O Captain! My Captain!
David O’Connor
The man with the plan!
I grew up sailing in Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo, on the wild northwest coast of Ireland and like many mariners, I had family who loved the Ocean! I sailed before I crawled. My first spin out on the Atlantic Ocean was at the tender age of 4 months on a cutter-rigged converted lifeboat called “Manora”. I had a few uncles who lied to my mum, their sister, about how safe the activities I was undertaking were! At age 6 I was promoted to skipper of an 8ft plastic dinghy in Mullaghmore harbour, but it was on a family holiday to the Caribbean that I was switched on to the buzz. After a pleasant day sailing with the family when everyone went ashore, I was dragged out with the uncles again, in a freshening breeze on the Sparkman & Stephens 28 “Sirius”. She was on the breeze & fully heeled over. I was sitting up on the side hanging on…and grinning, so this is the game!
I didn’t sail much as a teenager and being a farm boy, I never felt like I’d fit in at a sailing club doing courses. It wasn’t until I travelled halfway round the world that the little voice in my head kept nagging me to get back in a boat and though my career first led me to work with many media and technology companies in Ireland, but it wasn’t long until the sea called me back! I began racing yachts in New Zealand where I worked for an America’s Cup tourism venture. I was very lucky to sail every day with an ex-Volvo Ocean Race watch-leader on a 76 foot bullet! I was taught so much so quickly that this job inspired me to pass on what I have learned.
After many trans-oceanic voyages in the Atlantic and Pacific, I spent 2 years in the Offshore Seismic Exploration Industry in Asia. Here I received a different schooling from the finest fishing skippers of New Zealand and South Africa in some of the world’s most remote locations. I look back at my story and I realise Wild West Sailing was inevitable, and I am delighted to be back in the West of Ireland doing what I love, sharing my skills, my experience and my passion with you.
Our Team