#clipperrace –  Ever wondered what it takes to take charge of a crew in one of the world's most challenging ocean yacht races? With the Clipper Round the World Race nearing the final few stages before the crews race to the finish line in London in July, we ask Jan Ridd, skipper of Team Garmin, what it takes to inspire a group of 50 plus men and women from all walks of life and find out more about his involvement and history with this iconic racing event.
Q: What makes a good Clipper Round the World Race skipper?
The role of round the world skipper requires a very specific and varied skill set. Obviously sailing skills are essential but knowing when and at what level to push the boat and the crew without compromising safety is the key sailing skill. People management is a key skill and being able to vary your approach and leadership style to get the best from individual crew members, but I feel the most important quality a race skipper need is resilience. The emotional highs and lows of yacht racing will mentally wear you out; the crew will draw on your emotional strength which in itself can be challenging. You must realize that however tired, low or upset you are, you must put on your professional face and deal with running the boat.
Q: How and when did you first get involved in sailing?
I came in to sailing late in my life. I owned a small motor boat and decided to go to the local college for evening class to gain the RYA Day Skipper Course theory part. At the course I met a good group who had booked the follow up practical course and asked me if would like to join them. After a great week sailing in the West Country I was hooked! My life circumstances drastically changed with a divorce and I decided to sell up and move to Cowes and studied at the United Kingdom Sailing Academy to gain my professional sailing qualifications. After a couple of seasons jumping on and off any yacht I could get on, I applied to the Clipper Race to be a skipper on a fleet of 38ft yachts they used to operate in the Solent for corporate hospitality. This was back in 2001 and was the start of my relationship with the Clipper Race. When the 68s were delivered in 2005 I got involved in the training of the race crew, firstly as a mate, and later as a training skipper. The Clipper Race asked me to apply to be a race skipper in the 2007/08 race but I felt I was not ready so waited until the 2009/10 race.
Q: You have been involved in training in the Clipper Round the World Race since 2005 and skippered in the 2009-10. What do you think you learnt from that race and how has it helped you so far in the 2013-14 Race?
Stepping on the Clipper 70 in Singapore for the first time was a very daunting task, especially with a crew I did not know. I must admit having the experience of doing the race before made the adjustment a lot easier. The biggest lesson I learnt in the 2009/10 race is not to let the little setbacks upset you too much, accept that you cannot control everything, learn to pace yourself and know when to push yourself to attain the best boat result.
Q: 80% of the men and women taking part in the Clipper Round the World Race are inexperienced when they sign up for what is probably the most thrilling experience of their lives. It must be a huge challenge to prepare them for a race such as this. Tell us a little about what kind of training they have to go through before the race and any particular characteristics they should have to succeed in a race such as this?
The basic training involves three intensive weeks on board the yachts. Level one is their first introduction to big boat sailing with a big emphasis on safety. Level two training is a little bit more involved where the more evolved evolutions are taught, as well as basic race tactics. Level three training is the final part of the program where the crew is placed on their race boat with their skipper and involves several races to simulate the pressures of the race. This is a key part of the training and allows the skipper and crew to get to know each other and their boat.
Q: How do you keep your crew motivated when things aren't looking so great?
This is probably the hardest part of the job and I always find honesty is the best policy. By being open and frank about the situation and discussing the best thing we can do as a team to improve can turn most negatives into a positive. It is not a mistake if you learn from it.
Q: Do you have a favourite leg of the Race?
I was a little upset that I missed the South Atlantic and the Indian and Southern ocean crossings as the Clipper 70 definitely comes alive when it is sailing downwind. I would have loved the chance to have got the boat on a fast surf as I am sure they are capable of hitting 30+ knots. Although these legs can be very uncomfortable, they do provide the strong winds and the large seas required to get these boats surfing.
Q: Garmin has supplied each of the twelve participating boats with identical marine electronics specifically designed for ocean going racing yachts. How has this technology helped Team Garmin specifically and is there a particular product that has been invaluable to you during the Race so far?
I find the instruments very easy to use with a clear menu to adjust the display and a great range of preprogrammed settings which allow me to access all information from any of the displays on the boat. The most used item on the boat is the GPS chartplotter. Although we do not have any of the charts loaded as we use a separate marine PC for navigation, the chartplotter has so many versatile functions, it can be set up to display anything you require. I particularly rely on the graph function which records the wind strength over a set period (4 hours) allowing me to see the trend and decide the best time to make any tactical choices.