Jack Trigger set for Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe
by Chris Marchington 20 Oct 2018 15:26 BST
4 November 2018
Jack Trigger set for the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe © Joe Watson / Trigger Racing
Rising UK yachting star Jack is having a very impressive summer. Sailing his Class 40 yacht Concise (very much the F1 of the seas) he won The Royal Ocean Racing Club Class with three firsts and two seconds. The biggest ordeal is yet to come, the transatlantic Route du Rhum from France to The West Indies, in November, and dominated by the French.
As Jack explains, he's taking nothing for granted:
"It's been nip and tuck all summer. I have had to learn fast to keep up with these guys, who are a great bunch, on and off the water. I would like to think I've been improving over the season, so I am optimistic, but one slip-up in this field, and I could be an also-ran or worse."
The 'or worse' sounds alarming: when asked about the possibility of a 'Did Not Finish' Jack points out that Concise nearly came unstuck in the recent Round Britain race.
"Conditions in The North Sea off Lowestoft were really hairy and we broke the forestay, one of the main wires holding up the mast. To have got that far, and then have to retire, would have been a major kick in the teeth, to put it mildly ! We got lucky, fixed the damage, the mast stayed up, and we made it home, in second place". With characteristic modesty, he does not mention the fact that he and his crew still broke the existing record, even though they had to take it easy down the last leg.
He's also gaining recognition away from the water. A Type 1 Diabetic, Jack has just been appointed an ambassador by the charity Diabetes UK:
"The appointment means a lot to me. I want anyone with the condition, especially teenagers, to realise that diabetes should not rule their lives. If my story can be used to show that it's just a condition to manage, that's great. I have learnt to use it, to be in tune with my body and monitor my performance even more closely. Especially if it's a rough night and I am being bounced around inside a Class 40 I need to watch my fitness and work levels, concentration, and all-round energy. If I didn't catch myself 'drifting off' at what could be the start of a diabetic episode, I'd be in trouble!"
With a very mature head on young shoulders (he's still only 24) and ice-cold racing nerve, Jack has the temperament and ability to go far. Though the next obstacle is the Atlantic in November, he's already planning ahead to the awesome Vendee Globe Challenge, the non-stop, single-handed round the world race in 2020. The Route du Rhum starts on November 4th – hopefully it will mark the next step in a glittering career.