and the development of techniques to master it.
He will pay tribute to the great men who advanced the world through their crossings. If he succeeds in setting the last sailing record with his multihull, we might lament in this documentary series the absence of the last great sea explorers, in the person of its creator.
