Adrienne Cahalan: Ready for the rigors

by Scott Alle, Ocean Media
One of Australia’s best-known and most successful sailors, Adrienne Cahalan OAM, says she’s looking forward to the multiple challenges of the Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat category in the Paris Games in 2024.

The First Lady of the Chartplotter, (I know she doesn’t mind me saying that), along with old friend and another famous Australian sailing export Nick Moloney, are one of a number of teams vying for the Australian spot in the exciting new keelboat event to debut in Paris.

“Nick called me and said ‘Are you interested in this?’“ Cahalan recounted. The round the world record-holder and Volvo race veteran looked more closely at it and replied “absolutely.”

The pair have raced together before – to a nail-biting victory in 2001 aboard Ellen MacArthur’s Kingfisher sailing team in the grueling 8,000-mile EDS Atlantic Challenge race. Adrienne was navigator and Nick co-skipper, taking over after Ellen MacArthur had to depart due to other commitments.

The offshore 2024 Olympic race though will be a comparative sprint – a single, sudden-death run out of the sailing venue in Marseille, lasting up to four days and three nights. Whoever crosses the line first will be crowned Olympic champion.

Endurance, boat and crew management will be important, but the two sailors will need to possess a wide range of sailing skills.

“As a navigator you are basically awake all the time,” Cahalan explained. “This race will be interesting because it is the duration of your average ocean race.

“Those endurance skills have been built-up over a long time, in addition to interpreting the information you are receiving you have to have a pretty broad skill set. There are also engines to run and a whole down-below to look after.” Full report.