The Wild West Sailing Team is about to embark on the iconic SSE Round Ireland Yacht Race. Today we introduce our fearless skipper and all-round gentleman Cian.
Name Cian Mullee
What’s your job/profession?
Race Skipper, Cruising Instructor, and Senior Instructor For Wild West Sailing
Who is someone you admire, and why?
Joan Molloy, Joan grew up sailing in the same sailing club as myself, following her journey as an offshore solo sailor has been very inspiring.
Tell me three pet peeves.
Well done steak, bad pints of Guinness, having to listen to other people’s voice notes.
What’s a typical day like for you?
A good day for me would start with an early run, coffee, and breakfast and then out on the water for the rest of the day preferably racing some sort of sailboat, and finish the day with a BBQ and a few pints!
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about or maybe would prefer not to know about?
I worked as a pizza chef for 3 years in an award-winning restaurant and am very passionate about cooking!
If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be?
In the Caribbean, specifically Grenada drinking rum punch and eating fresh mangoes!
If we went to happy hour, what would you order?
It would have to be a rum punch with fresh nutmeg, there’s nothing quite like it!
Name three words that describe you?
Calm, focused, and fun.
What’s a goal you have for yourself that you want to accomplish in the next year?
Aside from achieving a good result in the SSE Round Ireland Race, I’m looking to get a few wins in Ireland’s J24 fleet and hopefully compete in the Europeans in Howth this Autumn.
What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?
I love catching up with my good mates for a long hike and just shooting the shit while climbing through some spectacular scenery. Two of my favorite hikes would include Croagh Patrick and Mwelrea in beautiful Mayo.
What would be your personal motto?
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” I often remind myself of this when I’m dealing with a stressful situation specifically at sea, at the very least it’ll be an interesting tale to tell!
What inspired you to do the SSE Round Ireland Yacht Race?
Ever since seeing the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway in 2011 as a young lad, I’ve aspired to be involved in offshore racing and the SSE Round Ireland Race is an offshore race in my own backyard.
In 2018 I sailed from New Zealand to South Africa over the course of a year, but I always felt a little bit underwhelmed when it came to the simple sailing strategies applied.
Last year I got a bit closer to my goal by taking part in the ARC+, sailing from Las Palmas in the Canaries to Grenada in the Caribbean via Cape Verde where we achieved Monohull Line Honours crossing in 13 days.
At this point, I was certain Ocean Racing was for me, when the opportunity came to Skipper Lynx, it was a no-brainer!
Join Cian and Sign up for the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Wild West Sailing Race Programme today. https://wildwestsailing.com/racing/
