Alex Thomson is supporting newcomer Scott Shawyer and Canada Ocean Racing in his goal to reach the 2028 Vend\u00e9e GlobeWhen solo ocean racing skipper Alex Thomson announced that he was stepping aside from competitive sailing after the 2020 Vend\u00e9e Globe, he didn\u2019t give many clues as to what he was going to do next. However, he was clear that one thing he did want to do was back another skipper in the IMOCA class.
\nToday Thomson has named the skipper that he\u2019s working with \u2013 but, surprisingly, they\u2019re not British.
\nCanadian Scott Shawyer has launched a brand new offshore sailing campaign, Canada Ocean Racing, with support from Alex Thomson.
\nShawyer is bidding to become the first Canadian sailor to complete the Vend\u00e9e Globe non-stop solo around the world race. Under Thomson\u2019s tutelage, he will be aiming for the 2028 race, with a key focus on gaining miles on the water and solo experience between now and then.
\nShawyer is a successful businessman, and for over 25 years has been president and CEO of a technology company that provides engineering services and solutions \u2013 hinting at the necessary problem solving skills which he\u2019ll need to make it as a solo sailor. He is also a lifelong amateur sailor, although his experience prior to working with Thomson was limited to racing dinghies and keelboats and cruising catamarans.
\nScott Shawyer onboard his new IMOCA 60 race yacht \u2018 Canada Ocean Racing\u2019. Pictured here training on the team\u2019s first run offshore with mentor Alex Thomson. (Photo by Lloyd Images)
\n\u201cScott is a very interesting fellow,\u201d Thomson told me when we chatted ahead of today\u2019s launch. \u201cHe\u2019s a triathlete, an amateur skier \u2013 he\u2019s on the masters ski team in Canada \u2013 and primarily he\u2019s an entrepreneur. Over the last 30 years, he built a huge business in Canada.\u00a0
\n\u201cAnd he\u2019s a sailor. He\u2019s an A class sailor, a dinghy sailor, and he\u2019s got a cruising catamaran.
\nA Vend\u00e9e dream
\n\u201cI think Coronavirus is how this all came about, really, because, like a lot of people, he was locked up in a kind of doom and gloom. He knew about the Vend\u00e9e, but he hadn\u2019t really followed it. But last time around he followed it, and he became completely captivated by it. And he felt in himself the inspiration that the Vend\u00e9e can give.
\n\u201cSo he started researching about the Vend\u00e9e, because in his mind, he had this little idea that maybe he should do it. So he went down this path and he realised that he could marry a few things together in his life, that had brought him to this point almost. He felt that he wanted to challenge himself and he wants to showcase the sport in Canada because he wants other Canadians to feel like he felt.\u201d
\nThomson with Shawyer. Photo Lloyd Images.
\nShawyer made contact with Thomson a year ago, though Thomson\u2019s team say he\u2019s been approached by many different skippers and they have to be highly selective about who to work with.
\n\u201cFor me, the reason to be involved was a couple of things. The first thing is that the person has to be capable of doing it, and not only has the capability, but also the desire. So Scott had to commit to a pretty rigorous training programme.\u00a0
\n\u201cThe other thing was that over my whole career, the story has always been so powerful. It genuinely does inspire people. And we\u2019ve felt like the international PR department of the Vendee Globe for the last \u2018X\u2019 number of years. And so this is an opportunity for us to help build an offshore racing business in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomson points out that with 30% of Canadians speaking French, a significant barrier to building an audience for the Vend\u00e9e Globe has already been partially overcome.
\nBuilding Canada Ocean Racing
\nThis is not the only project hoping to build a Canadian competitive sailing presence. Financial entrepreneur Fred Pye has recently thrown his backing behind the Canada SailGP team, hoping to inspire a new following for the sport.
\nHowever, Canada has limited ocean racing heritage. The previous two Canadian entrants in the Vend\u00e9e Globe were Gerry Roufs, who was tragically lost at sea in 1997, and Derek Hatfied, who had to retire after being knocked down in a huge storm in 2008.
\nTo build experience, Shawyer has begun training in a daggerboard design IMOCA. \u201cHe\u2019s never sailed offshore before \u2013 he\u2019s currently mid-Atlantic \u2013 so you\u2019ve got to be careful what kind of goals you put in there. Looking at the time that we\u2019ve got, we start with a nice solid platform, a daggerboard boat, 2012 generation, and we build from there,\u201d says Thomson.
\n\u201cGet a boat, get on the water. I totally believe in miles and miles and miles at sea \u2013 it\u2019s the only way. There\u2019s not many shortcuts to it and particularly when you\u2019re starting off with no offshore experience, it\u2019s the only thing to do.\u201d
\nScott Shawyer onboard his new IMOCA 60 Canada Ocean Racing. Photo by Lloyd Images
\nLonger term, however, Thomson wants to expand their remit into include constructing new IMOCAs as well as managing the skippers. \u201cThe plan is that we build a sustainable business around this with the objective of being able to build boats and put potentially race-winning entries in from 2032 onwards,\u201d Thomson explains.
\nSharing knowledge
\nPrior to becoming a solo ocean racing skipper, Thomson was a sailing instructor. He famously became the youngest ever skipper to win an around the world race when he led a team to win the 1998\/99 edition of the mixed-experience Clipper Round the World Race aged 25. How is he finding the return to a coaching role?
\n\u201cI\u2019m very much enjoying it. It\u2019s interesting to see how people take on information and find the right way of imparting it. There\u2019s just so much information that\u2019s required, so it will take a lot of time and it\u2019s nice to be able to have the time.\u201d
\n\u201cBut Scott is well equipped and certainly has the desire and ability to take on the information. He\u2019s quite an impressive person when you meet him.\u201d
\nTo find out more, see canadaoceanracing.com
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\nThe post Alex Thomson backs \u2018rookie\u2019 Canada ocean racing campaign\u00a0 appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Alex Thomson is supporting newcomer Scott Shawyer and Canada Ocean Racing in his goal to reach the 2028 Vend\u00e9e GlobeWhen solo ocean racing skipper Alex Thomson announced that he was stepping aside from competitive sailing after the 2020 Vend\u00e9e Globe, … <\/p>\n