Steve White
   
Steve White

Nationalité : Anglais


Résidence : Dorchester (UK)
Age : né en 1972
Bateau : Spirit of Weymouth

Prend le départ du Vendée Globe

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Mise à jour : 16 mars 2009
  
   
 

PALMARÈS :

2009 :
8ème du Vendée Globe

2008 :
8ème de l’Artemis Challenge

2007 :
8ème de la Fastnet race

2005 :
Vainqueur de l´Ostar (catégorie 50 pieds)

2002 :
2ème de la Challenge Transat (Vainqueur de la 2ème étape)

Portrait :

La vocation sans la bourse


Il y a deux façons de lancer une campagne en Open 60 : la facile et la difficile. Steve White, a sans nul doute choisi la seconde option. Depuis dix ans, Steve est habité du désir brûlant et de l´ambition dévorante de participer au Vendée Globe. A l´inverse de la majeure partie des skippers de 60 pieds Open, Steve ne bénéficie pas du soutien d´un sponsor important, il lutte inlassablement, mettant tout sur la table pour atteindre son objectif. Tout en travaillant à trouver un partenaire financier il a hypothéqué sa maison pour acheter Spirit of Weymouth, précédemment connu sous les noms de Gartmore puis de Pindar. Il s´est lourdement endetté personnellement pour financer cette campagne. Il ne faut donc pas sous-estimer un skipper qui est allé aussi loin dans son projet sans un sponsor. Une optimisation du bateau alliée à sa détermination sans faille permettra sans doute à Steve White d´être un concurrent solide au départ du prochain Vendée Globe.

  
Steve White’s trajectory up the British solo sailing ladder began, like many things do, with a flash of inspiration while on sailing trip. It was after a sail from Plymouth around the infamous Fastnet Rock that Steve felt an almost primeval pull and knew instantly that he had found his calling. It was a truly life-changing experience. He handed in his notice at work, found a job in a local boatyard and decided then and there to become a professional sailor. He immediately set about getting as much practical experience on the water as he could spending a lot of time either racing, doing deliveries, or sailing alone on his boat, a Tucker Ballerina, which he had bough a year earlier. He also spent time learning about the technical side of sailing, reading books and asking questions of experts. His love of the open ocean and the spirit of competitiveness that professional sailing offered resonated with Steve and he was slowly drawn into the highly charged world of single-handed offshore racing. He now stands alongside fellow sailors Mike Golding and Alex Thompson as one of Britain's top hopes to win the next Vendee Globe.

Although he only started sailing a decade ago his learning curve has been steep. He initially ran the rigging and repairs side of the small, local boatyard before taking a job with legendary offshore sailor Pete Goss as Mate aboard Goss’s Open 50 Aqua Corum. He also sailed as Mate aboard another of Goss’s boats, British Steel, the yacht Sir Chay Blyth sailed single-handed around the world in 1970. From there Steve moved on to work for Blyth’s company, The Challenge Business, charged with training skippers and crews planning on competing in the Global Challenge. During his tenure at The Challenge Business Steve sailed over 100,000 miles including 25 roundings of the Fastnet Rock. Working for both Blyth and Goss Steve learned some valuable lessons notably that professional sailing is more than simply racing sailboats; it’s about perseverance, integrity and a strong belief in one’s own raw talent.

Steve continues to sail for fun as well as professionally and will continue to do so as he ramps up his training for the Vendee Globe. Last summer sailed the Faraday Mill OSTAR single-handed transatlantic race, an event that laid a strong foundation for the Vendee. In the months ahead Steve will continue to build on that solid foundation until he is ready to take up the ultimate sailing challenge; a non-stop solo circumnavigation at the helm of his own Open 60.
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