CONNECTOR chats to Sam Davies, Skipper of the all women team SCA in the Volvo Ocean Race, from Portsmouth, UK.
Describe a typical day.
A typical day is not actually a day, as we work day and night. There are things we do every day and we try and maintain a routine. We run a watch so we basically live on a 4 hour rotation, on for 4 hours, off for 4 hours. When you are on watch, you are racing so there is no time for meals or breaks. When you are off watch you need to try and rest, eat and prepare your gear for the next watch, as well as housekeeping on the boat. As a skipper I work closely with the navigator on issues such as weather and routings, so I am not necessarily on deck all the time during my watch. I make sure I have the right people in the right place on deck and spend at least an hour on the navigation planning. Even where we sleep is a tactical issue, we have to plan where to sleep or rest to keep the boat balanced.
How did you get into this profession?
One of my grandfathers was a submarine commander and the other raced motorboats, so both sides had a passion for boats. When I was one my parents bought a sailing cruiser and we sailed every weekend and holidays for fun. When I was 15, Tracey Edwards was the foremost female sailor taking on the men in the world’s most challenging races. I wore my parents’ video player out re-playing clips from the race over and over again. I was interested in boats and how they worked. I studied maths and then got an engineering degree - my dream job was to be a racing yacht designer.
I did work experience with a yacht designer and met a lot of professional sailors which got me thinking about making a living out of racing. Tracey Edwards knocked on my door when she was putting together an all-female crew to try and break the round the world record. I missed my graduation because I was sailing across the Atlantic as a try out for the crew and I got the job!
What drives you?
I have always had that competitive edge, even when we were cruising and not racing my dad always wanted to get in first. It comes a little from your genes and a little from your upbringing.
I don’t feel as an all women crew that we have anything to prove, we hope to inspire other women, but women have been sailing and wining for long enough that the point has already been made.
What is the best thing about your job?
It’s hard to find bad things about it. I describe it as when you wake up, you can’t wait to go and do your job whether it’s sailing, training or going to the gym, it’s all about improving your performance. I always look forward to going to work. This is more than a job, it’s a way of life, though it is how I earn a living, but the day it becomes routine or I don’t look forward to getting out there, I will go and get a real job!
What is the worst thing about your job?
Things I find difficult, I take as a challenge. Being a skipper rather than sailing single-handed means I have to manage people. The pressure of the competition can mean that amongst any crew small problems can become large ones if they are not managed well.
The sleep deprivation is hard; you rarely get 4 hours sleep at a time. Eating freeze dried food is not great either, but we put up with these things because we want to win, so you accept that being wet and cold and dirty is part of the deal. Mind you, because our sponsor SCA makes wipes and paper products we are probably the cleanest crew of the fleet!
I dream of a hot shower and fresh water. I miss my family; I have a 3 year old son, but I appreciate that it is even harder for them as I am out doing what I love. My son understands, as it has always been the way we live. I hope I can inspire other young mums to realise that you can have children and follow your passion as long as you have great support. It is great for my partner and son as we get to discover new places all the time, as they meet me on stopovers. We might have not thought about coming to Abu Dhabi for example, but now my son has seen the desert and met a camel.
What has been a stand-out moment in your career?
Finishing 4th in the Vendee Globe race which is the toughest single-handed round the world race. Just competing was a standout moment, but doing so well made it even better. It took 95 days and it was the hardest thing I have ever done.
What advice do you have for any young woman looking to get into your field?
Your education is really important; don’t drop education to follow your passion. The opportunities I got came from the fact that I had an engineering degree. You need to believe that these things are possible. We are just normal people at the end of the day, we come from normal backgrounds. It’s not magic, it’s all about hard work and wanting to do something so badly that you are willing to make sacrifices.
How do you overcome fear and danger?
You learn that your body is capable of way more than you think. When I de-masted in the Route du Rhum race, I learned that when it comes to a crisis trust that you can manage it. You don’t have time to think, so all your experience and knowledge kicks in to keep you going. I am not afraid of being afraid, we train to handle situations and I put my trust in that training. We have done all the safety courses and we have the best gear - it’s all in the preparation.
How do you manage a work-life balance?
We don’t lead a very balanced life. As a crew, we are all at different stages of life; the girls who don’t have children accept the fact that outside of the boat our priorities are different. They are all great about that. I think it does help to have my son; he makes me switch off from work and helps me keep balanced.
What is your motto?
You perform well if you are enjoying yourself.
About The Volvo Ocean Race
The Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s longest professional sporting event and leading offshore sailing competition. Seven teams have battled it out during the nine months of the race: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing from the UAE, Team Alvimedica, the US/Turkish youth challenge, Team Brunel, the Dutch campaign, Dongfeng Race Team, a Chinese entry, Team SCA, the all-female team, MAPFRE, the Spanish team and the Danish entry, Team Vestas Wind.
The race began in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race. In 2001 its new owners rebranded it as the Volvo Ocean Race. The 2014-15 edition will be the 12th edition of the 41-year-old event.
The boats have become faster, the crews more professional and the technology, particularly in terms of communications, has evolved enormously. But the beauty of the Volvo Ocean Race is that it is still a very human challenge and a battle with nature.
For weeks at a time, the sailors are forced to contend with conditions ranging from freezing cold to searing heat, while waves constantly slam the boat and an incessant noise drills its way into their ears.
All the while, they are under relentless pressure to perform at their peak and gain fractional advantages that can prove all important at the end of each leg.
Legs, points and stopovers
The race has always been run in legs and in 2014-15 there is nine of them, with the boats covering 71,745 km, crossing four oceans and visiting 11 countries in five continents: Spain, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, Brazil, United States, Portugal, France, The Netherlands and Sweden. The event consists of nine offshore legs and 10 in-port races.
A new boat
For the next two editions of the race, teams will sail a new boat class, the one design Volvo Ocean 65. One design means that all the boats are built identically and cannot be modified in any way by the teams.
The crews
The crew size is eight plus one non-sailing multimedia reporter. All-women’s teams are allowed three extra crew which makes up for their lighter weights. One of the great highlights for 2014-15 is the appearance of the first all-female team in over a decade.
Life onboard a Volvo Ocean 65 is as extreme as it gets. Unbearable temperatures, hostile weather and rough sailing conditions, constant dampness, sleep deprivation, one pair of clothes, restricted communications with the outside world and sustained competitiveness accompany the sailors for up to 25 days at a time.
The reward
There is no financial reward for winning the 38,739 nautical-mile race, yet no set of sailing honours can be complete without victory in the Volvo Ocean Race.
The race finished at 11.00 UTC on the 22nd of June. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has won the overall titlewhile team Alvimedica won the last leg. The girls from team SCA place 6th out of 7, having won leg 8. Read all about the race at www.volvooceanrace.com