Whitecap: The Canadian Sailing Podcast David Cripton

With me today is Gwenn Duval, member of Femina Ocean Challenge team who will be racing in the famed transatlantic Quebec a St Malo race in June 2024 
 
Gwenn is a masters student in Oceanography and has been sailing since she can remember.
She spent two years teaching sailing in the Mediterranean and Brittany, has a Yachtmaster Offshore certificate in England, did a transatlantic crossing from West to East in the middle of COVID, and is now one of 4 crew preparing for the Quebec a St Malo race in their class 40 Equinoxe
This episode is brought to you by North Sails.

Today we're previewing. The princess Sophia, Regatta, and Palmer Spain with me is Rob Hemming
Rob is a former member of the national team competing in the Finn class from 2012 until 2017 where he  rose to a top ranking of 30th in the world. 

He was also a coach at the 2020 olympics and most recently was the helmsman for Canada's entry into the star Sailor's league gold cup world championships in Spain. 
Outside of competing, Rob is also on the Sail Canada Board of Directors as an athlete Director

Fresh from their 8th place finish and OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION!!, Georgia and Antonia take us through their experience at the 49er Worlds in Lanzarote, Spain, including their emotional last day, coming 2nd in the medal race and capsizing right AFTER the finish line live on the broadcast. 

Today we're officially announcing the winner of the 2023 Whitecap Cup for diversity, equity and inclusion...Broad Reach Canada!
 
Based in Toronto, Their mission is to engage under represented youth in the development of knowledge, skills and social belonging through sailing, and 2023 was their 25th anniversary. 
 
On the podcast are Margeurite Pyron and Eliana Cai. 
 
Margeurite is the CEO of Broad Reach Canada and Eliana was a participant in the program in 2023. 
It was a great discussion.  We touched on growing the sport into new populations, working in the marine sector, tall ships and some great songs about sailing, including sea shanties!

Rolex Sailor of the year Melodie Schaffer raced her boat Whiskey Jack in the Globe 40, a 35,000-mile, eight-leg, double handed around the world race in in Class 40s. Seven teams took part in the 175-day event which started in Morocco and endd in France.
Overall, “Whiskey Jack”, Melodie and co-skippers: Gary Jacques, Mikael Ryking, Jeronimo Santos, Robert Phillips, Paul Stratfold and Tom Pierce, took 5th place, and set the overall speed record for the race with an average speed of 14.3kn, for a distance of 347 miles in 24 hours.
Through the race, she also faced storms and countless broaches,  over a dozen sails repairs, a spinnaker wrap that took 36 hours to clear in 25 knots and 5m waves, had a damaged rudder and two incidents of smoke in the cabin.  
In this wide ranging discussion we discussed her early days dinghy racing, getting the offshore bug later in life and a terrifying story of a run in with a modern day pirate ship.

Today Chris Watters (East coast singlehanded coach, Star Sailors league tactician) is back on the show to discuss the top 10 Canadian sailing stories of 2023.  From olympic hopefuls to offshore sailing, foiling and everything in between.  Another great year.
The stories were determined solely and entirely by host Dave Cripton.  If you think I've missed something please reach out!