Irish sailor sets off for France to begin solo round-the-world race

In an Irish first, Galway businessman and sailor Enda O'Coineen leaves Dublin Port on Monday night for France to compete in the Vendée Globe solo round-the-world yacht race.

Hundreds of local schoolchildren eager to ask questions about sharks, boats and sailing, were on hand to wish the sailor and his boat, the Kilcullen Voyager, 'bon voyage' at Custom House Quay.

Mr O'Coineen (60), who made his fortune launching financial services and publishing companies in post-communist Czech Republic, says his entrepreneurial endeavours have given him a unique advantage in preparing for the non-stop 54,000km (29,000 nautical mile) journey.

“Although it is singlehanded, this is a team approach. This is the Formula One of the ocean,” said Mr O’Coineen, who has independently crossed the Atlantic in an inflatable dinghy twice. “The success of this event is about bringing together all of these business components. First of all, it’s raising the funds; it’s the marketing; it’s giving investors and sponsors value for their investment; it’s logistics; its organisation; it’s leaving nothing to chance,” he said.

“There is a massive similarity between running an organisation and running a team like this.”

Of the 29 skippers setting off in November from Les Sables d’Olonne on France’s Atlantic seaboard, about half of them are expected to drop out of the race, known as the Everest of the seas.

Nearly three times as old as the event’s youngest competitor, Mr O’Coineen says it is precisely his age that will keep him in the race. Older captains, he said, have years of sailing practice, as well as the mental capacity needed to successfully prepare and navigate the three great capes - Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn.

Mr O’Coineen, who started mucking about on boats after he was expelled from school at age 12, said while he hopes to just make it to the finish line without any outside assistance, his real goal is to connect youth to the water, to the environment and to adventure.

Vision

Working with the Atlantic Youth Trust as its founding president, the entrepreneur plans to build a tall ship, on which students from the entire island can learn the leadership, collaborative and practical skills needed to sail.

"The vision is that every young person in Ireland, no matter who they are or where they're from, will have an opportunity to try this sort of adventure on the ocean," Mr O'Coineen said.

Neil O'Hagan, chief executive of the Atlantic Youth Trust, urged the children present to follow the Kilcullen Voyager's journey on a purpose-built app, to learn more about the ocean and its inimitable challenges.

Mr O’Coineen added that fostering youth interest is not just a benefit to their own development, but is important to future environmental health, and a fundamentally good business decision.

“It makes total economic sense. It’s good business because there’s a huge amount of resources that’s untapped,” he said. “Secondly, it’s cultural: the abstract of the sea, the art, the beauty. Thirdly, it is the environment. This is a celebration of man and the elements, it’s a celebration of the environment.”

When he docks in France, Mr O’Coineen will lock down for three more weeks of preparation - mapping out weather systems, ensuring all technical systems on the boat are running smoothly and mentally preparing for isolation.

He then braves the open oceans and hopes to reach the finish line by next February.