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 Archive for the ‘NEWS’ CategoryConrad speaks at Explore the Outdoors Show 2010Sunday, March 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 sailingTuesday, February 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 Ichi Ban in Hot Water – but happyTuesday, January 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 STARTThursday, December 24th, 2009
Champions for Change – New York Book LaunchTuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Hobie Tiger 2007 for saleTuesday, October 6th, 2009
A big missionFriday, August 21st, 2009British team Conrad Humphreys and team mate Ryan Crawford look healthy but worn after five days of racing when we meet them in Sandhamn of the finish of leg 2, day 5 in the Archipelago Raid. They are just mending their jib halyard that broke earlier today. Not the only thing that broke. Two dagger boards went in two pieces when they hit a rock. Fixing the damages is not their main mission, though. Humphreys explain why they are in this race: “In a nutshell – it is about engaging people in our natural environment, using sports”, he says. Many people today are not aware of what the nature can offer them or how to treat it. The reason for the Blue project to take interest and promote the Archipelago Raid is because it is an environmental friendly and sustainable race. The best example of that is that each team sail without using power, just sails. Each team bring onboard just what they need for five days of racing, food, spares and tents to sleep in. “- We are not allowed to get outside assistance so we have to be happy with what we got – and we are”, says Conrad. Conrad Humphreys is a professional sailor that used to sail full time, one of the youngest persons to have competed in the Whitbread at age 19. Nowadays he is heavily involved in promoting the Blue project through different sports events. Conrad continues “- In a planet where we have limited resources, the Archipelago Raid is like a micro cosmos of that and that is what the Blue Project tries to promote. To try and get people to understand to be content with what they have got”. For more information about the Blue Project visit www.blueproject.org Date: 2009-08-21 21:00:00 Taken from www.thearchipelagoraid.com Swedes lead the fleetFriday, August 21st, 200921.08.09 – Day 5 of the Archipelago Raid 10:49:44 hrs This is the raid!Wednesday, August 19th, 2009Downwind start at 05:10 in the morning in good windspeed and the F18 flying over the waves: that’s the raid. Team Blue made the best start off Ekerö on the right side of the line near the Comitee boat, closely followed by Audi and Garmin. Audio Network and the Nieminen Brothers onboard Ursuit made it right with good speed. Further right Swe 43 reached tremendous speed. While most of the fleet was flying in 20 knots, the Finnish-Kiwi boat Bohica was unfortunately dismasted in the middle of the course, but managed to get back on track. A few minutes later Audi capzized and lost the gains they made on the start. Date: 2009-08-19 06:03:38 The crossing of Ålands Sea has started!Tuesday, August 18th, 200918.08.09 – Day 2 of the Archipelago Raid 09:54:43 hrs The start of leg 2 went underway at 08.45 this morning. The fleet has started their crossing of Ålands Sea towards Ekerö from head quarter 1 at Arsläjan on Arholma. With a westerly breeze of 4 knots the teams got a light wind start. The wind will turn east during the day and therefore the fleet is headed directly towards Ekerö to sail the northerly route around Åland island towards Finland. A happy crew on board Team Audio Network British Sunnucks/Farren won leg 1. An interview with team Audio Network can be found under Audio. Last team to arrive to Arsläjan was Team Piano at 02.20 am, literally living up to their name. The race management let the teams get some sleep and delayed the start until 08.45 this morning, due to that the last team came in early this morning. The teams had to be towed from checkpoint 5 to head quarter Arsläjan due to no wind after 22.00. Rudder problems were reported from the Italian team yesterday but nothing they couldn’t fix. Severe damage came upon Team FG Porsche while they hit a rock in the night. The dagger board opened the hull with the result of a lot of water filling the hull. While they were towed in the night they almost sank and they realized early this morning at Arsläjan that the damage was too big to repair without professional help. Team FG Porsche has therefore decided to withdraw from the competition. Still 25 teams in the race – stay tuned! After a day of racing, Conrad Humphreys and Ryan Crawford onboard Team Blue are in 12th place on the results table. |
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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.
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 
Hobie Tiger F18 (2007)2007 race specked boat, Smoke STX Mainsail and Fully battened jib, Spare furling jib and furling system, 2 spinnakers, 2 tramps, new daggerboards, latest rudder system, spare rudder blades, Catrax, Covers and foil bags, large selection of spares, new refit complete (Sept 09), excellent condition, fast boat. £8195.00 (inc. VAT)