After four years on the Figaro circuit, Philippe Hartz has set himself the goal of taking the start of the 2028 Vendée Globe. The 42-year-old former navy commando, who is competing in the Trophée Laura Vergne this weekend with Adrien Hardy, has designed a project named Esprit Défense, which he details for Sailorz.
Before talking about your Imoca project, can you look back at your background and what pushed you to start in the Figaro in 2021?
I started sailing very young, at the SNO in Nantes; I’m from the generation of Adrien Hardy, François Gabart, and Paul Meilhat. I participated in several French championships in Optimists and was French and then European 420 champion with Adrien Hardy. When it came time to enter professional life, I either continued on this sporting path or did something else. Because I needed to give a certain meaning to my professional commitment, I joined the Navy and served with the marine commandos, notably as a combat swimmer, before moving into instruction. In 2012, when I saw François Gabart sailing up the channel in Les Sables d’Olonne, a small seed was planted in my head. At the same time, I told myself that one day I would do the Solitaire du Figaro; I saw friends like Adrien Hardy or Pierre Leboucher going for it, and I thought, why not me? Several years later, while I was an instructor at the diving school, I decided to make a proposal through the chain of command to my general staff, suggesting promoting the Navy through offshore racing, much like Tabarly did in his time, even if I wouldn’t dare compare myself to the man. I got the green light for the Figaro project on January 4, 2021, and we were off!
How did you manage to set up the project?
Given that the first race was the Solo Maître Coq on March 18, it was truly a commando operation to find a boat and sponsors, but I succeeded. That first year was actually my biggest budget, 150,000 euros. My idea was to roll out my roadmap in two acts: act one, four seasons in the Figaro; act two, launch an Imoca project to be at the start of the 2028 Vendée Globe. I did indeed race for four years on the Figaro circuit, with its joys and sorrows, including a second-place finish on a stage of the Solitaire (in 2022) and a constrained and declining budget; it wasn’t simple, but it remains a superb experience.
“The Route du Rhum as an option”
Now for the second act—how did you envision this Imoca project?
In the current geopolitical context, with growing tensions, I thought there might be a little bit of anti-militarism surrounding my project, but not at all; I haven’t had a single comment to that effect. On the contrary, I was very pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm it generated. I then asked myself how to optimize this goodwill, and I was particularly struck by the speeches of the then Chief of the Defence Staff (Thierry Burkhard) regarding the strengthening of national cohesion and the moral forces of the nation. These themes, which are deeply rooted for a soldier, are not really conceptualized by the general public, so I thought I could have a role to play in carrying them forward. I did a small test on social media to discuss these subjects, and my post broke all the records; it was then that I decided to launch this Esprit Défense project.
Between having the idea and the realization, there is a big step—where do you stand today?
A year ago, a very large defense industry player was within a hair’s breadth of launching alongside me, but they finally decided not to go ahead. A few weeks later, I was a guest on the Legend podcast, which was a real boost; I spent two weeks receiving messages from all over from people telling me my project was great. I was notably contacted by Benoît Dubois, a former naval officer who provides coaching for business leaders, who helped me bring a bit of reason and structure and eventually became my project director. I also received calls from patrons, which allowed me to have some cash flow to cover the initial expenses, and notably to bring on board a communication agency, Persès Communication, which specializes in Defense. We also found our patron, General Burkhard himself; it is a true sense of pride for me that he recognizes the full potential of this project and the leverage it can have to carry the message to the general public. Last week, we were on the verge of taking the risk of entering the Route du Rhum, but a few events during the week mean we are going to keep that option as a bonus. That is to say, if within a month the main partner we are talking to decides to join, I’ll call OC Sport and ask them if there is still room for us [the deadline for entries is March 31, Editor’s note].
“Two targeted boats”
Does that mean you haven’t finalized a budget yet?
Today we have a frankly well-engaged discussion with a company that sees a direct interest in sponsoring the project and would allow us to start—a civilian player looking to increase its involvement in the Defense sector. Today, I would say it’s 50/50 to launch as early as this year, knowing that, ideally, we would need a branded boat before the summer if we hope to do the Rhum. And if it doesn’t work out, we know very well that the decision-making timing for corporate budgets is September to December, so that would leave us a few months to set off in 2027.
What kind of budget are we talking about, and have you identified any boats?
Regarding the boats, I built the project with a high range on one side, which would be Advens 1 [Verdier design from 2019, skippered by Sam Goodchild in the last Vendée Globe, Editor’s note], a high-performance boat ready for use, and a frugal option, with a reliable boat that has a strong storytelling element, Hubert, the boat belonging to Violette [Dorange in the last Vendée Globe, and formerly Jean Le Cam’s, Editor’s note]. For the first, we are aiming for a budget of three million euros per year; for the second, around one million.
Does the French Navy provide you with budgetary support?
No, I never asked for it. I lived with sometimes tight budgets for operations, so for me, it’s a red line; I don’t want institutional money. Especially since, as an active-duty soldier, I already have the luck of receiving a salary that allows me to live.
Photo : Marine Nationale
