Jure Šterk


Jure Šterk was a Slovenian long-distance sailor and author who went missing during a sailing trip around the world and is presumed dead.
During his sailing career he crossed the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Between 1991 and 1994 he sailed around the world single-handedly.

Biography

Early life

Šterk was born in Zagreb, which was then part of Yugoslavia. He grew up in Vinica in White Carniola and attended a high school in Črnomelj. He lived in Ljubljana for some time, and received his captain's licence in 1977.

Sailing achievements

He competed in the Minitransat transatlantic race three times, crossed the Atlantic Ocean eight times, the Indian Ocean twice, and the Pacific Ocean once. Between 1991 and 1994, he single-handedly sailed around the world, in his own 6.5 meter-long boat. He made most of his boats by himself.

Last journey

In December 2007, at age 70, Šterk started a journey to sail around the world on his boat Lunatic. He used his amateur radio to communicate, and was last heard from on 1 January 2009. Lunatic was spotted on 26 January, approximately off the coast of Australia. The boat looked damaged and there was no sign of Šterk on deck.
Three months later, on 30 April 2009, Lunatic was found adrift by the crew of the science vessel RV Roger Revelle, south-eastern on position: Latitude 32-18.0S, Longitude 091-07.0E. The sails were torn and there was no one on board. After boarding, it was found that the last log entry was made on 2 January 2009.

Personal life

His son is the Slovenian film director Igor Šterk.