It's plain sailing for top yachtie Mike Sanderson. Photo / Mark Mitchell
New Zealand's prowess in most things nautical is renowned, and Mike Sanderson is at the forefront of the modern crop of sailors making waves.
The 32-year-old Whangarei yachtie was the driving force behind ABN Amro One's crushing win in the Volvo Ocean Race in June. Over eight months
and about 50,690km, the 10-man crew dominated the race.
The statistics tell their story. The boat won six of the nine ocean racing legs and five of the seven in-port races. Comparisons with Sir Peter Blake and his triumph with Steinlager 2 in 1990, when they won every leg, are unfair to both men.
These are different times, with different demands, but one can compare their dominance of an event.
Sanderson had four other New Zealanders on board, Brad Jackson, Mark Christensen, David Endean and Tony Mutter.
He had a hand in design, funding, preparation and then lead them on the water.
The accolades have poured in. He was named International Sailor of the Year in Helsinki on November 8 - following Blake and Russell Coutts as the only New Zealanders to be so honoured - and four days later was named New Zealand Sailor of the Year.
His ambitions are far from quenched. The single-handed transatlantic race - 5370km from Plymouth to Boston - is next up. He's helping construct a new Open 60 yacht at Auckland's Cookson's boat yard, with the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre race and 2008 Transatlantic and Route du Rhum races in mind.
You can't accuse Sanderson of sitting on his hands. Reflecting on his round the world victory, Sanderson said: "We had a great bunch of guys and created a great team. You know sometimes things just click, and that's how it was with us."
