Interviews

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KIRK FRANCIS is a sound mixer/production sound mixer of Italian origins that won an Academy Award (Oscar) for The Bourne Ultimatum and that I have the pleasure to know personally.
We talked about the Ostar 2009 and I took a chance to ask him a couple of questions.

JAZ: tell me about you, what do you do?
KIRK: I record sound -- for movies to make money, and nature and music for pleasure.

JAZ: You have an Oscar right?
KIRK: yes, i have an Oscar, but awards are just like hemorrhoids -- sooner or later every a****le gets one........

JAZ: which is your relationship with the ocean?

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The lesser spotted Ninjod was rumoured to be wintering on the Suffolk coast, this rare exotic migrant is seldom seen down south, prefering the muddy waters of the Thames Estuary and the North Sea to the gin clear Western Approaches.

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Will Sayer might not have the largest or fastest boat in the fleet, on a Sigma 33 called Elmarleen he might have to play catch up with the rest of the fleet.

However, his story will be inspirational to all those who for too long thought about making a heap of everything and following their ambition to go beyond the horizon, beyond the office desk and the mortgage payments.

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I've met with Rob at the Solo Racing Festival and we took the chance to record a short interview. With more and more of the big boats in doubt for OSTAR, Rob Craigie has every chance to do well and take a shot at monohulls line honours. We have already published Rob's profile and past experience and you can read it here if you've missed it.

As usual, you can read the interview or listen to it scrolling to the bottom.

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This weekend I met for the first time my connational Luca Zoccoli at the Solo Racing Festival organised by Racing at Petit Bateau and held at the RSYC. Luca is a mini sailor and has now entered OSTAR 2009. 3000 miles from Plymouth UK to Newport RI in the states, The OSTAR is a legendary race and about 30 italians have taken part in the past editions. Franco Manzoli winner of the 2005 edition aboard Cotonella was the first Italian to take Line honours but Giovanni Soldini has had notable results too.

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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!