Issue date
At 1:00pm on Tuesday, 22nd April 2014, nineteen-year-old New Zealander Cory McLennan will make history by becoming the youngest person ever to attempt the Solo Trans-Tasman Challenge yacht race.
This gruelling yacht race has a history of shipwrecks, abandonments and cyclones, and is a test for even the most experienced offshore sailors. This will be Cory’s first major solo race, as well as his first offshore race as skipper.
“The race is a test to all sailors, but it’s a challenge I want to take on.” Says Cory. “My dream is to be a great sailor. Sir Peter Blake is my hero; he is the reason I got into sailing, and the reason why I want to keep sailing. To become half the man he was – as a sailor, a leader, and a New Zealander – would be my ultimate achievement.”
Astonishingly, Cory is two years younger than the minimum age requirement for the race, but he was determined to take on the challenge.
“I contacted the race organisers and put my case forward. They replied: if teenagers can sail solo around the world, they can do this race.”
This tremendously challenging race will see Cory set sail from New Plymouth, NZ, and sail non-stop and unassisted across the Tasman Sea to Mooloolaba, Australia.
The journey of 1380 nautical miles (2556 km) is expected to take between 10 and 14 days, depending on the unpredictable and often dangerous Tasman Sea weather.
Cory hails from Greymouth on the rugged West Coast of NZ and has had to overcome the challenges of living in a remote West Coast town to work his way up to competitive solo keelboat sailing.
“Living on the West Coast made achieving my dreams difficult because of how remote Greymouth is. I couldn’t just go down to the marina and get a spot on a yacht. So I moved myself up to Auckland and obtained a sail making apprenticeship, to give me more opportunities in sailing.
“From the age of seven I’ve read about and watched people sail around the world. The idea of taking on the globe by sail excites my imagination. It’s something I dream about and think about all the time. So it’s time I did something about it. I want to take the next step in my sailing career, by taking on the Solo Trans-Tasman yacht race in 2014.” Cory says.
For more information on Cory McLennan follow his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AtomAntRacing.
