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Golden Globe Race 2026 / 1re EXCURSION EN BATEAU ET ENTRETIEN GGR2026 Gunnar Christensen 🇺🇸 POMPOEN – Hans Christian 34
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SportTranscription
00:05So Gunner
00:07Don
00:07We both got a white shirt on
00:09I know, it's alright
00:09Mine's clean and brand new
00:11So it's yours
00:12This is actually from 2018
00:13Don't tell anyone
00:14It's got the Royal Namuka Yacht Club on it
00:16Look at that
00:17Anyway, good to see you
00:19Good to see you
00:19We're going to do a bit of a tour of Gunner's boat
00:22It's a beautiful boat
00:23Thank you very much, I love it
00:24Now before we get into it
00:25So this will take probably half an hour or something
00:27But you've got a Hans Christian 34
00:30Which was sort of connected by default through circumstances
00:34Yes
00:35We've ended up with this boat
00:36Which is a pretty interesting boat, hot boat
00:38Just before we get into it
00:40What's your relationship with the boat now?
00:41Is it part of you?
00:42Yeah, yeah, yeah
00:44It's Pompon
00:45So it's the mighty pumpkin
00:46Because in Dutch that's pumpkin
00:47And it is
00:48It's definitely part of me
00:49It's not the fastest boat
00:51But I think it's really seaworthy
00:53And we need to survive, don't we?
00:55So it's a survivable boat, I think
00:57Yeah
00:58So yeah, it's definitely part of me
00:59You say it's not the fastest boat
01:00But most of them are not the fastest boat
01:02Yeah, yeah
01:02I mean, which is the fastest boat?
01:03Everyone got a chance
01:04Anyway
01:05It's fun, yeah
01:05It's a fantastic boat
01:07Thanks
01:07Really strong, simple, all the rest of it
01:10And a great colour scheme
01:11And it was already that colour scheme, eh?
01:13Yeah
01:13Yeah, so what's funny about the orange on top is
01:17I asked the owner I bought it from
01:19Why did you paint it orange on top?
01:20He said, well, it's my
01:21Orange and red are my favourite colours
01:23Yeah
01:23I said, well, that's perfect
01:24I have to buy the boat
01:25Because it's already got orange on top
01:26Yeah, yeah, yeah
01:27Yeah, that's cool
01:27Okay, so let's start from the bow
01:28It's the standard bowsprit, right?
01:31Yeah
01:31You didn't rebuild the bowsprit or anything like that?
01:33Yeah, 15 years ago it was rebuilt
01:34So, and it's, you know
01:35It's been tested and poked and prodded
01:38So it's good
01:38Yep, cool
01:39I redid the, you know, the bob stays
01:40And all the stays are redone
01:42Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
01:42And you've completely renewed the rig
01:44You've got...
01:45All new rig from...
01:47Reefing gear
01:47Yeah, Selden rig and all spars did the standing rigging
01:50Because they had an aluminium rig before, eh?
01:52Wasn't it?
01:52Yeah, it did
01:53It was original, really big, heavy, beefy rig
01:56Yeah
01:56And if I didn't have the resources I did now
01:59I probably would have kept it
02:00Yeah, and this is massive, eh?
02:02Hans Christian is something else
02:03Massive bulwarks, all the rest of it
02:05Yeah
02:05No leaks
02:06Not too bad
02:07A couple tiny ones
02:08Yeah
02:09That I've sorted when I re-bedded the stanchions
02:11Yeah, okay
02:12Yep
02:12I'm gonna pinch the camera from Jane Jane now
02:14So I can control what's going on
02:16Thanks, Jane Jane
02:16Alright, let's just walk her through
02:18It's easier to be off the side here
02:20Yeah
02:21You replaced the foredeck hatch
02:23Yeah, that's so...
02:25The Hans Christian's had a wooden hatch
02:27Only open from down below
02:29Yeah
02:29So that's a nice, you know, nice lumar one
02:32Yeah, you plug the cow ventilators
02:33Yeah, plug those, and those I can plug if I need to
02:37But I mean...
02:38Oh, you need something
02:39Yeah, that's right
02:39I know you've talked about that
02:40In the Southern Ocean
02:41So I think it's important
02:42Diesel heater, there's the flue there
02:43You're not taking that
02:44It's solid fuel
02:45Solid fuel
02:46Timber
02:47Yeah, so pellets
02:48I use pizza oven pellets
02:50So you're gonna take some?
02:51Yeah, I have a bag
02:52A 15 kilogram bag
02:53I figure would be maybe one week
02:56Yeah
02:56In the Southern Ocean
02:58One day a week
02:59Yeah
02:59Just to dry it out if I need to
03:01Yeah
03:01So I'll sacrifice that
03:03I love that stuff
03:03Compared to Amokas
03:04And you know
03:05Yeah, yeah
03:06Well, I don't know
03:07I know people have removed their heaters
03:08But I think it's important to be able to dry everything out
03:11Yeah, but you've got raw material
03:13It's not diesel
03:14You know, if it's diesel
03:14There's a fuel penalty
03:16Yeah, exactly
03:16So that's pretty cool
03:17So yeah, three spinnaker poles
03:19Yeah
03:19Why three?
03:20Why three?
03:21Because I bought this in Trinidad
03:22And I said, why get rid of it?
03:24And I know Susie Goodall lost a spinnaker pole
03:26Yeah, yeah
03:27So if anything happens, I've got a third
03:30Yeah, that's cool
03:31And what about portholes?
03:32What have you done to make sure they aren't
03:34Nothing, they're perfect
03:35They've already been re-bedded
03:36And there's zero leaks
03:38Yeah, that's cool
03:38They're really heavy duty
03:39You've got a solid teak deck
03:40And you've gone with the Butterfly Skylight
03:43That's cool
03:44So that's double
03:45You can see double perspex
03:46So it's really
03:48I've got two layers there
03:50That's screwed in
03:51I'm going to come around this side so you can see it
03:53Yeah, I'll go up
03:54Yeah, it's certainly solid
03:56It's super solid
03:57And this will be screwed in
04:00Yeah
04:01In the Southern Ocean
04:03And then per your recommendation
04:06Don't blame me
04:07Yeah, well
04:08I have a canvas cover that will be battened on
04:11Yeah, perfect
04:12Then there's no hydraulic effect of water
04:14But honestly
04:14I've had zero leaks ever out of the Butterfly Hatch
04:17Classic
04:17You know, part of the deal of being a production boat race
04:20Is so that it's an asset when you're finished
04:21And the Butterfly Hatch to remove it sometimes
04:23Yeah
04:24You know, it's a feature
04:25I mean this one you see below
04:27The boat
04:28The boat could just go cruising tomorrow
04:30Yeah, yeah
04:31It's fine
04:31And you've got this diving bell
04:33That you've modified
04:34To fit over the companionway hatch
04:37Which is cool and groovy
04:38When you first put it up there
04:39I thought, oh no way
04:40Yeah
04:40But it's actually worked out pretty well
04:42It's good
04:42So you know, I think you
04:44I don't know, everyone knows the story
04:46But Alan Lilywhite
04:47Yeah
04:47Who now is a 2030 competitor
04:51This is his prototype for a Biscay 36
04:53Yeah
04:53And I had to modify it a bit to fit
04:56He wasn't happy with it
04:57He's a bit of a perfectionist
04:58So I said I'll take it
05:01Cool
05:01And I think it's good
05:02Yeah, yeah
05:02Because you haven't changed anything to do with the standard companionway hatch
05:06No, everything just opens and closes
05:08And the boards still go in if I need
05:11Yeah, yeah, yeah
05:12And there's a door with a hatch
05:15I saw that
05:15Yeah, so there's a door in the Southern Ocean
05:17I can put the door in place and there's a latch
05:20Yeah
05:20So a wave would take that out, right?
05:23But a wave will come in
05:25And so it's really well protected
05:26Okay, hop on your horse back here
05:28I want to show people the steering position
05:29Yeah, so
05:31Yeah, so this is
05:34I come from traditional boats
05:37A lot of schooners and things
05:38And so people say, oh the wheel's backwards
05:41But it's not really
05:42Because it's a worm gear drive back that I'm sitting on
05:45Yeah
05:47The wheel's under the cover
05:48Pull the cover off so they can see it
05:49Yeah, it's very old school
05:52Here we come
05:52The big reveal
05:55The big reveal
05:55The varnish is still okay on it
05:57So
05:57It's very American, eh?
05:59Yeah, it is
05:59And it's
05:59Because all the 34s have got that?
06:03Some of them have a center console
06:06Yeah
06:06You know, a pedestal that's there
06:08Yeah
06:09But this is, to me
06:11Back, you know, the schooners in Maine where I grew up sailing
06:14Yeah
06:14This is how you steer
06:15Yeah
06:16In any square rig ship
06:17You know, you see
06:18Absolutely
06:19People steer off to the side
06:20Yeah
06:21Honestly, I wish it was a tiller
06:22Yeah
06:23But it's, I mean, it works really well
06:24Yeah
06:25For the few times
06:26That's cool
06:26If I'm flying a spinnaker, I often, you know, will be on the helm
06:29It's part of the Hans Christian tradition
06:31Yeah
06:31You won't be steering much
06:32Because you've got a big tube
06:33You've got double buddy, double hydroveins
06:37Yeah, this is cool
06:37So
06:38Pretty cool
06:39So, originally it was a Scanmar autohelm
06:42Yeah
06:42That had a vane here
06:44Yeah
06:45And a huge rudder
06:46Yeah
06:47Is a trim tab system
06:49And the trim tab lines often chafed
06:53Yeah
06:53And it's a real liability to change them out
06:55Yeah
06:56Underway
06:56Yeah
06:57So I made a decision a few weeks ago
06:59To make my primary vane a hydrovane
07:03And then down below, stored
07:05Down below
07:06I have a whole nother head unit
07:07And I have a whole nother rudder
07:08So
07:08So you effectively got two
07:10So I've got two wind vanes
07:11I've got two emergency rudders really
07:13Yeah
07:14So we're just walking through
07:15This is the first time people might have seen that
07:16That's the YB3i
07:17Which does all the tracking information
07:20On the GGR tracker
07:21So that's cool
07:22You're on the live system
07:23So that's the mini Starlink antenna there
07:25For bits then
07:27What else have we got there?
07:29AIS
07:30Combined GPS AIS
07:32For the Nomad AIS
07:33While I was leading cables
07:36I just said
07:37I might as well lead another GPS
07:38For a backup for my AIS
07:41Yeah
07:41This is the CLM Marine AIS
07:47Emergency AIS
07:48So
07:49This is interesting
07:50This is the Fax 5
07:52Antenna for the weather fax
07:54That usually has a very long whip up here
07:56That I stowed below
07:58But
07:58Behind you
08:01Is
08:01This is
08:02Original antenna
08:04For my
08:05HF receiver
08:06That came with the boat
08:07Yeah
08:07Actually the weather fax
08:09I have the weather fax
08:10Hooked up to this
08:10And it works much better
08:12Than the Fax 5 antenna
08:13Yeah that's amazing
08:14Because I've always been a big fan
08:15Of the Fax 5
08:16Saying you've got to get that
08:17Got to get that
08:17Now you pop up with a
08:18Single strand wire antenna
08:20And it's working better
08:21It works better
08:22This actually is my second Fax 5
08:24Because I thought
08:24Maybe is this a problem with my Fax 5 antenna
08:27So that's the second one
08:29Yeah
08:29And it just seems to be better
08:30But I have
08:31What's nice is I have two options now
08:33Yeah
08:34To get weather
08:35That's a spare
08:35Underneath that bottle
08:36Is a spare VHF antenna
08:38Yeah
08:39That's cool
08:39I should point out
08:40You can't see the GPS antennas
08:42They're separate
08:43But you've also got down here
08:45Walker's towing log
08:45Yes
08:46I've got four Walker's towing log on board
08:49Four impellers or four?
08:51I have no
08:51I have four whole logs
08:52Holy dood
08:53I have about eight impellers on board
08:54Shapers
08:55You want to start
08:55Yeah so
08:56Want to start a shock
08:57So there's the impeller that I keep
08:59For that one there
09:00Yeah
09:00But thanks to you I have the deck mount
09:02Yeah yeah yeah
09:03Yeah
09:04That's cool
09:05You've just done the one
09:06Central
09:07That's very cool
09:08Remoran hydro generator
09:10For the power
09:11Oh yeah
09:12Yeah yeah
09:12I didn't see that down there
09:13Yep
09:14We'll have a look
09:14Hang on
09:15Yeah it's got a Remoran hydro generator
09:18Right as Guy said
09:20Rightio
09:20So what else have we got here?
09:22Seldon mast and rigging
09:24All new stuff
09:25All new Sanders sales
09:26Twin spreaders
09:28Twin spreader rig
09:29With steps
09:30What's that bloody rag in the way there?
09:32What's that say?
09:33Trinity Bridge
09:34Ah Trinity Bridge
09:35Oh sorry that was a sponsor
09:36Oh yeah
09:36Exactly
09:38And Seafarers Mental Health
09:40Which is
09:41Yeah
09:42Which will be interesting
09:43After eight months on board
09:45Yeah
09:45To see how my mental health is afterwards
09:46Yeah
09:47That's cool
09:47Hey just to let you know
09:48I'm getting a free shot of Jane Jane
09:50Yeah
09:52Perfect
09:52Anyway
09:53All right
09:53And you've got a boom crutch there
09:55So that's pretty cool
09:56Big old boom crutch
09:56I mean I'm keeping the traveller
09:58Because why not?
10:00Yeah
10:00Yeah absolutely
10:00You know
10:01That's the traditional
10:01Big bronze bloody metal traveller
10:04All the way across
10:05And I sort of love all this stuff
10:06Because it's just what production boat stuff is all about
10:09I didn't want to get rid of it
10:10Yeah
10:10It just works
10:11And I always run with a preventer system
10:14That's a huge spinnaker pole
10:15Yeah
10:16Yeah
10:16You know I was thinking
10:18It's too big for handling
10:20But now I can handle it
10:21And then I read
10:21What's too big for handling?
10:23That spinnaker pole is huge
10:24Oh yeah
10:25But then I read Kirsten's book
10:26How she broke a spinnaker pole in the Southern Ocean
10:29Yeah
10:29So I thought well maybe I'm really
10:31I'm happy to have a big spinnaker pole
10:33Yeah you're out for a long time eh?
10:34It's a long time
10:35Why not?
10:36Yeah okay
10:36Let's try and climb below
10:38So you want me to go first
10:40I'll show you
10:40Yes
10:40So I go like that
10:41It's all technique
10:42I step
10:42I pull up my foot like that
10:44And then I'm down
10:46You watch this
10:47I'll try and reinvent
10:48I'll try and reinvent the wheel
10:50Okay
10:51I don't
10:51I don't
10:52I think that works
10:54You got it
10:55Look at that
10:55You move like a cat Tom
10:57Oh you know
10:59Wow
11:00We just had our safety inspection
11:01So it was a bit of a mess
11:02I haven't been on board for a while actually
11:04Yeah
11:04Since we were open in England
11:06Yeah
11:06But she's starting to look like a GGR boat now
11:08She is
11:09Yeah with
11:10I have most of the food already on board
11:12Yeah
11:12So I'm just going to have to
11:15Depending on where I'm going to sleep
11:17Just take the bags
11:18From one side
11:19Each bag is a
11:19Each bag is a week's worth of food
11:22Yeah
11:23So I've got stuff stowed in the quarter berth
11:27And I'll just take food and you know back and forth
11:29Yeah
11:30Yeah
11:31It's quite busy
11:32This looks like a GGR boat about to get underway
11:36Because there's just not a lot of space left
11:38By the time you've got eight, nine months worth of gear
11:40Yeah
11:40Exactly
11:41So I do have more room here for some food
11:43Yeah
11:43Yeah
11:44You squeeze it away
11:45The veins
11:46Okay
11:46So spare parts
11:47Let's start with the deckhead
11:48Looks very nice
11:49Look at this
11:50Look at this butterfly skylight hat
11:52Yeah it's really sturdy
11:53And you can see how well it can be
11:54I'm actually very happy you didn't scrap it
11:57We had a discussion about this
11:58Yeah
11:58Yeah
11:59Really happy
12:00It'll be water tight
12:00Put everything on the canvas cover
12:02Okay we'll go to the sharp end first
12:04And see what we've got here
12:05Yeah
12:05Here's the canvas cover for the butterfly ash
12:09Yeah
12:09All the sails are here
12:11So
12:12Yeah
12:13All of them are here
12:14Yeah
12:14Yeah
12:15That's alright
12:16There's
12:17Traditional
12:18Timberwork
12:19Fittings
12:19Doors
12:20Yeah
12:20This is
12:21Hanging locker for your suit and tie
12:23Yeah
12:24I'm keeping all my tools
12:25Just because
12:26If I have to rebuild something
12:28Yeah
12:28All the parts
12:29It's
12:30The boat came
12:32It's almost it's own chandlery
12:34Yeah
12:34So if you need any nut and bolt
12:35That's amazing
12:36I've got it
12:37Yeah
12:37Yeah
12:38That's cool
12:39Yeah very good
12:40And let me just show you right there
12:42This is just an example of
12:43All the parts
12:44Holy dooly
12:45I've kept them
12:46Just because I'm like
12:47To you know
12:48Try to do well in the race
12:49You need to finish
12:50Yep
12:51So this is just all
12:54All parts
12:54Holy dooly
12:55Look at that
12:55I've got to do the photo shots
12:57Of all this as well later on
12:58Just for the technical gallery
13:00Yeah
13:00People are saying
13:01You have to get rid of that
13:02Yeah the knees are really cool
13:03Massive
13:03So this is
13:04The whole deckhead was rebuilt
13:05Before I bought the boat
13:06Yeah
13:06So it's really super strong
13:08Yeah
13:08So what was the story with the boat?
13:10How did you hear about it?
13:12Yeah
13:12A couple owned it for about 20 years
13:15And sailed it around the world
13:17As happens
13:18The husband took ill
13:20And they ended up in Trinidad
13:22With the boat
13:22Yeah
13:22And it's kind of the land of broken dreams
13:24Yeah
13:25I was looking at Etienne's boat
13:27Because that was in Cowes
13:28And I almost bought that
13:29But this boat was even less expensive
13:32And I was
13:33I'm on a budget
13:34So because it's the land of broken dreams
13:37In Trinidad
13:37I was able
13:38To buy the boat
13:39For quite a good deal
13:41And it was
13:41It was sail away ready
13:43I sold it
13:43I sailed it across
13:444,000 miles
13:45After only being on board
13:47For five days
13:48Yeah
13:48Perfect
13:49And it's just so lovely
13:50I mean
13:51It's just so lovely
13:52I love the wood
13:53You've got a contest compass down here
13:54That's not bad
13:55Yeah
13:56And then the
13:57Barograph
13:58I've gone through two barographs
14:00And I've pieced together
14:01Really? What happened to them?
14:03Well the drum
14:04The drum was spinning on the other one
14:06Yeah
14:06So I bought this one
14:07And the drum from the other one
14:09Fit on this one
14:09And it seems to work fine
14:10Okay, that's cool
14:11The Indian ship breakers are the great
14:13On eBay are great for that
14:14Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
14:15That's okay
14:17Hydrovane spare vanes up there
14:18What the hell is that?
14:20Oh light
14:21That's a light
14:22LED lights
14:22Turn it on
14:23Can you turn it on?
14:24Yeah, custom made
14:26Okay, that's cool
14:28That's sort of from the hippie era
14:29It's totally hippie
14:31Without LEDs, you know
14:32Well, this was the Pacific Northwest where the boat came from
14:34Yeah
14:34So it's hippie central over there
14:36Yeah, yeah
14:36Okay
14:36So yeah, just bar there
14:38Yeah, and you got
14:38Yeah, I like this exactly
14:39Yeah, it's a little
14:40It's a little
14:41Aluminium pole, that looks a bit flexible
14:42I'm gonna actually go buy a pole
14:44Yeah, yeah, yeah
14:45You might break that
14:47There's a way to do it
14:47Because you jump over and it's pretty
14:49It's really just to keep the stuff in
14:52Stuff in
14:52Yeah, yeah, that's cool
14:53Alright, you squeeze past me
14:54I'm gonna look the other way
14:55Yeah, I got you
14:56So that's cool
14:57All very traditional
14:58Storage, you know, under here
15:00The spare Hydrovane head is down there
15:02Yeah, yeah, that's cool
15:04Now you're in the galley
15:04What's for dinner?
15:05Yeah, so I know you like looking at the sink
15:08So the sink I think is clean
15:09Yeah
15:10This is all tool storage here
15:12Lines
15:13Yeah
15:14My small bits are in here
15:16Yeah
15:16I rewired the engine
15:18So all the wiring is here
15:20Yeah
15:22And I took the Taylor's
15:27Beautiful
15:27Beautiful Taylor's stove
15:29But it was such a pain
15:30And it was smelly
15:32And not very efficient
15:33Yeah
15:33So I've gone
15:35I've gone with this
15:36Just the usual
15:37Like most people have a jet boil here
15:39Yeah, yeah
15:40A mini mode that I can simmer with
15:41Yeah
15:42And then this
15:43I made this
15:46These are bookends from Amazon
15:47Right
15:48That I put together
15:49That then
15:51That's the most basic galley I've seen
15:53It's a very basic
15:54But I mean, what the heck
15:55It's 17 euros
15:57Yeah, exactly
15:58So I can buy two of them
15:59And I
16:00So I have to buy the right pot
16:02Because this pot
16:03See the notch
16:04Yeah, yeah
16:05Alright, locks in
16:06So that locks it in
16:07It actually works really well
16:09I'm quite pleased
16:11Yeah
16:11That's cool
16:12Don't complain about that
16:14We've just got a technical issue here
16:15We're just wondering whether
16:16We're still running live
16:18Still running?
16:20I told you, coming inside
16:21Inside we get no signal
16:22So does that mean we've lost the signal
16:24Jing Jing?
16:25So it could be a recording after
16:26Or it might take a while to get back
16:28But that's fine
16:28Well that's a pretty basic one
16:30And what about the engine?
16:31What the original engine obviously
16:33No, it's a new beta
16:35Well newer beta 38
16:37It's probably 20 years old
16:38But it's a good strong engine
16:40That's cool
16:40And you've got a quarter berth
16:42Starved quarter berth
16:43Yeah, which of course
16:44I've
16:44It's just stowage
16:46And I need to leave access
16:47Because I've got a
16:48I have a two bladed prop
16:49Yeah
16:51I didn't go with a feathering
16:52Yeah
16:52So I crawl back there
16:54And I can stop
16:55I can stop the shaft
16:56Yeah
16:57And leave the two bladed like that
16:58Yeah, yeah, yeah
16:59Everything
16:59I rewired the whole boat
17:01So it's
17:02Perfect
17:02The
17:04The four rolls batteries in there
17:05Yeah
17:06And all
17:06Thanks to smart boat too
17:08They helped
17:08Who's smart boat?
17:10Oh, there's local
17:11Local
17:12Electrical engineers
17:13So this is kind of cool
17:14This actually I bought on eBay
17:15It's a stainless steel
17:18Support for a pergola
17:19Okay
17:20And it goes up
17:20And so that keeps the batteries in place
17:23Ah, forcing it down
17:24Yeah, forcing it down
17:25So when the boat
17:26If the boat turns over
17:27That's cool
17:28Alright
17:28And you've got your radio receiver there
17:30That's my receiver
17:32Sorry, let me just open that
17:33And then that's the
17:35Yeah
17:36There's my SSB
17:37And I like
17:38I really like this
17:39Because I can just lay down here
17:41Yeah
17:41And
17:42Play with the radius
17:43Look at the time
17:44The time
17:45Oop, oop, oop
17:46The gimbal just crashed
17:47Hang on
17:47I'm getting it back
17:49Okay
17:50Yeah, so that's alright
17:51Alright
17:52And cassette player
17:54Ooh, man
17:55A few stuff
17:55With the Beatles
17:56I think that the Beatles are on back there
17:57Yeah
17:58You gotta have that
17:59Weather effects up here
18:00Yeah, so here's
18:01Here's from the qualifier
18:05I'm really happy, you know
18:06With what I'm getting out of that
18:09Because the more you get out of that
18:10The happier you'll be
18:11For sure
18:12Can you turn your alarm on?
18:13Your 100 decibel alarm?
18:15Yeah
18:15No, I need to
18:16I need to
18:17Yeah, I need to
18:18Put the
18:19It was going off and off and off
18:21The guided bore alarm
18:22Yeah
18:23Yeah, exactly
18:24Oh, that's a good name for it
18:25Yeah, exactly
18:26Okay, well that's all pretty good
18:27So, let's go and sit in the cockpit
18:29While we've got signal
18:30I'm gonna go up first
18:31And we'll just talk about you
18:32And the GGR
18:33So, okay
18:35That's the next trick
18:36Getting out of the diving bell
18:40Hopefully we'll have signal here now
18:42Yes
18:43It's already stopped though
18:43Oh, it's already stopped
18:45But we're recording
18:46So, we'll have to
18:48That's the problem
18:49Anyway, we'll still get rolling
18:50Yeah
18:51Pull up a pew
18:52You get comfy somewhere
18:53Yeah, yeah
18:53You get back here on the hill
18:54I'll go back here
18:55Yeah
18:57So, okay
18:57So, you
18:58You're in the GGR now
19:00What was the first
19:00First recollection you had
19:02For, you know
19:03It being something
19:04That was on the back of your mind
19:07You know, 2018 of course
19:10I followed it
19:11But I wasn't
19:11Because
19:12This is what I do for a living
19:14Is racing and working on boats
19:15And what not
19:16Yeah
19:17I kind of don't
19:18I follow other things
19:19Other than sailing
19:20But then
19:222022
19:23Yeah
19:24You know, watching
19:25I really got into the tracker
19:27Yeah
19:27And watching Kirsten win
19:29Was really
19:29Really cool
19:31And
19:33By 2022
19:34I was thinking of my own adventure
19:36Yeah
19:36What am I going to do
19:38And
19:38I thought
19:40Well, that's
19:40This is a cool race
19:41Yeah
19:42And it's something I can do
19:43Because
19:45It is affordable
19:46You know
19:46It's
19:48Somewhat
19:48You do have to spend money
19:49So, you're an American now living in England
19:51Going right back to the beginning
19:53When you were a little boy
19:55And bits and pieces
19:56Where did your career start?
19:58Like
19:58You know
19:59For business
20:00You know
20:01Finish school, finish college, do whatever
20:02Yeah, so I did
20:03I went to university
20:04And I took a year and a half off
20:05Between
20:06High school and college
20:07University
20:08And I went sailing down to the Caribbean
20:10I came back and
20:11Thought I would do the
20:12The right thing
20:14And go get a real job
20:15And it just never worked
20:16Because I
20:16To help pay for university
20:18I was running
20:19Some racing boats
20:20Hinkley yachts in Maine
20:22Yeah
20:23And
20:24It just
20:24Now I'm 15
20:26I'm 60 years old
20:27And
20:27And you've been in the industry
20:28All your
20:28My whole life
20:29Yeah, running
20:30You know, racing yachts
20:31Worked on research vessels
20:34Lots of things
20:35Yeah
20:35Yeah, lots of different boats
20:36So you're happy?
20:37Right now?
20:38I haven't been happier in my life
20:39I really haven't
20:40The whole
20:41This whole thing
20:42This is the culmination
20:43Isn't it?
20:44Reaching
20:44This point
20:45Where we are
20:46Yeah
20:47Before the start
20:48And the camaraderie
20:49And
20:50I mean
20:50It's finally my adventure
20:52On
20:53On my boat
20:54That
20:55On your terms
20:56I've always done it
20:58On other people's terms
20:59Yeah
21:00They want their boat
21:01Here or there
21:01And
21:03I
21:03I don't have any money left
21:05But I'm happy
21:06I'm happy as can be
21:07Yeah
21:07It's great
21:08Tell me about Trinity Bridge
21:09What happened there?
21:10Trinity Bridge
21:11They came on board
21:12They
21:12They make dreams come true
21:15And I was doing a talk
21:15In London
21:16And
21:17To help raise awareness
21:18For the
21:18Because I needed sponsors
21:20To get to the start
21:21And
21:22A guy came up to me
21:23And he said
21:24Wow
21:24I was sitting through a really boring marketing meeting
21:26I work for Trinity Bridge
21:28And
21:29Now I see
21:31There's a division
21:32That makes dreams come true
21:33And they came on board
21:35And
21:35They love
21:36The whole aspect of this race
21:38And
21:39It's going to be a really cool partnership
21:42And
21:44Seafarers Mental Health
21:45Is
21:45That's the main sponsor
21:47They
21:47They came on board
21:49And
21:50They really want to raise awareness for Seafarers
21:53Yeah
21:53Yeah
21:54In the commercial
21:56Sailors
21:57Yeah
21:57Who are stuck maybe in the Strait of Hormuz
21:59Absolutely
21:59And it's really cool to be involved with them
22:01And to give the feedback
22:03During the race
22:04And after the race as well
22:06Yeah
22:06Exactly
22:07Okay
22:07So
22:08In terms of
22:10Your expectation on the GGR
22:12From the time you put your entry in
22:14To now
22:15Is it delivering what you expected?
22:17Definitely
22:18Or worse
22:19Yeah
22:19No no
22:20It's
22:20I'd say more so
22:22It's
22:23I knew there would probably be some good camaraderie
22:25Yeah
22:25And it's just amazing
22:26The people
22:27Everyone
22:28It's just so cool
22:29What would you say for an aspiring sailor that's thinking
22:31Well should I
22:32Shouldn't do the race?
22:33Do it
22:33Oh I mean
22:34Don't
22:34Just
22:35You need to go step
22:36Put your foot forward
22:37And just go try to find a boat
22:41I
22:41You know
22:42Some people just
22:44It's
22:44Things come together
22:45Yeah
22:45It just happens
22:46And get a boat
22:48And then start
22:49Start doing it
22:50What
22:50Because coming out of England
22:52Is pretty interesting
22:53You've got a bunch of Americans in the race
22:54So you're still technically an American
22:56But you're enjoying living in England
22:57What made you move?
22:59Oh it was my
22:59Yeah my ex
23:00Worked for GlaxoSmithKline
23:02So ten years ago
23:03Okay
23:03We moved there
23:04And the rest is history
23:06Just
23:06It's home for me
23:07Yeah
23:07I love it
23:08Yeah that's cool
23:09And the most
23:11Like we were only days away from the start
23:15How do you feel about that?
23:17Good
23:17I don't
23:18I thought I'd have more apprehension
23:20But
23:20You know
23:21We passed the
23:22Safety inspection
23:23Yeah
23:24So that's a big thing ticked
23:25Have you done everything
23:27Like
23:27If
23:28If you had a vision for this boat
23:30In the GGR
23:32Would you say
23:33Now you're more or less ready for the start
23:35Is it 90% what you wanted for the boat?
23:37You know
23:37Or are there things that you still would have done
23:39If you had more money
23:40Or more things
23:40Yeah I mean a few things
23:41A tiller would be nice maybe
23:43Yeah
23:43But not really necessary
23:44No I mean
23:45But that's part of the game
23:46Yeah I'm happy
23:47You make do with what you've got
23:48I don't have self tailing primaries
23:50Because of money
23:51But you know
23:52I don't
23:52That's not a big deal is it?
23:53Yeah
23:54No you don't have to winch very often
23:55No there's really nothing
23:57You know
23:58Seafarers Mental Health
23:59When they came on board
24:01I was able to get a new rig and new sails
24:03Yeah
24:03So I mean
24:04It's
24:05That's just fantastic
24:07To be able to
24:07Yeah absolutely
24:07Go in with that sort of confidence
24:09Yeah
24:10Yeah
24:11No I don't
24:11I really am
24:13I'm pleased with the boat
24:14There's nothing that
24:15I'm really going
24:16Oh man I wish I had that
24:17If you could change one thing about the GGR
24:19What would it be?
24:21Change one thing
24:22Maybe allow bigger boats
24:23Bigger boats
24:24It'd be fun to go around
24:26Maybe and
24:27And take a month off of
24:28Off of things
24:29You know
24:29Yeah
24:30You know 40 something footer would be great
24:32And so does that mean that
24:34The whole isolation thing
24:35And the psychological battle
24:37That'll take place for
24:38All the entrance basically
24:39With you know
24:40Eight months or so
24:41Four months in the Southern Ocean
24:42Is that something you're thinking of?
24:44Yeah
24:44Oh definitely
24:45I mean I
24:46I do feel it even
24:47You know on the qualifiers
24:49You know I went into
24:50The 4,000 mile transatlantic
24:53When I bought this boat
24:55And not being a solo sailor
24:56So I didn't know what was going to happen
24:59And what I realized was
25:00You need to have a clean plate
25:03Psychologically
25:03You know selling a house
25:04And things like that
25:06And my dog wasn't well
25:07And so I won't have those things
25:10I'm going into this with a really clear
25:12Clear mind
25:13But I don't know how it's going to happen
25:15I think
25:16I feel camaraderie
25:18Yeah
25:18Even though I'm not
25:20With the sailors
25:21I'm talking to them on the single sideband radio
25:23Yeah
25:24Hopefully
25:24You know my radio works well
25:27I've already talked to Guy DeBoer
25:281500 miles away on his qualifiers
25:30So I think we're all in it
25:33We're all in the same
25:34Same sort of ocean
25:36Probably going through the same turmoil
25:38Or boredom
25:39And I can
25:41If I'm feeling lonely
25:42I can just sit back and go
25:44I'm sure
25:45Yeah
25:45They're probably going through the same thing
25:46Yeah
25:47And so are you worried about menu fatigue
25:49Because you're a freeze drive man eh
25:51You're going a lot of freeze drive
25:52I have a lot of freeze drive
25:53But I'm also
25:53We're going to start going up to the Super U
25:56And the Carrefour
25:57And going through
25:59Well that's good to hear
26:00Yeah
26:00They have good stuff here
26:01Yeah they do
26:01I know you've mentioned that
26:03And I've already tried some of the
26:05Per and I've actually traded a few cans back and forth
26:09Yeah
26:09Yeah
26:09Yeah
26:10I'm really pleased that
26:12I'm going to have definitely canned food on board
26:14The boat's built so heavy it can take the weight
26:18Yeah
26:18And sailing wise
26:19Where's your biggest challenge
26:20Your biggest fear or apprehension for sailing
26:23You know the course all the way around the world
26:25What do you think is it?
26:27I mean everyone says
26:28Southern Ocean haven't done that
26:30Yeah
26:31But that's where I like having a big sturdy boat
26:35Like the Hans Christian where I feel good
26:37So that's how you approach it
26:38You know like you face that by saying
26:40It is what it is isn't it?
26:41You know it's funny
26:42I don't want to you know jinx anything
26:44But I was talking to one of the Ocean Globe sailors
26:48At the Southampton Boat Show last year on Maiden
26:50And I said oh tell me about the Southern Ocean
26:53She said 37 knots off of Cape Horn
26:56That was the most we hit
26:57Yeah
26:57I'm like wow okay
26:58I'm sure I'll get some worse of that
27:02Keep the dream alive
27:02Exactly yeah
27:04But I mean this is a good boat for what the Southern Ocean probably will throw at me
27:10Because you're a very matter of fact type of guy
27:12You know you've approached this a little bit different than a lot of other entrants
27:15You always knew you were going
27:16You just got on with the job
27:18I saw time pressures but you didn't display it
27:21You know you actually just kept on with it
27:23Do you visualize stuff?
27:25You know like visualize what
27:26Yes
27:27Yeah yeah yeah
27:28At night definitely I visualize mundane things like the project I've done for the day
27:33Or the project I have to do tomorrow
27:35I kind of visualize it
27:36And just like the sailing
27:37How am I going
27:38I visualize how am I going to get that spinnaker down
27:40If that squall comes in close
27:42You know I've got to do that
27:44I've got to do that
27:44I've got to put the pole forward and things
27:46And I don't visualize probably enough
27:49And maybe I don't organize enough
27:51But that's where my team comes in
27:53And you've probably seen my team
27:55Yeah you've got a good view
27:56Actually that's the funny part
27:57You always hit it from day one when you just owned the boat
28:00Which didn't cost a lot
28:01Yeah
28:01You had this full-blown team
28:03Full-blown team
28:03And you're running it like a professional campaign
28:05Really they came in as pros
28:08I mean they're ex-professionals
28:10They are project managers
28:12And military RAF fighter pilot
28:14And it's just they keep me right in line
28:18Because I'm a little more
28:19Eh it'll be alright
28:21Are your parents still alive?
28:22No they sadly passed away
28:24They were both sailors
28:25Yeah
28:25So you know they would have loved this
28:27Yeah
28:29Yeah
28:29Yeah too true
28:30Okay
28:31So mundane stuff
28:33What about your clothing and bits and pieces
28:34So you've got the heater there
28:35But
28:36Yeah
28:36Obviously it's
28:37They must be insulated
28:38I mean there's massive scantlings there
28:40So it looks as if you've got them insulated
28:42It's pretty good
28:42Yeah I would have that stove going all winter
28:44It was great
28:45And everything seems like it
28:47Is really good
28:48You know
28:48And being a solid fuel heat
28:50It dries it out nicely
28:51Yeah
28:52Clothing is great
28:52Mustang Survival came on board
28:54Yeah
28:54So full Mustang gear
28:56Double
28:57I have a lightweight offshore gear
29:00Heavyweight smock
29:01I have a full dry suit
29:03Yeah
29:03They've
29:03Mustang has been really really good
29:06Yeah
29:07Yeah that's cool
29:08Alright
29:09Well that's all looking pretty cool
29:11I got new
29:11And I got new deck shoes
29:12Oh jeepers
29:13What are they?
29:14I don't know what they are
29:15They're good
29:15I bought them at the store next door
29:16Hang on
29:17Just a look
29:17I just turned 60
29:19So I went with Velcro
29:20Yeah
29:21Yeah
29:21Oh right
29:22Okay
29:23You're not there yet
29:24I just slipped my bloody feet in the shoes like that
29:27Where'd you get to be my age dog?
29:28Well you know
29:28You get smelly feet because you don't wear socks
29:30You can't wear socks
29:30It's not the look
29:31Exactly
29:32But anyway
29:33That's part of the course
29:34Alright
29:35Anything you want to wrap up with?
29:36You know
29:37Anything at all?
29:38Well just the team
29:39I mean there's three of them right there
29:40I mean
29:41Oh there they are
29:42Yeah
29:42They're all watching and listening
29:43Yeah
29:44No wonder you couldn't tell the truth
29:45Yeah
29:48I mean it's just
29:49It's like how do you get to the start
29:51It's the team
29:52It's so important
29:53Yeah
29:53And I feel for some people that maybe don't have
29:56You know the big infrastructure like I had
29:59And you're right
29:59We've
30:00They've run it like a real campaign
30:02Yeah
30:03Which it is
30:04I mean it's the Golden Globe race
30:05Yeah
30:06It's huge
30:06So final questions
30:08Are you a racer?
30:09A cruiser?
30:10Or an adventurer?
30:11I'm a racer
30:12You're a racer
30:13Yeah
30:13So tell me about the sails
30:15What happened with your sails?
30:16Good
30:17I mean they're the top notch Sanders sails
30:19You know
30:21They're great
30:21I don't know a lot about sails
30:23I just know when they look good
30:24Yeah
30:25It was a light air for the prologue wasn't it?
30:28Yeah
30:29My team said stop being so down on the fact that the boat's slow
30:33Just wait till the wind really picks up
30:35Two thirds of the feet are saying
30:37Geez the boat's slow
30:38My boat's slow
30:38My boat's slow
30:39Except for Henry and Damian
30:41Well you know I mean that's a different story
30:43But anyway
30:43You've got a long way to go
30:45Let's wait and see what happens at the end of the day
30:46Oh exactly
30:47Yeah
30:47The boat is built to survive
30:49So it's going to be fine
30:51Yeah
30:51Yeah that's cool
30:51Alright well good luck eh?
30:53Thanks Don
30:54Thanks for the chat
30:54And we'll be chatting
30:57Yes
30:58Great
30:59Over the next eight months or something
31:01Yeah thank you so much
31:01What do you reckon
31:02Have you got a perspective on what you think will be
31:06How many months, weeks or days?
31:08I don't know
31:08I mean without Cape Town
31:11I mean 230 would be outstanding
31:15Even without Cape Town for me
31:17So but 280
31:19Yeah
31:19Yeah
31:20Yeah yeah
31:20Okay well let's wait and see
31:22Yeah
31:22Good on ya
31:23Cool thanks Don
31:24Thanks for that everybody
31:26We think this got chopped
31:27But it'll be running as a video later
31:29See ya later everybody
31:31Bye bye