Simon Curwen

James Boyd profiles an unusual Mini-Transat competitor

Then there is Curwen who is none of these. He is an amateur, but one with the resources - both financial and so it would seem in his sailing ability - to mount a competitive one-off campaign.

Curwen says that he started sailing competitively at college. Following this also cruised a modified National 18 around the Brittany coast. Again he says he enjoyed the challenge of this trip - the navigation, getting in and out of small coves.

His career as an environmental consultant then took hold and he spent 15 years abroad working in France and more antisocial places like Libya, Syria and West Africa, mainly cleaning up chemical and hydrocarbon plants.

After returning to the UK he bought the Sigma 33 Muskateer which he describes as "more a cruiser and occasional racer" This he entered in many of the Royal Southampton’s double handed races, sailing with his wife Jane or eldest daughter Carolyn.

Fortunately his wife and three daughters are all keen sailors, although there was still concern in the family when he expressed an interest in taking part in such a potentially dangerous race as the Mini Transat. "Jane's interested, because she's interested in sailing," explains Curwen. "She's not that keen that I elected to do this. But now that I have she's fully supportive." Jane and the family took part in the Mini practice racing run by the Royal Southampton last winter. "She wants me to get it out of my system and come back to normality!"

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