Yacht
Barclays Adventurer
Name Stuart Jackson Age
28 Nationality British Home Location
Southampton, UK Occupation Professional Skipper
Scottish skipper Stuart Jackson is the youngest skipper to be chosen
for the Global Challenge but has been sailing all his life.
In 2000 he entered the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers), the largest
transoceanic crossing in the world, sailing aboard his father’s
yacht. After arriving in the Caribbean with the ARC fleet Stuart sailed
back to his homeland of Scotland single-handed, via Bermuda and the
Azores.
Stuart has been with Challenge Business for 2 years, gaining valuable
race experience skippering Barclays Adventurer in the Round Britain
and Ireland Challenge 2004, finishing in fourth place. In his time
with the company Stuart has had a wide and varied sailing career;
training Crew Volunteers, a sailing expedition to Spitzbergen and
also skippered one of the support vessels in the Woodvale Atlantic
Rowing Race.
What do you think makes a good skipper? "Having a relaxed attitude with a competitive spirit. A
good skipper needs to be an all round player who can lead and be led,
be part of the team as well as run the show."
Do
you have your sights set on winning? "Winning is
not paramount. If we put in 100% effort then we can only do our best
and it won’t be the end of the world not to win and is not the
most important thing about the race."
Yacht
BG Spirit Name
Andy Forbes Age 37 Nationality Australian Home Location Surrey Occupation Professional Skipper
Australian-born Andy Forbes lives with his wife and two children
in Surrey. Andy grew up with sailing, starting out in dinghies when
he was just eight. Andy has an impressive CV, both on and off the
water, and decided to grab life with both hands after being diagnosed
and treated for cancer in 2000.
Qualified as an instructor in both sail and power, Andy was a self-employed
freelance skipper before signing up with Challenge Business as a
Global Challenge race skipper.
Andy has also worked in Bali's hospitality trade, managing large
guesthouses and as a Logistics Manager in the UK, which has given
him exceptional experience in dealing with business and people.
Sailing around the world has always been an ambition for
Andy...
"I have talked about sailing around the world for too long
and it's something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember.
Cancer was the wakeup call. I've personally experienced the highs
and desperate lows of ocean sailing and I really admire people who,
with little or no sailing knowledge, take on such a challenge.
"I have a passion like no other for what I do and most of all
I enjoy sharing this passion with others. Sailing is me, it is my
job and I love it."
And what about winning?
"The great thing will be to cross the finish line and achieve
whatever we set out to achieve, but of course it would be great
to cross it in first! I want to ensure everyone has a good time
and there are big smiles all round."
Asked what his one luxury item he would take Andy wished for the
impossible...
"An ever-dry set of thermals!"
Yacht
BP Explorer Name
David Melville Age 41 Nationality British Home Location Southampton, UK Occupation Professional Skipper
David Melville’s career has never taken him far from the sea.
Although growing up in landlocked St Albans, Hertfordshire, where
it ‘all started’, meant that his love for the water began
with dinghy sailing in local reservoirs.
Joining the Merchant Navy at 16 as an apprentice Navigation Officer,
David learnt seamanship and navigation. Leaving to study for a Marine
Geography degree David began yacht sailing and racing in earnest.
After skippering yachts in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, he went
back to the books to study for a Postgrad in International Shipping,
Trade and Finance. David went on to become a Director for a company
specialising in financial risk analysis within the shipping industry,
launching a subsidiary company in America where he became President
during what he describes as his ‘yuppie’ stage in life!
However, in 1998 the pull of the ocean bought David back to professional
sailing and his decision has been proven right by a successful career
in yacht racing, winning the highly competitive second leg of Challenge
Business’ inaugural Challenge Transat 2002 aboard Vail Williams.
David finished second overall. The crew were reunited for the 2003
Round the Island Race and came in first out of the 12 Challenge yachts
entered. In the Round Britain and Ireland Challenge 2004, he skippered
BP Explorer to victory and intends to be a serious contender in the
Global Challenge 2004/5.
What are your expectations for the race?
"It’s quite a bloody business – it’s not called
the world’s toughest yacht race for nothing. It’s going
to be hard going but I hope the camaraderie amongst the crew will
knock the hard edges off the most of it."
Being a good skipper is what got you to where you are today,
what do you think makes the difference?
"You have to be good at sailing. There’s a lot of talk
about good management but you have to get the boat going fast, in
the right direction. The second thing is to get the crew to come along
with you."
What would be you luxury item onboard? "An hour a day with
my beautiful wife and baby!"
Yacht
Spirit of Sark
Name Duggie Gillespie Age 37 Nationality Scottish Home Location Kirkcudbright, Scotland Occupation Professional Skipper
Duggie Gillespie grew up in Kirkcudbright in Scotland and started
sailing dinghies at school. After qualifying from the Royal Agricultural
College in Cirencester as a Chartered Surveyor he went on to become
a Crew Volunteer in the very first Global Challenge, the British Steel
Challenge 1992/93, aboard Interspray. In fact, Duggie prospers from
being the only skipper in this race to have completed the race as
a Crew Volunteer.
On returning from the race Duggie became a mate for Challenge Business
and within a year became a skipper. During his sailing career Duggie
has skippered in most oceans of the world and has achieved an impressive
track record on the race circuit. Duggie won both Challenge Business’
inaugural Challenge Transat races overall and the Round Britain Challenge
2003, skippering the yacht LogicaCMG in both instances.
So, is winning important to you?
"Yes, it is an important part of the overall picture but there’s
a one in 12 chance of winning and that depends on the team as a whole."
Having already sailed to most of the ports which the Global
Challenge will visit during the British Steel Challenge which places
are you particularly looking forward to sailing back to?
"The Southern Ocean, although I haven’t been there for
12 years and your brain plays tricks with you and you forget what
it’s like. I have three pages in my diary from the race and
I’ve barely read them since but when I did it was pretty horrendous!
It is such a unique place though that I’m looking forward to
going back."
Duggie should also be fairly used to the pace of the World’s
Toughest Yacht Race having also spent the past few years competing
in some of the biggest outdoor sport and endurance events, including
the ‘Raid Gauloises 2000’ (Tibet/China) and sea kayaking.
Yacht Imagine It. Done.
Name Dee Caffari Age No details available Nationality British Home Location No details available Occupation Professional Skipper
Denise Caffari, known to her friends as 'Dee', originally from Hertfordshire
is the only female skipper in the race. She started her career as
a secondary school PE teacher, but decided there were more challenges
to be had outside of the classroom. Some time spent travelling ended
with windsurfing in the Caribbean for three months.
From there Dee returned to the UK and a job with the accomplished
British sailor, Mike Golding and his company Mike Golding Yacht Racing.
Dee returned to the Caribbean aboard something slightly bigger, the
67ft yacht, Group 4, originally owned by Challenge Business, and competed
in a number of offshore races.
The seed of competing in the Global Challenge was firmly sown for
Dee when she saw the fleet leave Southampton in the BT Global Challenge
2000/01, so she started talking to people and planning her strategy
to compete in the race.
These tactics paid off whilst skippering and managing Formula 1 Sailing's
Farr 65s, as after the selection process, she received 'the call'
and was offered a job as a skipper.
So, the question she'll have to get used to answering is, how does
it feel to be the only female skipper? "Sailing today
is still male-dominated but there are many female skippers who are
doing a lot of good things like Emma Richards, Tracey Edwards and
Ellen MacArthur. They're all putting female skippers on the map and
enabling them to become much more accepted.
"Yes, I know that some people will be looking a little harder
at me as I'm not one of the boys… in body… but I just
see myself as one of the skippers doing the same role as everybody
else!"
But watch out boys as Dee's in it for the racing! "I'm naturally
competitive. You need to believe in your ability and you've got to
have a certain amount of drive.
"I'll have to wait and see
what my crew want to do and where their roles lie - if they all want
to win or just take part. Some people are going to be doing the race
for completely different reasons than others so it's a balance of
all of that."
Yacht
Me To You
Name James Allen Age 29 Nationality British Home Location Hamble, Hampshire, UK Occupation Professional Sailor
British skipper, James Allen, started out in the pub trade after leaving
University, running a number of student pubs in the Midlands where
he is from. It was during this period at the beginning of his career
that James says he learnt a great deal about "people and running
my own business."
When James had enough of beer he returned to the great love of his
life – sailing, a sport he has enjoyed and actively pursued
since childhood. James went to work for the British Offshore Sailing
School as an RYA instructor before joining Challenge Business three
years ago.
During this time James has had a highly successful sailing career,
starting out training Crew Volunteers in Boston and in the UK and,
more recently in the racing circuit, coming second in the inaugural
Round Britain Challenge 2003, despite having led the fleet for much
of the way.
So why take part in the Global Challenge?
"I’ve always enjoyed racing and to race around the world
– well, you can’t go any further and the wrong way is
the toughest way. I enjoy developing teams and people and a project
of such a magnitude will not only be a huge challenge but an enormous
amount of fun."
What makes a good skipper?
"First you have to sail the boat fast, plus motivate your crew
as that’s the only way you’re going to do well. You also
have to be understanding at times as there are going to be points
when it’s tough, so you have to be able to back off and know
when to do that and look after the people side of things as well as
moving the boat fast."
And what about the racing element – are you competitive?
"Obviously it is a race and you have to go out there and try
and win but I’m not prepared to do it at any cost. There are
a lot of things we can do in a race like this - one of them is winning
- so we’ll certainly be out there trying to do it. James’ luxury item is simple...
A Walkman and a couple of CDs!
Yacht
Pindar Name
Loz Marriott Age 30 Nationality British Home Location Southampton, UK Occupation Professional Sailor
Laurence Marriott, known as ‘Loz’, was born surrounded
by water on the Isle of Wight and has continued to be surrounded by
it with a sailing career that spans over 11 years. Fresh from school
Laurence knew that he wanted to be a sailor and worked for Sunsail
for eight years both as a skipper and Sailing Manager, working in
some of the most exotic places in the world.
Laurence joined Challenge Business two years ago, primarily as a mate,
and gained some valuable racing experience when BG Group won the first
leg of the Challenge Transat 2002.
Laurence quickly progressed to skipper and has been training Crew
Volunteers as well as providing valuable support in the multi-million-pound
Global Challenge yacht refit programme: "so I am getting to know
boats inside and out."
Laurence’s skills as a skipper are obvious when he describes
the qualities that are needed for an individual in this position...
"It’s about understanding people and what they want, how
they learn, how they achieve things and what their goals are. It’s
about being able to deliver their expectations and goals to them,
to see and draw strengths out in each person, plus get out there,
have some fun and enjoy the sailing as well as put pressure on when
it is needed. It’s about being part of that team."
And personally, where are you most looking forward to sailing?
"The Southern Ocean has a strange, drawing effect even though
I’ve never been there. It’s one of those places where
all sailors want to go to as well as all the Capes. The other main
place I want to sail is across the equator, which will be my second
time."
Laurence’s wife, Vicky, who is also a sailor will be following
him around the world, taking plenty of mid layers, which he describes
as his ‘luxury item’!
Yacht
VAIO Name
Amedeo Sorrentino Age 49 Nationality Italian Home Location Rome Occupation Professional Skipper
Italian Amedeo Sorrentino is the oldest skipper in the fleet and
brings with him a breadth of experience from a wide and varied career.
He started playing professional football when he was 16, going on
to study medicine at the Universita di Roma La Sapienza for four
years.
In 1976 Amedeo joined the first leg of the Whitbread at the age
of 19, where he met Sir Chay Blyth and his crew of paratroopers.
At the start of his career he was even taught by Andrea Vallicelli’s
father.
Amedeo also has a Masters in Marketing, which he studied at the
Institute in Rome and also spent many years in the show business
industry as a well-known concert promoter in Rome, promoting mainly
jazz artists from the US.
When he was 40 Amedeo gave it all up to pursue his love of the water
and sailed around the world, going on to spend a great deal of time
working in the Caribbean. More recently he has been managing a private
80ft Schooner and has also spent time in Venezuela setting up the
Floating Village Ltd.
"I’ve sailed around the world but to do it as a skipper
in the Global Challenge will be a dream come true," explains
Amedeo. "I’ll also turn 50 years old during the race,
probably when we go round Cape Horn, so what better way to celebrate
my birthday?"
How did it feel to be the very first Italian skipper to be chosen
for the race?
To be selected as the first Italian skipper is a huge personal achievement.
There are many great sailors who come from Italy so there’s
masses of appeal in the Italian market."
And how important is winning to you?
"We will decide as a team how important winning is, this is
something we will think of together."
How will you get the crew to start working?
"That’s easy!" he explains, "around the table
eating pasta!"
Amedeo competed in the Round Britain and Ireland Challenge in June
2004 and narrowly missed victory after battling with BP Explorer
along the south coast, eventually coming in an incredibly close
second. His first son, Virgilio, was born in Italy as he rounded
waypoint Aplha off the south-west corner of Ireland and was given
the middle name ‘Alfio’ as a result!
Yacht
Samsung Name
Matt Riddell Age 29 Nationality Australian Home Location Sydney Occupation Professional Skipper
Australian skipper, Matt Riddell, started life as a sail maker before
a radical change in profession when he moved into the media industry,
presenting and producing on two of Sydney’s most popular radio
stations. After three years Matt returned to the maritime industry
with Sunsail, working in a number of exotic locations including the
Caribbean and Greece before returning to Australia, where he became
Event Manager and Senior Instructor with Sunsail’s Maritime
Academy. More recently Matt was skippering an 80ft private yacht in
the Mediterranean.
How did it feel when you found out you had been chosen as
a skipper?
"Amazing! During the whole selection process I just gave it my
all, it was the only way I could rest easy with defeat!"
What do you think makes a good skipper?
You need to be open to learning all the time, able to take criticism,
able to listen, and sail with people better than you whenever possible."
And what will you miss the most when you set sail, apart from
family and friends of course?
"The latest Hello magazine!"
Yacht
Team SAIC La Jolla Name
Eero Lehtinen Age 40 Nationality Finnish Home Location Cape Town Occupation Professional Skipper
Finnish skipper, Eero Lehtinen, lives in Cape Town with his wife and
three children but is originally from Helsinki, Finland. Eero crewed
in the 89/90 Whitbread round-the-world yacht race, which gave him
an immediate insight into what global racing involves.
In addition to his extensive sailing experience, Eero has also led
a successful career in marketing, having studied for a Masters in
the subject before working for Unilever, Tetra Park, Sail Tech, Waves
Sports Marketing and running his own management consultancy.
Eero has also been incredibly successful in the International Six
Metre Class, skippering a Finnish yacht to take the European and World
Championships in 2002 and 2003.
So how did it feel when you found out he had been chosen as
a skipper?
"I was very shocked! It’s such a long process from when
you first send in your application to finding out if you’ve
made it – a year! I enjoyed the selection process more and more
as it went on and became more confident after the last residential
week, which was the final selection stage."
How has the teambuilding been going?
"They have got a good balance between values and goals …
I am very pleased with the atmosphere within the team, they are motivated
and rearing to go"
Having sailed and raced to many ports of call around the world
are there any ports that you are looking forward to sailing into?
"I’ll be looking forward to sailing into Cape Town for
many reasons, particularly seeing my children. I’m also looking
forward to the most challenging legs and actually leaving them behind,
like the Southern Ocean."
Most of the Crew Volunteers would no doubt agree with Eero as he says
that his luxury item would be a "a hot sauna to go down below
to after steering the boat through the ice and hammering waves in
the Southern Ocean!"
Yacht
Team Save the Children Name
Paul Kelly Age 28 Nationality British Home Location Winchester, Hampshire Occupation Professional Skipper
British sailor Paul Kelly is from Winchester, although he spent some
time as a child living in Sydney. He started sailing at a young age,
quickly progressing to the bigger boats when he was just 14.
After studying for a Media Studies degree at London University, Paul
travelled around the world and actually started his professional sailing
career in Australia. However, he returned to the UK and started working
for Challenge Business with a tour of the Baltic and Crew Volunteer
training for the BT Global Challenge 2000/01.
Paul has also spent time racing in the Mediterranean on the Prada
Classic Circuit and running a race yacht in the Caribbean, going on
to join Mike Golding Yacht Racing as part of his race crew for the
European race circuit.
It was whilst training the Crew Volunteers for the last Global Challenge
that he "realised how competitive the race was and how fantastic
the competitors were," and his quest to become a skipper began.
Are you very competitive?
"Winning would be nice but it’s not everything. I’m
not going to make sacrifices at the expense of the crews’ safety
and happiness in order to win. If it looks like we’ve got a
winning formula then fantastic, we’ll keep plugging at it, but
at the end of the day it’s not all about winning."
How has the teambuilding been coming along?
"The crew have been superb. Through delegation and responsibility
we are building a great team. It’s a very exciting time but
there’s apprehension as well of course. Now we have just have
to tie up the loose ends such as clothing and food and we’ll
be ready!"
What luxury item would you like to take?
"A CD player and headphones so I can immerse myself in a bunk
and have an album to chill out to!"
Yacht
Team Stelmar Name
Clive Cosby Age 29 Nationality British Home Location Southampton, UK Occupation Professional Skipper
British skipper Clive Cosby, is originally from Plymouth but now lives
with his wife and daughter in Southampton. Clive has been sailing
since childhood and worked for five seasons as an instructor whilst
also racing to national and European level aboard Solings, J/24s and
Sigmas. With a degree in surveying, obtained from Bristol University
and a year pursuing his dream of travelling in South America, he returned
to the water and a promising career.
Clive spent six month in San Francisco racing on J/105s and J/120s.
He has now been with Challenge Business for over four years completing
a number of ocean trips and working as training skipper. Clive came
fourth in the highly successful Round Britain Challenge 2003 and third
in the Challenge fleet in the Rolex Fastnet Race 2003.
Yacht
Barclays Adventurer
Yacht
BG Spirit
Yacht
BP Explorer
Yacht
Spirit of Sark
Yacht Imagine It. Done.
Yacht
Me To You
Yacht
Pindar
Yacht
VAIO
Yacht
Samsung
Yacht
Team SAIC La Jolla
Yacht
Team Save the Children
Yacht
Team Stelmar
