When I invited Jérôme Poncet on board for this trip to South Georgia he readily agreed. Anyone who has been to the island would never, if at all possible, refuse an offer to return.

But, just before boarding in Stanley he pulled me aside and said, “I’m a bit afraid . . . . “ I knew exactly what he meant. What he meant was this would be the first time going to the island, or for that matter anywhere in the far south, when he was not in charge of the vessel. He only knew Hamish and me from decades ago; and Lara and Luca when they were young had been to his farm on Beaver Island in the far west of the Falklands and we had sailed his Golden Fleece back to Stanley. The rest of the contingent and the crew were unknowns of course, and I assured him it would all be OK. We both know it is never the storms, the ice or the uncertainties that can make or break a voyage – only the wrong people on board can make life miserable.

*Leaving Stanley with Amundsen, I can imagine his skepticism*

I first met Jérôme in the UK when he was visiting friends back in 1986. We were building the original Pelagic in Southampton and made our first trip south in the 1987/88 season. I had heard the stories, read the books by the Poncet’s and by others (all French) that had ventured to the Antarctic Peninsula on small boats and it is no exaggeration to say Jerome was the principle catalyst for me to break off from a life time of ocean racing and morph into a life of adventure in what was then still a frontier region for all of us who were seeking a modicum of authenticity.

To regress, when various people often refer to me quite wrongly as the most or at best ‘one of the most’ experienced Southern Ocean sailors, I immediately point out I am still a beginner – compared to Jerome, who first sailed around the world including the high north and the far south beginning in 1969 on his Damien I with his friend Gerard Janichon. From then the rest was history with Damien II committed to the south from 1975, wintering over in the Antarctic with wife Sally in 1978, and delivering his first child Dion in South Georgia on the salon table (yes, that’s right). Two more children followed and eventually this extraordinary family settled in the Falkland Islands and continued voyaging which was true exploration contributing to science and film making with their unparalleled (to this day) expertise – too many accomplishments to mention here, all of which is their legacy. In 2023 Jérôme celebrated his 50 years in the south with “a final voyage to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula” on the Golden Fleece. By coincidence on Vinson we spent two days at anchor together in Larsen Harbour on the island during a storm. We were on the way to Zavodovsky Island in the South Sandwich chain, using the sporty landing on a sheer cliff to get ashore – the only safe landing there that Jerome had discovered decades ago.

Prof de français et raconteur extraordinaire:

So how does an old sailor embarking on his 8th decade engage with such a trip as ours? Butchering and cooking the four mutton carcass halves that hung from our backstays was a good start. Jerome’s bread was produced almost daily in amongst other culinary delights with a French flair (I’m afraid we were lacking in cream . . ., sorry Jérôme), teaching my daughter Lara basic French and generally regaling both young and old with endless stories of his unique life. His many tips on anchorages and obscure passages between the islets along the coast were needless to say more than eye opening (“just trust him”, I told the crew).

So, “Merci Jérôme,” for the inspiration way back then, 40 years ago, and the continuing collaboration and friendship for all things in the south.

Merci Jérôme

South Georgia Ski Expedition (II)

Vinson of Antarctica & Amundsen