Torresen Sailing Site:  What made you decide: I want to sail around the world ?

:  While I do have a great desire to sail around the world that is not why I am doing the Around Alone. I have many reasons for participating in the event which include a desire to race in the southern ocean, race in the most pure fasion i.e. line honors raw boat speed and only myself to hold
accountable for performance, and I love doing all the positions on the boat
from sail trim, navigating and even maintenance. I am also a true believer
in the pure nature of long distance offshore racing.
    When I go around the world to do only that, I will go with my wife, see
many ports and stay in the warm part of the planet.

Torresen Sailing Site:  What do you think the strengths of your  boat are ?

:  My boat is special for many reasons. It was designed and built for this purpose and has shown great potential in the last race, but it did have some shortcomings as well. The great aspect of the boat now is that
it has been completely rebuilt to fix the shortcomings and maximize it's
strengths. The boat has been equipped with a new carbon rudder, mast and
bow sprit as well as a new interior configuration and has lost 1,000 lbs of
displacement in the process.

Torresen Sailing Site:  What is the one quality as a sailor that makes you feel you can win Around Alone ?

  I think if I can win the race or position well against the two new Finot 50's{the new Finot 50's are: JP Mouligne's CCP Cray Valley & Michael Garside Magellan) it will be for a combination of reasons. My boat is proven and has been maximized and is not a current experiment in design, and I am
confident in my ability to set a pace of my own that isn't too fast as to
break things but fast enough to perform. Also I am a strong believer in
having a reliable and dedicated support team.

Torresen Sailing Site:  Describe your training in preparation for the race ?

:  My training has been standard in that I have been working out to build endurance and muscle which also helps to allow for performance in times of stress and being tired. I will make a record attempt for a single handed
monohull speed to Hawaii in April{The record for the Single Handed Transac from San Francisco, California to Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii is 10 Days 22 Hours 53 Minutes 15 Seconds set in 1996 by Roy Thayer on Wild Thing.  If you know of other California to Hawaii records please contact Torresen Sailing Site} which will help to test me and my boat as well as be my transition from fund-raiser and project manager to competitor and sailor.

Torresen Sailing Site: Will you compete in the trans Atlantic race prior to Around Alone?

:  No, I am not competing in the Atlantic alone!(It would seem that a California to Hawaii trip is the equal !- Torresen Sailing Site)

Torresen Sailing Site: What plans do you have involving the internet during the race ?

: The race administration requires that all competitors utilize Inmarsat Standard C e-mail communications supplied by Comsat (one of the events sponsors) to communicate experiences as well as emergencies or an other
notes to support crews and inter race communications. Also I will transmit
my communications with my wife, sponsors and shore support with the same
type of system. Furthermore one of my sponsors Magellan has supplied me
with a personal communicator that can communicate via satellite to any
E-mail address from any where including a life raft with it's own battery
source (the unit is also a GPS).|