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 Conrad speaks at Explore the Outdoors Show 2010March 14th, 2010
A packed audience joined Conrad Humphreys to listen to him speak about sport and the environment. He was joined on stage by Ray Mears, who delighted the crowds with his tales of survival. Both speakerswere part of the line up for this years Explore the Outdoors Show 2010. Making a successful team is plain sailingFebruary 2nd, 2010
Conrad, still only in his mid thirties, is a triple round-the-world yachtsman and the youngest skipper to ever win the prestigious BT Global Challenge, which he did at aged 28 in 2000. A surprising choice as a source of learning for a group of environmental scientists and engineers perhaps, but an inspirational choice, we soon discovered. Because, like Defra, competitive sailing involves responding to a rapidly changing environment, where you need to create a knowledge sharing environment to inspire and manage effective team working. As well as being an expert yachtsman, Conrad’s experiences on the high seas has given him incredible insight into team building, performance management and motivation – skills that he sums up as ‘creating a culture for success’ and which the audience agreed were vital for raising Defra’s game. To help us learn more about these vital skills, Conrad took us on his voyages around the world, introducing us to his team mates, the places they visited, the troubles they met and the ways they worked together to win. We met the former mathematician put in charge of food, who produced a spreadsheet calculating menu plans of the limited food on board based around a combination of precise calorie counts and people’s preferences. And we heard about the horrific storm that injured two members of a competing team. So what were the secrets to Conrad’s success? Far from giving us an alpha-male style lecture about drive and the ambition to win, Conrad talked about building a vision, sharing values, involving people in decisions, devolving leadership and creating an environment where people want to be. “If people really believe in something they’ll go to extraordinary lengths,” he explained. Getting his team used to feeling like winners was important too. “Winning is addictive, so you need to make it a habit by getting your team to picture what it would be like to succeed and to have small wins so they understand what it feels like.” Perhaps the most important thought came in one of Conrad’s asides – important as it put into words something that many of us immediately identified with. A culture for success is one where “we never step over a job.” Melanie Smallman, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Conference 01.12.09 Conrad delivers top after dinner speech for SaavisJanuary 25th, 2010Saavis, the multinational IT company choose Conrad to speak to their customers at their recent user meeting. Clients includes Discovery Channel, Easy Jet, Addidas, Nokia and host of others. Feedback was expceptional and the client was delighted with the impact the Conrad made on the evening. Ichi Ban in Hot Water – but happyJanuary 5th, 2010 Leaders of the Sydney Hobart pass Green Cape As the leading yachts in the 2009 Rolex Sydney to Hobart enter Bass Strait on day two, one yacht has found itself in seriously hot water, but this time with smiles all around. Ichiban made some very smart strategic moves overnight and managed to get a free ride from the warm waters of the strong south going East Australian Current. This 70 foot yacht has literally “smoked” down the New South Wales coast and is only 26 nautical miles behind its 100 foot long super maxi counterparts. In yacht racing terms this is a huge coup. With much media attention on the weather forecast and what it might bring, many forget to consider the all important 3rd dimension….the current. Ichi Ban owned and skippered by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Matt Allen has applied some real smarts over the past 24 hours by paying attention to the EAC, the famous Ocean Current that pours south along the coast. By sailing a route further offshore overnight Allen and his highly regarded navigator Conrad Humphries have sought out and ridden a magic carpet of current of up to 4knots. Ichi Ban is now in a strong position to threaten her larger rivals for a handicap win in Div 0. The three 100 footers, Alfa Romeo, ICAP Leopard and Wild Oats, who have been locked in a ding dong tussle since the start have clearly paid less attention to the Ocean Current by sailing closer to the coast. However, with the front runners slowed by light and tricky conditions as they approached Bass Strait, this year’s handicap winner is likely to come from the ranks of the smaller boats and knowledge of what the EAC is up to has favoured the brave who have been prepared to go out wide around the back of an eddy situated between Sydney and Ulladulla. Many of the yachts in this year’s event are using new technology produced by Ocean Current specialists Tidetech which in the lead up to the race has provided navigators with the best ever understanding of the Ocean Currents. CYCLONE LEGACY FOR ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART STARTDecember 24th, 2009
Rolex Sydney Hobart 2009 CountdownDecember 20th, 2009
Conrad, Ichi Ban Champions for Change – New York Book LaunchNovember 3rd, 2009
Blog action dayOctober 15th, 2009Today, October 15, is the annual Blog Action Day, a day that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. This year’s topic is Climate Change. Blog Action Day 2009 will be one of the largest-ever social change events on the web. I believe that through education and experience of the natural environment, we can grow a community that loves and cares for the environment. Through this experience, we will change how the communities look at the world around them and learn how to live in a more sustainable manner. Every little action and choice that we make can make a difference and contribute to a global effort, that is needed to slow down the impact we are making on climate change. Just by cycling into work at least once a week means that I now feel healthier – both in myself and for the environment. By choosing groceries with less packaging has reduced our household waste. By being more a little more conscious of our water usage has reduced our bills and our garden is happier for it. All of these are easy-to-do, every day actions that require so little effort, and that’s all we need to do… make more of an effort. I am passionate and love our ‘BLUE’ environment and so through The Blue Climate and Ocean Project (www.theblueproject.org) and the launch of the new mass-participation event, The Blue Mile, am hoping that by encouraging more people to enjoy our blue environment, they will be encouraged and hopefully inspired to care for it. Conrad Humphreys Blog UpdateOctober 8th, 200909.10.09 – After the intense racing during the Archipelago Raid in Sweden, I managed to take a week off and had a relaxing time back at home in Devon. It was great to be back and enjoy the local beaches and catch up with my family. I’ve since been busy with continuing work on The Blue Mile (www.thebluemile.org), which will take place July 2010 in Plymouth. We have had an enormous amount of enthusiasm about the mass-participation event, from every corner of the planet from Hawaii, to Australia as well as nationally and locally and will soon be formally taking entries via our website. I’ve also been working in collaboration with the Global Sports Alliance who has published a new book called “Champions for Change: Athletes Making a World of Difference”. Along with five of our Ambassadors for The Blue Climate and Oceans Project (www.theblueproject.org), I feel privileged to have been asked to be one of the 38 athletes to contribute towards this book which includes three-times Tour de France winner Greg LeMond, four Olympic Gold Medallist sprinter Michael Johnson, world-record breaking long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, and surfer Jack Johnson amongst other athletes. The book is due to be launched on 4th November at the United Nations in New York. More locally, I am pleased to be invited as the special guest for the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s (JST) Charity Black Tie Ball to be held at the New Continental Hotel on Saturday 24th October. The JST is a charity which aims to integrate able-bodied and disabled people through sailing their two magnificent tall-ships, Lord Nelson and Tenacious. If you are interested in getting togged up, having a three-course dinner and dancing the night away in support of the charity, please contact Alan Puddicombe the Secretary of the JST Plymouth branch for more details (01752 862868 or email thepuds@toucansurf.com). The following weekend (30th October-1st November) The Drake Foundation (www.drakefoundation.co.uk) is organising an event with one of our Blue Project Ambassadors, Antony Jinman. The challenge is to “virtually ski” 600 miles to the North Pole in just three days and this will be taking place in the Drake Circus Shopping Mall, Plymouth, using three cross-trainers provided by Nuffield Gym. Antony will be helping the Drake Foundation to raise funds for the Plymouth community and volunteer groups – so do come along to show your support, see Antony’s great photos and video footage and ask him questions about his polar expeditions. Everyone can take part and can “ski” alongside Antony in teams of six. There will be also be prizes provided by Cotswold Outdoor. For more information contact The Drake Foundation on 01752 764455 or email drakefroundation@gmail.com We hope to see you there! Conrad |
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“The afternoon slot of any workshop usually suffers from the post-lunch slump. But if anyone had plans to join the sleepy sloths outside in the zoo, they would have been rudely awoken by Conrad Humphreys and his salty stories of the sea.
The low pressure system remnant of a tropical cyclone crossing the continent is setting up a tricky wind pattern for the Rolex Sydney Hobart race, for its Boxing Day start. While the scenario is still changing, pockets of light breeze to be negotiated between two major wind systems look to have removed the prospects of a record-breaking run by one of the hi-tech collection of maxi yachts in the fleet. Barry Hanstrum, senior forecaster for the NSW Bureau of Meteorology, predicts that the fleet of 100 boats will probably start in a light to moderate southerly, which would mean a spectacular spinnaker start in Sydney Harbour on Saturday, then a beat to windward in 10-20 knots as the fleet reaches the open sea. While the wind would back to the east – northeast offshore, a low pressure trough would create lighter air inshore. A west to southwest change on Sunday night in the Bass Strait of 20-30 knots would continue into Monday, December 28.
It’s that time of year again….nice sat watching the BA ground staff de-icing the planes wings knowing that in 20 hours or so, I’d be back in the Sydney sun for the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2009. Really strong fleet this year, with the biggest number of maxis and 100 footers ever to take the start. TP52 winner, Quest is back to defend her title and Rolex Fastnet winner, Ran, owned by Skype founder Niklas Zennström will also be out to win back to back events. Weather models still a little unsettled for a prediction of this year’s conditions, but early forecasts suggest a SSE 15kts at the start, backing around to the NNE later on Boxing Day. Nothing blistering, but still early days.
Along with over 40 international athletes including Michael Johnson and Haile Gebrselassie , Conrad Humphreys has been included in a new book written by Jane Poynter which is launched tomorrow in New York at the United Nations Headquarters. The book is called Champions for Change – Athletes making a world of difference and includes breath-taking images and interviews with many of the world’s greatest athletes who are encouraging their fans to take steps to reduce their impact on our environment. Details of the book will go online shortly, but if you would like to order a copy, please contact