With so many incredible offshore racing events on the go, we’ve been looking for inspiration from sailors who have their fair share of stories to tell. In this podcast, Shirley Robertson chats to offshore sailor, and story teller of note, Nick Moloney. Nick talks about his love of adventure as well as his passion for offshore racing, even after the harrowing experience of being washed overboard.
Where it all began
Nick began his professional sailing career with two America’s Cup campaigns in 1992 and 1995 alongside John Bertrand. At the Louis-Vuitton Cup in San Diego on 5 March 1995 the Australian boat One Australia sank during the fourth round.
He made his first round-the-world trip as a crew member on the American boat Toshiba a Volvo 60 competing in the 1997-98 Whitbread Round the World Race, which was project managed by America Cup legend Dennis Conner who also became skipper for the later part of the race.
In 1998, he became the first person to windsurf across the Bass Strait between mainland Australia and Tasmania in a time of 22 hours.
In 2001, he won the EDS Atlantic Challenge onboard the IMOCA 60, Kingfisher with Ellen MacArthur who skippered for the first three stages before Moloney himself took over skipper responsibilities. He later that year again on Kingfisher finished 3rd in the two person transatlantic race the Transat Jacques-Vabre.
In 2002 he was part of Bruno Peyron crew setting a new none stop round the world sailing record on the maxi catamaran Orange II. The time taken was 64 days 8 hours 37 minutes beating the previous record by more than a week and also claiming the Jules Verne Trophy.
In the 2004–2005 Vendée Globe he raced on the IMOCA 60, Skandia, which previously completed the race as Kingfisher with Ellen MacArthur. He struggled with various technical issues, when on 28 January 2005 after having completed the majority of the race, his keel fell off and he was forced to retire. He left the boat for repair in Brazil, then came back to pick up the boat several months later and unofficially completed the race course.
In 2020 at the age of 52 he announced he wanted to compete in proposed offshore mixed discipline at the 2024 Summer Olympics for Australia to be held in Marseille and was teaming up with high profile offshore navigator Adrienne Cahalan.
Listen to more:
Skip Novak – sailor and adventurer
