Explorer is one of the all-time classic Sparkman & Stephens designs, built by one of the world’s best builders. She evolved directly from the 1973 Whitbread Race experience of the Swan 65 Sayula II winning that event.

A passionate new crew, handpicked by McIntyre Adventure, joins the Ocean Globe Race as part of a team led by retired navy commander and solo sailor Mark Sinclair (Captain Coconut of GGR fame).

Crew

Skipper

Captain Mark Sinclair (64) – aka ‘Captain Coconut’ is Skipper of Explorer. Born in Manchester, UK, Mark emigrated to Australia in 1960 and served 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy up to the rank of Commander. During his extensive sea time he served in a tanker, icebreaker, minesweeper, destroyers and numerous hydrographic ships and aircraft. He navigated 4 ships and commanded 3 ships. He has sailed extensively all his life, and in 2018 participated in the Golden Globe Race (GGR) circumnavigating single-handed in Coconut in 332 days with one stop in Adelaide, and participated in the 2022 GGR, retiring in Lanzarote to attend his son’s wedding. He then sailed across the North Atlantic to Trinidad. He holds Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean certification and has sailed 60,000 nautical miles. He has a very close working relationship with Don McIntyre, owner of Explorer and Ocean Globe Race Founder and Director, to prepare Explorer and conduct the voyage.

Chief Mate

Terry Kavanagh (54) from Ireland is Chief Mate on Explorer. He is a live-aboard sailor and was previously a director of a newspaper production outsourcing company. His sailing experience of some 16,000 nm experience includes Atlantic crossings and to Arctic Norway. He was conducting a slow circumnavigation aboard his yacht with his wife before joining the Explorer crew. He holds a Yachtmaster Ocean certificate and STCW 95s.

No.	Name, Nationality	Sex, Age
1	Mark Sinclair, AUS	M, 64
2	Terry Kavanagh, IRL	M, 54
3	Benoit Docquet, FRA	M
4	Patrick Bodiou, FRA	M, 66
5	Peter De Laet, AUS/BEL	M, 59
6	Jill Coomber, GBR	F, 59
7	Catheryne Langford, CAN	F, 29
8	Henri Cameron Schmidt, ZAF	M
9	Emily Dinwall, USA	F
10	Christian Ferree, GBR	M
11	Ryder Ellis, NLD	M, 17
12	Heike Merbold, GER	F
13	Mark Daniels, ZAF	M
14	Antonio Palacio, URY	M, 62
15	Stefano Caiafa, URY	M
16	Jenny Sinclair, GBR	F
17	Vatrika Joshi, IND	F
18	Millie Apperley, GBR	F, 22
19	Minke Docter	F, 48

Jill Coomber (59) from London, UK, is a career entrepreneur and international marketing business owner. Having skippered her own boats in Europe and as a keen traveller, Jill relatively recently sold her company and has had the time to explore her love for global ocean sailing. A strong helmswoman, great boat chef, Jill also brings to the team her professional strategy and organisational skills, alongside great stamina, a team-centric nature and her robust, resilient attitude.

Patrick Bodiou (66) from Brittany, France, has sailed small boats since 1974 and is the Medical Officer on Explorer. By profession he is a doctor: anesthesiology, intensive care and emergency medicine, with a lifetime of experience in emergency air evacuation missions around the world and front-line response during terrorist attacks and disaster responses. More recently, he has trained to become a skipper through numerous voyages in France and the North Atlantic. He has also conducted various outdoor experiences across the whole range of geographies and landscapes around the world.

Peter De Laet (59) is an Australian/Belgian from Mooloolaba in Queensland, Australia, and brings a broad range of skills to Explorer including specific electrics and electronics background. By profession he is a marketing manager and prior to this was an electrician in the building industry. His broad sailing experience commenced in the 1980s with windsurfing including designing and building boards, which was followed by a decade racing in regattas in keel boats in the North Sea and sailing in the North Atlantic. Following his move to Australia he has raced keelboats and dinghies as well as instructing windsurfing; more recently sailing his catamaran off the Queensland coast.

Catheryne Langford (29) from Quebec, Canada is a seafarer in the merchant marine and served as a deckhand, cook and helmsman. She has sailed the last 3 seasons in the Canadian Arctic on voyages to and from Baffin Island and also worked on a tugboat. Prior to this she spent 13 months in a tall ship conducting two crossings of the Atlantic Ocean. She is an avid traveller with an adventurous spirit with a continuous desire to take on new challenges. She is currently refitting her own 30-foot sailboat. She has numerous commercial qualifications including Bridge Watch Certificate.

Antonio Palacio (62) born in Argentina, living in Punta del Este, Uruguay for the last 8 years. Naval Architect/Engineer, started working as Naval Surveyor for insurance companies and the Navy. Sailing and scuba diving since he was 18 yrs old. Serving as sailing instructor for 3 yrs. In 2000, training for the American round the world race, sailed in the North Atlantic (Boston area) and North Pacific (San Francisco area). Crew member for the Clipper Round the World Race 2019-2022, sailed more than 27,000 nautical miles crossing Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean and North Pacific. Now he is rebuilding his second boat from scratch, an IMS Farr 40, kevlar epoxy hull. Ocean Yacht Master given by Argentina Naval Coast Guard in 1998, and Ocean Yacht Master given by Uruguayan Navy in 2021.

Explorer

Designed by Olin Stephens and first launched in 1977, Explorer is one of the all-time classic S&S designs, built by one of the world’s best builders. She evolved directly from the 1973 Whitbread Race experience of the Swan 65 SAYULA winning that event.

With a head-turning sleek look, oozing sex appeal amongst a world of production pop outs, she stands alone in any crowd. Her fierce reputation as a strong, safe, go anywhere and comfortable ocean going thoroughbred, is complimented by her timeless beauty as a classic yacht.