Western alum Scott Shawyer eyes
Western alumnus Scott Shawyer is training for the 2028 Vendée Globe, aiming to be the first Canadian to finish the solo, non-stop race around the world.
Scott Shawyer, BA’94, BESc’96, decided to try the Vendée Globe after watching the 2020 start online during the pandemic. The race is a solo, non-stop sail around the world with no stops or outside help, and finishing takes roughly 80 days. He aims to become the first Canadian to complete it.
Canada’s record in the race is thin. Gerry Roufs attempted it in 1996 and never came home, and Derek Hatfield retired after a knockdown in the Southern Ocean. Shawyer is more than halfway to the 2028 start. He has learned to foil on carbon fibre boats that reach speeds up to forty knots, and he taught himself meteorology. He says his engineering training helps with the constant trade-offs in sail trim, ballast and keel angle.
His preparation includes a mental performance coach and a man who rowed from Hawaii to Australia. He is learning to sleep in short cycles.
His team, Canada Ocean Racing, also carries a Be Water Positive message on its boat, calling for technology that returns water to a higher quality than it was taken.
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