On the Wind Sailing

#263. Øyvind Vedvik is the Sailing Category Managing Director at Helly Hansen, who have been a longtime supporter of 59 North. Øyvind grew up sailing in the fjords of Norway and along the Scandinavian coastlines and has had a passion for the sport since his early days. He invited Mia & I to sail ISBJORN up to their annual sales meeting last April and we had a chance to talk to him about his personal sailing career and his time developing sailing gear at Helly Hansen. On the Wind is presented by Costa Sunglasses And also supported by Buldano Towels, and Offshore Passage Opportunitiess

#262. Pawel Motawa is one of the first guests I ever interviewed WAY back in my 'Two Inspired Guys' days in 2012. Then, he had just completed the ARC rally in St. Lucia, and I was drawn to his bright yellow steel sloop MALAIKA, with it's proud Polish flag flying, and thought there had to be a story here. When Mia & I sailed ISBJORN into Las Palmas in January, there was MALAIKA again, on the pontoon just a few slips down from us. Pawel immediately said hello and we reconnected for another chat in the saloon of his lovely boat. On the Wind is presented by Costa Sunglasses And also supported by Buldano Towels, and Offshore Passage Opportunities

#261. Gerard Dykstra is one of the world's iconic yacht designers. He's most notable to me as the designer of the Bestevaer 53, by far my favorite of all the aluminum expedition yachts which are now so popular. And he designed the first one for himself as a very simple, robust personal cruising yacht. He's also designed some of the most iconic superyachts like the Panamax ketch HETAIROS and the infamous MALTESE FALCON. Not to mention a few tall ships to boot. I first met Gerard in Isafjordur, Iceland and later talked to him on Skype about his career as a sailor first, then as a designer. 

BONUS: Andy & Mia discuss the first six weeks onboard ICEBEAR for this week's episode of How I Think About Sailing. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

#260. Mark Jablow is a sailor and former Air Force B1 Bomber 'RIO' - that's Radar Intercept Officer (think Goose from Top Gun, the guy who sits in the back seat). Mark sailed with us on ISBJORN last summer from Ireland down to Portugal and we immediately made a connection. Put it this way - Mark is still active duty Air Force, and if I had met someone of his caliber when I was young, I may just have joined the forces. Mark & I discussed his Air Force and sailing career, and dove into some technical stuff about radar & systems onboard boats at sea, how he handles fear and stress, and more.

#259. Alex & Brady are the other half of SV Delos. After meeting them for the first time up in Svalbard, Mia & I reunited with the whole Delos crew in Antigua after our Atlantic crossing on ISBJORN. We spent 3 weeks chillin' on the beach and hanging out in shorts! While Brian & Kazza were off on their honeymoon in New York City, Mia & I recorded a long meandering chat with Brady & Alex aboard Delos about their side of the Delos story.

#258 David Hows is the host of the Ocean Sailing Podcast. He sails his own Beneteau 44.5 “Ocean Gem” and has raced it extensively between Australia and New Zealand. He has now crossed the Tasman Sea three times, two of those single-handed. David interviewed Andy for his podcast - they spoke of the podcasting business, filming and photography, and the anxiety that comes with running a boat offshore.

#255. Alvah Simon is best known for his extraorindary voyage to the Arctic that he documented in 'North to the Night,' a highly philosophical, almost spiritual book about his over-wintering in the Canadian Arctic, alone, on his steel sloop, the ROGER HENRY, frozen in the ice. Alvah and I of course discussed this adventure, but today's show really covers his whole career and touches heavily on his personal philosphy, not just with sailing, but life in general. Alvah is one of these rare humans who really seems to have it figured out. He's a sailor's sailor, happier at sea than ashore, and our conversation is filled with wonderful anecdotes and bits of advice he's learned through the years.

#256: August Sandberg is a young Norwegian sailor and filmmaker. After being inspired at a young age by the Norwegian sailing greats, he bought a boat with his friend and sailed it across the Atlantic and down to Panama. He now works as a teacher, professional filmmaker and sailor. Andy caught up with him at his home on the west coast of Norway. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities and Sun Powered Yachts.

#255: Oda Pedersen Taule is a 20-something Norwegian sailor who set out single-handed on her little sloop SNUPPA, bound for Australia. Self-taught at ocean sailing, Oda learned the hard way, getting badly beaten up on her first Bay of Biscay crossing, even needing to call the coast guard for help, and tearfully sharing some emotional moments with the crew who came to her rescue. The experience didn't discourage her though - on the contrary. Oda & I met in Bergen in December to record the podcast in person, and despite her youth, I discovered that Oda is wise beyond her years and can teach us all a lot about patience, perseverance, and the passion to follow your dreams. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities and Sun Powered Yachts.