On The Wind Sailing

#184: Olly Cotterell is one of the youngest Clipper Race skippers ever, sailing to a podium position in the 2013-2014 edition of the RTW race onboard OneDLL. He currently skipper’s the prototype, foiling racing yacht ‘Maverick,’ which recently won her class in the RORC Trans-Atlantic Race. Olly & I have a connection in that we’ve both worked for Broadreach. We met up to record this episode in person in Antigua, ahead of the Caribbean 600. Olly has an amazing story that includes growing up on a sailboat in Bermuda, working up the ranks as an RYA instructor, surfing at 35 knots in the Southern Ocean in the Clipper Race and much more. -- On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath. Join Andy & Mia on an offshore passage aboard Isbjorn, their classic S&S Swan 48 at 59-north.com/offshore.

#183. Chris Museler, NY Times journalist & sailor extraordinaire, has been a longtime friend of the podcast since the early days, and he’s back yet again for another catch-up. Chris has a remarkable journalism career and is one of the few people who get to write about sailing for the NY Times. He crossed the Atlantic onboard Hugo Boss as an onboard journalist with recent podcast guest Ryan Breymaier, sails in most of the major ocean races, and cruises his own cold-molded schooner Magic out of New England. Chris & I chatted in January about his new boat, composting toilets, the Cruising Club of America, inspiring young people to go sailing, and more. -- On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath. Join Andy & Mia on an offshore passage aboard Isbjorn, their classic S&S Swan 48 at 59-north.com/offshore.

#182. Alan Block, aka Mr. Clean, is one of the driving forces behind the hugely popular - and sometimes controversial - Sailing Anarchy website. He’s a staple on the racing scene, traveling far and wide to cover events from the Volvo to the Vendee and lots in between. Alan’s story is a fascinating and circuitous one, and during our 90-minute conversation, we covered the whole thing, from his early days as a lawyer, to his dreams to set off sailing, and ultimately to his serendipitous opportunity to work with Sailing Anarchy. Alan is also the founder and host of the Sailing Anarchy podcast, free on iTunes. -- On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath. Join Andy & Mia on an offshore passage aboard Isbjorn, their classic S&S Swan 48 at 59-north.com/offshore.

#181: Yves Gelinas is a French-Canadian single-handed sailor and inventor of the Cape Horn wind vane, the simplest, most robust, and most elegant solution for self-steering on an offshore cruising boat. Yves invented and perfected the gear while circumnavigating nonstop via the Great Capes in his beloved Alberg 30 Jean du Sud in the 80s. During that voyage, he filmed Around the World with Jean du Sud, which quickly came to be considered the greatest sailing movie ever made. Yves still builds the Cape Horn units himself from his workshop in Quebec & still sails Jean du Sud, most recently voyaging to Martinique in 2015. -- On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath. Join Andy & Mia on an offshore passage aboard Isbjorn, their classic S&S Swan 48 at 59-north.com/offshore.

#180. Today’s episode is slightly different. Magnus Ormestad is the host of my favorite Swedish podcast, called ‘Husky,’ where he interviews folks into outdoor sports & adventure. Magnus & I met a few years ago over coffee in a bike shop in Stockholm and became quick friends. We recorded in Sweden in January - it was a back-and-forth talk between two people used to ‘hosting’, with him interviewing me a bit and vice versa. But this episode is really more about what ties together outdoor adventure pursuits - how people find the passion and motivation to pursue their dreams, in any environment. Be sure to check out Husky’s English-language episodes on iTunes. -- On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath. Join Andy & Mia on an offshore passage aboard Isbjorn, their classic S&S Swan 48 at 59-north.com/offshore.

#179. Martin Hasselov is a sailor and PHD scientist based on the beautiful West Coast - which the locals call the ‘best coast’ - of Sweden. Martin has a lifelong love for the sea which started as a small boy fishing in his families rowboats. After college he built a steel ketch from a bare hull to explore further afield. Now armed with a PHD in marine science, Martin recently bought an ex-BT Challenge yacht - a steel 67-footer designed for a southern ocean circumnavigation the ‘wrong way round’ - and uses it as an educational platform for promoting marine science locally, and exploring the world’s oceans further afield. On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath. Come ocean sailing with Andy & Mia on the Swan 48 Isbjorn - visit 59-north.com/offshore for the latest offshore routes & dates.

#178: Rick Tomlinson is one of yachting’s most accomplished photographers. What I didn’t know before we met, was how accomplished he is as a sailor. Rick was a crew member on four consecutive Whitbread Races, and literally invented the modern concept of onboard reporter. Back in his day, Rick was an integral member of the sailing crew - he took photos onboard as a hobby, on his off-watches, and even developed film in the galley sink offshore! Mia and I traveled to Rick’s beautiful studio in Cowes on the Isle of Wight last September to chat about his career. On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath. Come ocean sailing with Andy & Mia on their S&S Swan 48 Isbjorn. Visit 59-north.com/offshore to see the full passage calendar.

#BONUS: Sailing Stories Season 1, Episode 1. Join Janne Larsson & Kalle Andersson as they set off to sail around the world on a handshake and lots of ambition. Head to iTunes and subscribe to Sailing Stories! First three episodes now live on the SS feed. Find out more at sailingstoriespodcast.com

#177: RECYCLED (previously #4). Lin & Larry Pardey need no introduction. They’re cruising legends, inspiring generations of sailors to ‘go small, go simple, and go now.’ I first discovered them through books I found in my parent’s basement - indeed it was the Pardey’s that primarly inspired my mom and dad to first set off on their 32’ sloop for a winter in the Bahamas in 1979. Mia and I read their books in detail when preparing Arcturus for the Atlantic crossing we made in 2011. What follows is a ‘recycled’ chat about their cruising careers that I had with Lin & Larry back in 2013, when the podcast first started. On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath. Come offshore sailing with Andy & Mia aboard Isbjorn, their Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

#176. SV Delos' videos have become an internet sensation. After leaving Seattle in 2009, Brian, who later met Karin in new Zealand, and his brother Brady have been sailing the world and filming their adventures. Almost by accident they've become the most popular sailing videos on YouTube and it's become their primary source of income. Andy & Mia met them in Stockholm for an in-person chat on the podcast. On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath.

#175: Behan & Jamie Gifford set off from Seattle Washington in Totem, their Stevens 47 sloop, in 2008. They’ve been sailing the world ever since, raising their three kids aboard the boat while crossing oceans, exploring landfalls and meeting interesting people along the way. Mia & I were invited aboard while Totem was in Annapolis last fall and had an enlightening conversation with the whole family about how they got inspired to go cruising, how the ‘identify’ themselves, where they call home, and what’s in store for their future cruising plans. On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath. Come ocean sailing with Andy & Mia aboard Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48. 59-north.com.

#174: Nigel Calder is universally recognized as the guru of yacht systems. His hardcover tomes grace the bookshelves of yachts the world over. On Isbjorn, his are some of my most referenced books. But while many of you will know Nigel for his writing, I’d bet that few know his background. I didn’t. He came aboard Isbjorn during the Annapolis Sailboat Show last October and told me his backstory, which included living in a commune in the UK, years working on oil rigs in the Gulf, building pipe bombs in his parents back yard and much, much more.  On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath, makers of fine nautical & weather instruments since 1928. Weems-Plath.com.

#BONUS. Happy Holidays! Here's a sneak preview of 'Sailing Stories,' a new podcast produced by 59º North, hosted by Lee Cumberland & narrated by Duncan Hood. The show is currently in production and will be out sometime in early 2017. Stay tuned!

#173. The Reverend Bob Shepton, now 81, got his start shortly after WWII as a climbing instructor in the British Armed Forces, where he used the outdoors to teach leadership & scripture. He didn’t start sailing until much later in life, but got real serious about it real quickly. I sat down with him at the Southampton Boat Show to talk religion, spirituality, his early days as a climber, losing his boat during an Arctic winter, his 15 Atlantic crossings, meeting the Wild Bunch, and the story behind the film series ‘Vertical Sailing Greenland.’ The music in this episode is courtesy of the Wild Bunch. This episode is sponsored by Forbes Horton Yachts. Visit forbesyachts.com. Bob Shepton might not be a household name in the US, but he certainly is in the UK. He was honored as ‘Yachtsman of the Year in 2014, which may sound irrelevant until you realize the winners in 2013 & 2015 - that would be Sir Ben Ainslie & Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Good company indeed. Anyway, Bob is one of the most accomplished

#172. I’ve called a lot of people ‘legendary’ on the podcast, but Don Street truly fits the bill. Now deep into his 80s, he’s seen & done it all. He’s been instrumental in creating modern cruising as we know it. Street pioneered cruising the Caribbean on his engineless yawl Iolaire, and to this day continues updating charts of the region. He helped design the Caribbean’s first charter yacht, the CSY 44 and was ousted from Grenada during the US invasion. And the list goes on. Don told me these stories & many more in person a few years back. For show notes & links on today’s episode, go to 59-north.com/podcast. To go ocean sailing on Isbjorn, visit 59-north.com/offshore.

#171, The legendary yacht designer German Frers…He earned his chops working for S&S under Olin Stephens himself, but it was only through a chance meeting that he got to sketch his first namesake yacht. Frers’ one-off designs quickly began attracting the best production builders like Swan & Hallberg-Rassy, who hired him to design their bluewater cruising boats, and some of the most iconic super yachts ever built came off of his drawing board. I spoke to German on Skype from his office in Argentina about all this & much more. -- Big thanks to last week’s guest & Hallberg-Rassy CEO Magnus Rassy for helping arrange this week’s interview with German Frers. The two episodes kind of go together, as German & I started our conversation discussing his side of the HR44 story, from the designer’s perspective which Magnus told at length last week from the sort of visionary’s/boat-builders perspective. You don’t need to listen to one to understand the other, but they’re fun to hear back-to-back.

#170. Magnus Rassy is one of my favorite characters in sailing. He’s the CEO of Hallberg-Rassy and one of the most enthusiastic people in the sport. When I asked him how the new HR44 came to be, and why they needed a new model at all, his answer was pure Magnus. The man has a twinkle in his eye when he talks about his boats and it was a joy to catch up with him for a second podcast interview, again recorded onboard the flagship HR 64 at their yard in Sweden, a year after our first. -- Happy Thanksgiving, to those of you listening in the US! Mia & I just returned to the US after a blistering passage south with the Caribbean 1500. The 8 ½-day trip was a heck of a way to finish off the sailing season for us. We had it all - big winds and big seas up north, a few calm spells, and classic Trade Wind sailing under the SuperMoon a few weeks back. Our landfall in Tortola, as the moon was setting and the sun was rising, was a career highlight for me. Huge thanks to our crew of Ed, Bruce, David & Tom for making

#169. Ben Doerr is living the dream in the Pacific Northwest. A thirty-something husband, father & sailor, Ben didn’t wait until retirement to chase his dreams. He recently refit a classic John Alden-designed Pearson Countess ketch, and sails her out of Bainbridge Island, off the coast near Seattle, running day-trips and longer adventure charters along that beautiful coastline. Ben & I hit it off immediately, and chatted at length about his sailing career, life as a dad, his ‘real’ career as a musician, building and running a sailing business, & lots more. Sail offshore on Andy & Mia's Swan 48 Isbjorn. Visit 59-north.com/offshore for the full passage calendar, including passages in the Arctic in 2018.

#168 is Matt Rutherford, recycled. We’re trying something new today. Or rather, something old. This week’s show is a rerun. A few episodes ago I hinted at publishing new episodes three times per month. I decided recently to fill that extra week with an old show, the idea being that some of our new listeners may not yet have ‘binged’ through the back catalog and caught up! So I’m going to recycle some of my old favorites and some of the ‘classics’, record a new intro, put them in the ‘On the Wind’ format and publish them in the ‘off’ weeks. So in effect, we’re now publishing weekly, save for a few holiday breaks here and there. It’ll be very obvious in your podcast feed when it’s a recycled episode. Our first recycled episode features the very first conversation I ever recorded with Matt Rutherford, from way back in 2011. Makes me realize how long I’ve been doing this! This is cool because it was recorded before Matt was ‘Matt Rutherford,’ the famous explorer who became the first and only person to sail solo a

#167 is Ryan Breymaier, solo sailor, family man and absolute badass! Ryan is one of the few American sailors into short-handed ocean racing & won the double-handed New York to Barcelona race as co-skipper of Hugo Boss (a story Chris Museler told way back on episode #30). Ryan was in France when I spoke to him, working with Team Safran on preparing for the next Vendee Globe. We talked about his early years racing at St. Mary’s, how he got to France, what sailing on a 100-foot trimaran is like, and how to manages to balance his lifestyle with his young family. Want to go ocean sailing yourself? Join Andy & Mia on an offshore passage expedition aboard 'Isbjorn', their Swan 48. Full calendar on 59-north.com/offshore.