I grabbed some time off with Vikki and the girls during August after the Blue Mile inaugural event. We headed to La Torche (Finisterre) and then camped next to the Raz de Sein, in a great spot called Baie des Trépassés. Whilst there wasn’t a great deal of surf about, the sun shone and the girls got to play in the waves and rockpools. I was surprised at how quiet this part of Brittany is compared with further south – lovely spot. The wind blew for one day, which allowed me to kitesurf out to the Lighthouse in the Raz de Sein, the current was amazing, swirling and boiling around the point – I didn’t hang around too long in case the wind dropped!
The time away also allowed a chance to think strategically about the next few years. The Blue Project is now quite established with Teresa managing its day to day operations with the help of Paul and Vikki. The Blue Mile was a great success and all of the partners have expressed interest in building it further for 2011. Whilst the Blue Lecture Series didn’t go ahead this year, we are looking to get this off the ground and already have some great speakers interested in 2011.
I pleased to see Pete Goss’ entry into the Route du Rhum this year, and it certainly got me thinking about this wonderful race which was my baptism into solo sailing. The race in 2002 will go in history as the event that rocked the world of the ORMA 60 fleet, when a powerful storm caused widespread damage to the fleet. I was sailing an innovative Open 40 (Syllogic), which we had just christened “Hellomoto” after an 11th hour sponsorship from Motorola. The race was the start of a wonderful journey towards the Vendee Globe in 2004/5 with Motorola, although soon after I was dismasted in the Bay of Biscay early in the race, it was not the start that I had hoped for….more about this little adventure can be read here… http://www.conradhumphreys.com/racing/conradhumphreys_journey_routederhum_2002.html
I will be heading down-under for my 5th Sydney Hobart at the end of the year and will be putting together a new project for 2011, looking towards the 2012 Artemis Transat.
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.
“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.
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
Saavis, 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.
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.
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.
By now the hard work is normally done and Christmas Day is normally spent tweaking the final tactical strategy. This year, the weather models have really struggled to predict the movement of the ex Tropical Cyclone, Lawrence and therefore each weather run gives a different solution. This race could turn out to be a navigators hell or heaven as there is still a lot of uncertainty. What is certain, is that we start on the 26th December at 1300 and it is likely to be raining! There are two options either staying inshore and beating south in a moderate southerly and favourable current, or heading offshore and taking the scenic route downwind with the north easter. Maybe Santa will bring some clarity tomorrow. Happy Christmas everyone.
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 Teresa.Page@sportenvironment.com, or ring 01752 600111.
Today, 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.
I grabbed some time off with Vikki and the girls during August after the Blue Mile inaugural event. We headed to La Torche (Finisterre) and then camped next to the Raz de Sein, in a great spot called Baie des Trépassés. Whilst there wasn’t a great deal of surf about, the sun shone and the girls got to play in the waves and rockpools. I was surprised at how quiet this part of Brittany is compared with further south – lovely spot. The wind blew for one day, which allowed me to kitesurf out to the Lighthouse in the Raz de Sein, the current was amazing, swirling and boiling around the point – I didn’t hang around too long in case the wind dropped!
I will be heading down-under for my 5th Sydney Hobart at the end of the year and will be putting together a new project for 2011, looking towards the 2012 Artemis Transat.
“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 