bj caldwell

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2011-03-21T19:13:00.001-07:00

https://bjcaldwell.wordpress.com/

Transat 650 2011

2011-02-27T16:01:00.000-08:00

Back in Bundaberg, Australia. ISIS my trusty and need I say VERY lucky girl is unscathed save for one scratch! Unbelievable and surreal. The stories will follow in the months to come - they are simply too much for me to absorb in one go. But another big thank you is in order for Linda Pasquariello, Richard and Maree Staiton and Ray of MidTown Marinas and his son. Without all of them - ISIS would be another casuality of this there is absolutely no doubt.

Now, she might sell to pay for my debt in allocating my 'new' base - the S&S 34 'Gitano' currently waiting for me in Seattle. And the near-term objective is a possible go at what would be my 4th Mini Fastnet Race in June from Dournanez, France on my 2005 Transat 650 winning prototype #433.

If this comes to bear I would likely qualify for the 2011 Transat 650 at the end of the year in what would be my first Mini Transat Race! Ironic if I'd raced to Brazil at the beginning of the year with Jon Sanders from south to north (South Africa to Rio) and then I'd race from north to south (France to Salvador) in September solo...

And then Jon and I will do the Sydney Hobart again in December! I hope this 4th go will result in a 50% victory ratio with a 2nd win ; - ) Possible ?!

It is the Chinese year of the Rabbit for the Sagittarius (my star sign) so anything is predicted to be possible if you are a rabbit!!!

...Down the rabbit-hole lets go ; - )

RIO!!! 4th place 2011 Cape Rio Race!!!

2011-02-09T04:36:00.000-08:00

The year I was born in 1975, a particular West Australian named Jon Sanders was doing his first Cape Town to Rio Race aboard his S&S 34 'Perie Banou' at age 35...

...Thirty-five years later, I just acquired an S&S 34 and have embarked on my first Cape Rio Race with Jon at age 35 - as he did! The irony doesn't end there...

Circles within circles - it is a small world! Particularly for someone now on his 8th round-the-world and still the absolute ('World Distance Record-holder) which he set in 1988 when he broke his own mark for double circumnavigating nonstop, solo by sailing a triple nonstop unassisted solo circumnavigation!

If eight times 'round is the current definition of not resting on your laurels, I don't know what is! Besides, Jon is the most humble and down to Earth seaman I've met who can easily navigate cross-maratime culture without favoritism or patriotism.

Having done the 2009 Sydney Hobart Race with Jon and then double-handing back to Perth from Tasmania together, I've been fortunate to crew aboard three stages of Jon's current 8th 'lap' of the world which he will complete sometime this year in Sydney at the tender age of 72. Beats life in a 'retirement-home' is you ask Jon! His yacht - the S&S 39 'Perie Banou 2' IS his 'rest-home' ; - )

If I make it to my 8th circuit on the global race course at Jon's age and in such good physical and mental health to boot - I will likely have followed his example and done something right by staying away from land ; - )

In Jon's case anyway - it is 'healthier' to stay at sea versus land. Of this I have no doubt as he's drunk me under the table on too many occasions to count!

So back to this current 2011 Heineken Cape Town to Rio Race:

I flew from my S&S 34 'Gitano' in Seattle a month in advance to San Francisco to help refit Linda Pasquariello's new Pearson 33 'Yemaya'. We pulled the rig and replaced all the standing and running rigging, the running lights with LED and cut down the mast-base a fraction due to crevice corrosion on the base and stuck it back in 'Yemaya' a day before flying to South Africa.

...Arriving to Cape Town with ten days to the race start - me, Jon and Andrew Sanders (Jon's nephew) and our new South African crew-member Hannas provisioned, filled out the vast race adminstration paper-work and hoped our Brazilian visa's would be approved in time for the start.

It all worked out as always and we had a VERY light wind start that eventually filled into a south-westerly breeze as predicted by the weather files. Being designated the 'navigator' or should I say - 'navi-guesser' for the race is no small designation - especially as Jon has some VERY big shoes to fill.

Pre-race, me and Jon poured over his trusty pilot-charts. Me with my 21st century GRIB weather maps to counter the past centuries' 'averages' with the prognosis for the coming week based on the current satellite info.

We compromised with each of our chosen northerly waypoints with an initial waypoint I wrote on my hand with a magic-marker and one that was just a hundred some odd miles apart from Jon's - a thousand miles to the north-west.

A curious bystander who asked about our projected route was kept in the dark as I covered the race strategy written on my right hand with a beer in hand in my left!

The first day's south-westerly breeze that rose to twenty-five knots had us two sail reaching which is a fast point of sail that Jon's S&S 39 'Perie Banou 2' likes well and it promptly pushed us into 1st place on day one! The remainder of the fleet went into 'sheep' mode and set kites in a drag-race down the west African coast toward Namibia somewhat off course VMG toward Brazil-wise. It was more off the rhume-line and defied Jon and my phrase - "The shortest course making board" most often pays dividends versus wild cards with the respect to the course.

As the days wore on the breeze shifted aft and we too set our trusty spinnaker and it was off to the races - literally. It was quite breezy and it seems there were some broken spinnaker poles and kites in those first days on the boats around us. Andrew Sanders worked magic on the fore-deck and we tried to match his dance with our own back on the helm. Particularly to keep 'Perie Banou 2' on both feet and dancing while we jibed our way down the race-course sometimes on the edge of control as the breeze peaked at 30-knots at times under rain clouds.

As we closed with my first waypoint the rest of the fleet with the exception of 'City of Cape Town', had turned left and cut the corner of the South Atlantic High pressure system a hundred and twenty + miles south of my turning mark.

This dropped us back into 6th position but I was sure our more northerly and 'outside-lane' would pay dividends in the days and weeks to come. With a 3,500-nautical mile race-course you had to look at winning the war not just the particular day to day skirmishes. We believed that it was easier to get caught up in a game of 'follow the leader' versus have the stamina to swallow losses on the rankings in favor of a better score later.

Indeed, something like ten-days later the high pressure moved north and enveloped the fleet south of us in calms and lighter winds. This enabled us to jump up to 3rd place overall as I'd hoped. A position we'd defend for the majority of the 23-day race. In hind-sight, our trajectory around the high could have been even more extreme.

In the ten-days before the finish, the entire fleet including ourselves were swallowed by the high a second time - but this time round it had moved even further north. It was a struggle for all of us to escape it's grasp and we were back on a level battle-field with the rest of the fleet from here on out.

Unfortunately it also meant less tactical options to now be on the same latitude as we approach the finish and the lighter boats are reaching the stronger northerly wind flow sooner allowing them to extend their leads further. This dropped us back into 4th place overall. Frustrating but a good result nonetheless and more importantly we've won wisdom for the next time. As that would be Jon's 3rd attempt - perhaps the third time round will truly be the charm with regard to breaching the top three or first place for that matter!

UPDATE FROM PERIE BANOU 2 - ON-ROUTE:

Written by Marcus

Monday, 24 January 2011 17:22

Sailing veteran Jon Sanders, 71, currently on his 8th circumnavigation of the world, has seen some remarkable things in his time.Always diligently recording his voyages in his log books, he has onboard during this Cape to Rio race his log book from 1976, when he first navigated the world and competed in the 76 Cape to Rio race in his previous yacht Perie Banou 1.

Onboard with Jon this time is his nephew and co-skipper Andrew Sanders, navigator Brian Caldwell and Cape Town resident Hannes Scheepers (27 yrs).Whilst racing Jon has been guiding Hannes, a recent Yacht Master graduate, in celestial navigation using the sextant, the same device Jon navigated with in the 76 race. Said Jon, 'in 76 we had no electronics, we relied solely on taking fixes on the sun and stars twice a day. We reported everday to Cape Town via HF radio. These days we do have GPS for positioning but i always like to have the backup of being able to navigate by sun and stars should the systems go down. I am also very pleased to again be reporting each day with Cape Town radio via the HF. The other yachts have satellite email these days but we are doing it the same as we did in 76.

Meanwhile the course and conditions are remarkably similar to 76. Navigator Brian Caldwell, who was the youngest person at the time to sail solo around the world in 1996 as a 19 year old, is plotting and planning Perie Banou 2's course in this race.Jon says 'it is remarkable reading the log from 76 and comparing to now. Our course plotted by Brian is very similar and we are currently a little in front of where we were at the same time in the race in 76. The winds are similar too, ranging from light to moderate and at times up to 30 knts in squalls with moderate seas.'
Jon quipped 'we even saw whales in the same place as we did in 76 !'

Perie Banou 2 is just under half way to Rio and now has just over 1900 miles to sail in the 2011 race.END

contact AJ Sanderssms: +870776416139

Cape Rio Start in 24-hours

2011-01-14T03:06:00.000-08:00

Follow the race here on the tracker: Below is the team:

Linda and ISIS

2011-01-12T15:56:00.001-08:00

Jon Sander's relative Richard that lives in Bundaberg vowed he would have to do the Rio race if I stayed in Bundy and Linda needed her own gear off the boat for her yacht "Yemaya" in San Francisco and had to go to Aus to renew herUS visa so she is looking after ISIS while I look after Jon - a fair trade, we shall see ; - )

Cape Rio countdown

2011-01-11T01:03:00.001-08:00

Blowing a infamous black southeaster in Cape Town and the festivities continue as Jon Sanders, me, Andrew Sanders (left: holding Jon's list ; - ) and our South African crew-man Hannes Scheepers prepare for launch!

Day 3

2011-01-03T20:51:00.000-08:00

Well the difference from the day leading up to and on New Year's Eve is night and day. The new year is shaping up to be a ripper: Day #1 - ISIS discovered and survived! Day #2 - invited to do the TransPac Race! Day #3 - what appears to be a yacht delivery for early summer!

...Cape Town to Rio Race, TransPac, Fastnet & the Sydney Hobart all in one-year ?! It's looking very possible!!

Bundaberg New Year's Disaster & Miracle for ISIS

2011-01-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

An emotional roller coaster on New Year's Eve for us and randomly finding a picture of ISIS by chance below on the internet (when NO ONE) including the river rescue service could find her for two days on their lists of lost and missing boats...The boat (the ONLY one) of 80 that were in the marina in the pictures below and behind (and above) the roof of Mid-Town Marina in Bundaberg in Queesnland, Australia is my faithful ISIS floating eight meters above normal and parallel with the roof of the marina office - only one of just five boats left (the whole area the size of Germany and Texas has been declared a disaster zone) Read article link here to read about the heart-breaking tragedy - how extremely lucky I am on this New Year's Day - click HERE to read about this un-believeably sad new year's disaster.

ISIS SAVED SEE INCLUDED PICS: A big thanks to Richard and Maree Stainton today - Happy New Years to both of you! Here is a description from a boat that was on a mooring in back of ISIS:

The last day of the year — lots of drama!! We thought No. 15 would be the last update for the year but not to be. Bundaberg has just had its biggest flood since 1942. Parts of the town are flooded, the river is raging at up to 15 knots (that’s almost 28 km/hour) tossing logs, wharves, wrecked boats and tons of debris everywhere. The marina where we were moored has virtually disappeared (their fuel wharf with 30,000 litres of fuel ended up in a paddock several miles downstream) and most of their buildings have gone. Up to 30 or more yachts (the actual figure is unknown) have been lost — some sunk in the river, some washed up into the mangroves where it will be impossible to retrieve them, some washed out to sea, some just disappeared. Wreckage has been found on the beaches as far north as the Town of 1770, 40 nautical miles up the coast. The water was flowing five metres deep over the spillway of the Paradise Dam upstream from Bundaberg.

Having said all that, we arrived here yesterday afternoon after waiting until the highways were open but couldn’t get to the boat as that part of Bundaberg was flooded. We eventually got to it this morning after wading part of the way through the mud and then getting a dinghy ride down the street to where the boat was. After breaking free of the last mooring holding her, Maranatha had drifted down the river dragging her anchor and the mooring buoy and come to rest in the front yard of the fishing trawlers’ unloading complex. It had actually floated over the trawler wharf and was between the wharf and the buildings, with the davits at the back having succumbed to a couple of trees on the way.

The immediate problem was that we only had an hour or two to get it back over the wharf as the river was falling. If we had failed then it would have been impossible to get it back as there was no access for a crane. Phil and Clayton, another yachtie friend, went on board and with the help of a local with his 60 HP dinghy they were able to get it back over the wharf and into the river. They had to cut the anchor chain as it was jammed under the wharf we think. They then catapulted downstream at a great rate of knots and finally made it to the small harbour near the river mouth and rafted up to Clayton’s boat on the public wharf.

We have some damage — the davits which hold the solar panels and the dinghy are wrecked where they hit the tree. The inflatable dinghy is wrecked and the hull has a big dent on the port side just above the waterline where part of the marina wharf hit it as it (the wharf) was heading downstream. There may be other damage underwater but this won’t be known until it is slipped. One thing is for sure — if it had been a fibre glass vessel it would have been wrecked.

We are very grateful that we still have a boat but it is going to be a while before it is shipshape again. We look like being in Bundaberg for some time now. (As I sit here typing this I keep reminding myself that we were supposed to be on our friend’s yacht in Sydney watching the fireworks tonight. Such is life!!)

Thank you for all those that prayed for us. There were many “coincidences” where if they hadn’t happened the boat would have been lost and a number of people have commented that it was a “miracle” that they happened that way and not the way that they should have happened. For more visit their blog at: http://yachtmaranatha.wordpress.com/contact-us/

- Pam & Phil

2011

2010-12-25T22:26:00.001-08:00

Looking in the mirror for years at yourself - rather the 'state' of your dream - I have the infrastructure in place at this turning mark to realize my ambitions.

A two boat program for the years ahead in each global hemisphere. No more banging my head against the wall (note the included picture from the Louvre Museum in Paris ; - )

Now, I look forward to finally sailing in the down time of each circuit versus being 'forced' to cruise the South Pacific in the mean-time! The Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race every year and a rolling odometer of Mini Fastnet Races in the reciprocal northern hemisphere season - fits the bill perfectly.

'A yacht menage-a-trois' is every man's dream & woman's ; - )

Thank you to everyone in my team and one special Native American in particular - I look forward to the sorties to the front-lines in the months and years ahead!

-Bj Caldwell
San Francisco

RUS 808 to HI 808

2010-12-25T14:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Brian!
"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
May I wish you every success everywhere in the New Year!"
Best regards,
Alexei

A Merry Christmas to you too Alexei! If you think you're hard-core - you should have met this Russian I met in Plymouth, England the year before last on my mini. He'd sailed via the Arctic Circle on a steel Dragon converted for solo sailing. He was dismasted en-route to the US after the 'Jester Challenge Race' and spent 40-days under jury rig. He reached America and then sailed across the North Atlantic back to Russia! Note in the picture his white hull behind my mini 433!

I'll never forget showing him to a nearby liquor store so he could find smoke and he has called me his 'angel' ever since! I also got his music working on his computer donated to him and he then Russian folk music was playing over a bottle of Vodka in the Royal Plymouth Yacht Club! I remember a story as he was stuck fighting a current for a day in the fjords of Norway and he did a tack in toward shore and a naked woman was diving off the dock for a swim and he thought he'd seen a mermaid ; - )

Coming from someone that drew his own 3-D charts, spliced his own wire rigging himself, had a basket of potatoes in the bilge as his staple, should i continue?! I salute you Alexei as one of the few 'Iron-sailors' from the 'Great-Age-of Sail', you were born a hundred years too late!

PS: Thank you for the picture of me and Linda in Plymouth going to check email with a jury jug in hand ; - ) Maybe we can sail together soon!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

2010-12-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

Nearly there...

20 Dec 2010

"All well. I am 25nm south of Cape Aghulas, most southerly point of Afrika. Wind 30 – 35kts E, running with 3 reefs main, means I will probably dock RCYC lunch time tomorrow Tues 21st December 2010 or soon after. 40 days sailing. Lots of ships. Regards."

- Jon Sanders

Cape Town to Rio Race 2011 approaches with Jon Sanders on 'Perie Banou 2' arrived to the 'Royal Cape Yacht Club' to a heroe's welcome on his 7th circumnavigation with 3-weeks to go before leaving for Brazil!

- Bj Caldwell

#433

2010-12-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

It's not over till the fat lady sings! Although I currently have THREE boats - one in Australia, one in the US and one in France (I must be crazy), I will divorce myself from at least one of them - the ex-base the Vega 27 ISIS.

After I import her into Australia in the next two months, she will be for sale if anyone is interested. My new S&S 34 replaced her and as for my French 'mistress' the 2005 Transat 650 winning prototype - #433, you will still see a Transat 650 on the boards or two...who knows - maybe MORE ?!

So here's to the this new decade of shifting-gears for the long road ahead!

IMOCA 60's

2010-12-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

With the Barcelona World Race starting in a few days I thought I'd post a REAL sailing video! I still aspire to it do it in the future!

The half-way mark

2010-12-13T00:13:00.000-08:00

Figured out how to work this little technical wonder the 'FLIP' video camera - a small clip after rounding the west side of Oahu on the last yacht delivery in October with a nice look at the 'Monitor wind-vane working it's magic - more videos soon ; - )

Dorothy's no place like home ending is all wrong - after a trip like that you can't go home- stepping across the line into OZ transformed her into a seeker of the wider world as all good voyages do - there's no going 'home', we become the frontiers we cross.

- Salaman Rushdie

...My 35th birthday on the 17th - and I'm just getting warmed up ; - )

How far is it to sail around the world solo? What is the geographical distance? Or better, what is the distance to yourself? When does the dream overtake all other obstacles and take ownership of your identity and soul?

How do you discriminate against such a dangerous entity or a better question - should you bother?! If I lived by my belief that dream is religion, then no - I'd run with 'it' and abandon the trappings of the 'real' world ashore & the 'status-quo'.

When did the status-quo become the 'real' world? Life came from the water and chaos - perhaps its actually the going 'home' part after a long journey that is the problem. You become your own experience and aspire to go further still...

Once the wool is pulled from your eyes and you run free - you'll discover in some ways 'ignorance WAS bliss' as you might not ever return home or be slowed by thoughts of 'security' - because you've come to realize 'security' is the wool over your eyes a the trick, the WORLD is 'home' - when all we ever truly 'own' is now!

Throw caution to the wind and don't look back upon a dream left to grow idle buried in the 'dirt' - to fester and later destroy.

-bj caldwell
San Francisco

Ryan en-route!

2010-12-12T21:24:00.000-08:00

A meander around a crew-site for a last minute crew-member to meet the insurance requirements of the owner enabled a then 16-year-old from the Pacific Northwest to join me and Linda for the delivery of 'Yogurt-Cup' Hunter to Hawaii ; - ) Another delivery from Hawaii to LA aboard the 68ft 'Ragtime' the following summer and then aboard the Columbia 50 this year enabled Ryan to notch up a few miles across the 'pond' avec moi ; - )

After meeting Jesse Martin who at one time had sailed around the world nonstop (and who I met at Jessica Watson's arrival party) had asked if I knew of anyone to delivery his new Contessa 26 to Panama from Florida as he was busy with some filming in India. Note this is the same type of yacht aboard which I became the youngest @ in 1996! So Ryan is currently en-route, good luck mate and see you for a rum soon to hear the stories!

Linda's new boat - 'Yemaya'!

2010-12-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

Well I put my S&S 34 Gitano to bed in her home in Seattle and have flown to San Francisco to help Linda Pasquariello prepare her new Pearson 33 for her own round the world for pleasure with stops in exotic 'cultural' pit-stops en-route - THE WAY TO DO IT!

We are mounting her new Aries windvane, changing the rigging, new chainplates...etc! She will sail to Hawaii next summer solo and onto Australia and on down the yonder blue road!! Here is her blog / website: www.lindapasquariello.com

So I'll be in San Fran until I fly to South Africa on the 5th of next month to race the Cape Town to Rio Race with Jon Sanders!

Aloha
Bj

S&S 34 part # 2

2010-12-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

En-route to Los Angeles from Hawaii on a late season yacht delivery last October - we had decided it was better to do the delivery running late season-wise - because it would open up new a world of opportunities next year by freeing up that alloted time slot...

How true my instinct would prove. Arriving to LA my crew Linda Pasquariello happened upon the November edition of 48 North Magazine. Going thru the classified advertisements in front of 'Whole Foods' in Long Beach, eating a pizza (luxury) Linda says - "What - an S&S 34 for sale in Seattle!

She was determined to obtain the S&S for her own round the world voyage. As it turned out, another sebaticle on the road (a Latitude 38 magazine with advertisements in hand) with Korean Donald Kang 'Tony' led Linda to a Pearson 33 for less dollars which won out for her due to it's superior price enabling her to buy a windvane, liferaft and solar panels in that order sooner - expediting the process of departure from (dirt) land - the most important part of the bargain for her!

...Thus a quicksilver flight from Tony's home in San Francisco afterwards to the Seattle, Washington to have a look at the British built S&S 34 'Gitano', hull No# 61 & the exact 9,100lb sistertship of Sir Edward Heath's infamous 'Morning Cloud' - which obilterated the 1969 Sydney Hobart race fleet, winning the 'Tattersalls Trophy' for 1st overall that historic year of many ahead!

Mercer PR of Australia might prove to be the Ace in the deck of cards - however I have taken control of my own destiney. I have the true extension of myself to realize my ambition - multiple Sydney Hobart Races and to cruise in far flung locations such as Tasmania in relative comfort versus my ex-trust-worthy steed - the Albin Vega 27 "ISIS".

She was a wonderfully faithfull girl but but something a touch larger that could go 'ANYWHERE' fit the bill pefectly...Hmmm, lets see - Jon Sanders, David Dicks (who broke my record), Jesse Martin (youngest unassisted - not out-right), and last (16-year-old Australian Jessica Watson whom set the absolute world record as the youngest solo circumnavigator) - all aboard the US designed Sparkman & Stephens 34 (the designer's of 7 - America's Cup Winners and the landing craft of Normandy in World 2 no less!

...To be continued!

Frozen North

2010-11-23T22:11:00.000-08:00

Winter Wonder Land.

I awoke in the morning to look outside and the world had turned white on me......was this some dream? No the heavens had opened up and covered everything in soft white powder. A winter wonderland had landed on the dock and boat.....when you imagine a boat you think of aqua blue water, tropical breezes, palm trees and local island girls beckoning you ashore. So to see a boat covered in snow is a shock to the system.

Its beautiful to see the world covered in pure white snow. Especially when you have been living in the tropics for years. I have embraced the winter, it is rejuvenating, time to gather all your energy and forces, to be prepared for the next stage.

Slowly I gather my self together to get ready for the start of my next journey. I hope to encourage people to look after our oceans and all that lives in it. To stand up and say NO to all the governments and organisations that devour and rape our seas.

- by Linda P.

S&S 34

2010-11-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

A have acquired a 1970 British built S&S 34 'Gitano' - Portuguese for 'Gypsy' in Seattle - to replace our 'base' - the Albin Vega 27 'ISIS'! She will enable entry to TransPac 2011, multiple Sydney Hobart Races (hopefully every year) and cruising in far flung locations such as Tasmania!

Yosemite

2010-11-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

A great weekend at Yosemiti National Park with Korean Donald Kang who became the 1st Korean to solo circumnavigate back in 1996 and who I met at a 'book-swap' for the yachties on the beach in Cocos Keeling. We raced from port to port thereafter and had some great times then and now!

Cape Town Rio Race 2011

2010-10-30T22:06:00.001-07:00

Next up the 2011 Cape Town to Rio Race in January with Jon Sanders aboard his S&S 39 'Perie Banou 2'. A nice epilogue to our Sydney Hobart last year. I've wanted to return to South Africa since my time there during my round the world in 1995. Back then it was one of the hardest things I've done to un-tie the docklines...Brazil should be nice too!

The Courage Companion

2010-10-30T20:05:00.001-07:00

When it rains it pours. This must be my year to make appearances in print. The book - 'The Courage Companion' I spoke about in a prior blog entry from Tasmania has been published and I'm included! Have a read of this brilliant New York Times best-seller!

Goats and Owls on Boats

2010-10-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

We've arrived from what was a 25-day snail crawl to LA from Hawaii on this recent yacht delivery, but I'll still dance with fickle autumn weather in the North Pacific versus the vagaries of shore-side riff-raff anytime!

And we arrive to find that American kite-boarder Rob Douglas has broken the Hydroptre's record for the absolute world speed record on the water by sailing a 55.65-knot run over the 100-meter course in the speed trench in Luderitz, Namibia...!...Also French/Italian kiteboarder Charlotte Consorti has became the 1st woman to break the mythical 50-knot barrier on the water. Funny I used to think my 30-knot runs windsurfing in New Caledonia were fast.

On this delivery I had to dive under the boat 6-times in the infamous north Pacific High to cut nets loose from the prop (once at 2:30 am)...sad when you go by so many fishing nets adrift and it makes you realize that like passing bulk-carriers, for every one you see, there are ten-fold more over the visible horizon...Try to do the math.

A bonus was a massive school of over a hundred dolphins as we approached Point Conception and a VHF radio report by NOAA that Blue Whales had been sighted between the Channel Islands and for shipping to take avoidance action as they were a protected species. We didn't visibly see them for ourselves but nice to think they were out there with us.

Now something truly creepy but SAD. Something more like a Stephen King novel than reality. On most of my yacht delivery trips friends have a good luck item or 'extra-crew' - usually in the form of random toy animal and usually not related to sailing or the ocean such as a Meerkat or dog. My friend Liz Wardley had a stuffed Tasmanian devil on our Sydney Hobart Race (as you would)...

Anyway, my Kiwi friend Craig Cuff had given me a plastic mountain goat awhile back we named Bunter and would often joke about his exploits on our many crossings together including New Zealand to LA last year on 'Ragtime'.

...As we left on this trip, I'd forgotten Bunter as we were getting ready to cast-off and ran back to get him (as he was our good luck) and off we went with Bunter lashed and bunting away on the bow pulpit for the duration of the 25-day puddle-jump. We often joked about Bunter - goats indeed ARE awesome...

Then two-hundred miles before Point Conception we'd heaved too and stopped for a day to let a big coastal gale blowing along the coast die off before making our making our final approach to LA. And my friend wakes up in the morning to have a look around and promptly taps me in my bunk to say - "Brian, you are NEVER going to believe this, there is an OWL on the deck...!" Sure enough, a big owl is staring at me with enormous yellow eyes and stays with us for a day as we worry whether he'd survive and if he'd gotten blown away from land by the gale. Very odd.

Then on a sat-phone call for some weather, we get some bad news for the same crew-member. A mountain goat had killed a very good friend of his up in the Pacific Northwest where he lives in a freak accident trying to defend his family from the mental animal (goat fatalities are VERY unusual). Another friend says it made national news...I'm now unsure what to do with my plastic pet goat Bunter at this point in time...advice anyone?

30 X 'Across the Pond'

2010-10-02T04:21:00.000-07:00

The 'yacht' they filmed the latest installment of 'Pirates of the Carrabean' pulled into Ko'Olina Marina - a nice back-drop for my already abundant imagination...

Other-wise slogging it out on this now 30th trans-Pacific yacht delivery, this time from Hawaii to the US west coast. I should do it blind-folded on what is the equivalent of 75,000-nautical miles or three times around the world on this route alone!

Perhaps not something to brag about when I should be racing instead. Other than the fact that I have made a living doing what I love the most - THE ONLY thing I know how to do - sail.

I aspire to sail the second-half of my life much faster...as racing pushes you more of the time to ignore the sunset... To live in the moment versus languishing in my past of talcolm powder white beaches and turquoise waters in Fiji and French Polynesia!

If you CAN'T forget such perfection, then you'd might as well be distracted going fast instead! As ignorance and it's associated bliss is a luxury I can ill afford - I lost that strategic option a long time ago!

...A coup as I depart tomorrow night to LA, that I happened upon none other than Jessica Watson's book 'True Spirit' at the book-shop. And the only copy in the store or perhaps the whole island for that matter ; - ) Nice picture of me in Australia's No#1 bestseller - thanks Jess, it all seems like yesterday! Good reading for 3am watches as I desperately miss all things Australian!

Aloha
Bj

Mercer Talent Management

2010-09-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

1. I've been signed and now represented by Mercer Talent Management of Australia and we are looking forward to some great sailing adventures in the future. "Big plans for 2011...all will be revealed soon."

2. Australian Bruce Arms that prepared Jessica Watson's 'Ella's Pink Lady' on board as technical director for the next project!

3. American Photographer Jen Edney on-board as an 'official photographer' for the project ahead: www.jenedney.com

Stay Tuned!

100% self sufficient

2010-09-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

And so it was another beautiful sail with my family while I'm visiting Hawaii. Home is where the heart lies thus Australia is 'her' for now!

...And an IMOCA Open 60 update before the upcoming 'La Banque Postal Route du Rhum Race' which I aspire to race one day in the not distant future. Below computer image illustrating the aft 'hydro-generators aboard everyone's dream boat - the VPLP designed IMOCA Open 60 'Safran' (below). With solar, hydrogen, wind and hydro, a solo circumnavigation without burning any fossil fuels whatsoever isn't just possible today but rather - its a performance enhancer by enabling weight reduction alone (diesel fuel = 7lb per gallon) With water-makers perfected, we only need a better fishing regime for food and a rum maker and we'd never have to come back to land/'dirt' but stay at sea or in some secluded anchorage in the Tuamotus Islands forever!

The Hawaiian Experience

2010-09-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been minding my journal or rather BLOG so here are a few snap-shots as pictures sometimes speak louder than words! Bottom- Linda Pasquariello 'lighting it up'!

Round #2

2010-09-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

A 2nd day sailing today on my (our family) S&S 40 ... yesterday evening in the Hawaiian sunset.

S&S 40

2010-09-11T02:37:00.000-07:00

Beautiful light-wind sailing off Hawaii today on my family's custom cold moulded S&S 40 one-off "Meleana" while awaiting departure on yacht delivery to LA in a couple days on a Columbia 50 ; - )

Dawn

2010-09-10T04:53:00.001-07:00

Sparks in the night sky at sea ~ an ember that could erupt into a raging inferno...

Renewed hope for a frontal assault - to re-approach the battle-field with a powerful new shore-side pit-crew for 'the weapon'. ISIS 2 deserves the very best with numerous podiums under her garter belt!

She is an immensly high maintenance woman and deliverance back to her place on stage above the dance-floor is where she belongs in a cloud of sweat and spray - a siren-song dancing her way toward renewed victories on her race-course - the sea.

...Dawn of a new day at sea? Time will tell - as race parameters will be locked into place by a 'presence' beyond even her wildest dreams!

-bj caldwell

History repeats itself

2010-09-03T03:29:00.000-07:00

Laura Dekker is on the way and the first leg from Portugal is done and dusted! It brings back memories of when I was scrambling to finish in 1996 with 17-year-old Australian David Dicks catching me and 14-year-old Japanese Subaru Takahashi who'd become the youngest at the same time to cross 'any' ocean solo when he borrowed his dentist's boat 'Advantage' to sail solo from Japan to San Francisco - history repeats itself!

Laura Dekker to start line with dad Wednesday!

2010-08-02T04:44:00.000-07:00

Fourteen-year-old Dutch sailor Laura Dekker has announced she will sail away from the Netherlands on Wednesday, sailing with her father to Portugal, from where she will start her solo sail around the world.

She has announced no date for her solo start, but it is expected to be within the next couple of weeks after she has completed some test sailing.

Laura won a prolonged battle last Tuesday when a court released her from the guardianship of Dutch child protection agencies who had blocked her attempts to leave last year when she was still 13, and had applied to the court to extend its ban. The authorities said being alone and absent from school for so long would be harmful for her education and psychological development. On the other hand, social workers had recommended that she be allowed to depart, and both her parents approved.

She planned to set out at 9 a.m. (0700GMT) in her 38-foot (11.5-meter) Jeanneau Gin Fizz ketch Guppy from the southern Dutch harbor of Den Osse with her father Dick Dekker.

'It's great that I can now officially say it will happen on Wednesday,' she said after the court handed down its decision.

Laura, who was born on a yacht off the coast of New Zealand, has been whittling away at the objections to her unassisted voyage since the authorities stepped in last year. She got a bigger, sturdier sailboat, took courses in first aid and learned to suture her own wounds, and practiced coping with sleep deprivation. She also made a solo trip across the North Sea to England, the repeat of a voyage she had made when she was 11. After that first sea crossing, authorities in Britain clapped her into a children's home and called her father.

He was forced to travel to England to reclaim his daughter, and, after doing so, took her back to the shore for her journey back to Holland.

Her plans and legal wrangles have contributed to a global debate over the wisdom of allowing ever-younger sailors to take on the risks of sailing the high seas alone.

Concerns were heightened in June when American teen Abby Sunderland had to be rescued in the Indian Ocean. A wave snapped the mast off her yacht and left her helpless until she was eventually rescued by a French fishing boat more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) west of Australia.

Australian Jessica Watson, at 16 recently completed a 210-day voyage on her 34-foot (10-metre) yacht, Ella's Pink Lady, circling the world non-stop mostly in the Southern Ocean. Watson has just completed a book on her experience.

Laura's voyage will not resemble either that of Abby Sunderland or of Jessica Watson. Instead, she will spend two years on a cruising journey, stopping in many ports. The maximum time she is likely to be at sea continuously is three weeks, very different from the eight months that Jessica spent alone in her boat. She will also mainly stay in tropical or warm areas of the planet.

-Sail World.com

14-year-old Dutch Laura Dekkar departing!

2010-07-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Dutch teen solo sailor gets green light from court

'Laura Dekker smiles with relief that her voyage will now take place'.

'I was so happy I almost jumped into the water,' were the words of Laura Dekker, 14-year-old would-be sailing circumnavigator, describing how she felt when a court in Middleburg, Netherlands, gave her the green light to begin her world sailing voyage.

Laura, who has purchased and prepared her Jeanneau Gin Fizz Guppy for her solo world trip, is expected to leave with in two weeks. If the court had left it any later, it might have put a commencement this year in doubt.

The best time to sail south to the Canary Islands is September, before the winter gales set in in the north Atlantic. Laura is then expected to cross the Atlantic at the end of November, after the hurricane season is ended.

Her journey is a vastly different voyage from that of Abby Sunderland, the 16-year-old American girl who came to grief in the Indian Ocean, and from that of Australian 16-year-old Jessica Watson, who earlier this year completed a nonstop circumnavigation successfully. Sunderland was rescued by a French fishing boat more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) west of Australia two days after the alarm was raised. Her parents faced fierce criticism for letting her attempt the trip and for the tens of thousands spent by emergency teams on her rescue. They faced no backlash a year earlier, however, when Abby's older brother, Zac, completed the same journey at age 17, briefly holding the record for circumnavigating the globe alone.

Laura’s planned voyage -

The Middelburg's family court's decision lifted a guardianship order imposed on Dekker last year after she said she wanted to set sail when she was still just 13. Laura and her father received the news at the harbour at Den Osse, where her yacht is moored alongside the boat where she lives with her father.

Presiding Judge S. Kuypers said the decision and responsibility for Laura now 'lies with her parents.'

'It is up to them to decide whether Laura can set off on her sail trip,' he said. Laura's mother, who was initially against the voyage, last week gave her approval, and her father has always been her greatest supporter. Her father rejected criticism that he was pushing Dekker to do the trip as 'nonsense.'

'It was Laura's plan from the very beginning,' Dick Dekker told reporters. 'I just support her in it.'

Laura's plan ignited a worldwide debate on how far parents should go in supporting or encouraging their children's improbable dreams, especially after Abby Sunderland's dramatic rescue from the Indian Ocean underlined the possibilities

Speaking in both Dutch and English after the announcement, Laura told reporters she would set off within two weeks for her starting point in Portugal. She said she needed to complete some further test sailing of her yacht, a ketch.

Jeanneau Gin Fizz -

Dutch authorities had been in conflict over Laura's case. While social workers - a youth protection group - who had been in constant contact with Laura were in favour of her journey, the court had been ruling on a request from the Dutch government's umbrella childcare agency, the Council for Child Protection, to extend the guardianship order for another year to prevent Dekker from setting sail. The Council said it remains concerned about her mental and physical development during such a long and lonely trip.

Since making headlines last year by announcing her intention, Dekker has obtained the bigger boat and equipped it with modern navigation and safety equipment. She has studied everything from how to stitch her own wounds to how to cope with sleep deprivation and put out fires onboard her 11.5-metre yacht. She also fitted the boat with new cushions, a new sail and a sunshade for the tropic conditions she is certain to face.

Dekker and her supporters have plotted a nearly two-year route from port to port around the world — including an alternative path around Africa to avoid the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden if necessary.

Dekker said she was not too afraid of pirates, and would follow the recent tendency of yachts to sail close to the shores of Yemen to stay out of the range of Somali pirates.

'They don't attack yachts so much,' she said. 'If you are in a convoy you should be OK.'

Laura was born on a yacht in New Zealand waters while her parents were sailing around the world and holds New Zealand and Dutch passports.

If Dekker succeeds in her voyage, she would beat 16-year-old Australian Jessica Watson in becoming the youngest to sail solo around the world. Watson spent 210 days maneuvering her 34-foot (10-metre) yacht, Ella's Pink Lady, around the world.

Asked about Abby Sunderland's demise when she was dismasted, Laura said she watched Abby Sunderland's dramatic rescue unfold, 'but it didn't really bother me.'

She said her boat was bigger and more stable than Sunderland's, and she was 'planning to take much longer for my voyage in order to catch the best weather' - something that Abby Sunderland and her team ignored in an effort to break the elusive unofficial record for the youngest solo circumnavigating sailor. - xsracing.org

Fast-forward about 34-minutes into this news video link to view 14-year-old Dutch Laura Dekker's youngest solo circumnavigation departure / CBC Canada Interview with me

; - )

ISIS 2

2010-07-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

2010
"There are no answers, only choices."

For the first time, it's really the voyage - not the destination that counts.

We will explore the outermost limits of human understanding offshore. We will push today's design, construction, computer, mechanical and human interface to the limit on all ocean's of the world.

On the way, we will learn about ourselves, illustrate how far we've come and how much further we can go. We will find out how far, how fast and for how long, our consolidated knowledge can take us.

In doing so, we will honor our great heritage of exploration. This is a living monument to everyone that has crossed oceans. From the ages and cultures, we have not discriminated in our quest to face the ocean united.

We know this same teamwork and utilization of global resources and talent will lead toward the next great age of exploration - space.

The yacht is a microcosm of our celestial boat - the world. 'ISIS 2' is bristling with technology, human ingenuity and resilience. She is ready to meet fate, however far away.

"No fate but what we make."

-bj caldwell

2000

2010-06-21T06:20:00.001-07:00

The Year 2000 was extraordinary. Not because it's premiere was our celebration of 1st-place in the Sydney Hobart Race - but more importantly because I'd discovered what still to this day feels like 'home' - Australia. Sailing the boat I owned at the time - an S&S 34 from Australia to Hawaii in 2000 was the prologue for a decade later!

It seems these things run in ten year cycles - thankfully! Evolution is so practical but I lust after the revolutionary moments that turn the world on it's head.

If one such instance alone had such impact - it was my Australian mate Linda's discovery of a certain 16-year-old-sailor - Australian Jessica Watson which brought the new fork in the road.

While prepping another yacht delivery in San Diego - Linda turned everything around when she discovered Jess. Why ?!

Because my long-time mentors - David Dicks (who broke my record) and the distance record-holder - Jon Sanders, would all join together due to something of a coincidence, but one could call fate of the highest order.

One email by Jess had exposed the address of David Dicks - the same Dick's that had crossed my name off 'the list' when he broke my record and now was my race manager, due to Linda's discovery but mostly Jess !

Which led directly to do the Sydney Hobart Race as a team and more importantly - welcoming Jess home as the new absolute world record holder!

...Proof that everything goes full circle!

True Spirit

2010-06-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Not long until Jessica Watson's book True Spirit is released! Below excerpt from her website: www.JessicaWatson.com.au/

“When I was young I was pretty much afraid of everything...

“I’m not sure when that changed, but Mum tells a story about a day at a family gathering when I was playing with my cousins and my elder sister. They were all holding hands and jumping into a swimming pool, and Mum was watching me closely because I was afraid of water and couldn’t swim. I was five years old.

“I obviously got sick of only watching the game, because as everyone lined up to hold hands for another leap I joined in. Mum says she kept waiting for me to let go but I didn’t. I jumped with everyone else, shrieking and giggling until we hit the water. I sank to the bottom and my uncle rushed to pull me out.

“I wish I could say when it was that I went from being that quiet little girl, tagging along behind the others, to the girl who set off to sail around the world believing completely that with enough dedication she could achieve anything she set her mind to. Somewhere along the way I learnt that if you truly want to live life you have to get involved, pursue your passions and dream big.

“I don’t know when that was and I don’t remember jumping into the pool that day, it is just a story my mum tells. But somewhere between that moment and sailing out of Sydney Harbour on Ella’s Pink Lady, I came to understand what Helen Keller said far better than I can – ‘Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing’.”

-Jessica Watson

Round #3

2010-06-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

An emergency flight to Hawaii from Australia for my dad in the hospital - say a prayer he recovers expediantly. Linda Pasquariello and me for our third Pacific crossing of the 'pond' together from Hawaii to San Diego aboard the yacht delivery of 'Les Forces Contrairs' in July!

Forks in the Road

2010-06-06T22:33:00.001-07:00

The long term battle plan has evolved from the near term sail from Australia to South Africa at the end of the summer. I will import ISIS to Australia as a base near Sydney, team-mate Linda Pasquariello: http://www.wix.com/bjcaldwell/linda13 will buy a boat in the Carribean for her trip and I will pursue the skilled/worker residency visa for Australia, which will enable me to stay in my lead-up toward ultimatly duel- US/Australian citizenship.

Since my first trip down-under when we won the 1999 Sydney Hobart Race aboard Liz Wardley's Elliot 36ft 'Phillip's Foote (aka Dixie Chicken), I have had a love affair with Australia.

With my yearly Hobart jaunts, its a natural relocation of my 'operating base' - the Vega 27 ISIS.

Media Stats Jessica Watson

2010-06-02T01:03:00.000-07:00

As we all know, Jessica Watson arrived home to a massive welcome - the media stats in the article below written before she even arrived are incredible! She deserves it.

- www.elixirdigital.com

A Sea of green awaits internet conqueror Jessica Watson
COURTNEY TRENWITH

MARCH 17, 2010

Solo sailor Jessica Watson can expect to be the centre of attention when she gets home.

Jessica Watson owes a lot to the internet. Enough to fill a large bank account. Not only is the world wide web allowing the Queensland adventuress to communicate with her support team as she becomes the youngest person to solo circumnavigate the globe on treacherous seas, her online presence is creating a global profile that is set to reap her big dollars back on dry land.

More than one million people each week log on to the 16-year-old's online blog and thousands are members of at least one of Jessica's four profiles on social media sites, which span the most popular social networking and video sharing tools.
Jessica on the home stretch

Whether it's the enormity of her quest, the youthfulness of her simply-worded entries or her tales of dolphins, magical sunsets and battles with wild storms at the base of the world that attracts readers, there is no doubt Jessica's story has captivated the public's imagination.

It also means she is almost guaranteed to make a fortune from her experience whether or not she sails into Sydney Harbour to complete her journey as planned for late March or early April.
And her management is well aware of the hype.

"Definitely, there's no question the age, the technology, the world that we live in now [have boosted Jessica's profile], "spokesman Andrew Fraser told brisbanetimes.com.au.

"[The internet means] a person's profile can go from nothing to anyone that does anything controversial or inspirational, the whole world can read about it at the click of a button. "There's no question that that has impacted on the profile of not only Jess but other sporting people. "It's extraordinary she has a global profile; a million hits a week consistently on the website and they're from 170 countries."

Have a look here: http://www.elixirdigital.com/

Hawaii-California

2010-05-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hawaii to San Diego yacht delivery coming on for beginning of July as I await news regarding sponsorship.

Channel 7 - Jessica Watson / BJ Caldwell Interview #1

2010-05-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

More scary than going around the world!

Welcome Home Sailor!

2010-05-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Nearly every youngest solo circumnavigator to date and the 'serial-planet-lapper' Jon Sanders: Mike Perham, Jesse Martin, Brian Caldwell, David Dicks, Jon and the new YONGEST -Jessica Watson!

Youngest Solo Circumnavigator!

2010-05-11T01:38:00.000-07:00

16-year-old Jessica Watson is set to become the new youngest to lap the planet two days shy of her 17th birthday May 15th on Sydney Harbor! Channel 7 news is flying me and Jon Sanders out to commentate her arrival live. Congratulations and see you on the dock Jess!!!

The 2nd merry go 'round

2010-04-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

To reach the start of the Mini Transat I will sail around the world a 2nd time! After our second Southern Ocean yacht delivery from Tasmania, the phrase - "Once is not enough", is truly our catch-phrase.

Linda Pasquariello will buy my base away from France - the Albin Vega 27 "ISIS" to circumnavigate for a non-record pleasure 'lap' in January 2011 from Cape Town, South Africa.

To double my available war chest to race in France in 2011, I will set the bounty of cash from the sale aside until come early 2011, when after a yacht delivery - will enable a strong double punch with both the UK & FR Mini Fastnet Races, 1,000-nm qualification before potentially gaining entry to the 2011 Transat 650 solo race from France to Brazil.

If I'm not qualified for 2011, then I will have two more seasons of French racing and Fastents to refine my craft before the real attack in 2015 after a new circumnavigation record on another boat. If I got into the 2011 edition the saying goes that the first participation is for practice anyway.

If I were to go to France now due to our available time-frame and budget - it would allow me to do only one race and the solo qualification when I could use that same funding to double my budget for 2011 and do twice as many races...

Tough but perhaps more prudent. In the meantime, I will sail from Bundaberg, Australia double-handed with Linda to South Africa via the Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Islands, Darwin, Cocos Keeling, Mauritius, Reunion and South Africa where I will step off to board the quicksilver to France for the 2011 season... And Linda will begin her solo around the world voyage.

...Thus our current circumnavigation begun last year in Fiji will enable us both to sail around the world twice as we continue on to Fiji when she finishes in South Africa and me the Transat 650 2015 after another solo planetary jaunt with another woman...boat!

ISIS TLC

2010-04-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

Doing major updates to the (base) ISIS in Bundaberg, Australia before a small jaunt up the Great Barrier Reef before a flight to Hawaii to renew my Australian visa and from there - its a bit up in the air as I'm long accustomed to so stay tuned!

18 is new & arbitrary

2010-04-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

"18 is new & arbitrary":

'Alexander of Macedon was 16
when he won his first battle.
We may be most aware of
societal norms,
but do not forget the edges of the
Bell curve, and never doubt
human ingenuity and experience,
even in the very young...'

Brian's book Clockwork Excerpt Part #2:

...Clouds skudding by a crescent moon,
showers of illuminated spray, a rumbling ocean,
an overworked windvane, Mai Miti is being sent.

Braced in the cockpit, my hands gripping the
twin stainless handholds either side of the hard
dodger, my leeward foot is locked horizontally
to the motion and there's an abundance of miles
to be had. With half a furled jib and scrap of
mainsail, Mai Miti forges across a million
wavetops reveling the hard thirty-knot breeze
by throwing aside blankets of exploding spray
and foam.

I can't help but think if I were aboard an Open 60
that could make upwards of 400 miles a day
solo with these conditions. That would
be 2,300 to Mauritius in 6 days with an easy
350-mile a day average versus the 17 it would
take on Mai Miti. Something akin to a 300%
increase in speed and power! But for the price
of a million dollars.

I'm a hopeless romantic and slave to progress.
To rip across this ocean on the fastest wind
powered solution that technology permits
would be finding the harmony of Jonathan
Livingston Seagull. To see the Great Wandering
Albatross dashing over wave tops in the height
of a gale is the meaning of perfection to me.

One day in the not distant future, a French
15-year-old female model with a background
of cruising experience to bear would embark
with a Formula-1 Open 60 program to boot,
and obliterate the record in three months,
perhaps finishing before her 16th birthday!
Of this I have no doubt.

My future daughter ?!
For me, becoming the youngest to circle
was the means to find my way back to
the sea and myself.

At time of publication, "Orange 2's" crewed
50-day circumnavigation mark is reality.
Bruno Peyron did much too further ignite
my imagination on his global promotional
tour for "The Race" to Tahiti. Crewing aboard
the 1st Jules Verne Trophy winning -
"Commodore Explorer" that circumnavigated
in 79 days from Hawaii to French Polynesia,

I saw the future at 31 knots boat speed and
consecutive five-hundred mile days.

The day the local Hawaiians can embrace
this future will be a revolution. There is a
tremendous interest in the exploits of the
traditional wood sailing canoes that colonized
the islands from Polynesia. To correlate this
love with the horizon of a new day will create
a whole new generation of seaman and foster
the dreams of speed in the minds of the islands'
racing teenagers weened off cult-movies such
as "The Fast and the Furious" and "Blue Crush".

If you took Club Med or any 600 mile a day
multihull back in "the day", of the
voyaging canoes and clippers-
they wouldn't say-

"No, we'll stick with our 100 mile a day relic
and run out of provisions to honor tradition!"
I don't think so. It's not too difficult to imagine
how fast they'd embrace evolution with eyes
wide open.

So it's with these thoughts I nursed Mai Miti
onwards. I think sailing around the world
alone is more a voyage toward yourself and
the 27,000-mile geographical course is simply
'the distance to here'. The longer it is, the
harder it gets, the more it teaches you about
yourself.

To me this abundance of free time is bliss.
But ignorance can be bliss too. This lifestyle
is nothing short of a curse. It's no less potent
than a drug. Once you've been down this
watery road there is no turning back.

Life ashore resigns you to long for and dream for
the day when you can find liberation and your
way back to the mermaid. Life becomes oriented
to scheming for the places, hardships, gales,
sunsets, beaches, and memories of faraway
exotic ports and moments.

At least the people that haven't experienced
it don't know what they're missing. In Buddhism
they say that all human suffering is caused by
desire and longing. But that said, much as the
saying about it being better "to have loved and
lost than to not have loved at all", I agree.

The New Youngest - Jessica Watson

2010-04-19T03:37:00.000-07:00

An article today in the local Australian newspaper about the giant welcome being organized for 16-year-old Jessica Watson in three weeks on Sydney Harbor when she will become the new youngest solo circumnavigator got me to thinking back to my recent meeting with David Dicks in Perth and our own trips that now seem like a hundred years ago but were actually only fifteen...

...A long time to me considering I was 19 at the time! Here's a sample of a draft, I'll contribute more in the months ahead...

Clockwork

‘’Give me a spirit that on this life’s rough sea
Loves to have his sails filled with a lusty wind,
Even till his sailyards tremble, his mast cracks
And his rapt ship runs on her side so low
That she drinks water, and her keel plows air."
Conspiracy of Charles, Duke of Bryron

PROLOGUE

Moonlit waves, cast afire by the prince of tides – the moon and her soul-mate – the starlit sky, conspire to waver my resolve to stop and claim the fabled age record. For me, the pursuit of a record is the means to a more ominous but gratifying cape to round, befriending that stranger of the subcubconscious…the ‘real’ me.

For sixteen months, I’ve been a constant sentinel to nature’s magic. The growing intoxication with this simple existence at sea, allows me to forget the finish and to savor what remains of the world. The call of the sea had blinded me years before, ever since I’d stepped back ashore as a young boy. To cope with land, I’d cherished and developed my passion. My love through much evolution - like a pearl, became something others would pay to see through.

To find my way home to the sea, I had to do ‘it’ younger than anyone that had gone before. My passion had to become something of a hard physical currency, to satisfy the hungers of the material world. They needed tangible proof of my devotion. To justify the wager, they needed the inspirational value of a first, or rather, the water smudged marks of a world record.

To reclaim the happiness I’d long remembered, I would have to discriminate far too many stops in beautiful places for the sake of a time record. The money was on the table - to see me circle the Earth younger than anyone in the history of sail, and I couldn’t have been happier!

…Now twenty thousand miles later, I nurse "Mai-Miti" through her longest passage.

Passing north of the Galapagos Islands, steep waves crash down the length of the deck as we crawl upwind. The only way to progress in the face of the unfavorable seas, wind direction and current is to push my hard-driven bride near one hundred percent. But I try not to push Mai Miti past her tolerance as one critical gear failure could spell the finish of the record.

I prefer to spend my excess time advantage over Robin Lee-Graham’s record to better insure a successful finish. It was French triple solo round the world race winner – Christophe Auguin who said, "only push when you must".

While I pace myself on the last stage, I dream of a circumnavigation without stops. The proximity of the finish dictates our heading but it’s the voyage i've come to love.

For the moment i have a several thousand mile lead over 17-year old Australian David Dicks from Perth, Western Australia. An ocean in back of me in the Atlantic, David and his S&S 34 - "Seaflight", were rounding the ‘antipodal’ (halfway) mark of their nonstop circumnavigation at Bermuda, during the middle of hurricane season.

As David threaded his way past several storms, the pronounced rotation of developing cyclones was discernible on the weather maps north of me…with still five thousand miles to reach 'home'.

One hundred years after the first solo circumnavigation of the world by Joshua Slocum in 1895-98, a global race was underway between two teenage sailors. Chances were that we’d both lower Robin Lee Graham’s 21-year age mark for circumnavigating the world alone. When you got right down to it, it never really was just never the record that got us out there in the first place but rather simpily being at sea -no matter, David Dicks and I were in a race to do so - one going eastward and the other west…

*Official records cross all meridians of longitude, the equator twice, are completely solo without ever taking aboard crew and approved by the:

(WSSRC) 'World Sailing Speed Record Council)

Outright Youngest Solo Circumnavigation Records as of 2010: www.worldsailingrecords.com

"3 X Americans, 3 X Australians & 1 British"

1970 - American Robin Lee Grahm, 5 year circuit, age 16-21 (Official youngest with stops)

1996 - American Brian Caldwell, 16-month circuit, 19-20 (Outright Youngest with stops)

1996 - Australian David Dicks, 8 month circuit, 17-18 (Outright Youngest solo & nonstop with assistance)

1999 - Australian Jesse Martin, 10 month circuit, 17-18 (youngest solo nonstop without assistance - not outright)

2009 - American Zac Sunderland 1 year circuit, 16-17 (Outright Youngest with stops)

2009 - British Mike Perham 1-year circuit, 16-17 (Outright Youngest with stops / *several months younger than Zac)

2010 - *Pending: 2010 Australian Jessica Watson 8-month circuit - Outright youngest solo, nonstop & unassisted- age-16

Live to fight another day

2010-04-12T04:22:00.001-07:00

'The smart guy is the one thats adaptable and fluid - the dumb one doesn't learn and keeps going back for more with the same formula hoping for an improved result or something along those lines the saying goes. And not kicking a dead horse but my recent quote below for the 'Courage Companion' book imparts influence on my decision as well...

"Success of the trip is, for the most part, is destined for success or failure before it physically begins during the big preliminary conceptual decisions such as routing, type of boat, budget etc.,” B.J. says, “Strategic decisions impact the results and once decided upon and the launch button is pressed, those decisions can’t be retracted.” - bj caldwell

While this indeed has been a winding path to the Transat 650 - I'm in it for the long haul. For me, it's my overall objective that matters more than a particular skirmish or year.

It's been a perfect year to date racing in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race with Jon Sanders. Where to from here? In my prolonged mini campaign and specifically the Classe Mini - the two big victories to date even if they were not veritable podium wins were my double 5th place results in both the 2003 & '04 Mini Fastent Races against eighty boats (though I was 1st-placed non-French finisher ;-).

My decision is to consolidate my resources for a stronger approach for 2011 onwards...

The double punch next year is to do both the UK & FR Mini Fastnets which run every other year - thus making 2011 a tempting and vast target. With a few yacht deliveries this summer and a sponsor to boot will make a strong hand of cards to attack.

Races 2011:

Pornichet Select 6,50 Pornichet - Belle-île - Yeu - Port Bourgenay - Groix - Pornichet 25/04/2011
Mini Pavois La Rochelle - Gijon - La Rochelle 06/05/2009
Chrono 6,50 D Tour de l'île de Groix au départ de Lorient (au chrono) 22/05/2011
Trophée Marie-Agnès Péron Douarnenez - Iroise et Ponant - Douarnenez 04/06/2011
Mini Fastnet 09 Douarnenez - Phare du Fastnet - Douarnenez 14/06/2011
Barratt Homes UK Mini Fastnet Plymouth - Phare d'Eddystone - Bouée Needles - Phare de Bishop - Rocher du Fastnet - Cork - Plymouth 05/07/2011
Transgascogne 6,50 Solo Port Bourgenay - Ribadeo - Port Bourgenay 02/08/2009
Mini Port Médoc Départ devant Port Médoc, Chenal Sud, G à Bâbord, BA (Bouée d'atterrissage de l'Adour)à tribord, BXA à tribord, Grand Chenal de l'Ouest et arrivée devant Port Médoc au Verdon sur Mer. 26/08/2009
La Charente-Maritime Bahia Transat 6,50 La Rochelle - Funchal (Madère) - Salvador de Bahia (Brésil) 13/09/2009

Why Sailing Feats Matter

2010-03-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

What Groupama 3 tells us about sailing, society and solutions

By Nicholas Hayes, Author of Saving Sailing.

Sailing almost never makes news, and in the shadow of the economy and the healthcare debate, the headline “Groupama Breaks Around World Mark” is no different. Indeed, the feat barely registered on Google Trends... so small it fell off the charts altogether against chatter about the latest PS3, Justin Bieber, and Wrestlemania. By that measure, Groupama 3’s win might deserve the unenviable designation as the greatest human accomplishment to have earned the least possible attention.

Think about it. Last week, a French sailboat scooted around the globe at an average of almost 25 knots propelled only by pure solar energy and the determination of a tiny team of athletes and technicians. Their stated goal was to complete the circumnavigation in under 50 days, only a 5 year old record, set by Orange II.

Instead of ranting about the media and its apparent disdain for amazing things like this, let’s use the opportunity to reflect on something far more important: the almost stupidly simple concept of getting good things done when you want to.

To start, it is important to note that the Jules Verne record reflects an objective that seemed impossible for most of human history; codified in Jules Verne’s fictitious 1873 novel in which Phileas Fogg dares to travel around the world in under 80 days on a bet, using all manner of coal-fired and wind-driven transport. Of course, a hundred-fifty years later, with petrol, airlines, credit cards and freeways, anyone can do it.

Ironically, Verne’s book reflects a time (for him, a recent memory) when only wind was available, so Fogg’s hybrid any-fuel approach seems to be cheating. One of Verne’s key observations is that technology provides leverage to bring goals into reach. But that’s just half the story.

Indeed, the far grander feat -- sailing around the world without the benefit of coal, steam or engines in under 80 days -- was first accomplished just 17 years ago, in 1993, by a catamaran called Commodore Explorer (named for defunct sponsor Commodore Computers), which managed to do it in 79 days. Since then, the record has been broken 6 more times, shaving 32 days (40% of time) off of Verne’s original steam-driven fictional record. More stunning: only a handful of teams have tried, led by a handful of men and women, and the same man, Bruno Peyron, led 3 of the record setting teams. So in 17 years, 5 tiny consortiums have have set and met statistically impossible goals 7 times.

Finally, consider that no other water-born machine can do what was done here, except, perhaps, for the nuclear warship, and in that case, the wealth and vital resources of nations and the complete science of nuclear power are committed. A safe metaphoric equivalent might be the tiny nation of Costa Rica safely landing a man on Mars next year, and then again 5 more times before anyone else does it, without using rocket fuel.

So a miniscule sailing story is huge in the context of lessons of the plausible and the possible in what feel today like impossible times.

Middle east peace remains a distant dream. American energy independence is bogged down impossibly in the lobby. A cure for cancer. A decent education for kids. A Cubs world-series. What else can’t we do?

Jules Verne trophy winners did and keep doing. How? Let’s be simple: by simplifying; enlisting the time-honored, oft-forgotten process of reduction and condensery. They did everything that they had to do, and nothing that they didn’t. By understanding the fundamental ingredients that would go into reaching an audacious and, dare I say, massively important and informative goal in the context of the human condition, I suggest that they zeroed in on two key needs: light and smart. Everything that most of us are usually not.

Indeed almost all human progress comes back to these two rare ingredients.

- Light simply means efficient, sustainable, powerful, safe and durable.
- Smart simply means aware, logical, and practical.
- Together, light and smart sum to fast, agile, confident and bold.

Taken one at a time: With each iteration, record attempters have used the lightest materials available. Lightness makes them fast in all conditions, and it makes them notably safer when the weather is harsh, because instead of stressing, lightness turns the added energy into speed. Lightness is what makes cars and trains and planes that consume less fuel or get much more from the fuel they use. Lightness is what makes it possible for a skier to ski faster, and a runner to run longer. Lightness is what makes rockets that can reach the moon or Mars. Lightness is what makes it possible for humans to see new horizons.

Most of all, lightness yields efficiency, which enables peak performance over long periods of time. To be able to travel long and uninterrupted, these teams and their machines must work in the most efficient possible manner at the very threshold of breaking. Light and lean systems, both mechanical and human, are designed to make the most of the energy that is carried, created and received -- food, generated electricity, and wind. Everything and everyone, by design, performs at or near peak for the duration. So the teams know what peak is. They measure it and manage to it precisely. Calories and watts are densely packed and strictly limited. Finally, wind, the ample resource that propels, is deliberately concentrated for maximum usefulness.

Of all of the advancements contributing to these feats, perhaps the most important is the flow of information, which gives the advantage of knowledge and flexibility. It is no coincidence that before the Verne record was broken, only NASA had the wherewithal to deliver ample real-time and predictive information through computers and communications to teams in places where there are no others. Today, the same technologies that I am using to upload this file also transfer critical information to Jules Verne sailors -- feedback, questions, ideas, scenarios -- that make it possible to find the ideal route around the globe. Weather, routing and boat performance data come together to provide the best possible choices and enable the best possible decisions that the sailors can make. As information becomes more granular and comprehensive due to gains in computer power and bandwidth, greater advantage is delivered. More than anything, computers underlie continuous record-breaking since the Commodore Computer company first sponsored a winner. With computers, these are the smartest sailors in the world, and they get smarter with each attempt.

And we can look forward to more. An upcoming record attempt by Hydroptère promises a new level of lightness and smartness. Smaller versions of the wind-powered hydrofoil have already set world records for top speeds. This ultra-light and smart design completely depends on computer simulation to find a point of sail with the lowest friction and the highest transfer of solar power to motion. Theoretically, this team has the potential to break the 40 day mark, although if they do, probably few will hear about it.

No irony that most great human accomplishments often go back to two underlying factors: lightness and smartness: consider the use and improvement of tools, faster travel, safe flight, deep sea exploration, the renaissance, space travel, mass literacy...

Jules Verne winners offer us a glimpse into a tiny closed loop, a miniaturized planet, if you will, with both fixed and variable inputs (finite carried goods, ample information, human ingenuity and solar energy), that drive sustainable progress (fantastic but safe sailing speeds pointed in the right direction) towards an improbable goal. It’s a clear metaphor for human progress and the quest for quality of life.

Why does any sailing story matter? Because sailing is, at its core, among the most complete and accurate analogies that we have for the problems that we face, the solutions that are within our reach, and the thinking and effort that is required to put them into action.

Perhaps we can learn something here and use the same tools: lightness and smartness... to do what seems impossible. Comments?

Credit Lorine Niedecker with the word.

03/30/10

Back to ISIS

2010-03-29T01:29:00.000-07:00

Arrived to Port Lincoln from Robe. The owner has a family crisis and has decided to expedite transport of the boat by truck from here which will take two days. Ashame for us as we were really looking forward to the welcome in Esperance and Perth. So Linda and I are off to Bundaberg to see ISIS and sail the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef before I fly back to Hawaii and then on to France to race minis...

On another note, here's the excerpt from the book coming out called - 'The Courage Companion' described in an earlier blog entry. Should be a great read...

Achieving Your Dreams: Youngest Person to Circumnavigate the Globe Solo Thinks Taking Risks is the Easy Part

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” –Seneca

Brian (“B.J.”) Caldwell, 34, began to dream of circumnavigating the globe while spending summer breaks from high school providing yacht deliveries, a job that contributed to his sailing over ten thousand miles while still in his teens. He formulated a plan to take off exactly 100 years after Joshua Slocum set off on the first successful solo sail around the world in 1895 and on June 1, 1995, B.J. departed on his own quest. Sixteen months and 27,000 miles later, he set a record as the youngest solo circumnavigator in history.

Twenty five years later, B.J. is relaxed as he describes why he was apprehensive before taking leave of shore. “I was just very anxious to finally get underway, as I’d been hoping to leave since age 15 and had already circumnavigated countless times in my mind,” he said. “In my case reaching the start was by far the biggest obstacle versus those encountered along the geographical lap around the planet.”

For the rest of us, the thought of being pummeled by extreme waves in an open ocean in a small boat might be the daunting part!

B.J, who divides his time between France, racing aboard his Open 650 race boat; Hawaii, where he has a yacht delivery business; and Australia, where he plans to attempt to win the 630 nautical mile Sydney Hobart Race (widely considered one of the most difficult races in the world) a second time—describes how he dealt with fear during his solo voyage, and gives us all a lesson in living life with true power and courage.

This competitor says that the scariest part of his solo voyage is that “the success of the trip is, for the most part, is destined for success or failure before it physically begins during the big preliminary conceptual decisions such as routing, type of boat, budget etc.,” B.J. says, “Strategic decisions impact the results and once decided upon and the launch button is pressed, those decisions can’t be retracted.”He further states that “one of the biggest obstacles I faced was paying the costs of the trip. I was terrified that this goal might turn out to be only a pipe dream.”

B.J. was well-prepared for the physical risks of his trip. While still in high school, he sailed from Hawaii, intending to circle the planet in less than one year. He changed his plans, visiting Samoa and Fiji in favor of a fast passage, and arrived in Port Villa, Vanuatu, and (New Hebrides) 34 days later, having covered 3,400 miles. His next stop was Cocos Keeling Islands in the Indian Ocean, and then 2,300 miles to Mauritius where the weather deteriorated until he was capsized by trade winds. The impact bent his solar panels and dumped a foot of water in the bilge, which ruined most of his provisions.

His next destination was Africa. Close to shore, the day before Thanksgiving, he barely avoided being run down by a tanker in the busy shipping route from the Arabian oil fields. Ten hours after he arrived, there were thirty foot seas along the 100-fathom line. B.J. describes the near-miss with the ship as being the most dangerous moment of the voyage. "Just the sickening chance that something besides Mother Nature would stop me was impossible to comprehend," he said.

B.J. has an unusual response to fear. “The longer I’ve done this, the better accustomed I’ve come to understand what are productive levels of apprehension and at what point I believe it becomes detrimental.” He says, “Generally, the worse it gets, the more I laugh. A little, or, better yet, a lot of humor can combat fear far better than anything else. So I tell my crew in tough situations “You know it’s getting pretty bad if I’m laughing hysterically.”

His advice for those of us who daydream about pursuing our dreams? “It’s often been said, but needs to be drummed into our minds until we really believe the words and what they mean… Never give up, don’t take no for an answer and remember above all that persistence and hard work will ultimately enable the means to achieve your goal to materialize, usually just when you thought all hope was lost. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of persistence.”

He continues, “You should also do it for the right reasons. A record pursuit might open professional doors later but, first and foremost, you need to do it because you love your pursuit and would rather do nothing else. If it’s reached the point where achieving your dream has become your reason for living or a kind of personal religion, you are ready to ‘not take no for an answer.’”

South Australia

2010-03-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

The new feathering prop is fitted to the Farr 40 we're delivering from Tasmania and the boat-speed is back up to 6-knots at 2300 rpm so we're back to normal. Thus we're on stand-bye to sail to Port Lincoln.

Meanwhile, if some thought my idea to stage a mini around the world race/time-trial was crazy: The Race 650 (www.Race650.com), then they should be inspired by Alessandro Di Benedetto: http://www.alessandrodibenedetto.net/ who's sailing an open 650 nonstop around the world! He is well over three quarters done, with Cape Horn in his gun sights after leaving from where the Vendee Globe starts in Les Sables d' Olonne, west France.

Not my bag of tea but stopping in exotic and warm 'cultural pit-stops' such as Tonga and Cocos Keeling in a stage race such as 'The Race 650': www.race650.com - sounds better to me! The question remains whether I would use my prototype #433 (above) or a series mini such as the Pogo 2...

World Speed Record - 48-days!

2010-03-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

Franck Cammas and the studs aboard the 100ft trimaran 'Groupama 3' are about to break Bruno Peyron's record set aboard the 110ft catmaran 'Orange 2' in 2005 when she circumnavigated nonstop in 50-days flat. Incidentally Bruno has just relaunched 'The Race' - his no-limits circumnavigation drag-race set for 2014: www.therace.org

After crewing aboard the delivery of both Bruno's previous record catamarans - I hope to participate in 'The Race' in either the '14 or future edition!

Meanwhile- the 140ft catamran 'Banque Populaire 5' that set the new trans-Atlantic speed record of 3-days, sailing a record 24-hour 900-nautical mile day in the process- is scheduled to attempt the fastest circumnavigation record for the Jules Verne Trophy now being obilterated by Groupama next winter!

...I'm currently in Robe, south-east of Adelaide in south Australia, getting ready for the yacht delivery run across the Great Australian Bight to Esperance abaord the Farr 40 we've been sailing from Tasmania. We'll leave for Albany and Perth Thursday next week after we fit a new prop and top up our fuel and provisions before what I hope will be another yacht delivery from Hawaii before an attempt on a fourth Mini Fastnet Race!

Right: Brian Caldwell and Bruno Peyron in Tahiti aboard 'Commodore Explorer' in 1997

ISIS Cyclone Season Update

2010-03-15T01:12:00.000-07:00

James Finan with me and Linda the night I finished the 2009 Sydney Hobart Race - New Year's Eve!!!

Here's an update from my mate James Finan who owns the Contessa 26 I sailed around the world and who is in Bundaberg where my current 'base' away from France is currently located - the Vega 27 "ISIS", residing up the river next to the Bundy rum factory while we cavort around the Southern Ocean delivering boats across the Great Australian Bight.

I'm lucky to have a good friend in that neck of the woods - especially as this update was from a week ago and they are about to get hit again ... not to mention Fiji and Tonga - it's turning out to be one hell of a hurricane season in the South Pacific! Thanks James!!!

Hey Brian,

Just wanted to let you know shit's been hitting the fan up here in Bundy...Don't know if you're on land right now or have seen/heard any news, but there's been massive rain inland for the past couple weeks and the damn here up the river finally overflowed and sent a heap of water down on top of us down here at the marina...

We've got heaps of stories for you, but to cut to the chase, Isis is safe and sound tied up behind Mai Miti on the inside of the trawler wharf up against the mangroves at the marina...

I was on Isis at the tiller and Ray, the owner of the marina drove the workboat and towed Isis into the ~7kts of raging river water, but we got her tied up in the marina. I had to cut your mooring lines, sorry mate, they were bar tight and the straight down because of how high the water was all the moorings were probably about 6-8 ft underwater, there was no way to get them undone...

Not too sure what's going to happen next as none of us have moorings anymore, not sure where we're going to go...it's chaos down here at the marina with piled up damaged and broken boats...Littlest Hobo got their outboard smashed off the stern, bent up their pushpit/pulpit, and holed their deck, when their mooring broke loose and smashed into boats in the marina...feel bad for them, trying to help with repairs right now...One dude fell between two boats trying to fend off and got his pelvis crushed...he got taken away in an ambulance and we haven't heard what happened to him...

Don't know if the marina's tried to contact you, they've definitely had their hands full...

Give me a call when you can mate.

-James

Hell's Gates, Strahn - Tasmania

2010-03-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

"We're nearly done with our second tour of Tasmania and will leave in two days for Port Fairy on the Australian mainland. Another great trip and here's a taste of the narrow entrance to Strahn on the west coast of Tasmania where we are now written by Linda, enjoy!

Entering Hells Gates on a typical Strahan morning, grey skies and drizzle. Not a drop of breeze kissed my skin. Is it fair to call such a beautiful spot “Hells Gates”, does it evoke fear in mans heart or make you want to visit, purely for the namesake.
I for one fell into the later group. I like the name.

It evokes thoughts of castles buffered along the rocky shoreline protecting those who entered and departed through the narrow slot of water. Midnight sorties, arrows and cannon balls aloft as fires burn all night to keep the frost away from the soldiers. Which in turn helped with the name “hells gates”

“Who dares come knocking at my door and demand entrance to my sacred city? What say you, do you have to offer, sell or trade” If the answer was not well suited to the knight on watch that evening then your boat was ransacked and scuttled and left to sprawl herself across the reefs that lay near by.

Those lucky enough to be permitted entrance found a peaceful calm bay, surrounded by wooded forest and fresh streams to quench a tired sailors thirst. Alas not all could be quenched from water and Strahan was embarked upon to calm a sailor down. The promise of cold beer, warm food and women. Was all that kept many a cold and hungry sailor going."

-Linda Pasquariello

The Courage Companion

2010-03-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted by author Nina Lesowitz about contributing to what should be a great book about surmounting life’s obstacle course. Below is a description by the author, her questions for me and my answers – buy it when it’s published, not only because I’ll be in it but it looks like a great operating manual for life!

"My co-author Mary Beth Sammons and I are currently writing a book titled – The Courage Companion, and we are interested in including a passage about your solo journey in our book so that your accomplishments may inspire others. I would just need to ask you a few questions at your convenience.

Mary Beth and I are the authors of the book Living Life as a Thank You which was released in November, 2009. The forward was written by Lee Woodruff, a family life contributor for ABC’s “Good Morning America” and wife of anchor Bob Woodruff. You can click on the Amazon.com link to reviews and endorsements for the book.

Our book is scheduled for publication in the Fall, 2010 by Viva Editions. Here is a preliminary description:

Looking for the motivation to face life’s challenges? Coming in Fall 2010 to bookstores, The Courage Companion: Living Life With True Power, touted to be the definitive guide to cultivating courage.

The authors have gone to the front-lines of adversity and fear to surface those brave hearts who have taken action before they are forced to, confronting and overcoming their fears in ways that inspire us all. From world class athletes, to spiritual teachers, to cancer patients, to ordinary people who in extraordinary ways have transformed their lives, these stories help lead us to our best lives. Enhanced with motivational quotes, expert advice, and exercises, this courage guidebook will help you turn apprehension into action to reap the many benefits of living your life with guts and gusto."

-Best Wishes , Nina Lesowitz

1: What am I doing now?

I did the Sydney Hobart Race in December 2009 with Jon Sanders (my 3rd) finishing 4th in class and 14th on corrected time out of 100 boats. I will do the race again at the end of this year in an attempt to win a 2nd time (I won in the 1999 race).
I’m also hoping if budget permits to race my 4th Mini Fastnet race this summer while pursuing corporate sponsorship for continued Open 650 racing and another solo around the world record attempt in the next few years.

2: Can you please describe how you felt embarking on a solo journey?

I was quite emotionally numb actually – just very anxious to finally get underway as I’d been hoping to leave since age-15 and had already circumnavigated countless times in my mind what with the planning and anticipation of the many challenges to come. In most ways – the battle is won before-hand and particularly in my case the actual achievement of reaching the start was by far the biggest obstacle vs. those encountered along the geographical ‘lap’ of the planet.

3: How do you get past fear on rough seas?

Not to sound daft but it’s a known environment due to my vast prior conditioning at sea so I’m more afraid of telephones and siren songs ashore versus storms etc as ‘out there’ I simply do what I’m accustomed to doing which is obviously your best and nothing more. In my mind it is far simpler as bullshit simply doesn’t work at sea but it does rather nicely ashore – another reason why I’m afraid of telephones and things on land!

4: What was your scariest moment during your solo voyage?

As I said above – the trip itself is won for the most part before it physically begins during the big preliminary conceptual decisions such as routing, type of boat, budget etc. Strategic decisions impact the results thereafter and once decided upon in the beginning can’t be retracted once the launch button is pressed.
The actual scary part for me was in allocating the needed budget to go in the first place versus the idea remaining a pipe dream as it does most unfortunately for many.

5: To what do you attribute your ability to get past fear and accomplish these goals?

The longer I’ve done this – the better accustomed I’ve gotten to understanding what are productive levels of apprehension and at what point I believe it becomes detrimental. Generally, the worse it gets the more I laugh! A little or better yet – allot of humor can combat fear far better than anything else. So I tell crew in a tough situation – “You know it’s getting pretty bad if I’m laughing hysterically!

6: What advice do you have for others who may be contemplating a similar voyage?

It’s often been used but needs to be drummed into our mind until we really believe the words and what they mean. Never give up, don’t take no for an answer and remember above all persistence and hard work will ultimately enable the means to achieve your goal to materialize usually just when you thought all hope was lost. With yet further emphasis on the word – persistence.

Also do it for the right reasons – a record pursuit is fine it might open professional doors later but first and foremost you need to do it because you love your pursuit and would rather do nothing else. If it’s reached the point where achieving your dream has become your reason for living or a kind of personal religion – you are probably ready to ‘not take no for an answer!’

7: Where do you live now? Age, etc.

I’m 34-years old now and I divide the bulk of my time between racing in France aboard my Open 650 race boat, Hawaii when I have a yacht delivery and Australia near Christmas when I race the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

8: What are your next goals?

My immediate goals are to race the next Sydney Hobart with Jon Sanders and further down the yonder blue road to race the solo Transat 650 from France to Brazil aboard my boat in France, my around the world race / time-trial – ‘The Race 650’: www.race650.com, the nonstop solo around the world race – the Vendee Globe Challenge: www.vendee-globe.org/en, to crew in Frenchman Bruno Peyron’s ‘NO-LIMITS’ circumnavigation race for 100+ foot crewed multi-hulls aptly named – ‘The Race’: www.therace.org in 2014 or ’18. With perhaps another solo record tossed in for good measure! Ambitious yes, will it all happen – probably not but if you aim for the stars you might land on the moon!
To follow my future adventure you can find me on: www.liquidflight.net

9: Any overall thoughts/comments you want to add about your choices, lifestyle, etc?

Words are cheap, but I believe humanity should pursue their personal dreams to the ends of the world. Thus, once you’ve achieved your goal it illustrates the very essence of your identity - an expression of self-fulfillment and transformation to what you long intended to become, much like a painting from a Renaissance master. Read the book – The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier to better grasp the concept.

For me, the fabric of the world’s oceans are a canvas upon which I draw brush-strokes with the yacht’s wake, the boat and extension of my-self and my paintbrush ... And I have yet to sail my ‘signature’ voyage.

WHEN ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH

2010-02-09T22:16:00.000-08:00

My ambition to build a southern hemisphere base to counter the northern off-season is coming to fruition. Jon Sanders and I arrived to Fremantle Sailing Club and met David Dicks who organized our berth where he finished his nonstop solo circumnavigation with a bag of ‘Dark & Stormy’ Bundy rums, fifteen years after we locked horns as teenagers!

The first and perhaps the last time two youngest solo circumnavigators stood along-side the world distance record-holder- triple nonstop solo circumnavigator - Jon Sanders in the same geographic location!

So I’m turning around and flying back to Tasmania with Linda Pasquariello (above) to deliver a Farr 40 to Port Lincoln for a second east / west delivery out of Tasmania no sooner had I stepped off ‘Perie Banou 2'

distance to here

2010-02-03T01:40:00.000-08:00

David Dicks on delivery with Jon Sanders & the finish when he broke my record.
In December of 1995 upon reaching Durban on the eastern sea-board of South Africa from Hawaii after five-months and 11.700 nautical miles at sea, I had nearly reached my circumnavigation halfway mark in Cape Town.

It was in Durban, that a single-handed cruiser – American Steve Way aboard “Look Far”, told me he’d met two particular sailors on the beach for a barbecue/party in Cocos Keeling a few months before. These two yachtsmen were the West Australians – Jon Sanders and David Dicks. Jon Sanders had become the first to circumnavigate nonstop twice and then broke his own record in 1988 by sailing a nonstop triple circumnavigation from Perth – just 81,000-miles on the odometer! He has seven round the world ‘laps’ all up.

His young protégé was then 16-year David Dicks who’s dad Harold Dicks had been a famed Royal Flying Doctor in West Australia but who’d passed away while David was still young. Jon took David under his wing as a surrogate father and mentor. David had done thousands of miles in yacht deliveries and several Sydney Hobart races with Jon by the time he stepped ashore in Cocos Keeling. What Steve went on to tell me was after they’d run out of rum Jon had taken the Zodiac across the lagoon to look for more grog.

Steve learned David hoped to attempt the youngest circumnavigation record. We didn’t yet know about each other but I had passed thru Cocos Keeling twelve-days before they’d arrived! About the same time Steve told me about that encounter while in Durban, I saw a write-up about David Dicks in Cruising World magazine.

I was suddenly in a race as David had left several months before on a solo nonstop attempt and was a thousand miles from Cape Horn in May (mid-winter). He planned to round the antipodal mark of Perth which was Bermuda in full cyclone season and finish back in Australia before his 18th birthday.

Well – I’d have to keep the afterburner lit to stay in front and to finish first. On the one-hundred year anniversary of the first ever solo circumnavigation of the world by American Joshua Slocum in 1895-’98, we were in a global race to become the youngest circumnavigator, one going east and the other west.

And if that isn't ironic enough, a 14-year-old Japanese boy had borrowed his dentist’s 30ft yacht and was becoming the youngest ever to cross an ocean by sailing from Japan to San Francisco! A six-page feature article titled –“The Young & The Restless” in the November 1996 issue of Cruising World magazine profiled each of our stories in a comparative fashion.

I finished on September 28th, 1996 to become the “1st-Sub-Age-21” solo sailor to lap the planet but just forty-eight days later, David arrived to break my record while becoming the youngest nonstop solo circumnavigator. The outright youngest record has since been broken twice in the years to follow but David remains the youngest nonstop solo circumnavigator.

That title is currently under threat by 16-year-old Australian sailor Jessica Watson who I had the pleasure to have lunch with in Sydney in March, when she considered crewing with me on the delivery of the Spencer 65 “Ragtime” from New Zealand to LA. She is now halfway thru her record attempt from Sydney and should finish in four months time to claim the youngest circumnavigation record.

Jon Sanders and I are nearly finished delivering his S&S 39 “Perie Banou 2” home from the 2009 Sydney Hobart Race and are leaving Albany tomorrow on the final leg around Cape Leeuwin to Perth, where I look forward to meeting our shore-side manager - David Dicks!

Double with Jon

2010-01-20T02:13:00.000-08:00

Jon Sanders - with whom I'm currently sailing double-handed from Tasmania to Fremantle, sailed a triple nonstop solo circumnavigation which has been ratified by the Guinness Book of Records:

To view his complete BIO and CV visit: www.periebanou2.com/

How better to describe the man than with this ABC News Transcript:

Jon Sanders still sailing strong at sixy-six *(he's 70 as of 2010 & just completed his 7th Rolex Sydney Hobart Race).

Broadcast: 02/09/2005

Reporter: Layla Tucak

REBECCA CARMODY: Now to another sport - sailing. Most people would recognise the name Jon Sanders; he's a yachting legend who’s circumnavigated the world seven times in solo expeditions and made his way into the “Guinness Book of Records”. This year, he celebrates 50 years as a member of the Royal Perth Yacht Club, and, only a few weeks ago, he turned 66, but, as Layla Tucak discovered, Jon Sanders isn't ready to abandon the helm just yet.

LAYLA TUCAK: What are some of the biggest waves you've seen?
JON SANDERS (Sailor – Adventurer): In the far southern oceans, if you get a strong wind, you'll get a wind-wave, which can be up to 30 or 35 feet high. Every now and again one of those will meet another. They combine in height - that's little - but all of that's riding on a joint swell. So to be elevated 100 feet is quite possible and probably was.

LAYLA TUCAK: Have you ever been elevated that high?

JON SANDERS: I suspect so.

LAYLA TUCAK: In sailing circles around the world Jon Sanders is a legend.

You've been in various Sydney to Hobarts. You've circumnavigated the world three times non-stop - a huge feat. What do you regard is your greatest achievements in sailing?

JON SANDERS: Well, I suppose the greatest moment was after 658 days - when you go months at sea without getting off the boar to arrive in Fremantle, you can imagine what the experience is just to come home let alone the reception once there.

LAYLA TUCAK: He circumnavigated the world seven times in yachts, received accolades for his endeavours and even made it into the “Guinness Book of Records”.

JON SANDERS: My own experience is that - not only myself but with other people - that if you ever lock onto an idea, lock onto it, you'll generally achieve it.

LAYLA TUCAK: But where did this passion for sailing come from?

JON SANDERS: I was born in Perth, brought up on the University of Western Australia here, on the campus. My father was an academic. I first went sailing with the Sea Scouts here, and then as a teenager with the Naval Reserve Cadets.

LAYLA TUCAK: It wasn't always his calling. In his teens and twenties, Jon Sanders travelled to the bush and worked with shearing teams.

JON SANDERS: I was actually a wool classer- shearing contractor. And I worked as an overseer in a shearing team, then I owned my own shearing team. I did that for 17 years.

LAYLA TUCAK: But while he enjoyed the station life, the calling of the sea eventually became irresistible.

JON SANDERS: When I gave up the shearing to go yachting, sailing - long distance sailing - that's when I sort of dropped out of a decent income, but I've had a good time since.

LAYLA TUCAK: First there was his solo circumnavigation in 1970s, then there was his double, and a few years later his triple, not to mention another single around-the-world trip, numerous racing events and other long-distance sailing ventures.

What are some of the more torrid times you've had?

JON SANDERS: I copped a cyclone in the eighties, which damaged “Nuku’alofa”. I had been twice upside down in the yacht. I expected that to happen that day. Didn't know what would happen, and a boat without any sails up at all, the mast just lay on its side, and the bilge, which is normally at the bottom of the boat was, on the side of the boat. So that was an apprehensive day.

LAYLA TUCAK: Did you ever have any experiences where you thought, "This is it; I'm not going to get out of this one"?

JON SANDERS: No, but probably the worst was, I hit a trawler off the Falkland Islands - a fairly substantial one - and that gave me a great big scare. It was blowing about 25 knots, about five degrees temperature. Hit the thing, and it must have been surprising for them because it was virtually winter in May down there.

LAYLA TUCAK: Yes.

JON SANDERS: Near 56 south - to have a yacht sail out of the dark, prang them, bounce off and sail away again.

LAYLA TUCAK: The boat was the “Parry Endeavour”. It's now on display at the Maritime Museum in Fremantle. It's elevated on the exact angle it would have been on riding some of the larger waves. Such great adventures have been published in books.

BOOK EXCERPT: "While on the foredeck we glimpsed in the predawn light a monstrous wave terrifying in its very proximity, descending on his sleep with a thunderous roar. He grabbed the mast and hung on for grim life as it cascaded over him, seemingly bent on prizing him from his yacht. Back in the cabin a few minutes later he wrote with shaking hands, “Obviously the fiords of Tierra del Fuego caused tidal currents which make the ocean great. It's all very frightening.””

LAYLA TUCAK: Luckily he was able to weather that and many more storms to come.
What are the more beautiful sights that you've seen.

JON SANDERS: After you've been in cloudy more windy sort of weather for it to suddenly become blue sky, fine right out to the sea glasses you find that's nice because you can get around the boat and do a few things and it's pleasant. But I suppose one of the interesting things is after days and days and literally months at sea to come round Tierra del Fuego, which is Cape Horn, it's rugged, but you can see all the snow-capped mountains in the background, which is interesting.

LAYLA TUCAK: No matter how beautiful the sights were, though, it was still good to come home, especially after his triple circumnavigation.

JON SANDERS: As you go for weeks and months, each section was a project in itself, like Cape Horn would be next, maybe the equator next and so on. But as time drew near, as you were coming across the Indian Ocean, well you're counting the weeks and months down on getting home. And of course, as you come home there, first of all I saw the Bond building. That was new. When I first saw it over the horizon I thought it was a ship, then as you got nearer and nearer, the more and more boats appeared on the horizon out of nowhere.

LAYLA TUCAK: What is it that attracts you to sailing, and particularly that long-distance sailing?

JON SANDERS: Why do people climb mountains? Why do people follow the AFL? Why do people go horseracing? Same thing.

LAYLA TUCAK: And what did he do with his time on those trips?

JON SANDERS: I had my reading material. I had a lot of tapes, had some movies till the television set carked it. [Laughs.]

LAYLA TUCAK: Do you regard yourself as a loner? I mean, you must like your own company.

JON SANDERS: I think I'm a bit of both.

LAYLA TUCAK: You'd think with all that time at sea, he'd be a rather good fisherman. Not so.

JON SANDERS: Actually, probably could go in the “Guinness Book of World Records” for trawling the line the most thousands of miles and catching nothing.

LAYLA TUCAK: Now Jon Sanders spends his time ferrying boats for people around the world. Just a few weeks ago, the veteran seadog turned 66. And he's already preparing for his next adventure - his sixth Sydney to Hobart yacht race. He will be teaming up with young solo circumnavigator David Dicks, among others.

JON SANDERS: I think that the youngest and oldest in that Hobart race will be very, very interesting.

LAYLA TUCAK: Do you see yourself as somewhat of an eccentric

JON SANDERS: Ah, well, the media used to, which probably normal people say, "You've got to be mad." And I used to think, "Well, how do I answer that?" And I thought, yup, and if I'm not, I'm sure it’d be helpful.

The Race

2010-01-16T23:52:00.000-08:00

The once category-5 hurricane "Lawarence" litered the race track with a debree field of convection and variable upwind conditions from the starting gates. 'Seahold Perie Banou 2' revelled the early medium upwind session exiting Sydney Heads. However, the halfway point low-wind 'mosh-pit' near Green Cape enabled the 'Accordian Effect' to recompress the fleet with random low-speed passing lanes to either side of the rhumbline. 'Perie Banou 2' sailed the minimum distance & max VMG when possible while not working a major wind shift, but shunned low yield tactical gambles in the light wind minefield. Thus, the random slot-machine winners on either side of us bounced up & down like a Jack & the Box pushing us around the leader-board anywhere between 2nd and 6th in class as our race manager David Dicks told us later.

While the small guys slugged it out in the mud, the media darlings of the race, the mega-million dollar maxi rivlary 'Wild Oats' and 'Alpha Romeo' led the 100+boat fleet south. Not surprising as they exceeded double the wind speed with boat speed in the sub-tweleve knot wind ranges. Eventually, after more light head-winds into Bass Straight, we finally got a shift to the north-east and up went the big kite. This lasted from only mid-day to about 3pm as the breeze continued building to over 30-knots true.

Nonetheless, for a vintage S&S 39 she was hurtling dowind at ten to eleven knots speed with immense diginity but a wipe-out couldn't be far-off as the wind and waves continued building along the coast of Tasmania. So Jon called for the take-down and I relinquished the helm to be ready on the sheet to pull her in once they blew the brace and halyard. Unfortunately, the bow dug into the back of a wave and the halyard loaded up and was lost before the spinnaker guy was blown, resulting in the spi going for a dip in the Southern Ocean. Oh well, you're not pushing hard enough unless you're breaking shit right?!

By the time we cleaned up the mess twenty-five minutes later, the breeze was consistently over thirty so we polled out the No#1 genoa without a loss of speed and with superior control vs. another chute. Passing Tasman Island was a medium beam reach in fifteen knots before a morning jaunt up the Derwnt River to cross the finish line on New Year's Eve with 4th in class and 14th overall on corrected time! So we toasted a great team and race with many more hairs off the dog plucked at Constitution Dock with talk of the next attack in a years time...bring on 2010!

4th class & 14th overall 2009 Sydney Hobart!

2010-01-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Great race & now onto Perth with Jon, will write a race update in the next day or so!

And we're off!!!

2009-12-24T23:14:00.000-08:00

Weather-wise it's looking pretty all over the joint for us aboard Jon Sander's 'Seahold Perie Banou 2'. Light upwind and EVENTUALLY - but hopefully- before we finish there will be some downwind but then again it might change tommorrow. See you in Hobart!

14-year-old Dutch Laura Dekkar arrested

2009-12-22T01:22:00.000-08:00

'All the publicity from the recent spate of record attempts has spawned so much ambition that the 'youngest record has actually become the most contested of all sailing feats, bar perhaps the outright speed record.'

- Yachting World - Nov, '09

14-year-old Dutch sailor Laura Dekkar has been apprehended again, this time in the Carribean after she ran away from the courts stopping her youngest solo circumnavigation record attempt. Born on a boat in New Zealand during an around the world sail, it seems government just doesn't learn the future lies with the young! Who's business is it for government to be involved anyway!? It's her parents' and hers...period. Here's to chasing Jessica Watson soon, by the way - a 16-year-old who's by far more experienced at sea and mature than most sailors in their middle age you'll ever meet!

Update Since:

Court Says Dutch 14-Year-Old May Get to Sail Around World

Thursday, January 07, 2010 3:33:00 PM
Last updated: Thursday, January 07, 2010 3:33:00 PM

LOG NEWS SERVICE — A Dutch court has said it may allow 14-year-old Laura Dekker to eventually set sail on a solo circumnavigation around the world.

The judges have laid out conditions, which would allow the teenager to begin her around-the-world trip, including completing a first aid course and making several sailing trips abroad to prepare for her circumnavigation.

If she meets the terms set by the court, Dekker could set off before she turns 15 in September — in Guppy, her 27-foot Hurley 800 sailboat — on her attempt to be the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

Dekker made headlines earlier in October when another Dutch court banned her from attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world — and again in December, when she ran away to St. Maarten in the Dutch Caribbean. The court in October had ordered a temporary guardian appointed to look after Dekker, though it allowed her to keep living with her father, an ardent sailor who is seen as a driving force behind her circumnavigation plan.

After her disappearance in late December, welfare authorities had sought unsuccessfully to have her removed from her father’s home and placed in a crisis shelter. Dekker’s grandparents on her father’s side criticized welfare workers for their treatment of Dekker.

“Since the Bureau of Youth Care got involved, we have seen Laura change from a positive teenager into a child who has built a shield around herself and lost all trust in adults,” Dick and Riek Dekker wrote in a letter published Dec. 22 in De Volkskrant newspaper.

— A report from the Associated Press was used in this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart Update #3

2009-12-21T21:51:00.000-08:00

Sydney Hobart - Race Record or Boat Breaking southerlies?

Rolex Sydney Hobart 2009 - Wind against tide, 30 knots and six metre seas and backless waves or a super fast down hill side with a 38 hour race record?

Yesterday the mostly likely long range weather model suggested there could be boat breaking seas in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart race, with strong southerlies pushing against the fast flowing east Australian current.

Today Barry Hanstrum from the Bureau of Meteorology predicts there could be strong northerlies and should that come to pass, routing data suggests a new race record.

The reality is its too early to tell.

Ex-Tropical cyclone Laurence has moved inland and is expected to move into NSW and Victoria as a deepening trough and there will be north east or northerly winds to the east of it.

The GFS model projects northerly winds at the start of the race with a Tasmanian low which could see Wild Oats XI slipping up the Derwent River in the wee hours.

In 2005 Bob Oatley's Wild Oats XI broke the race record crossing the finish line at 7:40:10.

If today's GFS forecast holds good with strong northerlies for the start and well into the night, she'd arrive much earlier, two hours before dawn on Monday 28th.

However if the EC model holds sway the trough will be off the NSW coast and deliver strong southerlies right into Bass Strait and that would allow the good citizens of Hobart time to finish their bacon and eggs before heading dockside to welcome the supermaxis.

You and the 100 boat fleet will have to wait to find out... which will it be?

Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team

Rolex Sydney Hobart Update #2

2009-12-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

(Above weather map a few days after the start, looking like lots of upwind, but weather maps are changing rapidly.)

"Sea-hold Perie Banou 2 will be potent upwind and in out-right storm conditions with triple-nonstop solo circumnavigator- Jon Sanders..." The article below was just published this morning, will keep you updated.

A first night battle for survival is on the cards for the Rolex Sydney Hobart with stomach churning seas, bone-jarring waves and boat-breaking conditions forecast as the multi-million-dollar fleet sails south.

The 100-strong fleet lining up in the 65th edition of the race looks set to be pummelled by winds up to 30-knots as yachts ranging in size from 33 to 100 feet long smash into steep, nasty seas at the beginning of the trek south.

The conditions indicate a high attrition rate in the early stages of the 638-nautical-mile race could result but later see the survivors revelling in the adrenalin rush of downwind sailing across Bass Strait under spinnaker.

"In those conditions (on the first day) it will be survival of the fittest," said Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards, the man who has steered the super maxi to all four record line honors victories in the race with a worldwide reputation as one of the most challenging ocean races on the calander.

"It will be very uncomfortable for everyone," said Neville Crichton, skipper of the New Zealand 100-footer Alfa Romeo, also considered a major contender for the line honors.

"We expect to get a hammering that first day and night and will have to nurse the boats in that stuff."

Weather guru Roger Badham has forecast the worst of the upwind conditions to be soon after the noon start of the race on Boxing Day with 20-knots of sou'easterly on the harbour and up to 30-knots offshore. "The sea-state will be pretty horrible," he said.

One of the few crews rubbing their hands in glee at yesterday's weather update was skipper Mike Slade and his team on the UK line honors heavy-weight ICAP Leopard.

Rival Crichton said the forecast for the first day as it currently stands will suit the 100-footer which this year won both the Fastnet and Middle Sea races in Europe.

"This will favor Leopard. She is very comfortable upwind and reaching," said Crichton.

Slade said he will wait until closer to the day to get too excited but was happy with the early forecast yesterday. "We certainly like a bit of wind," he said.

Wild Oats, Alfa Romeo, ICAP Leopard, Ivestec Loyal and the US yacht Rapture are the five 100-foot yachts on the Boxing Day start line.

The 98-footer Etihad Stadium Wild Thing, in a battle to have a replacement mast stepped into the boat in time for Boxing Day, is also expected to race along with the Sydney super maxi Lahana and the 90-footer YuuZoo.

- The Gold Coast Bulletin- Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Sydney Hobart Update #1

2009-12-17T23:02:00.000-08:00

Sydney Hobart - East Coast Coast Current - It's Ripping....

'Tidetech’s CSIRO Current GRIB - latest conditions at Green Cape - Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race' Tidetech

Strong currents of up to 4.5kts could bring boat breaking conditions for Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race

Now is about the time when navigators can begin to get an indication of what conditions to expect for Hobart. Certainly with all the strange weather we seem to have been having this year - (who can forget those dust storms) there has been much dock talk about the possibility of severe or unusual conditions for this year's race.

Certainly so far this year the current is displaying some extreme behaviour- it was running at 6kts off Coffs Harbour for most of October and Tasmania has been experiencing unusually strong and warm south going currents down both coasts (a problem for lobsters apparently!).

At present a large and powerful eddy is situated close to Green Cape and is sending very strong current of up to 4.5 kts in a South Easterly direction. This could be a boat breaking place to be in strong or gale force SE winds and if the conditions persist, Sydney to Hobart skippers will need to take care.

Computer generated optimal course ’Knows no Fear’ - Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race - Tidetech

With many navigators now using routing software loaded with wind and current data the temptation is to blindly follow the fastest route given by the computer; but as Yendys' navigator Will Oxley says 'Just remember, routing knows NO FEAR and will make NO allowance for the very ugly sea state that results when a 4 knot southerly current comes into contact with a strong southerly wind!

Linda to start

2009-12-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

Australian/Italian Linda Pasquariello, my double-handed team-mate - will sail solo around the world in 2010. She might use "Isis", the Vega 27 we just sailed via Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to Bundaberg, Australia.

Thus "Isis" will stay in Bundaberg the cyclone season and Linda might train off the Great Barrier Reef
and help me finance a renewed Mini Transat season next summer in exchange...I'll keep you updated.

PS: We saw kangaroes next to the marina yesterday - you know you're down under when that happens!

Liz Wardley takes start

2009-12-05T13:36:00.001-08:00

Liz Wardley who at 20-years-old was the youngest skipper, 1st female skipper with the youngest team in the history of the Sydney Hobart to win, while I crewed with her back in 1999 - has started the 'OceanoScientific® Campaign 2009-2010' - a precursor to the 'Veolia SolOceans Race 2011', obviously an event I hope to race, this time against her!

At 01.00pm sharp (1200UT), by force 7 wind, Liz Wardley crossed the start line off Caen - Ouistreham (France) of the Around-the-world Reference Tour of the SolOceans - OceanoScientific® Campaign 2009-2010. She rounded Cabourg / Dives-sur-mer (Normandy - France) buoy before heading towards Wellington, the Capital of New Zealand.
The young sailor left in the exact conditions of the SolOceans - the start of the first edition is scheduled on 23 October 2011 - i.e. solo onboard a SolOceans One-design, a 16-Meter (52.5-foot) all-carbon high-tech sailing yacht Made In Normandy. This one-design is at the same time a real scientific vessel and a bold oceanic racing vessel with performances worthy of an 18-metre prototype. The SolOceans One-design proudly sails the colours of the Lower Norman Region (France), Wellington, Caen la mer urban area (France) and Cherbourg (France) - who have supported the creation and development of the SolOceans and the OceanoScientific® Campaign since its creation.

The French Ministry of Higher Education and Research is a patron of this campaign. It will give new scientific data to researchers in order for them to better understand the climate of our planet and precisely determine the causes and consequences of Global warming.

Jean-Louis Borloo, French Minister of Marine Affairs: "is delighted with this initiative allowing us to better understand the oceans and the effect of Climate Change on our seas. That's why I would like this OceanoScientific® Campaign to be part of the Oceans Round Table actions (Grenelle de la Mer) and to receive very soon an official labelling"

Liz Wardley plans to be back in Lower Normandy in mid-March, at the end of the second leg between Wellington and Cherbourg i.e. two 50 to 55-day single-handed navigations raced against the clock.

http://www.soloceans.com/en/

Arrived Bundaberg

2009-12-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

It's as if the whole year has been a countdown to the next decade, from the starting gates in March when I flew to Sydney to deliver the 2008 Sydney Hobart winner "Ragtime" to Los Angeles - it's been like a pro-longed time-trial of departure deadlines and weather windows.

As Linda said, we've been everywhere twice this year - New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, Fiji and New Caledonia. 13,000-nautical miles or over half-way around the world in one summer, like playing a great oceanic pin-ball machine!

How weird to arrive back in Auckland, New Zealand from the opposite direction and go back to our local haunts - the same coffee shop, favorite sushi restaurant and bar. It didn't change. The Viaduct was full of mult-million dollar boats and the Auckland, Sky-tower looked spectacular as before - busy cutting apart storm clouds rushing by like a hot butter knife.

...A whirl-wind of visa's, custom papers, passport stamps, air-line return flights, weather maps, grib files, provisioning lists and crew details - 2009 truly sets the reference higher.

Everywhere and in all instances, the clock was ticking and there was a time to beat. From arriving to the Viaduct in March with a three day deadline to leave on "Ragtime" for a 7,000-nautical mile yacht delivery, to the same right afterwards for Peter Tong's 2009 TransPac winning Santa Cruz 70 - "OEX".

Then landing at Vuda Pt. Fiji with 12-days to move our base - "Isis" to Vanuatu because the boat's visa would expire on a boat I had just bought and never sailed before...and so it goes.

Followed up by delivering the Paul Whiting 47 "Shanachie" to New Zealand from Fiji before landing in New Caledonia on the quicksilver to move "Isis" once more before the full onset of the South Pacific cyclone season.

Once more, due to bureacratic rules and because we'd flown back versus sailing into the country, we had fifteen days to leave the country. Thus our beloved oceanic gem New Cal was out this time around. So with reluctance, we provisioned, checked the weather trends and decided upon Bundaberg, Australia.

It was already very late in the season to be going to Auz. Infact a week 'after' weather god Bob McDavitt had said - "Go while you can to avoid trouble".

So we left Noumea and anchored at our little 'country-home' outside of town, a tiny little island with crystal clear water, turtles, dolphins and a million kite-surfers to get ready for ignition. The tension built as the wind screeched thru the rigging relentlessly and kite-surfers hurtled by the boat at thirty plus knots. The developing convection bubbles north of us generating the reinforced trade-winds were looking increasingly volatile. We had to go or risk getting hit with a cyclone.

We truly love New Caledonia and hope to return on the 'flip-side' with a boat-load of kite-surfing gear and spend a year or more. So with trepidation, I cast-off the moorings in twenty-five knots of wind and we peeled off toward the Dumbea western reef pass at flank speed.

A very rolly 95% of the 780-nautical miles followed before the breeze began heading us with only a day to go. The wind went onto the nose from the north-west and drove us below the rhumbline and it was early the following morning we heard a faint VHF weather forecast announcing a storm warning of 130-170 kilometer winds...

Linda and I looked at each other and said - "Did you hear that ?!" We didn't say anything else but ran a conversion from kilometers per hour to knots on my computer and it showed that we might be facing 70+ knots of wind.

Luckily, on the next forecast it was cancelled. An interesting twenty-minutes contemplating a veritable 'weather bomb' with Bundaberg, hot showers, fish and chips and rum all less than a hundred miles away!

Count your blessings we thought as fought 2.5 knots of current charging along Fraser Island as we tacked upwind trying not to loose ground as we awaited a southerlie wind switch.

A semi-stationary trough of low pressure (or as we called it - the 'Sloth'), was meandering across our coordinates, generating the gusty headwinds and a very sloppy sea in the lulls.

As another black wall approached from the south and what turned out to be the beginning of the southerlie wind shift along the ridge of high pressure, Linda and I were in the cockpit when Linda says - "Oh my God - what is that?!

I look to windward and a hundred yards away I see something I have never seen before and don't ever expect to see again. What looked like the down-wash of swirling spray from a helicopter lifting off confounded me. My first thought was that a submarine was surfacing while venting it's water-ballast tanks.

Then it hits me. "Holy s*%t, it's a water-spout developing" I tell Linda as I spin to starboard to try to roll in the genoa as fast as physically possible. Less than ten seconds later, just as the genoa was done I turn toward Linda's escalating outbursts to see to see the spinning cloud of spray pass a meter (A METER) in back of "Isis"!!!

Spray blew into the cockpit and a violent gust of wind slewed "Isis" around 90-degrees off course...

Moments later, our profanity and explanation marks reached fevered pitch as we see a visible cone descending from the cloud toward the water less than a mile away. It reaches over half-way to the surface before evaporating before our eyes into thin air. INCREDIBLE.

The rest of the leg was tough but eventually our luck changed as it always does - all in all a nice bar-room brawl prior to the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart!

2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart

2009-12-02T23:07:00.000-08:00

Pictures Above: Top aboard Liz Wardley's "Phillip's Foote / Dixie Chicken 1999-'00 Hobart, bottom David Dicks & Jon Sanders

On the tenth anniversary of victory in the 1999 Sydney Hobart Race, I am awaiting the starting gun again.

And thirteen years after Australian David Dicks broke my youngest solo circumnavigation record - he gave me the thumbs up that his mentor, the triple nonstop circumnavigation 'World Distance Record-holder' - Jon Sanders, was keen to have me aboard his S&S 39 ‘Perie Banou 2’.

How cool and truly ironic the 18-year old that crushed my record by lapping the planet nonstop just 48-days after I finished in 1996, would send me off on my third ‘Hobart’ with the world’s most experienced solo offshore yachtsman- Jon Sanders!

...Now that I’ve arrived to Bundaberg, Australia from New Caledonia aboard “Isis”, I’ll have to scull a ‘Bundy’ (rum) in memory of when the crew drank a shot from Liz Wardley’s deck shoe in the cabin of “Dixie Chicken” - as she said “We’re going to win - because we can!”

...Our millinium 2000 party on the dock in Tasmania was vindication of her prediction with a 3-second margin of victory!

ISIS down the rabbit hole

2009-11-16T01:34:00.000-08:00

Looks like its back to 'the land of down under where the women glow & men plunder. Departure from New Caledonia to Bundaberg, Australia in about 72-hours, next stop the 'Bundy Rum Factory'!

Arrived New Zealand

2009-11-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

Arrived Opua, New Zealand after tough 10-day delivery from Nadi, Fiji aboard the 47ft Paul Whiting design- "Shanachie" with crew Linda Pasquariello and Fijian Nikko Bruce. New Zealand is absolutely stunning and truly wish we could spend more time here to explore but have to move "ISIS" out of New Caledonia before the full onset of cyclone season - where? Stay tuned... New pictures in "Flickr Stream" of BIO...

Bayonets fixed & ready in Fiji

2009-10-27T01:21:00.000-07:00

Awaiting the right weather to go south to New Zealand from Vuda Point, Fiji - while Jessica Watson enjoys a developing southerly from the low off New Zealand thats beneficial in the extreme for her and detrimental for us...

Waiting in port made me think of something I wrote in my journal:

"It used to be a geographical exploration over the visible horizon to find new worlds. At one time, the sole objective was to learn whether the planet was round or flat.

Technology enabled us to visit every corner and scale every mountain on Earth. Today, exploration offshore is less about the geographical course than utilizing the challenge as a tool - a mirror to look at our mental and spiritual dimensions, for the purpose of understanding ourselves while learning to go further still.

Sailors in the dawn of the 21st century breached awesome barriers of speed and endurance. This mastery of speed has arisen via new technologies and vast experience.

Sailing is the ‘oldest sport’ - (example: the America’s Cup). And sailing is the only sporting discipline to have doubled it’s speed in ten years. Formula-1 doesn’t come close.

Like the evolution of computer processing speed, advancement doesn’t grow incrementally but arises exponentially, because like the Earth - so many facets comprise the sum of it’s parts.

Each of the new technical breakthroughs have rollover effects that enable load reductions aboard the boats - further reducing drag and so it goes. Thus, the increasing speed potential of the yacht enables it to lock into a favorable weather system and ride it like a cyclist drafting off a passing car.

Satellites orbiting in the heavens give a skipper a bird’s eye view of the weather systems in his navigation station, a three dimensional view of the storm systems surrounding his vessel from anywhere with predictive forecasting becoming increasingly accurate for up to a week in the future.

He then has the capability to ‘fight with nature’ versus against her - by positioning his knight (the boat) as he chooses amongst the global chess pieces of weather systems at will.

When Bruno Peyron’s 120-ft maxi-catamaran - “Orange 2” sailed nonstop around the planet from France and back in 50-days flat - for the absolute world speed record, she became the first ever yacht in history to lock into a favorable low pressure system off the Cape of Good Hope and draft off it all the way to Cape Horn around the bottom of the globe in one go...

I crewed aboard “Orange 2” from the west coast of France to Brest Week 2004 and I’d personally describe steering her as the closest man has come to achieving the harmony with the sea the Albatross has long known.

Like a great Wandering Albatross of the Southern Ocean - the mechanics of the yachts are becoming like the magnificent bird’s structure and geometry.

The Albatross is the only bird in the world that can lock it’s wings into place so it’s not wasting energy by flapping or simply by holding them extended. The bones are hollow (like a yacht’s mast today) to reduce weight, and they can live at sea for years without coming to land. In-fact, the Albatross only comes to ‘dirt’ (land) to mate before returning to the sea. They orbit the bottom of the world back to back sometimes over twenty times in their lifetimes.

...The sailors racing while breaking records around the bottom of the world and Antarctica today are followed by the same birds sometimes for the entirety of their circumnavigations. Hence, the legend that when a sailor dies he become an Albatross.

24-hour mileage records are approaching 1,000-nautical miles, the current mark stands at over 800 which is a 32-knot (40-mph) average.

...How much further, faster and for how long can we go before the machine/computer/yacht we construct with our mind outperforms or outlasts the human that designed and sails her.

... I wrote this on a delivery from Fiji recently in Pacific Ocean. I designed the entire website on my yacht "ISIS" with my Macbook computer... 1st website built entirely at sea !?

It’s a quiet night and the autopilot is steering the boat, Linda is watching a DVD on her lap-top, I just checked in with my dad on my Iridium satellite telephone for live internet satellite weather information, a hand-held Garmin GPS global positioning system is in my hand, Apple Ipod in my lap, Energizer LED miner’s headlamp on my forehead and the barometric pressure of the Suunto Core wrist-watch monitoring the weather on my hand... this is the state-of-the-art at sea in the year 2009.

... Think of space-flight and the unmanned probes - (Voyager 2, 1st human built space-craft to exit the solar system (without-human crew).

Perhaps there truly are no limits..."

-bj caldwell
South Pacific

Jessica Watson on the way!

2009-10-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

16-year-old Australian Jessica Watson has left Sydney to break the youngest nonstop solo circumnavigation record yesterday aboard her S&S34 "Ella's Pink Lady"! I met her in Sydney in March when she considered crewing with us from New Zealand to Los Angeles on the Spencer 65 "Ragtime". I'm departing Fiji tomorrow to deliver a Whiting 47 to New Zealand so we will pass each other on a north/south diagonal as she heads for her mandatory equator rounding mark south of Hawaii ; - ) I'll let you know if we set up a radio sched or wave as we pass in the night! Ironic she will follow the same route I sailed when I delivered the S&S34 "Stray Bit" from Australia to Hawaii in the year 2000!

-Follow her voyage at her excellent website: www.youngestround.com

Thomas Ruyant set to win Transat 650 2009!

2009-10-16T19:35:00.001-07:00

'Faber France' #667 in 1st place after the equator with the finish in Brazil in his gunsight!

The War Chest

2009-10-11T13:47:00.001-07:00

(Above Corentin Douguet 1st 2005 Transat 650 on my mini #433)
The frontal assault to finance a renewed summer '10 offensive is nearing, thus if you are reading this- be prepared to join us to challenge solo ocean racing's masters (France) again, on their home turf. To race the Class Mini race season next summer will comprise of two Mini Fastnet races (French & UK) respectively ... + solo 1,000nm qualification for the 2011 Transat 650, training from launching the boat in May until August will run an easy 10,000 US. Small change to enjoy title sponsorship rights! Here's to talking with you soon!

New Zealand again!

2009-10-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

Now a yacht delivery from Fiji to New Zealand again! Flying from New Caledonia to Fiji in 48-hours & departure likely within 7-days!

1st place to Noumea!

2009-09-28T18:22:00.001-07:00

'ISIS' Albin Vega 27 vs 'Maimiti' Contessa 26

40-mile/6-hour lead at the end of the 300-nm jaunt! Out of sight and a complete horizon job after only four hours from the point outside Port Villa, Vanuatu... Eighteen to twenty knots of wind beam to close reaching for the first half of the sprint. Then big 35-knot wind acceleration from between the volcanoe of Tanna and the other islands to windward, similiar to what happens in the channels between the Hawaiian Islands.

Then light upwind through the Loyalty Islands on the second day to the Havana reef pass in New Caledonia at the 2 1/2 day mark. A brief pit-stop in Prony Bay before the bright lights of Noumea and Club Med where I first learned to windsurf! Its been like twenty years since I've been here and I'm pleased to find the people are friendlier and nicer than before.

I can't say the same about Port Villa in Vanuatu which is getting over-run by Australian tourists who are buying up property and trying to turn the whole water-front into something akin to 'Surfer's Paradise' on the Gold Coast.

Now, I've checked in with customs and will likely let the 'Goddess of War' ~ ISIS safely rest here.
There's a good slips here, so we'll likely take this option - do the delivery - return and then either sail ISIS to Australia or back to Fiji for cyclone season...

Transat 650 start 2009!

2009-09-14T00:39:00.000-07:00

Well the 2009 Transat 650 is underway from La Rochelle, France to Madeira and then Brazil. Unfortunately I'm not there this time but for 2011 touch wood! One of the two sister-ships of my Samuel Manuard designed #433 ~ Xavier Haize on #432 is in 3rd place currently with 77 some odd minis in the derriere! Here's a good interview that was on Sailing Anarchy.com from my friend Slovenian friend Andrea that did a Transat on a sister-ship of my boat...in the process clocking up a 300 nautical mile day record!

Mini Observations

From our pal Andraz Mihelin, a two-time Mini-Transat competitor and holder of the 24-hour Mini distance record. Also a principal in the cool little Seascape 18 project.

A Few things that caught my eye on this year's Mini transat:

Way more Series boats than Protos, which is a shame since the Mini Transat was essentially a race for Prototypes for so long. It was just as much as a sailboat race as it was race of building the boat, getting sponsors, making up and installing that last "wunderwaffe" like canting mast, extending keel or reefing spinnaker. With Series boats it is basically one-design racing, with a bit of sail development and training. When we talk about the elusive and controversial Mini spirit; it definitely changed massively in 7 years we (with my colleague Kristian) were in class. Some would say much of the spirit is gone.

Level of preparation in series is definitely higher than in Protos. After 06 and 07 season when there was an scandal if Series boat penetrated top 10 in general ranking, 08 and 09 seasons saw them claiming not only top 10 but even podiums on big races.

First leg this year is like the one in 07: downwind sleigh ride that requires some specific skills compared to shorter races sailed throughout the season. Mostly the problem is how to keep high average by still try to get some sleep and food into your system. Knowing how to set your autopilot and trim your sails so that pilot can sail them is essential. You have to know that modern pilots are able to steer the mini in 30 knots of wind with code5 (flat fractional spinnaker) and two reefs. Boat in this conditions regularly exceeds 15kt of boat speed. That said running down the Portuguese coast overtaking some of the slower cargo ships, pissing your pants when the boat taken by the gust starts accelerating UP the wave and then keeps doing so when you start screaming down the forward slope of the same wave is still best sailing memory I have.

What can we see this year is that Protos lack experience and training which is best shown by their 24 hour runs. Only Delesne on his proto Manuard managed to break 270 miles, the rest staying round 250 or lower. With such averages it is no surprise that best series boats dictate the pace. They proved that in Acores race 06 when Herve Pivetau made absolute mini record of that time with 260 and something miles with his Pogo2. Protos off course heated up the pace on 07 Transat where many crossed 270 miles averages with fastest almost touching 300 miles in 24 hours.

Man of the day is no doubt Francisco Lobato, who was and is impressing everybody with his boat speed on races from his debut in 2006. Many times he was lacking luck or experience as he usually broke stuff on the boat which prevented him becoming the the king of the Series class. When he didn't break he tended to embarrass Protos like he did on Azores race of 2008 or first days of this Transat.

The rest of top Serie guys have no previous Transat experience so it is anybody guess who will do well. For now Dalin and Apolloni together with Macaire are doing well in the fleet staying in top 10 in general ranking (well done for them and quite embarrassing for protos I must say).
- In Protos usual suspects are in the front with a notable exception. Anna Corbella, spanish girl on her proto Texido, boat that never showed any real racing potential, keeps her 7th place and is showing good pace.

In the final stage wind will drop which will bring compression in the fleet. Lobato (that is showing unusual readings in his boatspeed and is loosing miles at the moment) and other Serie guys will have problems fighting off few hundred kilos lighter protos that carry about 20% more sails downind so we can expect second Serie on about 7th place overall. f he hadn't broke something major Lobato should stay in fight for top 5 overall. I would expect Ruyant to do well since his Finot desgined proto is a weapon in light downwind conditions.

Mini Observations, Part II

Comments on last week's Mini Observations...

I would Like to make a few comments regarding the piece "Mini Observations>From our pal Andraz Mihelin" and I apologize for my English spelling in advance. I feel as someone who has raced the race twice ( without to much success I am sorry to say) in 1995 and 2003 that the fact that the Serie boats have become so numerous and fast compared to the protos is because they enable one to choose the "sensible" option.

The Protos have become to expensive to build and run in a competitive format. If any thing this is the changed spirit of the Mini class. When the Mini started and even when I raced in 1995 there were a some racers that were going for a podium positions (and many of them did become the who and who of french sailing in years to come) but many others were there to follow a dream.

Even then boats were not cheap but they did not cost like a 35 foot cruiser and many of the boats were built by the top guys by themselves. The Series in those days were mostly Cocos and filed the part for the Corinthian spirit in many ways. I think that the late 90's and early days of this decade were the real change when this race was regarded by many people as the stepping stone in too bigger things. The Protos got more and more demanding and a great deal of the sailors time was spent splicing,tuning, tweaking and fixing instead of sailing.

Protos have become a full time job! and with the extra demands for qualifying it has become even more so. One only needs to remember Nick Bubb living out of the back of his van with sails and tools and kit for more than a year. or myself having to leave home for a full 8 months ( my wife was not to happy about that)to make sure I succeed in qualifying while fixing the boat for days or changing the configuration after each race.

A aha, but then arrived the new generation of Series, especially the Pogo 2 and offered a much cheaper option to race Minis at top form and almost at the same pace and fun as the top Protos and with a much easier boat to try and qualify while going on with a "normal" life until the "big" event.

The series are also much more robust as shown for example in the 2003 edition when 11 Protos broke masts and not one single Serie suffered the same fate. There is also a lure for the one design concept that allows one to really test his or hers wreath against others.It is very evident by just looking at all the top Mini design offices that have created a serie designs.
I agree that the Protos have always played a very important part in racing yacht design and innovation and I hope that this will not fade away in the future but as the prices of these little rockets rocket and the boats become harder to race and harder to finish a race with it will not surprise me if we will see more and more Serie boats compared to protos.

And lastly but not least, for Me the real Spirit of Mini racing is the complete camaraderie on shore and at sea while at the same time real hard knuckle, hard core racing is taking place. I think that most Mini sailors would agree that this obligation to each other is unique to this class and what makes up the true spirit of the class . this is mainly because Mini sailors have few or no shore crew and they rely on each other to get things done which is not the case with the bigger ocean class boats.What amazes me is that this spirit involves all the levels of competitors.

I will never forget Jonathan McKee's complete generosity sharing all the Meteo info he bought for good money with all the other sailors or Chris Sayers help fixing boats for other competitors even though he raced as a "Pirate" in 2003, or the help I received from all the fleet in Funchal in 1995 to make sure I will be able to finish the race on my very shitty boat come hell or high water.

Cheers Daniel Schaffer- Israel Minis 133 & 416

Vanuatu to New Caledonia ~ ISIS vs Maimiti

2009-09-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

It is shaping up to be a race from Vanuatu to New Caledonia on my Vega 27 "ISIS" vs James Finan on my ex-Contessa 26 "Maimitivavau". 19-years after I stopped here during my first pit-stop on my round the world...how truly ironic. Cyclone season for Isis will then depend on a weather window from there to either Fiji or Australia before the next yacht delivery. Time & Mother Nature will tell.

PT 2012 / Nouvelle Caledonie 2012

2009-09-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to be discussing the possibility of a 'Pacific Transat 650' 2012 from Tahiti to Nouvelle Caledonie! This new Pacific version of the traditional Atlantic Mini Transit would be a beautiful trade-wind sleigh-ride with warm and exotic race 'pit-stops' in Vava'u, Tonga & New Caledonia.

We have are also looking into whether minis could do the 'New Caledonia ~ Groupama Race' 2012 ~ 11-18 Sept: www.groupamarace.nc - (600-mile around Nouvelle Caledonia race). A mini sailed the 1st edition of the race in 2008. These events would enable French companies based in the Pacific to enjoy some of the marketing potential of their Atlantic counter-parts. A perfect time-table for the 2012-'13 Race 650.

Aloha
Brian Caldwell

THE RACE 650 ~ 2012-'13

2009-09-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

09/09/09

My challenge for The Race 650: www.Race650.com is re-set for post the 2011 Transat 650 finish. From there, I will contest whatever the current reference mark is should someone challenge (there is currently an Italian challenger for the summer 2010.)

Secondly, this will enable us to do the potential PT 2012 (Pacific Transat 650) from Tahiti to New Caledonia. From there we hope the race committee for the the 'New Caledonia Groupama Race' 2012 ~ 11-18 Sept: www.groupamarace.nc (600-mile around Nouvelle Caledonia race) will permit minis, as that would tie in nicely.

Thus, Race 650 contestants can bag a 'second Pacific Mini Transit' en-route to Brazil to be shipped back to France with the finishers of the 2013 Transat 650 - or do the next Pacific Transit 2014 & Race 650 2014...

3rd time lucky!

2009-09-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

Vanuatu! The third time around doesn't disappoint ; - ) Yesterday we visited the Mele Cascade waterfalls and it was by far the best I've ever seen as waterfalls go...truly spectacular! Otherwise doing some odd jobs refining the base - "ISIS" & a big success, a simmering yacht delivery is happening for us next month, so will decide asap where ISIS will reside. Perhaps New Caledonia, we'll soon decide. In the mean-time, two weeks in paradise to await the arrival of new dinghy from "Sea-Eagle Kayaks" as old one died & borrowing a spare from James on my ex-Contessa 26 "Maimitivavau" - good to have ex-girlfriends around to lend a hand! That's "Maimiti" not James for clarification ; - )

The Young & The Restless

2009-09-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

13-year-old Laura Dekker: http://www.lauradekker.nl/

I met Darrel Nicholson who's now the senior editor for 'Practical Navigator' magazine when I was in Vanuatu in 1995. He recently contacted me for a magazine feature regarding the recent spate of youngest solo circumnavigation records by- American Zac Sunderland, Britian Mike Perham, Australian Jessica Watson & 13-year-old Dutch-woman Laura Dekker. The focus of the article is whether there should be age-limits imposed on solo circumnavigation record attempts... Illustrated below are some of my beliefs.

Brian, thanks for your help, its just my one page editorial written by the editor, so there won’t be any opportunity to write. But I will be sure to promote your current exploits. Could you answer these three questions briefly?

1. What are you doing now?

"Cruising my Albin Vega 27 on a meandering double-handed circumnavigation as my (away from France base)- while doing as many yacht deliveries as possible (just deliveried the Spencer 65 "Ragtime" from New Zealand to LA) to try to finance my continued presence in the French Mini Transit circuit aboard #433 - the winning boat of the 2005 Mini Transat."

2. Could you elaborate any more on your response? Why you feel this way, etc.?

"There should be no age limits for too many reasons. For one, because I could and wanted to leave much younger when we returned from cruising at age-15. Finding the money was by far the hardest part! There was nothing between age-15 and 19 that helped me on the circumnavigation other than gathering the necessary funding! I've known many talented young cruising kids more mature than your run of the mill land-folk. Parents, not governments should decide whether to allow their children to live their dreams. Besides, Alexander the Great won his first battle when he was 16! Who are we to judge the limits of the Bell Curve?!

...Today wine bottles come with warning labels. Everyone has become too safety conscious! Besides, its safer for "At-Risk-Youth" than sitting around on the street corner having a go at drugs or prostitution at the tender age of 15 or younger! As my parents said - they felt safer knowing I was out there versus hanging around at the shopping mall with no dreams."

- bj caldwell

The Distance to Here

2009-08-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

Arrived to Vanuatu from Fiji in 5-days. Very rolly polly crossing with the wind dead aft @ 25-knots all the way with a big side-swell from some gale off New Zealand. So not exactly a warm tropical cruise for ISIS "the goddess of war" but rather a good baptism of fire for her preliminary test sail. It was allot like my crossing of the Indian Ocean with the constant cross-swells making life aboard something of an endurance contest. However- ISIS performed well and happily shunned aside the waves like slalom-board.

This is the 3rd time I've been to Port Villa, Vanuatu. The first was with my parents when I was like 14-years-old in 1990. Then again when I sailed solo round the world at age-19 in 2005, on what had been my first 'pit-stop' from Hawaii after 34-days. Now 19-years later, I have arrived double-handed with Australian Linda Pasquariello to find the very same Contessa 26 that I previously set the youngest record aboard here (Maimitivavau) with my mate James Finian! What a picture and how ironic. The world IS small.

Now, I'm waiting on word for another potential yacht delivery. That will help determine the upcoming course of action regarding the next port of call for ISIS, where to keep her for hurricane season which starts for the South Pacific in November & what will hopefully be a renewed cycle for my Mini Transat boat # 433 in France next summer...which will lead to an Open 60 for the Vendee Globe Race in 2013 or beyond like Hugo Boss in the illustrated picture. The dream I've had from age-14 while I was here the first time hasn't changed whatsoever - just the forks in the road getting there!

Round #2

2009-08-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

The start of the 2nd round the world begins! This time double-handed. Linda Pasquariello and I have prepared "ISIS" at Vuda Pt. in Fiji and are ready to depart in five days on the first 600 nautical mile leg to Port Villa, Vanuatu, what had been my first 'pit-stop' at age-19 - 19 years ago during my previous 'lap' in 1995!

900+miles in 1-day, 3-days across the Atlantic...

2009-08-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Another, (35th) crossing of the 'pond' Pacific for me this time from Honolulu to LA on the winner of the 2009 TransPac Div 2. - "OEX". Great but slow 17-day light-wind trip and I arrive to find the French 140ft trimaran "Banque Populaire" has crossed the Atlantic in 3 days and did a 907 nautical mile day at an average speed of 38-knots! It makes the five hundred mile days I did aboard Bruno Peyron's "Explorer" pale in comparison! I want to be re-incarnated French pleaaase!!! Watch the video above for a taste of her...

Ex-Team Mate near finish of solo circumnavigation

2009-07-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

It’s like yesterday Natasza Caban and I double-handed my S&S 34 “Stray Bit” from Australia to Hawaii in the year 2000 and then raced the 2002 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race and my Mini 650 in France. Now the boat is hers and named “Tanasza Polska”.

Natasza has rounded the Cape of Good Hope and is now in Panama just a hop-skip & jump done with her solo circumnavigation from Hawaii to Hawaii. She should finish in Honolulu in the next few months. Below is an article describing her humanitarian circumnavigation...

A 32 year old female Polish sailor is currently in St. Lucia on a two fold mission: pursuing her personal dream of traveling around the world alone and doing humanitarian work at the same time.

Natasza Caban is traveling on a small boat but raising money as well to help disabled Polish children realize their own dreams and show them that there are no limits to what they can achieve once they put their minds to it. Ms Caban has already held one fund raiser in the Indian Ocean on behalf of a 15 year old disabled girl with implants in her back.

Now joining her in St Lucia for another fund-raising initiative is a disabled boy who won a singing competition in Poland.

Ms. Caban started her round the world voyage two years ago from Hawaii and arrived I St Lucia from South Africa, her last stop. From St Lucia, the only Caribbean island on her scheduled itinerary, she goes on to Panama.

She explained: “My mission is simply that I’m just following my dream and at the same time demonstrating to others that it is worth having a dream and following it. The biggest part of what I’m doing is that I’m sharing my happiness with others, which means that I’m doing charity work raising money to help children feel normal as possible.”

Ms. Caban says that although traveling alone, she has support in her native Poland where her project is well known and has attracted widespread attention. She said: “There are media people and others backing me and following my progress while I sail around the world. Taking a disabled child from Poland is a big project and there are legal and safety issues involved.

There’s no big money backing me, no big sponsorship just people who want to help. There’s a charity called Against the Odds Foundation which gives me moral support by giving me letters of credence to indicate the aim of my project and enables me to solicit help in the countries that I visit.”

Ms. Caban said her own personal dream was to travel around the world, to get to know new people and places, to learn how to sail, to achieve something, to overcome her fears. “The most beautiful thing is the people I meet along the way because I believe the world is full of good people”, she said.

Ms. Caban said she was traveling in her boat without the conveniences people normally desire. She said: “I believe if we want something we must just go out and get it. I have no refrigeration or shower or toilet on the boat.”

Asked about the risks of traveling the world alone, she replied: “We risk our lives every day and I think it’s better to go pursuing your dream rather than staying at home and wondering what could have been. I don’t have to worry about that because I am living my dream.”

Exactly why did she include St. Lucia in her itinerary, Ms. Caban explained: “Since Poland joined the European Union we began expanding our horizons and more and more Polish people are now coming to the Caribbean.

Many people told me that St. Lucia was the place I should come to. Also there is publicity which St. Lucia has attained as a result of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) race. All this helped me make up my mind that I should come to this island.”

Ms. Caban said she had been very well received in St Lucia by Rodney Bay Marina and others. The disabled child, she said, was being given free accommodation at JJ’s Paradise after being flown in from Poland to join Ms. Caban who will be meeting him for the very first time.

Rodney Bay Marina Cuthbert Didier described Ms. Caban as a very unique person doing something that’s very extraordinary. He said: “When she explained to me what she was doing, IGY Rodney Bay thought it was something we should be associated with. So we’ve given here complimentary berthing for two week stay and free water on the docks.”

Didier said he was going to make every effort to enable the visiting disabled youngster see as much of the island as possible through the St. Lucia Tourist Board.

He said Ms. Caban was already doing an amazing thing sailing alone around the world so with her interest in disabled children it was very easy to incorporate visits by some of these children to enable them to see parts of the world and so enrich their lives.

Didier added: “I would like to encourage other local businesses to support Ms. Caban on her mission. I think it’s for humanity and a reminder that we are all human and are here for a very short while and should begin with the end in mind.”

Ms. Caban is exceptionally thankful to the support of the St Lucia community which has so far responded so generously to her charity.

She singled out the Rodney Bay Marina, the Eastern Caribbean Diving Company, and JJ Paradise Hotel at Marigot for special mention in the execution of her charity project.

To learn more see her website: www.nataszacaban.com

When will I kidnap my mistress in France...?

2009-06-15T04:28:00.000-07:00

433 is waiting in her aircraft hanger in Lorient, France - impatient for the coming 24,000 miles of liquidflight...

"Ragtime" New Zealand - LA done & dusted

2009-06-11T18:44:00.001-07:00

7,500-nautical miles ... Brian, Linda, Patrick & Star !

Next ~ Honolulu - LA

2009-04-15T02:44:00.000-07:00

Jessica has her boat !!! I'm getting ready now for departure - maybe down the yonder blue road we'll have a sail together - probably on "Ragtime" if she's kicking another forty years! Where do I start - back to sea and I'll write more after this 25th crossing of the 'pond' to the US West Coast from Hawaii in two days - man, 25 X 2,500 miles is 62,500 nautical miles on this route alone- I could do it blind-folded! ... then to sail my western hemisphere base - "ISIS" to Tonga from her hurricane hole at Vuda Point in Fiji and then - we'll see what lies just over the horizon ...

Met Jessica Watson & flying to NZ...

2009-02-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

Me and Linda Pasquariello met Jessica Watson (www.youngestround.com) as she came thru Sydney on a delivery to Tasmania. She is brilliant and determined! I look forward to sailing "Ragtime" with her from Hawaii to Los Angeles ; - ) Me and Linda flying to New Zealand in two days, then provision, fuel & water up and be ready for a weather window to leave as soon as the 18th ...

"Ragtime"

2009-01-27T22:46:00.000-08:00

Here we go again... Mich Desj is about to win the Vendee Globe - the 1st to ever do so TWICE... With a race attrition rate of over 70% ... 30 boats started and 12 remain! Trench-warfare! Mich even made a return to Sables D'Olonne after a water-ballast tank exploded in the first Bay of Biscay gale- restarted a day later and caught everyone. He's now led for half the race- incredible...

In the Pacific, it's our third delivery of the Spencer 65 - "Ragtime" from New Zealand to Los Angeles with a pit-stop in Hawaii to pick up Australian Jessica Watson, the 15-year-old who will next attempt the youngest solo record... Jessica is flying up from Auz to sail "Ragtime" with us.

Next year on Nov 7th, Jessica (www.youngestround.com) will take an S&S34 nonstop, solo & unassisted around the world to break Australian David Dick's record (who broke mine) as the youngest solo circumnavigator...

Meanwhile, Natasza Caban (www.nataszacaban.com) is halfway thru her solo circumnavigation - now in Cape Town, South Africa- aboard the same S&S34 we double-handed from Australia to Hawaii in the year 2000!

Vendee Globe 2008 starts!

2008-11-10T11:59:00.001-08:00

In theory, the Vendée Globe is an utterly simple affair. Its fundamental principles come down to a few sentences, compared to which even the roughest logbook would seem sophisticated. A sailing race around the world, for singlehanders, without any stopover. That’s it.

...The big brothers of the Mini 650's started the Vendee Globe yesterday from Sables d' Olonne, France...www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ Perhaps we'll be on the starting line in four years for the 2013 edition ? See videos below and if you don't want to go - well maybe have your head checked mate!

Vendee Globe 2008 2009 teaser
Uploaded by VendeeGlobe

Vendée Globe : le Bel Tchiz Tour
Uploaded by Kito_de_Pavant

Rodéo à bord de Groupe Bel !
Uploaded by Kito_de_Pavant

17-days...

2008-11-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

We're here in San Diego after a perfect 17-day crossing from Honolulu. One gale and plenty of "Club Med" weather in the North Pacific High was a nice vacation from what we'd experienced during the last round of sailing in France summer.

Next up a departure in the next few days to deliver a Hunter 45 from here back to Honolulu.

From there the delivery of a 60ft aluminum French designed catamaran from Florida to Hawaii early next summer is shaping up ...

The Joker in the deck of cards...

2008-09-21T02:31:00.000-07:00

You win the war with the many battles before you leave port & it's been prolonged inner-city urban warfare waged literally all year. Relentless is understatement! The Open 50 "Strum" was all provisioned up, I'd brought in crew & all the associated prep only to have the customary bottom check and cleaning for the 24-hour departure count-down... when the Joker smiled in the form of a jagged crack around the keel fin.

My long-time friend Les Vasconcellos popped to the surface & said it apeared the boat's keel bulb had run aground at some point. So we then proceeded to take under-water pictures for a closer look. I always say that the "mast/rudder/keel" interface is the most important- that you make sure those three items are happy before you launch above all else as most everything else is usually redundant crap, a power-draw, weight & clutter. Keep the powerplant, wings & flaps happy!

On that count we were two of the three crossed, as initially they had wanted me to deliver the boat with three of the four spreaders that were cracked and compressing their mounting pins into their base allowing the standing rigging to go slack. Too bad because had we known sooner from the owners the boat had run aground on the way to the start of the Vic-Maui Race (which it won) the keel could have been checked and repaired in the many weeks awaiting the spreaders return from New Zealand where they were re-engineered.

Low & behold after a haul-out check- we discovered that a third of the metal fin had stress cracked. Nothing to fool around with as many of the Open 60's over the years that have dropped a keel or bulb resulting in the boat capsizing sometimes with tragic loss of life.

And so here we are. We're going to let "Strum" have surgery so we're delivering a Swan 47 to San Diego in two days then turning around and bringing a Hunter back to the barn... & from there, who knows.

"The War Chest & More Miles"

2008-09-04T03:41:00.000-07:00

Linda Pasquariello and I are on standby for three back to back deliveries to the US mainland and Pacific Northwest. A fast Riptide 50 to Victoria BC, a Swan 47 from Honolulu to San Diego and a tupperware Hunter from San Diego to Oahu. Reshuffling them like a deck of cards to attain the optimal weather/seasonal routing for each.

The objective now is to rejuvenate the war chest of money after depleting it again in France this past summer. The horrible euro to dollar exchange rate ripped us apart.The question now is whether to sell the mini to purchase the boat we will use for the record ourselves or hold out for a new title sponsor. Time will tell.

Mini Fastnet Race 2004

2008-09-04T03:34:00.000-07:00

MINI FASTNET RACE 2004 /
Selling #348 “Netcarrier”, Allocating #433 “Amazigh”
4/24/06

Funny how things go full circle. On my premier mini race- the double-handed “Odysee Uylsees” in April 2003, me and my crew Natasza Caban were in the pub for the going away party for the skippers in Antibe.

Not unusual we were in a pub but as I was brand new to France and didn’t speak French- I looked for anyone ‘willing’ to speak my less-beautiful sounding native tongue.

I ended up next to a tall guy named Sam Manuard from Port Camargue- France. Turned out he’d done the transat before on a previous design of his own- finishing in a respectable 5th place.

Anyway, low and behold- the three brand new- “Tip-Top 2” sister-ships (#431, 432, 433) encircling my Seb Magnen designed #348 “Netcarrier” were designed by Sam. This race was their debut and they looked interesting for a couple of obvious design features.
…Sam went on to win aboard his #431.

Fast forward a season later- broke but with a good boat and the Class Mini introduction for the next season of carbon masts for the mini. I briefly due to finances put my boat up for sale at the end of the 2003 season.

Corentin Douguet, who’d done a previous Transat 650 contacted me hoping to buy #348. But with my back against the wall, a good boat and no money in sight- I stubbornly refused and vowed to do another Mini Fastnet before I drowned in debt… He went on to buy Loik Lebros’ Sam Manuard designed #433 “Amazigh”.

While I had a perfect sponsor for the boat in- “Netcarrier” and partner equipment sponsors- “Siemens, Kenwood and ACR- I knew that eventually things would turn around and I’d find some money, hang myself or rob a bank.

As I put #348 “Netcarrier” away for the winter in Francois Robert Chantier in Lorient- I weighed my options. I would return to Hawaii to do yacht deliveries but it was difficult because I had just one quiver of sails and desperately needed new ones, a refit and a carbon mast to remain competitive- saying nothing of the next race season operating budget.
Fastnet first then kill myself …

Off we go...

My French crew- Ronan Guerin- had used Corentin Douguet as a preparateur for part of his 10 Figaro Race campaigns. I was good friends with Corentin but for some reason he no longer had love for Douguet… “Corentin is a bad-boy, we must beat him…”

Ronan steered the start ‘Figaro-style’. A dog-fight starting line jostle- the gun, then a split tack away from the bulk of the fleet into clear air… 2nd place into the windward turning mark. 2ND all the way to halfway thru the 700-mile course to Land’s End England where the wind died and the strong tidal currents reshuffled the deck of cards.

On a close reach with 15 to 18 knots of breeze the next morning- Corentin Douguet powers from a mile below our port stern quarter- climbs past our stern, and just several hours later is off our windward starboard bow… Then gone. A horizon-job and not a thing we could do about it. The Manuard design is more powerful- with duel lateral water ballast tanks and the canting keel etc. She is visibly sailing many degrees higher and more upright… gone and no tactical solution or passing lanes- goodbye.

Around Fastnet Rock we’re in 8th…

Burning down-hill after Fastnet- a 24-hour dog-fight with Tanguy de Lamotte and crew Jacques Vincent (8-round the world races to credit). Surfing up to our stern every few minutes- its touch and go hour after hour. We’re grinding the spi- sheets- the mainsheet- sending “Netcarrier” and still we can’t break away into a manageable lead. Just one good wave and they could get thru our leeward wind-shadow and drop us into 9th place.

Our private battle meanwhile enabled both of us to pass several minis- including Corentin who was now half a mile off our starboard stern quarter. The next morning in lighter wind- Tanguy is front of us but I reel him in and pass to windward.

Now it will all come down to the inshore or offshore option. 50/50 chance. You live or you die. We play the offshore card- covering Eloise’s “Vectuer Plus” now just 30-miles to the finish.
A quick stealth jibe before Eliouse sees us do it and we are to windard and snatch his placing away. Hours later he snatches it back just a mile downwind of us. Entering the Bay of Dournanez with 8-miles to go- we’re angry and determined to defend my previous year top-five result.

“Fix-bayonets!” To say we attack is understatement. Grinding the sheets of the masthead kite and main on a reach while pumping the tiller off small wave crests in the 15-knot breeze- we give it our all.

And slowly very slowly, we are reeling “Vectuer Plus” back in. Now just a mile from the finish- the boats close-reaching, hot and barely able to hold onto our mast-head kites, Eloise is crouched in the cock-pit doing nothing but nervously smoking a ciggerrette and staring back down the barrel of our gun waiting for us to pounce.

His crew looks back over his shoulder every other moment as well and they are both on a hair trigger as they know we are going to go for it when there is technically no way around and no race course left to speak of.

Poker stares and we are just 3-feet behind “Vectuer Plus”, the committee finishing boat and marker a minute away and Ronan draws his weapon in a blur. We luff-up hard and just-just, just barely slide above them a foot away- choking them- it’s a bar room brawl- they can’t breath- we’re taking their breeze.

But still yet, to lay the finish line, we’ll both have to jibe. It will have to define the meaning of perfection or we’ll die. It’s us or them. Off we go, adrenline pumping, both of us broaching in front of the committee boat, meters from the line, keels on the wrong side, mainsails pinned hard up against running back-stays and kites flogging as we hurry to reload.

WE DO IT! We defend the top five and we hold onto my 5th of the year before in a vastly more competitive fleet that saw ORMA trimaran members and many of the top French navigators in all racing disciplines crew!

As we come into the dock we have two surprises, one good and one bad. We beat Tanguy and Jacques- they ended up in 7th but Corentin Douguet nipped us into 4th. “It’s not possible Ronan cries jumping off the boat seemingly ready for a fist fight and to bring the race ashore.
So after the 2004 Mini Fastnet, I asked “my” friend Corentin Douguet if I could crew back to Lorient with him aboard “Amazigh”. After beating us into 4th in the Fastnet- it would be interesting to sail with our concurrent – Ronan’s “bad-boy”.

It was a very light wind sail to Loqmiquelic, Lorient- however it revealed hints of “Amazigh’s” potential. He agreed to sell her to me for 75,000-euros if I put down a deposit to reserve her a year in advance. It would be a positive move for me because I could sell my boat for the same price- go look for money and “Amazigh” would at the minimum have a new carbon mast and 2nd quiver of replacement sails for the Transat 650 2005.

…It would be a bad move if the “bad-boy” destroyed the boat or got run over by a ship mid-Atlantic! But before Corentin started winning everything and had his sponsorship powerhouse- “LE.CLERC/BOUYGUES TELECOM”- I believed.

On our sail to Lorient I asked Corentin who he thought would win the transat. He said- “Me”. It reminded me of the calm confidence I’d once seen displayed from my skipper- then 20-year-old Liz Wardley prior to the 1999 Sydney to Hobart Race when she said to the crew- “We’re going to win. Because we can!” And we did.

Now post Corentin’s victorious 2005 domination and record-setting Transat 650 during which he reduced the elapsed race record time by over two-days- he’s laughing with me in the bar in Lorient. “You chose to buy the boat before I win everything… maybe I could have gotten more money for the boat.” Yeah but I believed in you- bad boys always get the girls…

IRC (www.racetheworld.net) joins team as official race tracker. This state-of-the-art system that is used for the rugged Paris-Dakar road rally will enable us to keep the public informed via remote positioning and live Iridum interviews from anywhere in the world.

NEWS 08/04/07

6th in Open Demi-Cle with crew Jacques Vincent, Mini Fastnet cancelled due to extreme weather, 27th with broken pilot in Trophee Marie Agnes Peron, 12th in Open Sail Simrad with Jacques Vincent and withdrew from Transgascogne due to extreme weather that capsized three boats and 7 epirbs activated. Messy season but learned allot and will apply the many lessons to the coming years of the program.

Other news- team-mate Natasza got married and left on her round the world a week ago- good luck mate!

Netcarrier Prototype Mini 650 #348 - March 2004

2008-09-04T03:31:00.000-07:00

Netcarrier Proto '348 Update: March 29, 04

La Trinite Sur-Mer France The many winter changes made to the boat have evolved the Formula-1 machine to a new level.

On the sail from Lorient to La Trinite last week, she literaly flew thru the forty miles like a hot butter knife. At the moment her speed is astounding.

Probably the greatest single change was repositioning the keel. Her trim on the water is markedly different (more bow down) -we slid it two inches forward, and the keel plates resolved a problem where she had raked back creating drag...

She planed consistently at 8 to 10 knots speed with 15 to 18 knots of breeze (without spinnaker). Then once there was even a semblance of chop with a few pumps of the tiller we had her surfing off half meter waves!

They are simpily the most incredible boats to sail i have ever been on.. and thats saying allot- i
have crewed on a vast disparity of different designs.

As we approached Quiberon Point Franck Cammas's 60ft trimaran "Groupama" sped on the order of 30+ knots- If you ever saw the trimaran flying across the water in "Waterworld" -this what they look like!

Passing thru the channel into Quiberon Bay, the current was incoming against the now 30 knot wind as squalls came thru and it created a hellish short chop, we pounded from wave to wave like a plate (minis -especially prototypes! are downwind oriented machines!)

It was like doing the third Sydney to Hobart Race but now on a mini- imagine that! But it was a great test of the machine after her vast facelift.. and she fought into the teeth of the bombs, mortars, field nukes, the lot.. with flying colors! A true 'nam session on her preliminary season test sail- perfect!

A month away the Select 6.5, a 300 mile solo race, another practice baptism before my 1,000-mile solo qualification and then the 2004 Mini Fastnet.

It's a brave new world after the introduction to the Class Mini last year. Somthing easier understood 'in the cut' than i can describe in writing!

Below is the description of last year's Mini Fastnet Race, a reminder before we run the gauntlet yet again!

MINI FASTNET RACE 2003
700 miles....

Netcarrier is a downwind missle. Sitting on fifteen knots - passing boats like they re standing still - solid green water erupting down the length of the deck - rhuster tales off the rudders, i know i m alive. A flick of the hand on the tiller and we re off down another wave. To leeward, yet another victim of Netcarrier. On a reach with the gennaker she is unstoppable.

Passing Fastnet Rock was a dream. At the limit of twilight, the twin beams sweeping the sails- the erriest lighthouse i ve seen.

The start of the Mini Fastnet Race from Douarnenez saw 84 boats on the starting line in full attack mode. My crew - Francois Coutant, the former delivery skipper for Bruno Peyron s Explorer and i spent a week working thru a pre race checklist.

It was a light upwind start, boats everywhere and so it began. After a hundred tacks, moving the saftey gear to the windward side each time and canting the keel, we d worked our way into first place by dark.

Still hard on the wind doing six to seven knots - we continued lifting on course in conjunction with the pre-race briefing by our personal weather advisor for the trimaran - Sergio Tachinni. This would prove a single error as the breeze defied an otherwise perfect weather model.
In a game of musical chairs, twenty boats passed us in the dark to leeward. Bearing away the next morning under masthead gennaker - we worked our way back into 9th place that night. The wind died and shifted back on the nose.

Soon it was a hard slog into twenty knots smack bang on the nose. Masthead lights ahead, behind, to leeward and windward. Fight club in every sense of the word as we prod Netcarrier past competitors in the dark.

A tactical tacking duel toward the waypoint - shifting all the kit yet again - everything in the boat to the windward side. Water jugs slung over the weather rail - nothing left to chance. Lighting Camel ciggarettes for Fanch out of the wind while he steers, marking waypoints and boats on the bulkhead, boiling water for pre-made dinners on a wildly gyrating stove - life at sea and at war.

Somthing like three days after the start, Fastnet Rock in the distance. It s ten-thirty at night but there is still some light at 52 degrees north in summer. The lighthouse is scary and awesome looking. You must see it...

Around her, the twin beams illuminating the boat, and we bear away back toward Douarnenez three-hundred miles away. And then a bit of a gale. Two reefs in the main and we are absolutly blasting throught the dark at fifteen knots. In the bunk below, it feels like you are in a fighter plane, not a boat. You have to sleep with your feet forward because if you hit anything at this speed your head could go thru a bulkhead.

The next day, the breeze lightens a notch and we set the fractional gennaker. And now we are on Netcarrier s best point of sail. Planing at a sustained fifteen knots we pass one boat after another like they are standing still. Spray everywhere, sometimes a wave threatens to launch me from the tiller. Careening up, over and down waves like an ocean-going skateboard - Netcarrier is a weapon. There is no other way to describe her.

A 5th place finish. Out of 84 boats we led the first night and might have won but don t ever look back - the first 'foreign' non-French entry to finish...

Brian Caldwell Netcarrier Proto 348

1st place 1999 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race!

2008-09-04T03:27:00.000-07:00

Preparing for the next BlastOffUpdate: January 00
Previous News Update
BJ Caldwell writes...
BJ

1999 Sydney to Hobart Race1st place PHS Div 2 Elliot 36ft 'Phillip's Foote'
It's going well after five yacht deliveries and a victory in the 1999 Sydney to Hobart Race with 20 year old Liz Wardley on her Elliot 36ft 'Phillips Foote'. An S&S 34 is in my possession, together we will sail very away. A few Australian and American sailors are collaborating with polished visions of miles and places.

In this seafaring nation, where a girl I wave goodbye to in Hobart soon gets rolled upside-down aboard the 60ft race contestant 'Innkeeper'. She appears on the television news broken but vows to me later, it is only her beginning. Natasza was plucked from the Southern Ocean into the start of her sailing career. Meanwhile, the youngest skipper in the race - Liz Wardley tells me she'd do fifty more Hobarts. This was just a year after Liz experienced and escaped from ocean racing's worst ever tragedy.

We'd driven Liz's yacht until we found a very hard won victory. After vast numbers of round-up/knockdowns, incredible surfing across wildly confused Tasmanian waves and a freezing 55 knot blow, the youngest crew in the race arrived into the Derwent River laughing and relatively unscathed. Though, you could say the young faces showed a trace of the three day 'fight club' of sorts.

Only the day before, we were fight clubbing away in the grasp of the Southern Ocean gale, while 'Phillip's Foote' dropped off the sheer vertical faces of thirty foot waves. Inside the cabin awash with condensation and diesel fumes, I was braced in with my four watch-mates. I'm busy dipping Gatorade powder into my mouth right from the tin as we tell some pretty off-beat jokes. All the while, we flinch as solid green water explodes across the topsides. It's just war out, bombs, mortars, field nukes...the lot.

I'd met Liz in Southport as they headed for Sydney to the start of the race from her home in PNG. I'd just walked up and said I reckoned that since I was down under, I should try and do the Hobart, did she know of anyone short of crew? She said yes, they needed one more and she would give me a call once they got to Sydney. The rest is history.

Last year isn't far away here. Talk of the six that died and a fleet completely broken remain in the thoughts of all those that have returned to the Sydney to Hobart. Especially as damage reports started on just the first night from Sydney. We were extremely fortunate to avoid breakages and stay in the 'hunt'. I don't think we could have sailed a more superior race. Liz had some of the best sails, crew and motivation in a fleet of notoriously talented sailors.
We had an immaculate new kevlar main, the best looking asymmetrical chute I've seen since aboard Bruno Peyron's 'Explorer' and none other than a carbon fiber 'Code Zero' like Paul Cayard utilized in the Whitbread Race!

Once we were firmly in the lead of our class, we continued pushing but allowed just a trace of conservatism as we covered the fleet. We'd just go to the heavier chute a bit faster and try to minimize the wipeouts. A bit difficult sometimes though as the breeze jumped from between 25 to 40 knots true windspeed.

The weather forecast had said a low was developing over southern Victoria which would have been north of us. But as it turned out, we were bewildered when the sun came out and the breeze died in the middle of Bass Straight. I asked Liz what the forecasted central pressure was for the low and she said - 1000 millibars. I looked at my Suunto watch and sure enough, the pressure was just between 999 and 1000 millibars! We were in the center of the developing gale. That night, we were sailing upwind into a southerly that gusted to 55 knots.

One of the things I remember was this huge breaking wave that launched me from the tiller. My watch-partner Bryce grabbed the back of my harness as I reached the end of my tether and hauled me back to the weather rail. We had a bit on. Just a day earlier, Bryce had been steering as we exceeded 20 knots on a huge surf and the boat disappeared through the wave in front indefinitely. I was holding my breath for five minutes before we exploded onto the surface without slowing. I've never been so far under water on the deck of a yacht before. The force of the water opened all the Spinlock rope clutches and the off-watch rushed up afterwards and said it went completely dark below-decks and their ears were popping. We're lucky the mast didn't go for a walk-about over the bow or pitch-pole.

After the gale, as we crossed Storm Bay and entered the Derwent River, we did nonstop sail changes and peels. We'd won our division: PHS Div. 2!

We gave each other a few good handshakes before the start of the millennium party on the docks in Tasmania.

Click on link below to old posts

"The Cobra Event"

2008-09-04T03:24:00.000-07:00

Preparing for the next BlastOffUpdate: October 99
Previous News Update
BJ Caldwell writes...
BJ

My recent yacht delivery to Kwajalein via Johnston Atoll was a nice 2,100 nautical miles in 17 days. The passage was interesting as we requested permission to revictualize our fresh water supplies at Johnston Atoll. To stop at a biological weapons testing and disposal facility for something to drink! ?

The day before, they'd told us we'd have to wear gas masks if we touched land. I couldn't help but think of "The Cobra Event" - the book by Richard Preston that illustrated the kind of research that went down in the middle of the Pacific.

"The trials, which went on steadily from 1964 to 1969, were successful far beyond the expectations of even the scientists involved. These events were officially called a "joint naval exercise," but that was a cover for the fact that what was going on were hot field trials for the strategic use of biological weapons over large areas of territory. The trials had been gradually increasing in scope since 1964. At the peak of the trials there were enough ships involved to make up the fifth-largest navy in the world. This was as large a fleet as the naval forces used in the air tests of hydrogen bombs in the Pacific Ocean during the 1950s." - "The Cobra Event".

In one such test, ships were staged at ten mile intervals for hundreds of miles downwind of the island. Aboard each ship, the crew wore bio-hazard space-suits with special air filters for protection. Also aboard the ships were scores of monkeys, on deck, below-decks, and inside air-tight compartments.

Just offshore of Johnston, a Marine Corps Phantom jet flew a low and straight trajectory, about two hundred meters above the water, traveling just under the speed of sound for fifty nautical miles. It flew by the pristine white sand beaches, heading west toward the setting sun.

"It carried no stores underwing except for a small, strange looking pod. The wing pod was known as a dry line-source disseminator. What was coming out of the pod was a living weapon in the form of a dry powder. The particles were very small, and they had been treated with a special plastic to make them last longer in the air. They were between one and five microns across, the ideal size of a weaponized bioparticle. It is the size particle that can be inhaled deep into the human lung, a particle that will stick naturally to the membrane of the lung. Fifty particles lined up in a row would span the thickness of a human hair. One or two such particles trapped in the lung, if they are a weapon, can cause a fatal infection that kills in three days. Particles this small do not fall out of the air. They stay aloft. You can't smell them, you can't taste them, you don't know they are there until you get sick" - The particles inhaled by the monkeys had a 100% fatality rate.

The virus continued past the last ships all through the night, riding the warm Pacific trade-winds until the following morning when sunlight killed the pathogen. How many seabirds, whales, dolphins - inhaled the cool air of the many thousand square miles covered on this dreadful night of many?

Creepy like the X-Files yes? The crew aboard the 28ft Hawkfarm "Bellwether" thought so! Nonetheless, after waiting for a couple of hours near the pass, the general granted us permission to enter the lagoon under 'escort'. No less than ten cars followed along the shore including a Hum-Vee with a 60 calibre machine gun pointed toward us. Minutes later, we tied alongside the off-loading dock for the island - imagine the stuff handled on this maritime pier! Enough 'cocktails' to annihilate the world's population hundreds of times over. Anyway, I tried to keep the storm within my head under check as two gun yielding officials jumped aboard to insure we weren't hiding a boat-load of terrorists. Then they most gracefully allowed us to top off our defunct fresh water bladder. And heh, a tub of ice cream, a Playboy, and some hot grub for supper from the PX! We were back under-way in less than forty-five minutes - what a 'pit-stop' for us! I will never forget standing bare-foot on the dock in Johnston.

Back underway, we flew the spinnaker from dusk till dawn, pushing hard toward Kwaj because it was during the middle of hurricane season. Three hundred miles out, I get this message from my dad on the SSB radio, "Watch out - you'll have fire-works tomorrow!" The next day, we watched the contrail of a Minuteman ICBM nuclear missile from America pass directly over our mast-

head before the 'Exo-Atmospheric Kill Vehicle' launched from Kwajalein blew it out of space! It was part of the 'Star Wars' Strategic Defense Initiative, right over our heads!!! We were all spun out, what a passage. A delivery aboard a 28ft boat in full hurricane season, a bio-weapons facility for drinking water and a nuclear missile intercepted straight over-head! I can't use enough exclamation marks to illustrate the jokes and late night talk during our many watches!

Luckily, all of us arrived alive. And what a beautiful landfall it was! Kwajalein is the biggest lagoon in the world and has some of the best diving anywhere. I was sad to fly home after just three days in paradise. However, I am delighted to be preparing for an epic delivery from Australia to Honolulu via the Southern Ocean aboard the S+S 34 design - "Stray Bit'". New Years 2000 at sea is just what I dreamed of. With any luck, we'll be the first to experience the millennium as we cross the International Dateline!!!

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