As an Adventurer I am always fascinated by the journeys of others, whether they are against the clock in a race or just a shear mental or physical endurance challenge. A certain few events in the world combine all of these facets and one of them is the Volvo Ocean Race around the World. Ireland was lucky enough to host this Race in 2009 & 2012 and I think anyone who followed or watched this spectacle were blown away not only by the boats but also by the crews who operate these amazing machines. These Machines are some of the most technically advanced and sophisticated racing yachts, designed to sail at break neck speeds in the toughest of conditions and biggest of seas. I think most will agree it is exhilarating to watch them in action so can one can only imagine what it is like to be part of it.
It was a boyhood dream of mine to race one of these boats around the world but as an amateur sailor i had resigned myself to the fact that this one would most likely stay as a dream that i pretty much had to shelve and stick to watching it on TV and you tube.
The guys that race these boats are professional sailors with thousands of ocean racing miles and sea going experience. So you can begin to imagine how excited I was to get the call to say that I would be a part of an all amateur crew which will race a Volvo Ocean Yacht on a lap around Ireland in the 2014 Round Ireland Yacht Race. This is a 700mile nonstop lap of Ireland taking on the huge Atlantic swells of the west coast and treacherous tidal conditions of the east coast all of this in an attempt to win what is referred to in sailing terms as “Line Honours”, simple put to be first across the finish line.
Our crew will be guided by a full time professional and experienced skipper and under him we quickly have to learn all of the complex systems and controls on board to give us a chance to maximise the boat speed in all conditions. The combination of the intense physical workload of constantly changing and hoisting massive sails and the mental focus to constantly adjust to varying wind conditions will test us all to the limit.
The ability to remain ready both physically and mentally during what will hopefully be a sub 100hour sprint around Ireland is a massive challenge. This along with the ability to stay calm under pressure while hurtling down huge waves in the darkness with water crashing across the deck is in itself both a terrifying prospect and an enticing challenge and i cannot wait to be a part of it.
In my preparation for my previous lap around Ireland which took me 40 days solo by sea kayak i worked closely with Paulette and her sportsyoga programme and during the challenge I drew on these theories and practices throughout. I am looking forward to working with Paulette again for this challenge and i feel this will be key part of my mental and physical preparation. However i don’t think there will be much time for a sneaky Yoga Nidra snooze on this trip though!
Mike Jones
Adventure Athlete
« Paul Devaney – Irish Seven Summits Welcome to my website SportsYoga.ie »
