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After returning from the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1994, Conrad's passion for the oceans led him to study Ocean Science and Meteorology at the University of Plymouth in the South West where he graduated in 1997. Ever since then, Conrad has remained a strong advocate of the University of Plymouth, undertaking visitor lectures in Meteorology and Oceanography. In 2005 the University awarded him an Honorary Masters in Marine Science in recognition of his achievements in ocean racing.
Conrad's first leadership challenge after university was as skipper of LG Flatron in the gruelling BT Global Challenge 2000-01. Conrad and his crew of 18 amateur sailors went on to dominate the race setting a record pace and winning four out of seven legs. At just 26 years of age, Conrad became the youngest winning skipper in the history of the race.
For Conrad's third circumnavigation, he decided to take on the Everest of ocean racing, the non-stop, solo round the world race, the 2004-05 Vendée Globe. Sponsored by telecommunications giant, Motorola, Conrad set out from Les Sables D'Olonne, France in November 2004 in his Open 60 yacht named HELLOMOTO. Together with 19 other likeminded skippers, Conrad aimed to race non-stop and unassisted around the world.
After 25 days at sea, Conrad was lying in 7th place and just about to enter the cold, desolate waters of the Southern Ocean when he hit a submerged object at speed. Flung across the cabin, his first thoughts where that he was sinking. HELLOMOTO withstood the impact, but one of the rudders was damaged beyond repair. Everyone thought that Conrad's race was over as he limped towards Cape Town. No-one had ever successfully changed a rudder at sea without assistance and gone on to complete the race.
Humphreys arrived in Cape Town and anchoring off a small bay near Simon's Town set about changing the broken rudder. Diving repeatedly under the hull in the full glare of the world's media, he managed to replace the rudder and rejoin the race. The euphoria he felt at completing the repair was swiftly replaced by apprehension when he realised that he would now be entering the Southern Ocean, in last place and nearly 4000 miles behind the leaders.
Humphrey's dug deep; he set off from Cape Town knowing that his only chance of safety lay 500 miles ahead of him. He set himself a target of catching the next boat by Christmas and staying motivated by maintaining his speed and distance with the leaders. The Southern Ocean was brutal, several of Conrad's competitors were in trouble in mountainous seas and one yacht had smashed into an iceberg, but Conrad was flying. His yacht HELLOMOTO was reeling in the tail-enders and by Christmas he was back inside the top ten having left Cape Town in 17th position.
Conrad rounded Cape Horn, in 9th place having closed the distance to the leaders remarkably by two hundred miles. He attacked the South Atlantic taking a day off the record from Cape Horn to the equator. The fatigue across the fleet was taking its toll and two boats where to suffer dramatic keel failures one just 50 miles from the finish line. With 3000 miles left to the finish, HELLOMOTO's own hydraulic rams that control the three tonne keel dramatically failed leaving the boat dangerously unstable. Humphreys secured the keel as best he could with a series of lashings and decided to continue racing towards the finish line. Sleeping with his emergency grab bag and living with the constant fear that his own keel would come away from the yacht, Humphreys continued up the Atlantic crossing the finish line in 7th place, after 104 days at sea to a Hero's welcome.
The Vendée Globe was Conrad's third circumnavigation having become the youngest winner of the BT Global Challenge in 2001 and completing the Whitbread Round the World Race (Volvo Ocean Race) in 1994. He is still the only yachtsman to have done this.
With a natural passion for the sea and having sailed around the world three times already, Conrad's personal observations of the effects that global climate change is having on our world's oceans, lead him to launch The BLUE™ Climate and Oceans Project. Launched in February 2007, The BLUE™ Project has provided Conrad with an effective way to protect the watery environment that he respects and admires so much.
The BLUE™ Climate and Oceans Project is an inspiring initiative design to encourage individuals and companies to be active in choosing to care about the health of our environment. By association with ocean/water based sporting adventures and human endeavours, The BLUE™ Project uses a lead by example approach to change people perception and to encourage us all to make lifestyle changes, no matter how small, to collectively help in slowing down the effects of global climate change on our world's oceans.
Career highlights:
- Born 1973, Devon
- 1989-90 Cadet World Championships . Won the 1989 junior world championships and was a member of the winning British Team in 1990.
- 1993-04 Whitbread Round the World Race. Debut into full-time ocean racing as the youngest crew member onboard Odessa 200.
- 1994-97 University of Plymouth, BSc Ocean Science and Meteorology,
- 1997 World Student Yachting Championships . Lead a team to the National title and to 4th place at the World Championships in Marseilles.
- 2000-01 BT Global Challenge - Skipper LG FLATRON, Overall Race Winner and youngest Skipper to win the race in its history.
- 2003 Transat Jacques Vabre . Overall Winner Class 2 - Skipper with Paul Larsen onboard the Open 50 HELLOMOTO, sponsored by Motorola.
- 2004 Solo Transatlantic Race - The Transat (formerly the OSTAR) Debut solo Open 60 Race, finished 5th overall in the Open 60 HELLOMOTO, sponsored by Motorola.
- 2004-05 Vendée Globe , finished 7th overall, solo, non-stop round the world yacht race in Open 60 HELLOMOTO, sponsored by Motorola.
- 2005 IMOCA World Championships, 6th Overall
- 2005-06 Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix Series, 3rd Overall - inshore grand prix team event across 5 countries (Spain, Brazil, US, UK and Netherlands) - sponsored by Motorola
- 2007 Launched the BLUE Climate and Oceans Project
2007 (Cont) Compete in the Barcelona World Race with Swiss yachtsman, Bernard Stamm on Cheminées Poujoulat II
