Conrad Colman | |
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![]() Conrad Colman in November 2016, about to start the Vendée Globe | |
Nationality | New Zealand American |
Occupation | Yachtsman |
Known for | Single-handed yacht racing |
Conrad Colman is a yachtsman from New Zealand with dual nationality of New Zealand and America and is now based in France. [1] In 2016 he became the first New Zealander to compete in the famous single-handed around-the-world race, the Vendée Globe. [2] [3] [4] On 10 February 2017 Colman was in 10th place, 740 miles from the finish line (having completed 97% of the race's 27,440 nautical mile circumnavigation) when his IMOCA 60, the Foresight Natural Energy, was dismasted. [5] Two weeks later he became the 3rd sailor in history to complete the Vendée Globe under jury rig, taking 16th place in the race with a time of just under 110 days 2 hours. [3] Colman ran out of food after the dismasting, and completed the race on survival rations pillaged from his life raft. [5]
Foresight Natural Energy is the same yacht that Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty used in the 2008–09 Vendée Globe [4] and it is powered entirely by renewable energy. [6] When he crossed the finish line Colman became the first skipper to complete the Vendée Globe using no fossil fuels. [5]