Man with a plan

James Boyd speaks to Offshore Challenge's new Australian thoroughbred, Nick Moloney

A secondary option is taking Kingfisher in the Vendee Globe. The upside of this would be that they can replace the work-up time with refining the design. "You can do so much work and learn and develop the boat and know it so well before the start that it is a better solution than building new."

While the most successful Open 60s recently have been those with the smallest mainsail areas, Moloney is still convinced bigger is better. "Reaching and running I like to be fast. I'd like to be able to hang in there. If I take Kingfisher in the Vendee there would definitely be a bigger mast. Running, I like to know I have the area in 15 knots of wind as there are days and days of that."

Moloney has his own ideas about a possible wingmast configuration he wants to develop, but admits it would be expensive and time consuming to develop.

In her preparations for the Vendee Ellen sat down with Mark Turner and worked out what her weaknesses were. Moloney has done the same and has identified particularly engineering, electronics and weather routing as areas where he needs to do work. As a sail specialist he is also intent on finding a way of carrying out spinnaker peels singlehanded! To improve his singlehanded sailing ability Offshore Challenges are looking into the possibility of getting a Mini or a Figaro - or both! - to use for training on these active French circuits.

Incredibly Moloney's programme doesn't end with the Vendee. After that - 2005 - he wants to get involved with Ellen's 60ft trimaran campaign

This will be a man who we will do our best to keep up with over the next few months and years.