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Eric Holden Interview, skipper of Henri Lloyd - 50 Years of Pioneering Spirit

by Mark Jardine 8 Aug 2014 13:01 BST 8 August 2014
Eric Holden, skipper of the Henri Lloyd Clipper 70, at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week © Mark Jardine / YachtsandYachting.com

We caught up with Eric Holden, the Canadian skipper of 'Henri Lloyd - 50 Years of Pioneering Spirit', the winning yacht in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2013-14, during Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week.

YachtsandYachting.com: So, first of all Eric, can you tell me about your sailing background?

Eric Holden: I'm from Vancouver, Canada, I grew up on a 44ft ketch that my dad built, so until I was 12 I was living on board a boat. I started racing Optimists when I was 7 and was racing dinghies all through my youth. I was Canadian Youth Champion in Lasers in 1998 and moved onto Tornado catamarans where I campaigned for Athens 2004, just missing out in the trials, coming second, so I was really disappointed. During that time I was doing my University studies in Meteorology, trying to find a niche that I could work within the sailing industry. So that was the plan - work towards the navigator's role in offshore ocean races.

YachtsandYachting.com: What drew you towards the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race?

Eric Holden: There are so few chances to sail around the world. The Clipper Race is one of those. I knew that it was going to be hard to get a job on a Volvo Ocean Race team if you haven't already been around the world. I've now seen so many parts of the world, the Southern Ocean, and experienced the weather in all the different places, so that was really a draw for me - getting to know the weather in all the parts of the world that I hadn't yet been to.

YachtsandYachting.com: Having a crew of amateurs, with many of them new to sailing - how do you manage that on the boat?

Eric Holden: Actually it's more about the attitude than the sailing skill - you can teach that relatively easily. It's about the attitude, competitive drive. If people have too much sailing experience they get a bit stubborn and you've got to break some bad habits and teach them the way; either the Clipper way or the way I want things done on board. If you have a clean slate to work with then you can really teach them the way you want it done.

YachtsandYachting.com: What was your highlight of the race?

Eric Holden: There have been a few. Getting to the Southern Ocean, which is just a part of the world that is hard to get to, and seeing the winds and waves down there. We had 86 knots and these boats just handled it beautifully. I was never concerned about the boats or the crew so that was great. One of the highlights was the first gale that we had off Cape Finisterre, just starting the race, not knowing what the boats or the crew were capable of, popping the kite, hitting above 30 knots for the first time - these boats hadn't done that before. That was probably my favourite leg, Leg 1, when everything was new and figuring it out as went along.

YachtsandYachting.com: What would you say was the most challenging point of the race?

Eric Holden: We were doing the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, which was great to be involved in. That was my 4th Sydney Hobart, so I had a bit of experience down that way and I wanted to have a good race. We were just crossing the Bass Strait and our rudder bearings failed and we had water coming in and the rudder stock was moving around. We knew we had to retire and not risk damage. We were leading the race at the time so that was a huge disappointment and just rallying the troops. We came into Sydney in first place, we were top of the leader board overall, and then to get a retirement, getting no points for that leg, and dropping down the podium - it was tough, it was definitely a downer, but the team rallied, it took a while but we ended up regaining our overall lead and that's how it ended.

YachtsandYachting.com: Having Henri Lloyd sponsorship for the yacht, how did that help you?

Eric Holden: Henri Lloyd have been a great sponsor, just looking at the boat, the graphics, the black and gold, the beautiful boat. We knew we were the best looking boat, the best dressed boat, at the prize giving we had the really nice white Gore-Tex jackets that everyone was envious when we came up on stage. They've been a great sponsor and I hope to work with them in the future, it's been really good.

YachtsandYachting.com: Going onto the future, what are your aspirations with your sailing career from now on?

Eric Holden: Short-term I want to get my weather routing business back up and going, which I put on hold for the Clipper Race. I do the kind of work that is needed by a Volvo Ocean Race or America's Cup team, shore-side weather routing. Long term I'd like to get out working on a navigator role again on some of the professional teams, especially the Volvo Ocean Race.

YachtsandYachting.com: Many thanks for your time Eric and taking us out sailing on the Henri Lloyd Clipper 70.

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