Loft 57: The North Sails Podcast

Our host, Charlie Enright, speaks with three female skippers competing in this edition of the Vendée Globe - frontrunner Justine Mettraux, and multi-race veterans Sam Davies and Pip Hare. These women are the best of the best and an inspiration for all young offshore sailors.

Over the years, the Vendée Globe skipper roster has included some of the best female offshore sailors in the game. And to be fair, to get to the start line of this level -solo, around the world, and without assistance- you have to be one the best offshore sailors in the world, period.

Isabelle Autissier and Catherine Chabaud blazed the trail by entering the 1996-1997 edition of the Vendée Globe. Chabaud claimed her place as the first female to conquer the “Everest of the Seas,” and the race has welcomed 12 women for a total of 15 starts since the race was launched in 1989. Six female skippers are participating in the Vendée Globe 2024-25. Sam Davies leads the charge as the most veteran race competitor, while Violette Dorange, at 23, is the youngest skipper ever, male or female, to participate in this storied race.

This episode of Loft 57 features Sam Davies, Pip Hare, and Justine Mettraux. When we published Episode 5, Mettraux was on track to be the fastest female to race a monohull around the planet, Davies was holding firm among the top 15, and Pip was speaking with us after a dismasting crushed her chance to complete the circumnavigation.

Imagine being alone, confined to a boat no larger than 40 square meters, amid extreme weather conditions that test your endurance and psyche. You're at Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean—the most remote spot from land on the planet. Each moment is a surge of emotion: fear, loneliness, and passion for the sport. It's crazy. And it's called the Vendée Globe.

Join Offshore Sailor and Ocean Race Champion Charlie Enright, who guest-hosts our Loft 57 Podcast for five special-edition episodes focused on the Vendee Globe 2024, a solo, non-stop race around the world without assistance.

In Episode 1, Charles speaks with IMOCA Class President Antoine Mermod and Co-Manager for Sustainability and Partnerships at IMOCA Imogen Dinam Price. He also dives in with Dave Reed, editor of Sailing World Magazine, for an international perspective on this famed French race. Finally, Charlie checks in with a friend and former training partner, offshore sailor Pascal Bidegorry.

Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman Nathan Outteridge and Orient Express Racing Team CEO Bruno Dubois join the conversation in this episode of Loft 57. Nathan shares first-hand experience sailing the AC75 – from technical advancements in these foiling monsters to the challenges of getting this machine around the racetrack. Bruno, who has more than a few high-profile wins, including an Ocean Race with Dongfeng, discusses the difficulties of mounting a competitive America's Cup challenge on a limited budget and timeline.

And in a bonus feature, Cup legend and longtime North Sails leader Tom Whidden sits with Ken Read to chat about how this event, the boats, and the sailors have evolved over the last five decades.

The America’s Cup broadcast and color commentary have allowed millions of sailors and sports enthusiasts worldwide to tune into yachting's most prestigious regatta. One could argue that Gary Jobson's and Peter Montgomery’s voices are as recognizable as the Sailors, and the two have garnered their own fan following. While you may not recognize his voice, Jed Drake is an Emmy-winning producer and power player who helped ESPN revolutionize how to bring all the action onto our screens.

This trio joins Ken Read in Loft 57 during our limited-edition America’s Cup episodes. Having been a sailor during the ESPN days and a commentator for the last three editions of the Cup, Read dives into the evolution of America’s Cup broadcasting, what it was like for the broadcast crew during the Cup “glory days,” how the advances in technology have changed how we at home watch the Cup. With plenty of shared history amongst the group, they also reveal a handful of fun and possibly never-heard-before stories from behind the scenes.

In recent years, offshore sailing has seen a dramatic rise in popularity and awareness. This sector of our sport pushes sailors, their boats, and the equipment to the limits.

In this episode of Loft 57, our guests are synonymous with offshore racing. Volvo Ocean Race legend, Bouwe Bekking, and master sailmaker, Nathan Quirk, join us to talk about their personal experiences as well as their unique perspective of sail evolution, specifically with North 3Di. Together, their collective experience includes thousands of offshore racing miles; Bekking onboard as a sailor, and Quirk in the sail repair loft.