First Sydney to Auckland solo record
Solo skipper James Prascevic has become the first sailor to set a record for the fastest single-handed cruise from Australia to New Zealand.
The 40-year-old took 12 days, 14 hours, 41 minutes and 15 seconds to sail the 1,265 miles from Sydney to Auckland aboard his Adams 36, Joey. The World Sailing Speed Record Council has ratified his record.
Prascevic, who lives in Geelong, Victoria, said his feat was ‘80% preparation’, sailing Joey in the Bass Strait, which separates Tasmania from the Australian mainland, in all conditions over a two-and-a-half year period. He also made improvements to the yacht such as fitting new rigging, sails and a liferaft. Initially he planned to sail solo to New Zealand, but when he realised that there was no solo record the temptation was too much. Team Australia, skippered by Sean Langman, currently holds the crewed record, completing the voyage in 2 days, 19 hours, 2 minutes and 45 seconds.
Prascevic’s voyage was not without its difficulties, with a lack of wind increasing his expected passage time of eight-and-a-half days.
‘For the first 36 hours I had 30 knots with 35-knot gusts and very messy seas, but eventually it calmed down and I had champagne sailing at 12-17 knots on the beam up until day seven when the weather changed and the wind died to nothing. I was becalmed for four days, only 250 miles from the finish in Auckland.
‘The pressure and stress of no wind built up and I broke down a couple of times. Originally I wanted to establish a respectable time. However after four days and moving approximately 20 miles I wondered if I could even finish. I was never going to give up after all the effort I had put in, but four days of not moving was extremely hard. Eventually the wind came in and I finished in 12 days.’ Prascevic, who lists British yachtsman Alex Thomson and Australian solo sailor Jessica Watson as his inspirations, started sailing after he was medically discharged from the Australian Defence Force, having served 10 years including tours in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. He initially bought a 4.45m ‘tinny’ fishing boat and found being out on the ocean helped him deal with the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety he lived with as a result of serving his country.
To raise awareness of PTSD he crossed the Bass Strait in 2013, before deciding to switch to sailing, eventually going on to qualify as a Yachtmaster in 2018. He has also raced, including taking part in the Rolex Sydney Hobart in 2014.
Prascevic has just finished a documentary about his recordbreaking voyage which can be seen here: https://youtu.be/mm2bkmpfq20. He plans to concentrate on racing and offering motivational speaking to help people with mental illness.