Yachting: 'Smiley' still smiling despite hardships at sea

By JULIE ASH

Auckland's Craig Smith used to have a love for numbers - now his passion has turned to braving the elements in the gruelling round-the-world yacht race.

The 34-year-old quit his job as an accountant to become the boat captain/helmsman trimmer on News Corp.

"This is my first round-the-world race and I am really enjoying it," he said.

"A lot of my friends have done it before and we do such a big build up to the race you have a good understanding of it - except of the Southern Ocean which is a totally new game because it is so cold there."

Smith started sailing at the age of seven at Lake Taupo.

He progressed from the P Class on to Starlings, Lasers and then on to keel boats.

He was the national Laser youth champion in 1986-87 and the national match-racing champion in 1999.

He said that in the past five years it had become a little easer to make a living out of sailing.

"When I was 21 it wasn't an option. You did the dinghy thing and got a real job. Now you can be 21 and look at it as a career."

His partner, Rachel, who will have the couple's first child in about six weeks, has travelled to each port.

"It has been a desire for me, I have always wanted to do this race and tick it off before I get too old," Smith said.

"Once sailing gets in your blood it's hard to get rid of."

Smith, nicknamed Smiley, said it was through fellow New Zealander Ross Field that he got the job with News Corp.

"I have known Ross [News Corp navigator] for a while and I got a phone call from Jez Fanstone, the skipper, one day and we had a meeting and then went for a sail for a couple of weeks. We were both happy, so I joined up."

He said that on the boats you get to do everything.

"One minute you can be back steering and the next minute on the bow pulling the sail down, getting soaking wet. That is the buzz for me, getting to do everything.

"The food is bad, but I think the worst thing is having to put your wet weather gear back on and go back on watch."

Which, he said, was a bit of an ordeal, especially in the Southern Ocean, "because you have got a survival suit on as well as two sets of thermals. You've got a mid layer which is like a big, fat thermal, and then you have neck warmers and gloves, and then a safety harness on top of that. It is like a 45-minute ritual, it drives you crazy."

News Corp arrived in Auckland yesterday, fifth in the leg, and lies third overall behind illbruck and Amer Sports One after three legs.

"The Auckland to Rio leg is going to be tough," Smith said, "because we dip down into the Southern Ocean again. But it shouldn't be as cold."

And after the round-the-world race? "I would like to get involved in the America's Cup perhaps. I enjoy two-handed sailing - there is a race next year from San Francisco to Australia which I'd like to do. I enjoy the offshore stuff really.

"But first, maybe, just a holiday."