Skipper Profile: Oscar Mead

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Today we learn a bit more about Oscar Mead, the youngest ever competitor in OSTAR. Oscar hosts a slick and polished webite www.teamoscarmead.co.uk with lots of information about his preparations gearing up to the race. Blessed by years of experience at such a young age and bold confidence Oscar's motto Looking forward, aiming high sets out a vision for a future as a professional offshore sailor and judging by his remarkable results so far we will be keeping an eye on him.

Oscar Mead is one of the UK's top up and coming solo and shorthanded sailors, despite the fact that he isnt yet 19 years old! Already officially confirmed as the youngest entrant in the 2009 OSTAR Oscar has a long term goal to be a race winning contender on the start line of the race all singlehanders want to compete in, the Vendee Globe round the World Race. Oscars target is 2016!

Oscars 2008 season featured 5 race wins in the Royal Southampton Yacht Clubs 2-handed series (and 1st overall in Class 1 after the 8 race series) as well as winning the "Rookie of the year Trophy in Petite Bateau's Singlehanded Race Week. Oscar also led the Petite Bateau Singleghanded Solent Series going into the last race before a spinnaker halyard which jumped the sheave while Oscar was leading the last race led to a retirement.

History

Born in Hong Kong Oscar started sailing when he was 8 years old, crewing for his father in the Hong Kong match racing championships which were held in Wanderer dinghies that year. They won! Three seasons in a 29er dinghy sailed out of Middle Island in Hong Kong followed, then a season in Toppers in the UK and two years in Laser radials, before a move to Cowes and a growth spurt put Oscar more in line for big boat sailing (or maybe a Finn, but who is going to beat Ben Ainslie??!!!!)

In early 2006 Oscar had an opportunity to sail his first long offshore when he joined Peter and Louise Morton on board Frank Pongs Richel Pugh 76 footer "Boracay" (the ex Enigma of Charles Dunstone) in the China Sea Race, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club / RORC race from Hong Kong to Manila. After a first night of 20 to 25 knots of wind which went well Oscar suffered 48 hours of sea sickness which was an inauspicious start to his offshore career!!! He survived and by the end of the series was doing mainsheet inshore.

The following winter he rebuilt a Quarter tonner, having acquired the shell of a Dubois designed Starflas from Peter Morton which he steered in Cowes Week 2006, but only after bolting the last few fittings on the boat (which he called Wild Bean) on the Sunday night. Several top 5 places were achieved despite the lateness of the re-build and the inexperience of the helmsman!

In June of 2007, and still only 16 years old, Oscar was bowman for James Howells and David Bedford in the Etchells class World Championships sailed in Cowes where they finished 4th overall. Oscar was the youngest competitor in the event which was sailed in unrelentingly strong winds.

In March 2008 Oscar got the use of a J105 for the season with an aim of starting his shorthanded sailing career and together with Juneau Oscar has sailed over 2000 miles solo this year as well as another 500 miles double-handed.

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