Nick Moloney joins Canada Ocean Racing as double-handed sailing partner for Transat Jacques Vabre
by Canada Ocean Racing 27 Sep 2023 18:49 BST
Nick Moloney joins Canada Ocean Racing as double-handed sailing partner for Transat Jacques Vabre © Canada Ocean Racing
Scott Shawyer, president, and skipper of Canada Ocean Racing, continues his journey towards becoming the first Canadian to finish the Vendée Globe by announcing Nick Moloney as his coach and double-handed sailing partner for the upcoming Transat Jacques Vabre.
With less than two months till the race start, Moloney, a three-times circumnavigator, returns to offshore sailing to stand alongside Shawyer in the upcoming 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre double handed offshore yacht race from France to Martinique which starts from the port of Le Harve on October 29th
No stranger to Transatlantic races, Moloney has sailed across the Atlantic 20 times and has raced around the world in three different sailing disciplines, establishing the fastest non-stop record in 2002 as part of the Maxi Catamaran Orange crew.
The solo non-stop 2004-2005 Vendée Globe became Moloney's most infamous and heart-wrenching race, ending in near-disaster when his keel fell off in the South Atlantic after 80 days alone at sea.
Shawyer says of the decision to bring Moloney into the team, "Nick has an extensive racing history and a lengthy list of achievements, and although sailing technology has come a long way since he last took part in a major race, Nick has a rare connection to the ocean and the elements that no computer can teach me. He is known for his ability to weather storms and cross finish lines. While our time together so far has been brief, we have a great connection and are confident in the balance of our collective strengths and weaknesses. I am excited for the journey ahead with Nick on our team!"
Moloney, also known for his adventurous side, knows what it takes to set and achieve impossible goals.
Moloney says, "Scott has set a bold ambition and the reality of what lies ahead is becoming clearer by the day. His aim to sail solo, to race for months at sea in the 2028 Vendee Globe, is something few people have considered, let alone done. I look forward to sharing my experience from my own Vendee Globe attempt as well as my further two around-the-world passages, to help Scott realise his dream of becoming a solo circumnavigator."
Offshore racing requires a commitment of the mind as well as the body. The unpredictable environment, worsening each year with the impacts of climate change, takes an enormous toll on even the strongest of athletes.
Moloney adds, "When you are down to your last drop of energy, desperate to keep moving forward, the motivation behind the goal enables you to give that little bit more. Since I retired from elite-level offshore yacht racing a few years ago, this is something that I have missed. I am looking forward to the vulnerability and exposure again. But it is Scott's goals that are now my motivation. His ambition inspires me, and my reward is ultimately his success."