In this episode we catch up with Ian Thomson, organiser of the 6,350nm Around Australia Yacht Race. Its set to start in August 2017 with competitors sailing out of Sydney and this will be the first event held, since Sir Peter Blake won it sailing his catamaran around Australia in 1988. Ian is the current solo sailing mono-hull record holder, after circumnavigating Australia in 2012. From Ian’s live aboard yacht in the marina at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, we delve into what’s driven him to organise the 2017 race and find out more about the Ocean Crusaders; an organisation that Ian founded that has taken its ocean preservation education program into 18,000 schools so far. Visit Ocean Sailing Podcast for offshore sailing opportunities and podcast extras and follow us on Facebook.        

Ian Thomson: mono-hull record holder for circumnavigating Australia

Capturing and sharing ocean sailing stories and adventures. The Ocean Sailing Podcast site is designed for people who love to cruise, race or explore the worlds oceans. Its also for those yet to experience the joy of sailing and those no longer able to cast off their dock lines and head for the open sea. Join now and subscribe free to our podcast episodes

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In this episode we share the webinar recording with David Hows, Skipper and Founder of Ocean Sailing Expeditions, where he covers: - Details on the upcoming 15-leg Australian Circumnavigation in 2026-27 and why its bigger, better and more exciting than the previous event in 2023 - A sneak peek at the new sailing destinations, that haven't been released yet - Information about the new racing events on the sailing calendar - Insights into the challenges of expanding our fleet from two, to four yachts in 2024 and all of the challenges and costs that come with that and the expanded team of 20 people required to make it all work - Exclusive access to our brand new End of Financial Year "Sailing Adventure Auction," where 30 selected sailing events (valued at up to $14,750) will be auctioned off to podcast subscribers with a $1 reserve (held on 8-9 June 2024 AEST) - Special discounts on over 30 events available only to webinar attendees / podcast listeners   Find out more at: https://oceansailingexpeditions.com   

$1 Reserve Sailing Auction / Ocean Sailing Expeditions update with David Hows

Skippers David Hows and Matt Harvey catch up to review their 2-yacht circumnavigation of Australia in 2023. With 8,500nm covered in just 4 months, they share the highs and lows of covering the 7th largest coastline in the world. The event was spread over 5 legs and 102 crew in total, across the two 72-foot yachts; Silver Fern and Salt Lines, including 3 circumnavigators that completed all 5 legs. With 4,600 meals prepared, it was a planning exercise of military proportions. With engine failures, crocodiles, storms and boat fatigue to deal with, sailing some sections of this vast country are not for the faint hearted. The stunning Great Barrier Reef, North Queensland islands and reefs, Cape York, Thursday Island, the Kimberley’s, 9 metre tides in Broome, the Montebello Island Group, the Great Australian Bight and the wilderness of Tasmania, there is just so much thats remote and incredible to explore. David announces the launch of the next edition of this great event which kicks off in March 2026, with a plan to take 4 yachts, 15 legs and 13 months to circumnavigate Australia next time. With 75% of the time spent exploring and ashore next time, we'll go even deeper into remote Australia. It just gets better. Find out more and join the crew:  https://oceansailingexpeditions.com/australian-circumnavigation-2026 Save an extra $1,000 on any leg/s you register for as crew, if you use the podcast listeners promo code: AC26.

Matt Harvey / David Hows - Australian Circumnavigation Review: 8,500nm in 4 months

Sharon was a teenager heading for trouble when she discovered sailing. Starting in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, Sharon watched Maiden race around the world with an incredible international team of women. They inspired her with the determination and belief that if they could do it, then maybe with a lot of hard work and determination, so could she. Every opportunity to sail was taken. Sharon discovered her passion, the need for camaraderie, the endless adventure seeking and new challenges to overcome.  She wanted to race around the world, but the opportunity to compete in the Europe Class at the Olympic Games came first as the age of 22. At the 1996 Atlanta games, she finished 5th and competed again in Athens in 2004, placing 7th in the Yngling yacht. She has raced around the world 3 times, logging more than 107,000 offshore miles. The first was as part of Tracy Edwards’ first all-female crew, to attempt the Jules Verne non-stop round the world record. She then joined the crew of Amer Sports Too, in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2001/02. Sharon has won sailing titles in multiple classes and holds 5 world speed records. A country girl at heart, she has been an inspiration to many, a great leader and passionate coach. Join Sharon's race crew in 2024 & 2025: https://oceansailingexpeditions.com/racewithsharon 

Sharon Ferris-Choat: From troubled student to Olympian, Volvo Ocean Race, Jules Vern and Extreme Cats

David Hows catches up with Jon Bilger to talk about a long list of innovations and new features at PredictWind. As an Olympic and America’s Cup sailor, Jon is one of the sailing world’s, cool geeks. Very few people have competed at the level Jon has, and possess the ability to turn their knowledge into tech tools that any sailor can use. PredictWind is the global leader in weather forecasting for sailors and its used by both top racers and everyday cruisers alike. As a user of PredictWind for almost a decade, I have found it perfect for my departure planning and weather routing at sea. Having crossed the Tasman 18-times and sailed to increasingly higher latitudes, having good forecasts helps me stay out of trouble. The advent of faster download speeds with Iridium Go Exec and Starlink, along with the new PredictWind Data Hub has made PredictWind even more valuable to use. I don’t normally plug products, but this technology is must have for safety, so here are some extra resources to help you research it further; Features Weather Routing - https://www.predictwind.com/features/weather-routing Departure Planning - https://www.predictwind.com/features/departure-planning AIS Data - https://www.predictwind.com/features/ais-data GPS tracking - https://www.predictwind.com/gps-tracking   Products Iridium GO - https://www.predictwind.com/iridium-go Iridium GO exec - https://www.predictwind.com/iridium-go-exec Starlink - https://www.predictwind.com/starlink DataHub - https://www.predictwind.com/datahub

Jon Bilger - Predicting the Wind

In this episode David Hows and Matt Harvey share their advice and highlights from cruising the stunning Yasawa Islands in Fiji over the past 2 winters. They share tips on getting there, provisioning, repairs and maintenance in remote locations, navigation and weather. From sailing to swimming, snorkelling, underwater caves, untouched, white sand beaches, delicious local cuisine, incredible sea life and the beautiful Fijian people and their rich culture - this destination is a “must do” for cruising sailors and those planning a sailing holiday to a unique destination.   Find out more: about sailing in Fiji  

Ian Thomson: mono-hull record holder for circumnavigating Australia

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