Determined and persistent, Hungarian sailor Szabolcs Weöres decided at the age of 49 that he wanted to race around the world singlehanded in the Vendée Globe 2024, following in the footsteps of Nándor Fa, the first non-French skipper to complete the race in 1992-93. Although he is a rookie when it comes to solo racing, he is certainly not new to sailing. Coming from a family of sailors, he started his career sailing Optimists, Cadets, 420s, FDs and Solings, then joined South Africa’s legendary Team Shosholoza for the 32nd America’s Cup as a rigger.
He has one round the world race under his belt aboard a Tripp 55, and multiple transatlantic passages and races, one with his mentor, Nándor Fa. More recently he has raced on a Marten 68 on the Mediterranean circuit, including a series of offshore classics like the Middle Sea Race and the Giraglia.
Besides sailing, Szabolcs is proud of his achievements on the triathlon circuit, completing an Ironman competition in less than 9 hours and qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in early October 2022.
His philosophy is to take everything step by step, manage expectations and systematically build up his solo sailing career. He now has the boat, an Owen Clarke design originally built for Dee Caffari before being taken on by Ari Huusela (Stark), together with a small, but professional support team and a large enough budget to keep him out on the water for the moment.
Szabi believes that if you focus and work hard, you can achieve your dreams. His dream is to be at the start of the Vendée Globe 2024.
2022: Défi Azimut : 23rd
Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - ABD
- Started sailing at age of 7
- Sailing family 3rd generation
- Started with small dinghies
- Win several national championships
- Sailed in olympic class boats like FD, 49er
- Winner of Hong-Kong Challenge round the world race in 1997
- ARC transatlantic race 3rd overall with Nándor Fa
- Americas Cup Rigger in team Shosholoza
- Match racing with Ian Ainslie in Grade1 level
- Top ranked ice sailor. 3 times Hungarian Champion
- Grand Prix keel boat sailing M24 and M32
- Winner of the most prestigious race "Blue ribbon" in Hungary in Libera class
- Top Athlete in Triathlon. Did the World Championship in Hawaii 2017- Boatbuilder, Sailmaker, Rigger