| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 5 May 1968 Melbourne |
| Sailing career | |
| Class(es) | IMOCA 60 |
Nick Moloney is an Australian professional yachtsman, born on 5 May 1968 in Melbourne, Australia. [1] [2] Having completed 3 circumnavigation and set 15 speed records and competed in pinnacle yachting events. [3]
He 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. [13]
In 1998, he became the first to windsurfer across the Bass Strait, which lies between mainland Australia and Tasmania in a time of 22 hours. [12]
In 2001, he won the EDS Atlantic Challenge on board the IMOCA 60, Kingfisher with Ellen MacArthur who skippered for the first three stages before Moloney himself took over skipper responsibilities. [14] 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. [1]
In 2004 he started the 2004–2005 Vendée Globe on the IMOCA 60 called Skandia which previously completed the race under the name Kingfisher with Ellen MacArthur. He struggled with various technical issues culminating on 28 January 2005 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 complete the race course. [15]
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. [16]
Moloney, Nick (17 May 2004). Chasing the Dawn: Capturing the Trophee Jules Verne. Navigator Guides. p. 192. ISBN 978-1903872086.
He directed a documentary Wild Colonial Boy released in Australia on 10 March 2000, which was filmed in Brittany and Gijon, Spain, recounting preparations for a crossing of the Atlantic.
The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (STAR) is an east-to-west yacht race across the North Atlantic. When inaugurated in 1960, it was the first single-handed ocean yacht race; it is run from Plymouth in England to Newport, Rhode Island in the United States, and has generally been held on a four yearly basis.
The IMOCA, is a 60ft development class monohull sailing yacht administered by the International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA). The class pinnacle event are single or two person ocean races, such as the Route du Rhum and the Vendée Globe and this has been intimately linked to design development within the class.
Alex Thomson is a British yachtsman.
The Transat Jacques Vabre is a yachting race that follows the historic coffee trading route between France and Brazil. It is named after a French brand of coffee.
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The first around the world sailing record for circumnavigation of the world was Juan Sebastián Elcano and the remaining members of Ferdinand Magellan's crew who completed their journey in 1522. The first solo record was set by Joshua Slocum in the Spray (1898).
Loïck Peyron is a French yachtsman, younger brother of the yachtsman Bruno Peyron.
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François Gabart is a French professional offshore yacht racer who won the 2012-13 Vendée Globe in 78 days 2 hours 16 minutes, setting a new race record. In 2017 he set the speed record for sailing around the globe in 42 days 16 hours 40 minutes and 35 seconds finishing on 17 December. He was sailing singlehanded in the 30 metre Trimaran Macif.
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Roland Jourdain, often nicknamed "Bilou" is a French professional yachtsman, born on 28 April 1964 in Quimper. He is notably two-time winner of the Route du Rhum.
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Paul Meilhat is a French sailor and navigator. He was a high level 49er dinghy sailor with Olympic aspirations before moving into offshore sailing. From 2015 to the end of 2018 he was skipper of the IMOCA 60 - SMA and he competed in the Vendee Globe.
