Though I have amassed over twenty five years of experience within the financial sector, and have truly enjoyed the vast challenges, accomplishments, and goals of my professional career, the open waters have enticed me since early childhood. Beckoning me with the siren song of endless possibilities, the open waters have always enthralled me, and I tried to explore ocean life, water sports, and generally spend time on the water as much as life would allow. Throughout my youth, I greatly enjoyed playing in all sorts of bodies of water, learning about the vast species that inhabit the oceans, and immersing myself in the wonderments of the waters.
Throughout my long-standing tenure with Barclays Capital, I worked to develop various Fixed Income market making desks s, which was a feat I engaged in throughout previous employment. In 2011, I was provided with the opportunity to pivot my role within the company, and set up the team to manage the company’s Liquidity Buffer. During the transitional period between positions, I relocated my family to France, and was fortunate to receive time away from work to successfully complete this large transition, and enjoy quality time with my family. During this time, I realised a long time dream and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean for approximately four months. After renting a forty seven foot sailing boat, named Cruising Bird, I embarked on a soulful mission of reconnecting with the ocean. Within the span of this journey, I found myself enrobed in the Basque Country, Portugal, Madeira Islands, Cabo Verde and the West Indies. This transitional time had a large effect on my desire to pursue ocean conservation efforts, and to of course, continue my long time passion for sailing.
In the subsequent years, I have engaged in sailing adventures independently with friends and family. In France North Brittany ,on board my American designed trimaran Dash 750 from Corsair Marine that we sailed last July from St Malo to the Scilly Islands in the UK,, and also for the last three years on the shores of Leman lake , . This year, accompanied by two close friends, we have embarked on the annual Bol d’Or Mirabaud, the global premier inland lake regatta which turned out to be quite epic!. Though sailing the open seas can obviously be challenging, inland lakes can also be impossible to predict, the particular conditions of this year have truly tested the abilities of all sailors involved in the 2019 Bol d’Or , and tested the reliability of of my Diam 24. As a multihaul sportboat, the Diam 24 is created for optimal speed,but also able to withstand the potentially hazardous conditions that can be manifested without a moment’s notice.
Looming storms were predicted to generate winds of 60 knots throughout the race, and during the pre-regatta debriefing, some parties decided to drop out of the race. Determined to partake in the race, we took the 10am start in very light breeze and beautiful sun. As predicted by weather forecasts, dark clouds and i sudden wind reached us around 5pm. We had planned to furl our sails when this weather episode was supposed to hit us.. t. Waiting too long was not an option…In this swiftly transitional period, the less than 5 knots wind suddenly changed to 35/40 knot wind that steadfastly pounded everything in its way for nearly two hours, and amounted to powerful 60 knot gusts!
I couldn’t have even imagined such primal conditions and such wind power,. With extremely limited visibility between the one to two meter-high waves (rare on a lake!) , hail and fog created an ethereal mood appropriate for “Moby Dick”. With so much turbulence, our trimaran remained reasonably easy to control, and securely navigated the storm . Thanks to the lift of our wing mast , we managed to surf the rapidly forming waves, and navigated in broad reaching at good speed between 6 to 15 knots.for the time of the tempest,. Ahead of the storm we paid attention to position ourselves in the middle of the lake to stay clear of the potentially dangerous shores. When the winds finally subsided, the scenery was indicative of their force, many boats activating their distress rockets and fires and some capsized catamarans with assistance boats around.. . With subsequent winds at Beaufort force 4 to 5 , we experienced a really nice downwind tack perfect conditions for a sport trimaran.. a Unfortunately as it often happens on the Leman, winds completely died down with sunset close to the finish line,.and it took us an extra 10 hours to sail the last 10 nautical miles to the finish line… However spending the night on a cold lake with no wind was a tough experience , having sailed these conditions and finishing the regatta is a great experience and ever lasting recollection…, .
The name “Call Of The Blue” of my trimaran Diam 24 od is an homage to the philanthropic book of my long-time friend and ocean photographer Philip Hamilton, and a slew of other leading marine specialists. The book parlays the infinite beauty, magnitude, and importance of ocean life through high-quality photography, and combines these beautiful images with powerful testimony from leading experts in marine conservation, biology, and oceanography. Aimed at increasing actionable awareness related to the many issues plaguing ocean life, “Call Of The Blue” explores the need to maintain biodiversity, limit the devastating effects of climate change, and maintain the fragile ecosystem of life under the deepest waters. I was incredibly proud to be a Co-Producer on this book, and have developed flourishing long-term relationships with many individuals involved in the philanthropic project.
Teaming up with Hamilton once more, I am currently involved in a philanthropic film project, called “Ocean Souls”. This meaningful film explores the intelligence, humanistic behavior, and personality of whales, and dolphins. As an Executive Producer on this project, weaim to showcase the humanistic and intelligence-based traits of these beautiful creatures, in an effort to increase global sympathy, and eventually eradicate hunting practices still pursued in some part of the globe. With social organization hierarchies, intelligent language skills, and emotional acuity, the cetaceans are only second to humans in terms of brain power, and complexity. Thus, by strengthening this bond via video imagery, and meaningful speech, we hope to change the perception of these truly magnificent animals.
Through my involvement with these projects, I have become inspired by the multimedia-heavy work created by The Uproar, which combines breathtaking media with meaningful messaging for the purpose of actionable conservation. Through my involvement as a non-executive Board member I hope to continue to grow my involvement in the realm of ocean conservation.
Throughout my life, I have been motivated by the call of the ocean. In my personal endeavors, this passion manifests itself through sailing, embracing the natural beauty of the world and its biodiversity. From a philanthropic standpoint, my involvement in marine conservation has allowed me to partake in various life-changing projects, and meet other individuals who are equally as passionate about regaining a balance in the world’s ecosystems. Through these endeavors, I continue to feel connected to my chosen cause, and fulfilled by embracing the call of the waters.
Stay up-to-date on all my ocean endeavors by following me on LinkedIn and Medium.