Scott Cavanough and Skippy to take on the world's best solo sailors

by Ian Grant on 30 May 2011 Ever since Scott Cavanough stepped out of sailing his small snub-nose Sabot on Waterloo Bay he had a career vision to race and cruise on the Worlds more demanding ocean voyages.

When he was not sleeping in his warm and dry bedroom in the bay side suburb of Wynnum he was braving the cold elements steering maxi yachts including the replica of the 1937 Americas Cup winner Ranger on a trans Atlantic voyage to compete in J Class sailing regattas.

The 29 year old has completed more transatlantic crossings than most other Australian master mariners but he feels his personal log book will not be complete until he contests the gruelling mini Transat.

This race over 4,500 nautical miles from La Rochelle (France) to San Salvador (Brazil) has been dominated by either American or French sailors in the past and Scott Cavanough remains determined to become the first Australian to win the classic test of solo racing at the helm of his baby 6.5 m yacht Skippy.

He is presently in France preparing his New Zealand designed and Brisbane built challenger for a series of qualifying races in the cold and stormy climate of the North Sea.

During the next few months Skippy which carries the Boxing Kangaroo emblem on her battle flag will continue to contest major events in England and France to be fully prepared for the mini Trans Atlantic starting in September.

The solo sailor is no stranger to big time yacht racing with his challenge supported by many of his Australian yachting mates including Peter Millard who steered the maxi yacht Lahana to line honours in the Brisbane to Gladstone race over Easter.

'Just getting the campaign up and running has become quite a dramatic and major step on a long journey'. He said.
Skippy has been nominated to contest a major qualifying race on the North Sea next month where Scott Cavanough will share the helming skills with solo globe sailor Jessica Watson.

Jessica who will be in England to fulfil a promise to contest the Around The Isle of Wight race as part of the international Cowes Week with her friend Mike Perham has plans in place to compete in a future mini Transatlantic solo race.
'I’d love to do the Transat in the future and this is a good way to get the feel of it'

‘What I did going around the world was more like cruising this is a full on race and I’m excited about it'. She said.

Their Mini Transat qualifying race together will become an important milestone for Scott Cavanough and his internationally famed teenage solo sailor Jessica Watson who as the Young Australian of The Year has a career plan in place to become the youngest skipper at 18 to contest the Sydney-Hobart race on Boxing Day.