Canada's Scott Shawyer qualifies for the New York to Vendée Race 2024
by Canada Ocean Racing 19 Apr 2024 08:46 PDT
Be Water Positive, Scott Shawyer - Canada Ocean Racing Team © PKC Media / Canada Ocean Racing Team
It's official: Scott Shawyer, the Canadian skipper of the IMOCA Be Water Positive, will be competing in the prestigious single-handed transatlantic race, the New York Vendée, which starts on 29 May 2024.
With no solo IMOCA races in recent months, it was obligatory for Scott to complete a rigorous 1200 nautical mile solo qualifying passage, set by the Race Director. With his race boat in solo race configuration the course set had to include a minimum of 120 nautical miles sailed upwind, in at least Force 5 wind and sea conditions. His course was monitored by his team and Race Direction to ensure that obligatory maneuvers and waypoints were executed. During the passage Scott saw a range of North Atlantic conditions with consistent 25-30 knots and 5 metre swells.
Whilst qualification was the main objective, the testing passage also allowed the Canadian skipper to get into full on solo mode and further test his boat's capabilities, electronics systems and to work on his sleep patterns. It's no secret that Scott has struggled with sea sickness which he has tackled head on and is now able to manage with a strict pre-departure routine and sea sickness patches.
Departing and circling back to the team's Spring training base in Cascais, Portugal, Shawyer returned from his journey on 12 April after 7 days at sea. Tired but exhilarated from his first major solo trip that sees him qualify for the prestigious New York Vendée race, this qualification marks a significant milestone in Scott's ocean racing journey.
In Shawyer's own words:
"I'm really excited to have accomplished the 1,200-mile qualifier. It was a very grueling course with extreme weather conditions for much of it. It really marks a huge milestone, and I'm very proud to be able to take this 60-foot racing machine and sail it for that distance in these conditions really is a true testament to the preparation and training we've been doing over the past year and a half. I'd like to thank our whole team for all of their commitment to getting us to where we are and to getting the boat and myself in such race-ready condition."
As excitement builds towards the New York Vendée, the Canadian skipper is preparing to line up with 30 fellow IMOCAs to race from the United States to France.