Chatting to sailor Jared Quinn

Royal Natal Yacht Club

Jared Quinn

Not often you get to meet a modern day MacGyver, leading sailor Jared Quinn equipped with only his Leatherman, quietly sits fixing the VHF radio on the racing yacht Sticky Fingers, moored in the Durban Marina as he concludes the final preparations ahead of the International blue water race, the Colorpress Vasco da Gama.

Hot stuff, sailor Jared Quinn

“My passion for the ocean, and itchy travel feet drove me towards the ocean. Thanks to my outdoor-loving family, I have grown up with one foot in the sea. Little did I know that I would end up distributing my time between all facilities of the boating industry, including deliveries, superyacht chartering, and racing.”

Quinn who is a born and bred Durbanite divides his year up spending six months skippering a gorgeous Falcon 86 superyacht currently based in the South of France, cruising around the picturesque setting of the Mediterranean and six months at home, in Durban racing.

Asked what he most enjoys about the Med, “The general attitude towards topless bathing and tanning” he says with a chuckle and twinkle in his eye. “I really enjoy the feeling of 'Ubuntu' on the water. Everybody is extremely welcoming, and the diversity of cultures on such a small area of water is amazing.”

Comparing sailing in the Med and sailing offshore of South Africa, he continues, “The lack of shelter! The Med is a glorified pond, with islands scattered across her waters, whereas here, the ocean is a lot less unforgiving, and with much fewer sheltered bays. That and the obvious lack of sea life, we truly are spoiled on our coastline.”

The sculpted frame states, “I have been fortunate enough to sail the entire SA coastline, the waters of Tanzania, the Mediterranean in its entirety, and most of the Caribbean in depth. With this experience, I have also been fortunate enough to compete in a multiple of local and international events, including the Rolex Swan Cup, the Horus Superyacht Cup, Les Voiles le Saint Tropez, the Saint Barths Bucket, and the Heineken Cup in St. Maarten.”

An impressive list of high class international events for such a young sailor, Quinn is currently preparing for his first Colorpress Vasco da Gama hosted by the Royal Natal Yacht Club. “I have not yet sailed a Vasco, as normally I am in the thick of the charter season overseas. I am quite confident that racing it for the first time, on Sticky Fingers, the best high performance boat in the fleet, will hold for me much entertainment!” he comments.

This impressive talent is constantly notching up more achievements out on the water; recently he was crowned the Hunter 19 Provincial Champion and has won several smaller regattas since being back. He says smiling. “Sailing a variety of floatable objects from as small as a laser, to a 187ft superyacht, I have managed to collect several medals along the way.”

Questioned which craft he prefers sailing, “That really is a tough question, as they both have their pros and cons. The smaller boats are obviously more intimate. Being solo or up to 3-up, it allows for a great working relationship between the crewmembers and the vessel. Whereas, the superyachts are breath-taking in their grandeur and power, everything gets put into perspective on those beasts. I probably have the most fun sailing single-design classes, where the room for error and manipulation of the boat is at a minimum.”

Quinn laughs, “A typical day at sea depending on the capacity, I can be either quite laid back, or extremely uptight. As a charter captain, I am facilitating, and entertaining. But if training is involved, you can expect an unforgiving, yet fair instructor. Either way, you can expect a day on the water including much fun, laughter, and you may just learn a few things, all the while being in safe, competent hands.”

Talking about who he most admires in the sport, “I must say that Rob Samways, the skipper on Sticky Fingers, has been somewhat of an idol of mine, from a racing aspect. He pushes a vessel to her boundaries, searching for her optimum performance; I wouldn't have my racing knowledge, nor my killer instinct if it were not for him.”

On the rare occasion, when this active seafarer gets some time off; he enjoys scuba diving, bodyboarding, drumming and playing squash. “My Grandfather is well renowned in the SA diving community; he was a pioneer in the sport. His outlook on life is something to behold, aided by his sense of humour. He introduced me to one of SA’s best sailing instructors, a lady who took no flak from anyone, Meme Grant.” He continues, “That takes me back a bit, back to when I cut my teeth sailing our challenging coastline with her.”

“I remember while working as a Chief Instructor for Offshore Sailing Academy, I had an interesting couple of days at sea. The voyage required me to take a handful of students on a mileage trip from Durban to East London, certainly not the world's most welcoming stretch of coastline. Only after leaving the safety of the harbour was I to realise that the crew had an extremely basic knowledge of sailing. As the wind built to a formidable 45kts from the NE, that left me to helm the boat for 13 hours straight, fighting 5 meter swells while the students took shelter. I could barely move my arms after that! The following day the wind switched to the South-West, blowing us comfortably back to Durban. As the sun set that evening, I had my most unforgettable evening at sea, including a full moon, and dolphins frolicking in the bow wake for what seemed like hours.”

The tanned face beams as he talks about his passion, “Among many things, I love the solitude involved in sailing, just yourself and the elements. It really proves what you are capable of as a being, when the lives of your crew, and of course your own, rest on your shoulders. I got into sailing initially, from a cruising perspective but after stepping onboard a race boat, I soon realised that I can have the cut-throat personality required to become an accomplished racer. I have always been competitive, and with the infinite tweaking involved in sailing a performance boat to her optimum, I found myself in my element.”

A few things that will find this adventurous young man in his element are etched in his bucket list, he emphasises that he will take a chopper ride across America from New York to Los Angeles. He aims to complete a Duzi, and would like to compete in a Cape to Rio, and sail solo across the Atlantic. But for now, Quinn and his team will take to the warm waters in the toughest ocean race in Southern Africa, the 45^th Vasco racing from Maputo to Durban.

We look forward to celebrating with him on his return after the International blue water race, siting with him in the tranquil surroundings of the Durban Marina.

ENDS