Paragliding
Tom de Dorlodot is a paraglider who's just started to sail around the world. For the next four years, he'll be travelling on his boat, looking for the most amazing spots to fly.
What's your plan with this boat?
Tom de Dorlodot: We left Brussels this summer with Search Projects. It's the name of our sailing boat. Our goal is to explore the world for the next four years with my wife, Sofia. Search Project will be our base camp. We'll look all around the globe to find the most inspiring places to fly. Actually, we're in Majorca for the first stop.
Tell us a bit more about your boat...
We've found this boat abandoned in Brussels. This wreck was out of water for six years. It was covered with moss. We've decided to give it a second chance. We spent five months working on Search Projects with my wife so that it can be used for exploration all around the world.
Why is sailing so interesting for a paraglider?
I started sailing in French Polynesia a few years ago. I immediately fell in love with this sport. The cool thing with sailing is the fact you can go wherever you want. It's really inspiring for a paraglider. I want to push the limits of my sport and use the boat to go flying in spots nobody has ever landed.
Where do you want to travel exactly?
We don't really have a plan. We want to spend the next four years going everywhere. When you're on a boat, you need to adapt your itinerary according to the weather and opportunities Mother Nature gives you. I still have a few ideas in mind, though. For example, I know some places close from Mayotte or Madagascar I'd like to go flying and sailing. We also have Japan and Alaska in mind.
How do you plan to live on your boat ?
I've been travelling the world for more than 10 years now. An interesting thing with a boat is that you're not limited to your backpack. The boat's a limited, but still comfortable zone. It's like van life. but on the water. Your impact on the environment is limited and you travel with the wind. That's a great feeling for an adventurer. Search Projects has been built to spend a lot of time far from civilisation. We can live for three months totally disconnected, with just our fishing equipment.
Are any other people going to sail with you and your wife?
Six people can live in this boat. Our goal is to invite other athletes to do their own Search. We want to go beyond paragliding and explore the world with climbers, cliff divers and many other people who want to find hidden gems in this world.
Do you plan to come back to regular life after this long adventure?
This boat is just a start for us. Our goal is to build a real exploration boat with an aluminium frame and go to Antarctica in five years. This will be our next step for adventure.