Canada Ocean Racing - Be Water Positive: the positive attitude!

10 days before the big start, it's time to introduce the sailors competing in The Ocean Race Europe 2025. For this second installment, we look at one of the last boats to participate in The Ocean Race Europe, Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, which stands out for its unique history. It is helmed by Scott Shawyer, an accomplished entrepreneur whose new challenge is to become skipper of an IMOCA. The Canadian has acquired a Verdier design: the former 11th Hour Racing and then Groupe Dubreuil, winner of The Ocean Race (2023) and third in the Vendée Globe (2024). Scott has also surrounded himself with skippers versed in the rigors of ocean racing: Pip Hare, Brian Thompson, Sébastien Marsset and Christopher Pratt. After having to withdraw due to a hydraulic problem during the Rolex Fastnet Race, the team is ready for The Ocean Race Europe. Christopher Pratt, with two Ocean Race titles to his credit, is making the introductions.

It's almost like the plot of a long-awaited maracute;tima. It's the story of Scott Shawyer, a do-it-yourself entrepreneur who was CEO for 26 years of an engineering services company (JMP Solutions). A leader of men, bold and in touch with the times, as illustrated by the V4C fan he launched to combat the spread of Covid-19. Scott is also an accomplished sportsman. He enjoys downhill skiing, triathlon and sailing, from dinghy to multihull. A great sailing enthusiast, in 2020 he covered the Vendé e Globe, which he will follow with great passion. Then an idea occurred to him: ? and if é he would also take the start?

A "very versatile" boat to keep progressing

The idea is now a concrete reality, even though Scott knows this kind of adventure is exhausting, demanding, and that nothing can be left to chance. For the past two years, he has been multiplying his sea outings, training sessions, and races. He first got hold of a straight daggerboard boat — the Owen-Clarke design that won The Ocean Race Europe 2021 (under Offshore Team Germany’s colours) — before stepping things up. The Canadian recently acquired the former 11th Hour Racing boat, winner of The Ocean Race 2023, and the former Groupe Dubreuil, 3rd in the last Vendée Globe. “It’s a Verdier design, very versatile and pleasant to sail, with a cockpit designed for crewed racing,” explains Christopher Pratt.

The French skipper praises Scott’s qualities — this “entrepreneur and accomplished athlete” who takes on “projects that are a bit crazy and seemingly out of reach.” “He’s putting the resources behind his ambitions,” says Pratt. For this long journey, Scott has chosen to surround himself with an experienced crew for The Ocean Race Europe: a legend (Brian Thompson), a “brave woman” (Pip Hare), and seasoned offshore and IMOCA sailors (Sébastien Marsset and Christopher Pratt). “The Whitbread, the Volvo Ocean Race, and now The Ocean Race — these are races I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid,” smiles Christopher. “There’s an international dimension, a real buzz, and a constant battle — I was truly eager to take part in The Ocean Race Europe.”

A hell of a time trial

It's been a busy few weeks for the team. Everything has been done in a hurry: the boat won't be launched until May and negotiations to assemble the crew have been particularly intense. From then on, there was no time to lose, hence the two training sessions over the last few weeks in Lorient, where the boat was moored. We tried to understand the boat, to understand how the Americans and then Sébastien Simon were trying to make it work. And we're also trying to work on how we function as a team.

Christopher knows that nothing will be easy, as he is very insistent on humility from every member of the crew. We are aware of where we are starting from, our resources and the time we have put in over the last few weeks compared to the other teams," he says. We're all here to learn, to be able to use the boat more safely. But the seafarer, like the rest of the crew, is also a competent navigator: &the fact that there are a lot of tapes, that we spend a lot of time in the Mediterraneanáneo, can shuffle the cards». And he concludes: "I am convinced that great things are to come! » 

Getting to Know the Crew of Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive

Scott Shawyer
53 years old, Canadian
I am very impressed by people like Scott, who have made his professional life a é success and who take on challenges that are a bit crazy and unattainable. Scott is like that, he is an entrepreneur and an accomplished athlete. He has given himself the means to achieve his ambitions, he thirsts to learn and to discover IMOCA foils. At the same time, he is leading the fight to protect the water by setting an example and insisting that every little step counts. It's very inspiring.

Pip Hare
51 years old, British
«Like many, he was very impressed by his first Vendée Globe four years ago. Aboard one of the least competitive boats in the fleet, she stood out for her tenacity, her commitment and the precision of her courses. She is a competent sailor in all areas: technical, navigation, electronics management, etc. She knows how to handle a boat with a steady hand, ¡ she is impressive!»

Brian Thompson
63 years old, British
« Anyone interested in ocean racing knows Brian Thompson. He is a legend of Anglo-Saxon ocean racing. On board, he is a silent force. He has the ability to bring out the best in a boat and also the best in the team. He has a kind of British phlegm and tact in the way he approaches things. He's great to work with.»

Sébastien Marsset
40 years old, French
« C’est un marin très complet et très compétent. We were all able to check it out during his Vendée Globe. Sébastien also has a wealth of experience in ocean racing: he has competed twice in the Volvo Ocean Race (Groupama 2011-2012, Alvimedica 2014-2015), has circumnavigated the world in a multihull (Spindrift, 2016) and has been a boat captain (with Romain Attanasio). In addition to being very versatile, he is a very pleasant person to deal with.» 

Georgia Schofield
New Zealander, Onboard Reporter
« She has participated in the last two big training sessions with us. He is a ball of energy: ¡sometimes you almost have to put the brakes on him (smileíe)! He never misses an opportunity to go on deck to take pictures. The images are magnificent and he transmits to the crew a lot of positive vibes.»