Golden Fleece Expeditions Cruises in Antarctica

30.05.2008 \ Beautiful boats and ships, Journal

Golden Fleece is a motor-sailing yacht with a sturdy steel hull and a spacious wheelhouse for comfort and safe navigation in the high southern latitudes.

As a small and independent yacht, Golden Fleece offers a flexible way in time and itineraries to reach remote places. She embarks on expedition charters to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, Cape Horn, Falklands & Tierra Del Fuego and runs in an environmentally sound manner.

Golden Fleece’s owner and skipper is Jérôme Poncet. Having been sailing around the Antarctic area for the last 30 years, Jérôme Poncet is certainly the person who best knows the Atlantic part of the Antarctic.

Known first for a 5 year round-the-world trip he accomplished in his early 20s along with his friend Gérard Janichon (from 1969 to 73) on board “Damien”, a 10,10m cold moulded wooden sloop they had built.

First small yacht to reach Spitzbergen (1969), to reach the Antarctic Peninsula all sound and to sail below the Antarctic Circle (1973) - Received the “Médaille de l’Ordre du Mérite” in 1973 (the French equivalent of a Knighthood) on their return to France.

In 1974-75 Jérôme built “Damien II”, a 15,20 m. steel yacht suited to the type of navigation he had most enjoyed: Antarctica and the high southern latitudes. He has lived on “Damien II” with his wife and increasing family (his first son was born aboard) for the 12 following years, from Europe to Brazil, Polynesia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and to Antarctica and the Sub-Antarctic islands.

In the meantime, he participated in several Races such as the Whitbread in 1973-74 (Security), Saint Malo-Cape Town in 1975 (Skipper), Rio-Southampton in 1975-76 (Skipper), Whitbread in 1981 (Security)

First yacht to winter in Antarctica in 1978-79 and still the only yacht to have wintered so far South (67°45′S). Since then, about 30 “Damien II” have been built around the world.

In 1987 he settled down with his family on a little sheep farm on an isolated island in the Falklands, a place close to his favourite areas of sailing, to nature and to a lifestyle he and his wife wished to have with their children.

30 years of experience in the Antarctic area

With his wife, Sally, an Australian biologist, he sailed to many places unveiling the extraordinary richness of wildlife and developed his passion and knowledge of seabirds. They started conducting private botanical and seabird surveys, slowly becoming experts. They were soon asked to conduct scientific surveys, which in turn lead to filming and photographic expeditions.

Little by little, with growing and interesting demands for new kinds of voyages in the area, Jérôme extended his activity to other sorts of expeditions (films, reports, adventure, etc.). He is the first to start offering the possibility of exploring and enjoying this extraordinary and remote part of the earth by yacht.

For more information: Golden Fleece Expeditions Cruises

Photo by Angus Phillips / R. Purrington