Ella Williams, Grade 11
UWC Mostar
I have been sailing since I was 10 years old with my local sailing club, and I believe it is one of the most fascinating sports. The combination of athleticism and science that it takes to truly have control over your speed and direction and the constant communication between the helm (the person in control of the boat) and the crew (the person/people in charge of all the rest of the boat functions) makes this sport very challenging at times. The thrill of speeding across the water under the beautiful sun with the wind rushing past your skin is really like no other. I personally prefer double-handed dinghy sailing, where two people sail a smaller boat usually with two sails because it adds a social aspect of laughing and chatting with a friend.
For this reason, when I heard of the French sailor Christophe Auguin I was totally in awe of his achievements. He is the only sailor in the world to have won three single-handed sailing races around the globe. I can't imagine how freeing, yet also totally terrifying, it must be to venture out into the middle of the ocean alone, not being able to see anything but water. I was amazed when I discovered these crazy globe races existed and to find out that someone could not only enter, but win three times in a row was, and still is, completely crazy to me.
The first global race Mr Auguin won was the BOC Challenge in 1990-91; it took him 120 days. This race was inspired by the Golden Globe Race which was the original, non-stop, round the world sailing race. However, the BOC challenge is slightly different because it happens in 4 stages. After winning this race, Mr Auguin didn't stop there, he returned 4 years later (because this particular race runs every four years) to do the whole thing again. I think this really shows the nature of sailing, as this sailor's desire to do the whole thing again may seem crazy to some, but once you know the beauty and the adrenaline, there is nothing like it. So, in 1994, Christophe Auguin set off once again to race around the globe, alone in his boat. This time, he finished in 1995 after 121 days; 1 day longer than his previous record.
Even these two races were not enough for Mr Auguin, as the next year, 1996, he embarked on one last round the world race called the Vendee Globe. This race, unlike the BOC Challenge, is non-stop; even more of a challenge. This did not phase this incredible sailor, as in 1997 he completed the race, taking first place once again. He managed to complete it in just under 106 days, dropping 14 days from his previous record. That's two whole weeks faster!
Christophe Auguin is an idol of mine in the sailing world, not because I myself want to sail around the world alone, but because I am so in awe of the physical and mental courage it must have taken him to complete such a strenuous challenge. As a result of this, he is not only an inspiration for my sailing but also in my everyday life. I can only imagine the struggles he must have had controlling that boat on the stormy days and the frustration he must have felt on the days where there was just no wind, but he did not give up. Take a moment to imagine the tranquillity of the sun rising over the water every morning and the gorgeous orange reflection; that is what would have kept me going. Sometimes, when things in my life don't go to plan, I get up before the sun, head down to the beach and watch it rise, imagining I'm on that boat in the middle of the ocean.
For this reason, when I heard of the French sailor Christophe Auguin I was totally in awe of his achievements. He is the only sailor in the world to have won three single-handed sailing races around the globe. I can't imagine how freeing, yet also totally terrifying, it must be to venture out into the middle of the ocean alone, not being able to see anything but water. I was amazed when I discovered these crazy globe races existed and to find out that someone could not only enter, but win three times in a row was, and still is, completely crazy to me.
The first global race Mr Auguin won was the BOC Challenge in 1990-91; it took him 120 days. This race was inspired by the Golden Globe Race which was the original, non-stop, round the world sailing race. However, the BOC challenge is slightly different because it happens in 4 stages. After winning this race, Mr Auguin didn't stop there, he returned 4 years later (because this particular race runs every four years) to do the whole thing again. I think this really shows the nature of sailing, as this sailor's desire to do the whole thing again may seem crazy to some, but once you know the beauty and the adrenaline, there is nothing like it. So, in 1994, Christophe Auguin set off once again to race around the globe, alone in his boat. This time, he finished in 1995 after 121 days; 1 day longer than his previous record.
Even these two races were not enough for Mr Auguin, as the next year, 1996, he embarked on one last round the world race called the Vendee Globe. This race, unlike the BOC Challenge, is non-stop; even more of a challenge. This did not phase this incredible sailor, as in 1997 he completed the race, taking first place once again. He managed to complete it in just under 106 days, dropping 14 days from his previous record. That's two whole weeks faster!
Christophe Auguin is an idol of mine in the sailing world, not because I myself want to sail around the world alone, but because I am so in awe of the physical and mental courage it must have taken him to complete such a strenuous challenge. As a result of this, he is not only an inspiration for my sailing but also in my everyday life. I can only imagine the struggles he must have had controlling that boat on the stormy days and the frustration he must have felt on the days where there was just no wind, but he did not give up. Take a moment to imagine the tranquillity of the sun rising over the water every morning and the gorgeous orange reflection; that is what would have kept me going. Sometimes, when things in my life don't go to plan, I get up before the sun, head down to the beach and watch it rise, imagining I'm on that boat in the middle of the ocean.
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