Ramon Carlín

Mexico. Accomplished businessman and a yachtsman. He was the Captain of Sayula II, the winner of the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973-74; the first crewed sailing race around the world. He also secured second place in the Bermuda Race in 1976. He was the only Mexican skipper who has ever competed in the race and the only one to win an international sporting cup in Mexico’s history. He was also a successful Alpine mountaineering and a worldwide snow skier. In 2016, Ramon passed away at 92 years old. He had 10 children (-2) and was retired and living in Mexico City with his wife Paquita and with all of his family.

Francisca “Paquita” Larios

Mexico. A great wife and loving mother. Strong follower of her husband. She was a crew member of the winner Sayula II, in the first leg of the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973. The Sayula II yacht is named after the town where she was born, Sayula. She lives in Mexico City with Captain Ramon and she is devotedly dedicated to her house and her family.

Enrique Carlín

Mexico. He is an accomplished businessman, a yachtsman and he studied Business Management. He is also an accomplished singer, musician and composer and an excellent skier. On top of all those achievements he is a highly proficient Charro. Enrique was watch captain in the winning boat, Sayula II, in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973. He also achieved second place in the Bermuda race in 1976, incidentally, when he was on his honeymoon. Enrique who now lives in Mexico is a grandfather, he is still married to his teenage sweetheart and he still sails in Sayula II.

Adolfo “Cantis” Orenday

Mexico. He is the first officer of the Sayula II, sailor, master fisherman, chef, marine engine expert. He was a crew member in the winner Sayula II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973-74. Cantis still works for the Carlin family, sails and lives in Acapulco.

Roberto Cubas Carlín

Mexico. He is both a sailor and a businessman and has held several positions in state office and as a member of State Congress where he worked in Public administration. He was a crew member of the winner Sayula II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973-74. Roberto now works for the private sector and lives in Mexico.

Francisco Reyes Carlín

Mexico. He is a sailor, an academic social worker, an university professor and Director of Human Studies in the University of Anahuac. He was a crew member of the winner Sayula II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973-74. Francisco was the youngest sailor of all the 19 yachts of the race. Today he has a family and works as a social worker trying to improve conditions for the young people of Mexico where he now lives.

Butch Darylmple-Smith

England. He is an accomplished businessman, a yachtsman, a naval architect, an engineer and a yacht designer. He built his first boat at the age of 16 years old. He has been a designer for Ron Holland and the chief designer at Camper & Nicholson. Butch has been a professor of Naval Architecture and the history of yacht design at the European Institute of Design in Venice, supervising the yacht design master course. He has raced in the Admiral’s Cup in 1963, 1965 and 1967. He also won the One Ton Cup for Australia in 1978. He participated in the 1973 Congressional Cup in Long Beach, and was also a crew member on the winner Sayula II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race 1973-74. He has been a coach for the Spanish Admiral Cup team and has masterminded World Championship wins in the Quarter and Half Ton classes. He has won a large number of regattas sailing maxi yachts, multihulls and many smaller classes; all on yachts designed by himself and his partners. He lives in the South of France.

Keith Lorence

USA. Is a businessman, yachtsman, and an expert sail maker. He founded Watts Sails. He has been a sailor since he was 8 years old, racing in the dingy class. Keith survived the dangerous 1979 Fastnet Race. He has sailed in more than 7 Trans – Pacific races, and has raced in Europe. He was a watch captain and a sailing master in the winner Sayula II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973. Keith lives on a yacht in California.

David Bowen

Australia. He is an accountant, sailor, single handed ocean rower, boat mechanic and marine engine expert. He participated in most of the Australian yacht races like Sydney to Hobart or Hobart to Auckland in New Zealand. He was a crew member of the winner Sayula II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973. David holds the record for being the first person in history to row single-handed from Australia to Tasmania through the Bass Strait in 1971. He is retired and lives in Melbourne.

Bob Martin

USA. He is a sailor and an accomplished businessman and research engineer. He worked in the Aerial Space industry for more than 40 years. He founded his own enterprise for test propulsion, rocket research and manufacture. He participated in several Trans – Pacific races, also sailed the Victoria – Maui Race. He was a crew member of the winning Sayula II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973 and he wrote a book about Sayula’s journey. He is now retired and lives in Washington State.

Ray Conrady

USA. A sailor, Navigator, radio operator and merchant seaman. He has participated in many Trans Atlantic crossings, the Master Marines regatta, the SORC in Florida and also on the Bermuda Race. He had a sailboat delivery business. Ray was the main navigator for the Sayula II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973. He is now a volunteer for the maintenance of historical marine vessels. He is retired and lives in San Francisco, California.

Tjerk Romke de Vries

Holland. A businessman, yachtsman, author and chef. Has been a sailor since he was 6 years old, racing in the dingy class. He participated in more than 6 Fastnet races, in most European oceanic races, the 2 men Round Britain Race, the Admiral Cup and the Bermuda race in 1978. The World Cup 12M class in 1979, the Rotterdam to New York in 1982, Tour de France a la Voile, King’s Cup in Thailand, Singapore to Phuket. He was a crew member of the winner Sayula II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973. Tjerk is now retired, and lives in Colijnsplaat, Holland and he still sails.

Sir Chay Blyth

Scotland. He is an accomplished businessman, professional yachtsman, transatlantic rower and renowned author. He is a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and recipient of the British Empire Medal. He joined the British Army Parachute Regiment at 18 years old. In 1966 Sir Chay (with John Ridgway) rowed across the North Atlantic Ocean in 92 days. He participated in the Sunday Times Golden Globe race in 1968. Then in 1971, with only 3 years experience in yachting, he sailed single handed, non-stop, westwards around the world against the prevailing winds and currents, taking 292 days and becoming the first person in the history of yachting to do it that way. In 1997, he was created a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to sailing. He was the founder of the Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race and the BT round the world yacht race under the auspices of his company The Challenge Business. Sir Chay still sails.

Franck Cammas

France. He is a professional yachtsman, winner of the Route du Rhum, 5 ORMA World Championships, the Transat Jaques Varbe among many other off shore international competitions. At the age of 24 years old he won the Solitaire du Figaro. He is one of the most talented and respected sailors in the Ocean Racing Multihull Association, breaking records in many trans oceanic competitions such as the North Atlantic crossing, Round Britain and Ireland, the Mediterranean crossing and The Jules Verne Trophy in which he went around the world non stop in 48 days. He is also the winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 with Team Groupama. In 2007, Franck sailed from Miami to New York in one single day. Lives in Brittany, France.

Lionel Péan

France. He is an accomplished businessman, a professional yachtsman. World champion, winner of many off shore competitions including the Whitbread Round the Yacht World Race in 1985-86 when he was 29 years old. Also winner of the Solitaire du Figaro and The Fastnet Races in 1975 and 1985. He also holds records for North Atlantic crossings and round Corsica. Named honorary citizen of Saint Malo. The Yachtsman of the year 1987. He is the founder and director of many Mediterranean Regattas, founder of French sailing teams and has participated in more than 50 off shore races in all 4 oceans of the world completing more than 350, 000 miles of ocean racing. Lives in South France.

Torben Grael

Brazil. He is an accomplished businessman, a professional yachtsman and Olympic medalist. He is the athlete with more Olympic medals in the history of Brazil (Gold Athens 2004, Gold Atlanta 1996, Silver Los Angeles 1984, Bronze Sydney 2000 and Bronze Seoul 1988) also the professional sailor with more Olympic medals in the world. He was the winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 and more than 30 Brazilian, South American and World Sailing competitions. Named the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the year 2009. Lives in Brazil.

Knut Frostad

Norway. He is an accomplished businessman, professional yachtsman and Scandinavian champion. He has participated in a wide range of world sailing championships like the Nokia Oops Cup. He has represented his country twice in the Olympic Games in windsurfing. From 1993 to 2006 he went 4 times around the world competing in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race & Volvo Ocean Race, twice as skipper. He has been a director and advisor for international companies and is now the CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Anthony Churchill

England. He is an accomplished businessman, economist and yachtsman. He is the founder of the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1973. He has participated in many trans oceanic sailing competitions. In 1969, he was the main navigator in the winner yacht Morning Cloud in the Sydney Hobart Race, with Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath. He is also a financial journalist, publisher and founder of Sea Horse magazine among many others. He is the person who first conceived the idea of an international round the world crewed sailing race in 1972. Lives in England.

About the narrator, Simon Le Bon

England. Songwriter, musician, lyricist and producer, and the lead singer of the iconic British rock band Duran Duran. Over the course of their rich and colorful career, the band have been awarded seven Lifetime Achievement Awards, two Ivor Novellos, a number of Grammy, MTV and Brit Awards, a Star on the Hollywood Walk a Fame and more. Now ready to launch their 14th studio album (Paper Gods) on September 2015. Today, Duran Duran, continues to play to sell-out arena audiences around the world.

Alongside Le Bon’s acclaimed 35 year career as the front man for Duran Duran, Simon is also a very successful yachtsman. Competing regularly whenever his schedule allows, he is an offshore racer and champion of many international sailing competitions. These include the Seahorse Maxi Series 1985, the Round Ireland Race 1986, the Antigua Race Week 2009 and the Antigua Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge 2014. In addition, he has raced in the renowned Fastnet Race (in both 1985 and 2005), the Nioulargue Series (1994-1996), the subsequent Le Voiles des Saint Tropez (2001-2012), the Maxi World Series (2010-2013), the Florida classics Miami Grand Prix, the Key West Regatta, and the Whitbread Round the World Race (1985-86). Most recently, Le Bon joined the crew of Sir Ben Ainslie’s Landrover BAR AC45 as “6th man” for one of the two “Louis Vuitton Americas Cup Challenge” races in Portsmouth Harbour. Without a doubt, Simon has earned the title of “Best competitive sailor in Rock ‘n Roll history”.

Contact Us

theweekendsailor@gmail.com