When I last posted, I was on my way to something top secret, that being the Duo Guy Cotten, the Solo Guy Cotten, the first round of the 2025 French Elite Offshore Championship—double-handed with Calanach Finlayson. Cal sent me a text asking if I’d be up for doing the race with him. Now, when a world champion asks to team up with you, you say yes. I would apologize to those with whom I had to cancel my plans, but in truth, I’m not really sorry, as I would 100% do the same again.

It’s currently “silly o’clock” in the morning, and I’m frantically writing this blog post in a train station because, four days ago, I received a text that means I get to do something cool—the sort of thing you drop everything for, move meetings (sorry Ian, Steve, and Allie), and cancel plans with friends (sorry Octavia). So, I guess the offseason is over, and it’s time to go back to sea.

I’ll confess, yes, I have done a little solo sailing and sailed 2,000 miles on an IMOCA 60, but being blunt, I know almost nothing about the Vendee Globe.

So, you’ve started reading these blogs about my offshore sailing that begin in 2021, but there’s something missing. At no point have I ever really introduced myself and the events that lead up to the 2021 season.

I guess its better late than never to try to quickly explain everything the years leading up to 2021

2024, the year that I “went backwards to go forwards”, social media seems to make it so that every year we make forward steps towards our goals, objectives and dreams. However, 2024 started with the realization that I needed to go backwards to fix the areas that were holding me back.

During 2024 I had made peace with the fact I was not going to do any international races, instead quietly work away on the future. Well that all changed on the 12 August at 10:15 am with a message, “Hey David, hope you’re well, I don’t have your number!! Could you send it to me, have someone that has a sailing proposition for you (smiley face)” And thus began an adventure.

I know I know I said I would keep this blog updated more regularly and I promised myself that I would write 10-12 blog posts this year. I also promised myself that I would only publish content that I was proud to share, proud of the work I’d put in and that it made sense to communicate. I wasn’t going to share something for the sake of sharing but more because I had something meaningful to share.

In November 2023, I set myself the target to be ambitious with my sailing, I’d rather try and fail than not try at all (insert some motivational background music and que the quote “aim for the moon and even if you miss, you’ll still end up with the stars”).  

Have you ever wanted to take a job or an opportunity in another country but have been put off because you can’t speak the language? Well in 2021 I moved to France without being able to speak a word of the language and these are some of my embarrassing moments. So hopefully sharing these moments you’ll be less afraid to “make the leap”.

For my latest blog I thought I’d reflect a little on the start of my journey in the very French world of Solo Offshore sailing. This blog was inspired by the amusing book *A year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke.

Love is a strange concept; I think we can all agree it’s something more than ‘liking’ but exactly what I’m not any two people have the exact same definition.

I guess I’d define love as doing something that makes no logical sense or that really you cannot explain why you are doing something without using the word ‘love’ to describe it.

For me if there is one race and sporting event that optimizes the concept of love, and my friends will know there is one thing that I do that makes no logical sense it’s my desire for offshore sailing especially the single-handed variety.

It’s typical at this time of year to put on the ‘gram’ a review of your year, and in keeping with my continuing efforts to bring back the 1990s/2000s through blogging I thought I’d write about it

Last time I wrote a blog was November 2021, but this time I’m going to keep writing them to do my best to document life in the world of Offshore sailing. Last entry I had just finished my 1st participation at La Solitaire du Figaro. And now in 2023 I’m writing again after finishing this race for a second time.

Truth be told writing this blog to close off La Solitaire, I am really struggling with how to put a month of racing onto paper. Every time I put pen to paper, I end up writing an extremely dull list of every tactical decision that I made during this race, that would end up being something akin to what my school teachers used to call ‘death by PowerPoint’

Ocean racers are a strange breed, we leave the harbour with grandioso dreams, having killer speed that makes it impossible for our rivals to keep up or pulling off some brilliant strategy, by the time the races near its close our dreams have somewhat become more human, after 52 and half hours of the 2021 Solo Concarneau all I wanted was to take off my leaking shoes and dry my feet.

So, you’ve probably clicked on this wondering who on earth is David Paul and what actually is ‘La Solitaire du Figaro’. I completely understand that.