Ep 49 - Mike Sanderson

Mike Sanderson is one of the most successful sailors of his generation. He’s a former World Sailor of the Year, two-time winner of the round the world race including when he skippered ABN Amro to victory in the 2005/06 Volvo Ocean Race, been involved in multiple America’s Cup campaigns, a record breaker, a successful maxi yacht skipper and now co-owner and CEO of Doyle Sails.

Mike has plenty of stories to tell, and we touch on a few of those in this podcast, from why he left school early and how he earned his ticket alongside many of his heroes on New Zealand Endeavour, to heading up international teams and dealing with the tragedy of losing a friend at sea while still racing. He clearly has a passion for the sport and it doesn’t matter if he’s racing in a high-pressure environment or going for a blast with a son on the Auckland Harbour. He’s also fascinated by trying to work out how to make a boat go fast and clearly been very good at figuring it out.