Pro surfer turned sailor with a passion for food and the voice of an angel. Meet Ronan Wild West Sailings SSE Round Ireland Race crew member, we call him “the full package”.

Name

Ronan Oertzen 

What’s your job/profession?

I was a pro surfer until recently and now I’m company director in my own business and trimmer on Lynx for the SSE Round Ireland Race.

Who is someone you admire, and why?

David Attambra because of his unwavering dedication to preserving the Earth and his values. 

Tell me three pet peeves.

Untidy individuals.  People who take advantage of others. When you don’t put my tools back where you found them.

What’s a good day like for you?

Get up walk across the beach to the bar and have media con tomate with a few mates, while checking the surf. Hoping to catch a few waves and then grab a second breakfast. Go out on my mate’s boat to a cove, and chill there for a while and do a bit of snorkeling. Head back and set up the barbecue on the beach and cook up a feed with a few drinks. Then fall into bed. 

Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about or maybe would prefer not to know about :)

I’ve recorded an album.

If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be?

Alicante 

Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?

An Engineer always had a soft spot for combustion engines. Mainly taking them apart since it’s a lot easier than putting them back together.

If we went to happy hour, what would you order?

Cuba libre brings back some epic memories and helps me make more.

Name three words that describe you.

Reliable, honest, and hates the cold.

What’s a goal you have for yourself that you want to accomplish in the next year?

Too many things to mention but a major one would be getting one step closer to building my business which is a surf camp in Donegal.

What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?

Surfing, sailing, playing music, and just spending time with my mates and family.

What would be your personal motto?

A tope o nada  (full or nothing) 

What inspired you to do the SSE race around Ireland?

The only way to become a better sailor is to sail with better sailors, that is what the SSE Round Ireland Race is all about for me.

Stay tuned to the Wild West Sailing social media channels and keep track of how we progress through the SSE Round Ireland Race.

Today we hear from Wild West Sailing First Mate Fiona for the SSE Round Ireland Yacht Race From Galway to New Zealand and back, the Atlantic salt was calling.

Name 

Fiona Ryder 

What’s your job/profession? 

Currently, a Consultant in Adventure Tourism and Health & Safety, specialising in adventurous activities.

Who is someone you admire, and why?

Hands down my amazing sister and her family. She is the most humble, empathetic, kind human I have ever known, especially as she faces some of the most unthinkable challenges in life. She is an unstoppable hero on how to live.

Tell me three pet peeves.

Haha, hey so you should ask the crew about this one. Think they might have some impressions they could share with you. Joe made a dismal attempt at an impression of me the other night at team dinner!!

What’s a typical day like for you? 

Lucky for me I don’t have a typical day. I’ve been a digital nomad for the last couple of years and am lucky to spend time in my two homes, Ireland and NZ. Days can be anything from sailing to contract work to family to time with my pooch and friends. 

I’m extremely fortunate to live and work in a natural rhythm. 

.Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about or maybe would prefer not to know about :)

I can flip a huge stack of beer mats.

If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be?

Anywhere sunny – Pacific Island, Mediterranean island? 

Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I had the best pair of WW wonder woman shoes. Love the resurgence of the stories and have been to Athens and Delos last year, I had a fabulous reflection on my youth and love of the strong women of our past!!

If we went to happy hour, what would you order?

Round of dark and stormies for the crew

Name three words that describe you.

Following her path

What’s a goal you have for yourself that you want to accomplish in the next year?

Build my tiny home cabin and get the site organised.

What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?

I have a long list, as long as it’s with people I love. Although I really enjoy the alone time too.

Weekend boating with friends, Muriwai beach and forest with my pooch, road trip or day drive. PJ day. Yummy scotch in hand.

What would be your personal motto?

Pause, breathe and listen to your gut. What feels right is right. Surrender.

What inspired you to do the SSE race around Ireland?

Wanting to do one of the big ones on my home ground and the opportunity to be Wild West Sailing First Mate on this epic race.

From NASA to salty sailor meet SSE Round Ireland Yacht Race Wild West Sailing crew member Sinead!

Name – Sinead O’Sullivan

What’s your job/profession? Aerospace Engineer, specializing in space. After an amazing 10 years working for NASA and being a professor at Harvard, three weeks ago I quit my job and I’m taking a semi-permanent sabbatical to finish a book. 

Who is someone you admire, and why? My friend Bradley Farquhar was a satellite engineer until he turned 39 and then decided he wanted to go to the winter Olympics, so learned how to skeleton in the hope of qualifying in 3 years’ time. We’re never too old to do amazing things!

Three pet peeves. Nothing actually annoys me that much. Maybe people complaining about things that can’t be changed, or not changing things that can be changed.

What’s a typical day like for you? Until very recently, start work at 6am, and grab breakfast at 8 or 9. Cycle between Harvard and MIT to have meetings with astronauts, spacesuit designers, and satellite planners, spend 2-3 hours writing research papers, and 1-2 hours teaching a class. Try to fit in a run throughout the day. Meet friends for dinner if I’m lucky, but mostly work until midnight and repeat.

Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about or maybe would prefer not to know about :) When I’ve had too many dark and stormies I think I can play the guitar and sing. Spoiler alert- I really can’t. 

If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be? Sounds corny but I believe I’m always exactly where I should be. Also, I just moved to Palma and I’m overlooking the superyachts so this is just fine!

Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up? A pilot and an astronaut! I made one of those happen, and I got pretty far in the selection for the other. I’ll settle for sailor now though

If we went to happy hour, what would you order? Dark and stormies baby

Name three words that describe you. Resilient, determined, caring.

What’s a goal you have for yourself that you want to accomplish in the next year? Finishing my book and getting my Yachtmaster

What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working? Running, swimming, sailing, hanging out with interesting people, reading, eating good food, pretty much anything and everything!

What would be your personal motto? “Ad astra” (per aspera). It’s what we say in the space industry a lot. “Through hardship to the stars” – basically that anything worth doing is hard. 

What inspired you to do the SSE Round Ireland Yacht Race? I wanted to see how long it would take on a boat to make me cry… Also, I really want to see Ireland from a different perspective and do something cool with interesting people!