Vendée Globe

Steve White passed Cape Horn this evening at around 2030hrs GMT, and while his race is far from over it is a remarkable achievement, the high point so far of a project which has beaten the odds in terms of finance, time and in many respects experience

"I  am so happy to be here, happy to have made, happy to all the troubles we had behind us, happy to have got here in one piece.” Said White tonight off Cape Horn, “When I was thinking about it before this was really just a mark of the course I was looking to get to as quickly as possible, but now I am here it is living up to its reputation. I have 43 knots of wind and have seen 58, but it has moderated a little. When you get to the shelf it was amazing. Just big vertical walls of water. You go up one and just smash straight back inot the back of the next one. And when I came to gybe it was the first time that I have gone done the full round up broaching straight upwind and having to let everything off to get the boat back on her feet.”

“And, yes, there is that ominous feeling, it is oppressive and lonely and you can’t help but reflect on all those square riggers years and years back. It must have been really incredibly miserable going past here on them, you kind of wonder if it was worth it for a ship load of tea-bags!”

“I guess you probably would feel short changed to be here if it was calm or easy, but I am certainly looking forward to getting round the corner into some flatter water and getting the foot down after them in front. That is the aim and I really want to catch them and I really think I can do it. With a bit of luck they’ll be caught in the Doldrums.”

White only started sailing by chance 14 years ago, and only then because he had a towbar on his car. A friend bought a 17 foot plywood Lysander centre-board pocket cruiser and Steve and his wife Kim were coerced to tow their friend’s pride and joy to the water. Of course a wheel bearing went on the trip and Steve’s mechanical skills saved the day.

They were quickly hooked and soon bought their own little 23 foot Robert Tucker designed Ballerina which Steve refitted to go anywhere.

“For me it was real case of kill or cure from the beginning, but Steve has loved it from the beginning.” Says Kim tonight, “Then we both did our RYA Day Skipper certificates with Bob Wilkins at Shelbourne School. Then we found out about the Challenge Business and Steve went with them, and then he looked after the kids whilst I went away with them.”

Nine years ago Steve then went to work with Pete Goss and helped on the re-fitting of Team Philips, helping out on deliveries including helping deliver the 50 footer Aqua Quorum to Patrice Carpentier.

But it was only after his first OSTAR that Steve and Kim decided that he could make a living from racing professionally, and since then it has never been easy. Indeed Kim recalls having to sell a corporate charter the day after Steve came back from the Artemis Challenge so that they could eat. A group of Polish individuals wanted a day charter, which developed into a sail to Cherbourg and then to Brighton where they were not allowed in, before finally dropping them three days later in Gosport. To this day the group are known as the Polish Pirates!

White has been adept at solving mechanical and engineering problems since he was tiny. His father is a trouble shooter for Rolls Royce and so young Steve has always been fascinated with engines. Even before he was at Primary school he was tinkering with old lawn mowers and very soon fixing them to earn money. He graduated to be fixing up motor-bikes at 11 or 12 and moved on to restoring classic cars.

“On the boat he has always been quite at home. He is like a monkey and just goes at it.” Says Kim. “His catch phrase has always been ‘it’ll be alright.”

“I have worked so hard to make sure he gets where he is, but he has worked twice as hard. So many times he has just carried on working through the night, just not bothering going to bed,  whether it is doing paper work or fixing problem. He has never let anything get in his way.”

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