Shifting Gears in the Abacos

Sailing straight from the high-paced, high-pressure arena of SailGP and into the tranquility of a family cruise, this pro sailor is reminded of the good life off the grid.

I get bored easily, which is probably because my day job is primarily racing SailGP's F50 foiling catamarans at 50-plus knots against eight other boats on impossibly short racecourses. My version of a family holiday has nothing to do with sitting on a beach sipping piña coladas or wasting away in Margaritaville, which is why when my family goes on vacation it can be a challenge to find something that keeps everyone entertained. My 6-year-old daughter wants friends to play with and ideally a lot of animals. My wife likes an adventure but also appreciates just relaxing in the sun. And me? Like I said, sitting around doing nothing is just not my thing, and that's why a bareboat sailing vacation ticks all my boxes.

A charter catamaran is, of course, nothing like any of the America's Cup or grand-Prix boats I've played on for many hours over the years. When the sails go up, I'll be lucky to get the boat speed into double figures, but there's always fine-tuning to do-you know I can't be seen sailing around with a bad leech profile or creases coming out of mainsail batten pockets. If there's another boat with sails nearby, there's no rest until I'm higher and faster. When the sails are stowed, there's elaborate fishing contraptions to build, wrecks to snorkel and lobsters to catch. Throw in a wing and a foil board, and the holiday is pretty ideal for me.

But a vacation is not all about me. For my daughter, it is great to invite another family so she has friends to adventure with. For my wife, short passages afford her stretches of sun-soaked relaxation on the bow, local restaurants and, most importantly, quality family time, which is more valuable than you can imagine for pro sailors like me.