Throughout the gruelling 628‑nautical‑mile Bass Strait crossing, sailor James Jackson drew on his high‑performance training to endure the four‑day offshore challenge, relying on the mental skills, nutrition strategies and fatigue management he developed as a VIS athlete.
I was filled with anxiety about the race to come, with my social media feed flooded with reports forecasting boat and body breaking conditions.This is where experience as a VIS athlete came into play.
Preparation from my time on athlete scholarship meant I could draw on grounding techniques to stay present, most notably box breathing. The time I’d spent with sport psychologists reinforced the importance of managing the nervous energy rather than fighting it.
Fatigue is inevitable in this race. Initial roster rotations of three hours on deck, and three hours below deck, equating to at best two and a half hours sleep at a time.
Managing fatigue quickly became critical.
Image: The beginning of the 2025 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race (credit: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo)[/caption]
The VIS nutrition team had grounded me with an understanding of what was required to battle this. Food, hydration and sleep were central to my performance when I competed as an athlete and the same principles applied in this race.
Understanding which foods were easiest to digest amid heightened cortisol levels and rolling seas proved crucial in managing sea sickness – which I battled with for 14 of the 96 hours racing. These skills became even more vital as we shifted to a brutal four hours on two hours off rotation.
When sleep was scarce, resilience and strong team communication became essential.
Relying on these skills ultimately enabled our crew to finish 39th over the line out of 128 boats that started, in a race where 34 retired.
We also finished third in our division on handicap, which adjusts results based on boat and sail size.
The highlights were undoubtedly the start and the finish.
Sailing out of Sydney harbour alongside 128 boats and a massive spectator fleet was absolutely exhilarating. The finish was just as powerful, arriving to Constitution Dock in Hobart to large crowds cheering us on was incredible.
For a sport I had long considered to largely non-spectator, sailing this race proved anything but.
The takeaway from my race experience?
When a challenging opportunity presents itself, say yes, plan what you can and figure out how to achieve it as you go.
Cover image: James Jackson pictured to the right, steering, with Cape Raoul in the background.
