Sailor in the Spotlight Interview - Steve White

How does one go from working on classic cars to becoming a world-class ocean racer in under a decade? If Steve White from the UK is any indication, you do it with a combination of hard work, sacrifice, and a truck load of gumption. Steve attracted the attention of the world in May, when he brought his self-funded open 60 sailboat across the line of the Artemis Transat, qualifying for the Vendée Globe.

 

In what Steve himself describes as an under-funded, under-prepared project, he brought his boat Spirit of Weymouth across the pond and into the hearts of dreamers around the globe. On a shoestring budget, he's made it to the big league, and proven once again that an 'average bloke' with a dream is a force to be reckoned with.

 

While the other competitors are busily training full time, Steve's scrambling to make the loot he needs to start the Vendée, bring Spirit of Weymouth up to par with the other older open 60's, and make ends meet for his wife, Kim, and their four children. He's been working in boat yards, taking out corporate charters, and looking for sponsors. That, along with working on Spirit, leaves little time for practice, or even sleep. The exhausted but amazingly upbeat Steve White is our latest Sailor in the Spotlight.

 

We caught up with Steve on board Spirit of Weymouth, in the Solent.

 

YP: Were you a weekend sailor before you decided to go professional?

SW: Well, I was only a weekend sailor in order to become a professional. After less than 500 sailing miles on my own boat, I did a trip 'round the Fastnet Rock in February - not the Fastnet Race, just a trip as a paying guest - and when I got back, I stood on the dock and said “That's it. I want to sail for a living, and I want to do the Vendée Globe.”

 

 

YP: What were you doing for a living at the time?

SW: I was restoring classic cars. The first thing I did was I drove back to Sherborne, and handed in my notice at my job there - [laughing] which was probably rather rash - and went to work in a boatyard.

There's only one way to do things, isn't there? You either do them or not, really. If you want to do something you've got to make it happen. As time has gone by, I've realized more and more that's what you've got to do. You've got to sometimes go to what people might consider to be extremes. But if you basically just bite the bullet, take the plunge - whatever - do it yourself, and just do it, and everything else usually, hopefully, falls into place around you.

 

 

YP: Speaking of everything falling into place, I understand you're basically self funded, which I imagine is a fairly large financial risk. Is that true?

 

SW: It's a very large financial risk. We do have some sponsorship, but it's a fraction of a percentage of what all the other campaigns run on. We're certainly the only people that own our boat with a bank loan. We haven't just got sponsorship and then gone out and bought a boat. The opportunity came along to buy a boat, and we had a friendly bank manager at the time, and with a bit of help from friends, everything fell into place.

It's not necessarily the ideal way to do it, because yes, you've got the vehicle, but you've saddled yourself with a crippling debt and a need to make the boat work in order to service the debt. So, I love the boat to bits, but it's a blessing and a curse really. The bank loan's a curse and the boat's a blessing.

 

 

YP: Do you think you babied your boat more during the Transat than the people who have their boats paid for by someone else?

SW: No, not at all. Some of the campaigns can afford to break things, some of them can't. The boats are fragile to an extent, and fragile if abused. See, you have to be very very careful that you know when to stop pushing. That's as much of a skill as knowing how to push.

The problem we had is that the rigging is very much past its sell-by date, and of indeterminate history. Going up wind in big seas puts massive, massive strain on the rig. What we wanted to avoid doing was being dismasted.

 

 

YP: I'd imagine so. So, looking ahead, who are you watching out for in the Vendée? Who do you think your main competition is?

SW: My main competition is the people in the older generation boats. I think Sam's really got a lovely campaign. She's got the best of that generation of boats, and she's very good - she's got a lot of experience and she could well win 'Division 2' [the older boats' unofficial class]. I mean she'd be my hot tip to win division 2, so she'd be my biggest rival, I suppose. Although she might not consider me the same! [laughing]

And I think, regarding the Transat - I mean I don't know Loick very well, but he's just a very, very nice person, and I was really glad he won!

 

 

YP: Isn't that amazing - the camaraderie at this level of competition?

SW: Absolutely. When I came in [on the Transat], there was Dee and the Aviva crowd, and there was Sam and all of her crowd, and lots of other people as well. 1:00 in the morning, or whatever silly time it was, some of them having not had very much sleep anyway, and they were still all there to say hello, and bring bags of food and champagne. I thought it would be my Dad, and that would be it. So I was really surprised and quite touched when there were so many people there.

If you want to borrow something, or want some advice or want some help, they're always there to lend a hand. Everybody is very, very competitive on the water, but you never know - you're so far away from help if you have a problem - but that one of your competitors finishes up saving your life. Of course, thats not necessarily the reason to be friendly - they are, all of them that I've come across, just very very warm and friendly people. There's no 'sides' - there's nothing to hide. They all know what they're made of, and none of them have got very much to prove. That just makes for decent people, I think.

 

 

YP: So, what do you think your biggest challenge is going to be for the Vendée?

SW: Well, I hope the race is going to be everything I want it to be, and that will be, of course, challenging. I mean there's no point in doing it if it's that easy. But at the moment, from where I am sitting, the most difficult thing is raising the sponsorship money to get us to the start line.

 

 

YP: I understand, and we're all wishing you the best of luck on that front. Last thing, 'cause I know you have to get back to the helm: What advice would you give other “regular people” who want to start ocean racing?

SW: Get some miles, so you can be really happy to be on a boat - in order for it to be very natural for you. Then when you think you've got to the right level, then just um... do it! An opportunity will come along if you look hard enough.

Don't worry about your 57 pence, or you've got to go to tea with somebody on Tuesday or something like that - just forget everything, and do it. Everything else will just sort out.

 

 

- Kim Hampton for YachtPals

 

Steve White Video: Steve White of White Ocean Racing describes how he became a professional sailor.

Submitted By YachtPals on 22 Jun

Steve White, Spirit of Weymouth, Vendee Globe, sailor Steve White, Steve White sailor, sailing, yachts, yachting, White, Steve, Spirit of Weymouth

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