Mike Sanderson. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Daredevil billionaire Sir Richard Branson has turned to Kiwi sailor Mike Sanderson to help lead his latest world-record attempt.
Sanderson, who skippers the Team Origin America's Cup syndicate, is among a 20-plus crew poised to make the trans-Atlantic crossing from New York to Land's End at the south-west
tip of Britain.
They are on standby throughout the world and will fly to New York as soon as weather conditions are looking suitable.
With Sanderson and Branson at the helm, they will make the crossing in the 30-metre Virgin Money, which is owned by the Team Origin leader, Sir Keith Mills.
Sanderson last crossed the Atlantic in 2003, setting a record of six days, 17 hours, 52 minutes and 39 seconds, beating his previous best by more than a day.
He told the Herald on Sunday he was determined to better the record for the single-hull crossing sailing craft, "whether it's a minute, an hour or a day - this is a race against the clock".
An average speed of 20 knots is required, a difficult task on one of the roughest oceans.
"You're up into the icebergs and the full North Atlantic storms," Sanderson said. "You can't take it lightly. To go across the Atlantic in a yacht is always going to be a big ask."
Virgin Money will be crewed mainly by sailors from Team Origin, which was formed by Sir Keith.
The crew will also include Sir Richard's children, 26-year-old Holly, a proficient sailor who will double as on-board doctor, and 23-year-old Sam.
Sanderson said his 58-year-old co-skipper, Sir Richard, had a "huge wealth of experience" at sea.
Sam grew up watching his father's adventures, including a powerboat crossing of the Atlantic in 1986 in record time.
Sanderson, who started sailing an optimist as a 5-year-old off his home town, Whangarei, is based in Valencia, Spain. He said he didn't consider himself an ex-pat and still owned a house in Auckland's Herne Bay.
He has been involved in three America's Cup campaigns, including the victorious Team New Zealand in 2000, and with Louis Vuitton Cup finalists Oracle BMW in 2003.
The 2006 International Sailing Federation world sailor of the year is a dual winner of the Volvo Ocean Race.
He married British solo yachtswoman Emma Richards in May 2006 and the couple have an 18-month-old daughter, Amelia, who has showed signs of inheriting her parents' love of the sea. "She's taking to it, she's a brave little thing," Sanderson said.
"If she follows in her mother's footsteps, she will scare the death out of her parents."
Sir Richard told Yachting World magazine that to sail with Team Origin in the record attempt would be "a real privilege".
"I'm also thrilled Holly and Sam have the opportunity to share the experience with me."
BRANSON'S RECORDS
1986: Set trans-Atlantic powerboat record of 3 days, 8 hours, 31 minutes in Virgin Atlantic Challenger II.
1987: Completed record balloon flight in Virgin Atlantic Flyer. The balloon was the largest ever at 2.3 million cubic feet.
1991: Crossed the Pacific from Japan to Canada in a bigger balloon (2.6 million cubic feet).
1995-1998: With Per Lindstrand and Steve Fossett, made attempts to circumnavigate the globe by balloon. Beaten to it by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones in 1999.
2004: Travelled from Dover to Calais in an amphibious vehicle in 1 hour, 40 minutes, 6 seconds - the fastest ever crossing.
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