This time next year will be the start of the 8th edition of the Vendee Globe. Skippers will depart the dock in Les Sables D’Olonne waving goodbye to friends, families, shore teams and supporters with the sole purpose of sailing non stop, without assistance, around the world in an IMOCA 60. The human endeavour of this challenge is what makes this race so appealing. Not all the sailors will finish. Dreams will be shattered, some will battle through and overcome setbacks and someone will be victorious, but all who set off are heroes.
Looking at the Transat Jacques Vabre race, currently taking place in the Atlantic Ocean, shows how tough racing the oceans can be. One sailor who completed the Vendee Globe in 2008 will return next year as the oldest competitor in the fleet. Rich Wilson is a chronic asthma sufferer and delivers a far reaching education programme engaging children around the world. All that and he still sails one of these beasts. He is currently learning to sail his new boat, formerly Temenos / Mirabaud, and getting to grips with the increase in power, the faster boat speeds and raising his confidence to complete the Vendee Globe 2016 much faster than last time. He has just sailed from America to the UK with a fly by of the Azores to collect me from a waiting RIB.
I sailed with Rich for the final 6 days encouraging him to push a little further than he felt comfortable with and pass on some tips that helped me sail these powerful boats. Just a year older than my IMOCA 60, it is very similar being an Owen Clarke design and I was able to pass on my experience with sailing two circumnavigations in this type of boat. For me it was a pleasure to get back on an IMOCA 60 and lovely to sail with Rich and see his passion for the sailing he does, hear his salty sea dog stories and help nuture this enthusiasm for an extra bit of boat speed.