Route du Vendee Globe pt2

In part two of our interview with Nick Moloney he describes what it is like to sail his boat

Moloney's relationship with Offshore Challenges is relatively new to yachting. The theory is that they decide they want to do an event and then put together a sponsorship package and pick a skipper, in much the same way as Tyco chose Kevin Shoebridge or Atlant picked Roy Heiner and then Neil McDonald to skipper ASSA ABLOY in the Volvo Ocean Race. Moloney has worked closely with Offshore Challenges - their relationship was forged when he bought Ellen's Mini Le Poisson. With the Vendee as a set ambition of his, it was obvious for them to team up.

"Offshore Challenges are committed to trying to get me to the Vendee," he explains. "They're making the decisions along the way as to what they feel the best avenues are to take to get there. They have taken on a financial commitment for me to do the Rhum. I work on a wage basis."

A part of him still misses the America's Cup. "Do I regret not being in Auckland? I think yes and no. I'm a bit of a boffin and I love boat development, so the Cup for me is the greatest platform for developing things, masts, hulls. I don't miss the politics, the courts cases, that was always irrelevant, the bullshit which goes on internally, that used to kill me.

"I do miss the boys and the comraderie. It used to be the most established window when we could unpack our bags. The Volvo doesn't offer that, so it was a real treat to have your family and mates around you and your own pad. I miss the team, being involved with the BBC made it a bit clearer to me. I didn't follow it last time until the finals because my esteem was so low after the Mini."

It will be interesting to see if Turner & co do succeed in getting Moloney sponsorship. He deserves it unquestionably, but then so do a lot of others and against him is the fact that he is not a 23 year girl from the Midlands, he is a 34 year old Aussie albeit with a truck load of experience.