As Yves Gélinas was sailing around the world, people were talking of a new art form called “Performance” which combined disciplines in various fields of expression.

The “Performance” of Yves Gélinas

In attempting to sail non–stop
between Saint-Malo and Gaspé

through the Roaring Forties and around Cape Horn

alone aboard his boat Jean-du-Sud,

Yves Gélinas would add his personal share

to the art of sailing a small boat around the world.

But this performance in the field of sport

would comprise accomplishments
in three other domains of creation :

the design of a gear to self-steer his boat,

the writing of a book to narrate the voyage,

the shooting of a 16 mm film while sailing.

While the circumnavigation was not accomplished non-stop,

Jean-du-Sud was the smallest boat to sail that route

and Yves Gélinas was granted the Golden Circle Award

by the Joshua Slocum Society International.

 In 28,200 miles, Yves Gélinas never had to steer his boat;

under the brand name CapeHorn,

his self-steering gear
was introduced on the market in 1989,

and now makes many fellow sailors happy worldwide

while providing its designer with a comfortable living.

The book Jean-du-Sud et l’Oizo-Magick
(in French, 200 pages)

was first published in Québec in 1988,

was out of print 2 years later

and was re-edited in France in 1997.

The film With Jean-du-Sud Around the World

sold a few thousand video-cassettes and DVD,

was broadcast in 15 countries

won 9 awards (5 Grand Prizes) in 7 Festivals

and is considered by many the best sailing film ever made.

To mark the importance of the accomplishment in seamanship

and the high artistic quality of the audio-visual documents produced,

Laval University of Québec

granted an Honorary Doctorate
to Yves Gélinas

"For outstanding seamanship
and artistic achievements"