For nearly a month, the 71-year-old has sat aboard his small vessel embedded in grass on a hillside in France's central Loire region, tracking his progress against some 700,000 virtual participants in the famous Vendee Globe.

His backyard some 300 kilometers from the sea offers smoother sailing than the rough southern Atlantic Ocean, where 38 actual skippers are making their way around the infamous Cape of Good Hope in the solo, non-stop, round-the-world yacht race.

The eventual winner of the genuine race will likely make the journey in just under the mythical period of 80 days.

Poitau, who spends 22 hours a day on his wooden boat, said he hopes his adventure will bring "visibility" to the asylum seekers he has worked with for twenty years.

The cold days, cramped quarters, and sore legs are nothing compared to what refugees go through to reach Europe, he told AFP.

"Asylum seekers have been through much worse crossings. They're the heroes, not me," the 71-year-old said.

The tip of southern Africa is "not far off" for Poitau, who tracks his progress on the Virtual Regatta application from the deck of his five-metre-long wooden boat.

Never a sailor, the former court official said he discovered the 20,000 nautical mile (37,000 kilometer) Vendee Globe during the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to participate this year to raise funds for asylum seekers.

"I'm not crazy, I'm defending a cause," said the Loire resident who has worked with refugees through the Anticyclone association for two decades.

The self-described "meadow-sailor" will return home the day the winner crosses the Vendee Global finish line, eager to see his family for the first time since getting underway on Nov. 10.

"My wife is waiting for me, like all sailors' wives," he said with a smile.