Be Water Positive : Canadian skipper Scott Shawyer's debrief

Be Water Positive skipper Scott Shawyer © James Tomlinson

The Canadian skipper of Be Water Positive reflects on the sequence of events at the Transat Jacques Vabre, due to start next Tuesday. As he prepares for his second transatlantic race, Scott reflects on the postponement of the start, the need to protect his boat during the storm, and his view of what lies ahead.

Scott Shawyer has enough experience in other fields - he was an entrepreneur for years in Canada - to know that adaptability is paramount in all circumstances. And what applies to business also applies to ocean racing. For major sailing competitions, uncertainty often comes from the sky. The autumn weather and its procession of low-pressure systems sweeping across Europe, with varying degrees of virulence, have upset the schedule for the Transat Jacques Vabre, the most eagerly awaited race of the year.

Last Sunday's start was postponed due to storm Ciaran. Having reached France mid-week, it caused gusts in excess of 200 km/h and 21-meter high waves in the Atlantic. "I would have liked to have taken the start, and nobody wanted it to be postponed," explains the skipper of the Canadian IMOCA. But for him, reason prevailed. "I think the race organization made the right decision in letting the storm pass before letting us go."

And the week wasn't all plain sailing. "The team was mobilized to secure and monitor the boat, Be Water Positive, in the port of Le Havre". In the Normandy port, Scott's co-skipper Nick Moloney recorded an average wind speed of 60 knots on Thursday morning! "We were able to see that all the boats are in good condition, which shows how important it was to preserve them". As time is always of the essence when it comes to preparation, the week also provided an opportunity to "do some minor work on the boat", according to Scott.

For his part, he was able to enjoy a few days with his family and assures us that he "also worked hard". His stated aim: "to stay focused on the race". "Every day, we took the time to study the weather with Nick", explains the Canadian skipper. The idea is to prepare as well as possible and use this extra time as efficiently as possible.

From now on, all eyes will be on the next start, which takes place this Tuesday morning. "The weather forecast is much calmer" assures Scott. Nevertheless, the first few days of racing promise to be intense. He explains what's at stake: "There are still a few lows moving up the Atlantic, one of which we could cross as early as Tuesday afternoon". But these lows are nothing compared to those that crossed the zone last week. All the more reason to set off at last and do everything in our power to complete this transatlantic race. This is a major step in his apprenticeship in the most prestigious class of ocean racing boats.

www.canadaoceanracing.com

Be Water Positive team of Scott Shawyer and Nick Moloney - photo © James Tomlinson