British skipper Lloyd Davey lives in Mérillac, Brittany where he has been self-building his 42 foot Warwick Buckley sloop. As the launch date of his boat finally approaches Lloyd started wondering if an event existed that would allow a skipper like him, on a limited budget and with a boat like his, to take on the challenge of a single-handed circumnavigation by the three great capes. About a month ago he discovered the Global Solo Challenge and he promptly decided to enter. Organisers are thrilled to be announcing the 33rd entry, the 4th from Britain with still 2 years to go till the start. The inclusive format of the event is attracting a wide range of skippers with different boat types of different styles, from outright cruisers to ultimate racers, leaving great freedom of choice of the preferred boat to take on the ultimate challenge and adventure and dream for many: sailing single-handed, non-stop, around the world.
Interview
Where does your passion for sailing come from?
Before I got into sailing boats I was very much into windsurfing and just loved being out on the water especially once I’d learnt how to deal with the tougher conditions. Then one day a good mate of mine invited me out for the day on his little cruising boat, up till then I didn’t really think I would take to it, but as it turned out despite the grey February day I was hooked.
What lessons have you learnt from sailing?
Probably never underestimate the forces that you will ultimately find yourself in and make sure you’re well enough prepared to deal with them.
What brought you to like single-handed sailing?
I think it probably started with my avid reading of the exploits of the single-handers from Joshua Slocum on. I have a particular fascination with the story of the original Golden Globe race because it was a human story with lessons to be learned as much as a great adventure story which it truly was. For me, trying my hand at single-handed sailing was something of an experiment to understand what it was really like and if, in fact, I could deal with the solitude while being skipper and crew.
What prompted you to sign up for this event?
Well, I’m (finally) coming to the end of a build project I started 20 years ago and believe it or not had been thinking for the last couple of years how great it would be if someone organised a race around the world for people like me with limited experience and finance and a boat they built themselves. Then only about a month ago, I read to my amazement there actually was such a race so decided to sign up.
How do you plan to prepare for this event?
The first step is to get the boat launched next spring and then get as much sailing in as possible while working to keep the money rolling in. Apart from that, it’s about staying fit and doing a lot of reading and research.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
For the moment just getting to the start line and ultimately dealing with the stress and fatigue at sea.
Tell us about your boat or the boat you would like to have.
My Boat Taqua II will be launched in spring 2022 after 20 years in the making. She’s a 13m/42ft fast cruising boat designed by Warwick Buckley of Buckley yacht design, built of epoxy strip plank with a 2.4m draft and fractional rig.
Do you intend to link this personal challenge with a social message?
I may well do.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Yes, if there are any companies or individuals out there who might be interested in a low-budget sponsorship/publicity deal I’d be very interested to hear from them.
Sailing experience
12000 miles, 1200miles solo, Atlantic crossing, and delivery trips. Mostly the experience of sailing the first Taqua a 25ft Tomahawk from the Medway down to Gibraltar single-handed and then crewed across the Atlantic via Madeira, the Canaries, and Cape Verde.
About the boat
Name of the boat: Taqua II
Boat design: B42 (Warwick Buckley)
Sail number: TBA
Year built: 2022
LOA: 42ft
Group: TBA
Displacement: 8000kgs
Upwind sail area: 88m2
Downwind sail area: 163m2
Image: B42 (42ft Warwick Buckley Design)
Text and image courtesy of Global Solo Challenge