Global Solo Challenge: Does Kevin Le Poidevin have the most diverse skill set among GSC entrants?
by Dave Proctor 18 Apr 2023 10:36 PDT
Solo long distance offshore sailing is a discipline that requires a skill set far more varied than would be required for any other form of sailing, particularly when you are intending to circumnavigate the globe solo and non-stop.
You cannot rely on specialists like riggers, mechanics, electrical repairers, radar technicians, and the like. It is just you, and once you set sail, you have to get on with it.
I spoke to Australian Global Solo Challenge entrant Kevin Le Poidevin, who probably has the most eclectic set of skills of all the skippers I have spoken to.
Born in the West of England, at the age of two, he emigrated to Australia (there was an incentive at the time that families could emigrate for £10; hence the sobriquet "Ten-Pound Poms").
After finishing school, Kevin trained and worked as a vehicle mechanic, ambulance rescue vehicle operator, and volunteer Air Sea Rescue skipper. After 15 years on the job, he was looking for a change, and through his ambulance mates who were ex-military, they encouraged him to join the Australian Defense Force. So, when he was 29 years old, with a wife and two children in tow, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force.
Obviously, his new employer's ideal was for him to continue to work as a vehicle mechanic, but Kevin did not want to remain in his previous field and was keen to broaden his horizons, so he trained as an instrument technician before cross-training in radar, radio, and electrical systems to become an advanced avionics technician. He specialised in the diagnostic repair and maintenance of complex aircraft missions and weapon systems on military fast jets.
While serving as a senior non-commissioned officer, Kevin led one of a number of teams that went through an exercise in fatigue management and risk assessment. Something that is particularly relevant in solo offshore racing. In this arduous exercise, a team was forced to continue without sleep for an extended period. After performing various other task related elements of the exercise over the course of 24 hours, it concluded with the team having to complete numerous mathematical and mental agility tests, one after another.
Apparently, after a period of doing this, Kevin's team were the first to say 'enough' and withdraw from further testing. It transpired that that was the particular lesson to be learned. You should recognise the effects of fatigue through sleep deprivation and understand what to do when your team is failing to function properly, and indeed, how it affects your own behaviour when you are suffering from fatigue.
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