Ep. 271, Sailing the Viking Route, Brian Russell
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Helacious, a Dudley Dix 43,
built in aluminum by Brian Russell
Brian and Helen Russell sail an aluminum Dudley Dix 43 that Brian built. This past summer, they sailed the Viking Route from London to Halifax, Nova Scotia via the Scilly Isles, Scotland, The Faroes, Iceland, Greenland, Labrador, and Newfoundland.
We talk about all the places they visited, the pasages in between, the wildlife, difficult situations, sea ice, icebergs, radar, broaching, autopilots, foulweather gear, weather forecasting, making friends while cruising, the benefits of a cockpit enclosure, and more.
Helacious in Iceland
Helacious in the Faroes
Icebergs in Greenland
Ep. 270, Norbert Sedlecek Koch, Ant Arctic Lab
Norbert Sedlecek Koch is the founder of Innovation Yachts. In July 2026, he will attempt to sail nonstop unassisted solo around the world passing through all the world's oceans, and becoming the first person to do so. He has already circumnavigated in a boat he built and in the Vendee Globe, and he has circumnavigated Antarctica. Innovation Yachts designs and builds custom yachts with attention to detail and sustainability in mind. They also make their own epoxy matrix using volcanic stone. His yacht is an Innovation Yachts Open 60, Ant Arctic Lab.
We talk about the Ant Arctic Lab Challenge, Innovation Yachts' bio based epoxy matrix, boats made at Innovation Yachts, how the boats are built, building a prototype, using balsa core and Airex, negative bows, what it's like to sail his open 60, sailing into older age, circumnavigating Antarctica in an aluminum boat, the benefit of a lifting keel while surfing downwind in heavy conditions, hand-steering vs using the autopilot in heavy conditions, ice and icebergs, staying warm while sailing in cold conditions, arriving in Martinique after the Transat without a rudder, whales, the Vendee Globe, fear, and more.
SailboatsForSale.com
Owen's phone:
+1-561-827-5457
Innovation Yachts Ant Arctic Lab, Norbert's Open 60
Ep. 269, Etienne Messikommer, Golden Globe 2026 Entrant
Etienne Messikommer is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. He also won the 2021 Globe 5.80 Transtat.
We talk about his first boat (which was steel), selecting his GGR boat (a Tradewinds 35), refitting and preparing the boat for the GGR, converting from wheel to tiller, reefing and furling, reinforcing the chainplates, antifouling, getting advice from previous GGR competitors, books, the rules of the GGR, the Globe 5.80 Transat, the importance of preparation, why he wasn't tempted to do the MGR, why he wants to do the GGR, fear, safety, training for the GGR, Etienne's dream boat, and more.
SailboatsForSale.com
Etienne's GGR boat, a Tradewinds 35
Etienne's Globe 5.80
Ep. 268, Captain Coconut aka Mark Sinclair, Following the Mini Globe Race
Mark Sinclair is following the Mini Globe Race in his Lello 34, Coconut (the boat he raced in the 2018 GGR). He was in Antigua last time we spoke (in February 2024) and he was in Darwin, Australia when we spoke this time.
We talk about the Mini Globe Race, Darwin Australia, his sail from Antigua to Australia, sailing every other leg with his girlfriend, provisioning, transiting the Panama Canal, Ahe (in the Tuamotus), Tahiti, sailing through the South Pacific, Fiji, Thursday Island, sailing the Globe Mini 5.80 boats, modern navigation, avoiding jet skis and charter catamarans, using a lead line, sailing without a windlass, sailing around Cape Horn under bare poles and dragging a tire for a drogue and navigating with an echo sounder, the La Maire Strait, overfalls, the MGR contestants, sailing fast around the world vs stopping longer, convergence zones and heavy weather, how the MGR sailors have changed during the race, and more.
Owen's phone:
+1-561-827-5457
Mark's boat Coconut, a Lello 34, which he sailed in the 2018 GGR
Ep. 267, Gunnar Christensen, Offshore Racing vs Offshore Cruising
Gunnar Christensen is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. He owns a Hans Christen 34 and is also a professional sailor and skipper of racing sailboats.
We talk about his Baltic 42, a Southerly 42, The Bahamas, the value of a swing-keel, RORC races Gunnar has been competing in, racing a Farr 60, how seamanship differs between racers and cruisers, how racing boats are less forgiving than cruising boats, surfing at 15 knots on a J109, the hard work of sailing a J109 downwind, asymmetrical spinnakers vs symmetrical spinnakers, the Fastnet Race, sailplan for sailing downwind in the Hans Christen 34, sailing wing-on-wing, looking and learning when new on a boat, converting racing boats to cruising boats, the Golden Globe Race and finding a title sponsor, rumors of LSO not being the start of the 2026 GGR, the mental challenges of long solo passages, hurricanes, sailing in Maritime Canada, sailing with balanced sails and wheel tied off, getting seasick, self-tacking staysails, reefing, meditation and how it can help an offshore sailor, and more.
Farr 60 Venemous at Fastnet Rock
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Pompoen goes to Cherbourg
J109 Mojo Risin'
Ep. 266, Kevin Le Poidevin, Sailing an Open 40
Kevin Le Poidevin sails an Open 40, Roaring 40 and a Sigma 36 Rogue Wave. He sailed in the 2014 and 2018 Solo Trans Tasman Challenge New Plymouth to Southport, the 2021 and 2024 Sydney Hobart, the 2023 Global Solo Challenge, and the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Race. He has also solo sailed around Australia and Malaysia, as well as from Osaka back to Australia. He supports the Brain Tumor Alliance Australia, Pankind, and Soldier On charities.
We talk about getting into sailing, breaking the boom on the way to the Melbourne Osaka Race, his Open 40, bridge heights in The Netherlands and how not to hit them, sailing the Open 40 in 60 knots, sailing her upwind, preparing the boat for the Global Solo Challenge, sailing in the 2023 GSC, falling down the companionway, what is fun about sailing an Open 40, sleeping when sailing solo, a typical day in a long solo race, whales and orcas, a purple sunset, why racing boats are unforgiving, tacking an Open 40, converting a racing boat to a cruising boat, food and eating, safety, lifejackets, the 2027 Global Solo Challenge, Soldier On, Brain Tumor Alliance Australia, and more.
Kevin describes the photos below: Heres a good pic in the GSC about 900nm SW of Adelaide in the Southern Ocean. Taken from an Air Force P-8 maritime patrol aircraft with my co-skipper Daz on board the aircraft during a tactical exercise. We chatted on VHF and they did 5 low passes. Just coming out of a big blow and I had blown the #3 reef clutch apart so stuck in 4th reef for about 2weeks. Did a couple of 200nm days in that config Photo credit Royal Australian Air Force.
Owen's phone:
+1-561-827-5457
Ep. 265, Guy DeBoer, Offshore Racing, GGR 2026?
Guy deBoer is a professional sailor active in offshore racing. He was in the 2022 Golden Globe Race, but went aground in the Canary Islands and had to retire from the race. He eventually saved and rebuilt the boat, Spirit, a Tashiba 36.
We talk about his new (to him) Cheoy Lee and how old full-keel boats are sometimes free or nearly free, racing in the Two Star in a Jenneau 45, dealing with the cold, jibing asymetric spinnakers, the 2026 Golden Globe Race, sponsors, the GGR documentary film, the Race to Alaska, the Everglades Challenge, crocodiles alligators and pythons, dealing with living in the heat on a boat, air conditioners, dealing with sleep apnea, sailing in Newport, sailing Fazizi, raising money, and more.
Spirit, a Tashiba 36, Guy's GGR boat
Ep. 264, Tom Cunliffe, Sailing and Writing and his new book Hurricane Force
Tom Cunliffe is a living legend among offshore sailors. He has lived his life at sea, mostly sailing traditional boats. He learned to sail on a 22 ft gaff sloop when a teenager on the Norfolk Broads. He studied law in university, but then ran off to sea. He has worked as mate on a coasting merchant vessel and skippered private yachts as well as having been a delivery and charter skipper. He was a sailing tutor for many years, progressing from running a dinghy sailing school in the south of France to becoming a senior offshore instructor at the British National Sailing Centre in Cowes. He has been a yachmaster examiner since 1978. He is the author of about 30 books about sailing, including "The Complete Yachmaster" and "Celestial Navigation."
We talk about the harbor in Denmark where we was waiting out a storm, sailing in the Baltic Sea, classic boats, history, sailing into St Petersburg Russia, navigating in the Baltic islands without modern technology, sailing a 1911 pilot cutter, the difference between navigating today vs before GPS, the benefits of using paper charts for passage planning, the joy of finding your destination with celestial navigation, heaving-to, surviving a hurricane, the benefit of a heavy mast, his Mason 44, why he has always sailed full-keel boats, using the code zero, what he would choose if he were to buy a boat today, his upcoming novel "Hurricane Force," and more.
Owen's phone:
+1-561-827-5457
Tom
Hirta
Saari
Westernman
Constance, a Mason 44
Ep. 263, Jolly Holly, Show Me Your Dinghy
Jolly Holly sails a 72' carbon fiber trimaran now, and has a history of restoring old boats and solo sailing. She is also the owner of ShowMeYourDinghy dinghy navigation lights, which I use and approve of.
We talk about sailing in the Caribbean, getting knocked down, sailing solo vs with crew, observing fishing regulations, Sunfish, Tritium - her 71' carbon fiber catamaran, backlash from skeptics, refitting Tritium, what it feels like to sail a giant racing trimaran, anchoring and sizing an anchor for the trimaran, weight distribution, using the coffee-grinder, getting hit by a boat while driving a dinghy at night, designing the dinghy navigation lights, why headlamps are inadequate for navigation lights, and more.
Ep. 262, Daniel Turner 2, Mini Globe Race, Fiji
Daniel Turner is currently in second place in the Mini Globe Race, another Don McIntyre circumnavigation race. He was in Fiji when I interviewed him, right befrore the start of Leg three, Fiji to Cape Town.
We talk about sailing from Antigua to Panama, dealing with a roller-furler malfunction, sailing to Fiji, a storm in the Tuomotus, using a drogue, helmets, preventers, response to the skeptics, the route and obstacles to Cape Town, sailing solo and how his enjoyment of it has changed during the race, Starlink, how sailing changes us, boat balance and reefing and sailing more efficiently, tips for sail trim, poling out two asymetrical spinnakers, hearing voices when solo, hallucinations from sleep deprivation, solitude vs lonliness, and more.
Owen's phone:
+1-561-827-5457
