SHOOTIN’ THE BREEZE

We catch up with Michael Goodwin, Cystic Fibrosis Trustcharity fundraiser and co-author of Blue Star Adventure.

Qhen did you rst get the sailing bug? MG: In my job as an academic, teaching engineering, I began thinking about the forces acting on a yacht and how a yacht can sail to windward. It prompted the need to experience it first hand, so I bought a GP14 dinghy and joined the local dinghy sailing club. Of course it was fun too, not merely an academic exercise!

QYour book, Blue Star Adventure, tells the story of your circumnavigation of Britain with Roger Colmer. How did that voyage come about? MG: I had trailed my GP14 to Abersoch on many occasions to sail on the sea instead of the local lake. I found it more enjoyable than inland sailing and I realised I wanted to explore the coast. Things seem so very different when viewed from the sea instead of from land. After getting into a few sticky situations it soon became apparent that I needed a bigger boat, one with an engine. I followed the RYA scheme to learn how to sail and skipper a yacht.

After many summers spent sailing the waters of France, the Channel Islands, Croatia and a delivery trip from Palma to Naples, I was looking for a new challenge and adventure. I became fixated on the idea of circumnavigating Britain. Roger thought it sounded like an exciting project and we hatched the plan together. Q What is your favourite memory of the circumnavigation? MG: The whole exercise was a fantastic experience, and there are so many great memories. Among the best must be the fantastic sailing trip from Amble to Eyemouth when conditions were perfect and we simply blasted along, past an amazingly picturesque coastline and passed between the Farne Islands and off Lindisfarne. There were also amazing encounters with the wildlife – seals and dolphins, and the huge numbers of birds off Flamborough Head and also in St Bride’s Bay.

Mike’s victory jig at the end of the circumnavigation Q Can you tell us about the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust? MG: My eldest son, Daniel, died as a consequence of cystic fibrosis, so I am a big supporter of the CF Trust. Monies raised are used to fund the development of new treatments, to find a cure for cystic fibrosis and to support those living with the disease. It was because of Daniel that Roger and I chose to use our voyage as a means of fundraising. People from as far afield as the United States, New Zealand and Sweden came to help us with the trip and donated to the cause.

QDo you have any more sailing challenges on your bucket list? MG: I do have another challenge in mind, but it is still in the idea stage at the moment. Several friends have indicated that they want ‘in’ too! The north of Scotland was rather cold for much of the time during the Blue Star project, so a new challenge would preferably be one involving warm water sailing.

QWhat boat do you currently own and what is your dream boat? MG: I am enjoying chartering larger boats currently – more space, more comfort and more crew members all add up to more fun. And, of course, I do not have to worry about maintenance costs. Another project, however, would almost certainly mean that I would have to buy a boat. My dream boat would need to be small enough for me to sail with friends and family without professional crew, but large enough to provide luxurious comfort. Perhaps a Discovery 58 or maybe a Lagoon Seventy 7 catamaran might cut the mustard,

QWhere in the world is your favourite place to sail? MG: A few years back, Roger and I chartered a yacht in Croatia. It was a wonderful area to sail – lots of islands lush with green vegetation, little coves and bays to anchor and swim in, and amazing beachside restaurants. I would love to go back there for a week or more. The Caribbean also sounds marvellous, as does the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, but sadly I have not been to either yet.

The locks at Fort Augustus on the Caledonian Canal

Tied up on the Caledonian canal at Fort Augustus

QWhat is it about sailing that you love most? MG: The sense of freedom and independence that it gives. Once you cast off your lines you are on your own. It also brings a huge amount of satisfaction in both managing the boat and in dealing with whatever circumstances you encounter.

QWhich sailors inspire you (past or present)? MG: The achievements of Tracy Edwards, and the success she had with the Maiden project especially, I think are amazing. I am equally impressed with her charity work as with her sailing, which is why I was so pleased that she agreed to write the Foreword to Blue Star Adventure. There are lots of others sailing smaller craft who show that adventure at sea is within everyone’s reach. Bob Shepton, Erik Aanderaa, Jeanne Socrates and Dylan Winter are prime examples. Hats off to them all!

“There are lots of others sailing smaller craft who show that adventure at sea is within everyone’s reach.“

BELOW: Entering the harbour at Tobermory Tied up in the small marina at Kyle of Lochalsh Navigating through the Menai Straits

Blue Star Adventure – A Circumnavigation of Britain is available online and in bookstores, with a greater margin available for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust if ordered direct from Mike at: www.michaelgoodwinsailing.blogspot.com.

Author royalties from Michael and Roger’s book are donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and Mike also raises money by giving talks to clubs and business groups, and as an RYA Day Skipper Theory instructor, from which he gives all proceeds to the charity.