Don’t Squash Your Sense of Adventure

With wins in the Volvo Ocean Race and Barcelona World Race, as well as seven full trips around the globe, Damian Foxall (IRL) is one of the world’s most accomplished offshore sailors. In an interview on 48North.com, Damian comments on what makes a good offshore sailor…

So many people see offshore sailing as a barrier. It is an adventure. It is a big challenge to step away from the coast and go to the Galapagos or Hawaii or across the Atlantic. But as long as you’ve prepared your boat properly, and you’ve got the right weather information, it’s no harder, and probably even easier than coastal sailing. When bad weather hits, ships either go into port or head offshore. They don’t hang around by the coast. It’s more dangerous sailing along the coast than doing an ocean crossing.

The most important part of doing an ocean crossing, especially for modern man, is that you’re self-reliant. There’s no one there to help you, and you’re responsible for the people you’re with. I think you have to be resilient. You really have to be patient. You have to understand the context of a team, and that ultimately working as a team requires a collective goal.

You need to have a sense of adventure. Everyone’s got a little adventurer inside of them. You’ve just got to make sure it comes out. These days, it’s very easy for us to squash it. He deserves a voice.

Complete interview