5 tips Skills for running the bow offshore, with Jack Bouttell

HOW TO RUN THE BOW OFFSHORE

ANDY RICE talks to Volvo Ocean Race winning bowman JACK BOUTTELL

British-aussie pro sailor Jack Bouttell believes that success in his job as bowman comes down to preparation more than anything else. This applies especially to inshore bowmen about to go offshore for a big race: if you try to wing it, and make it up as you go along, you’ll come unstuck.

A good bowman will find out as much as he can about the boat and the systems on board even before he has arrived at the marina.

Training time is critical for planning and refining processes, especially working up a system of communications between the crew, as Bouttell found on the multilingual Volvo Race Dongfeng crew, and on maix trimaran Spindrift, where everything is spoken in French.

Here are Bouttell’s five best tips for working the bow offshore:

Dongfeng bowman Jack Bouttell: preparation before the start is his key to being successful and safe