Damian Foxall

Damian Foxall (born 7 March 1969)[1] is an Irish sailor from County Kerry.[2]

Personal details

Foxall is married to Lucy Hunt, he has two children with Oisin and Neave and resides in Quebec, Canada.[3]

Key sailing results

In addition to his offshore experience, Foxall has also been associated with dinghy, Olympic and America's Cup sailing.[4][5]

Pos Year Race Class Boat Name Notes Ref
Round the World Races
? 2023 2019-2023 The Ocean Race IMOCA 60 11th Hour Racing Team Sustainability program manager & Sailor
5 2018 2017–2018 Volvo Ocean Race Volvo Ocean 65 Team Vestas 11th Hour Racing Sailor & Sustainability program manager
6 2014 2014–2015 Volvo Ocean Race Volvo Ocean 65 Donfeng race team [5]
1 2011 2011–2012 Volvo Ocean Race Volvo Ocean 70 Groupama sailing team [6][7][5]
5 2009 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race Volvo Ocean 70 Green Dragon Racing Team [8][5]
1 2008 Barcelona World Race IMOCA 60 Paprec Virbac 2 with  Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) [9]
5 2006 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race Volvo Ocean 70 Ericsson Racing Team
1 2005 Oryx Quest - Maxi Cat - Doha as a crew member [10]
WR 2004 Eastabout Non-Stop Round The World record - Maxi Cat - Cheyenne skippered by  Steve Fossett (USA)
4 2002 2001-2002 Volvo Ocean Race Whitbread 60 Team Tyco
Trans-oceanic Races
2 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre Multi Mod 70 - Oman Air-Musandam Doublehanded with  Sidney Gavignet (FRA) [11]
ABN 2005 Transat Jacques Vabre ORMA 60 Foncia Doublehanded with  Sidney Gavignet (FRA) [12]
3 2003 Transat Jacques Vabre ORMA 60 Sergio Tacchini Doublehanded with  Karine Fauconnier (FRA)
8 2000 Transat AG2r Beneteau Figaro JACQUES VABRE Doublehanded with F. PROFFIT
5 1998 Transat AG2r Beneteau Figaro SKIPPER ELF Doublehanded with  Sidney GAVIGNET (FRA)
Other Race
Various 2017 Trimaran circuit MOD 70 Pheado
WR 2016 Outright Round Ireland Multi MOD 70 - Phaedo 36 hours and 52 minutes [13]
1 2016 Round Ireland Race Multi MOD 70 - OMANSAIL
1 2014 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Multi MOD 70 - Oman Sail (new record) as a crew member [14]
1 2006 Archipelago Raid with Magnus Woxen [15]
2004 America Cup Challenger Series
Louis Vuitton Acts		 IACC K-Challenge
1 2004 Transat Québec St-Malo ORMA tri Sergio Tacchini
60 2003 ISAF Sailing World Championships Tornado Cadiz, ESP [5]
12 2002 Formula 18 World Championship Formula 18 Travemunde, GER [5]
1997 Solitaire du Figaro Beneteau Figaro

Sailing career

Foxall has competed in and worked with eleven round-the-world race teams, which include four 1st-place finishes.

Solo Offshore Sailing

In 1997 Foxall became the first non-French entry to win the rookie class in the Single-handed offshore race - La Solitaire du Figaro. He went on to confirm his success in 1998–1999 with a leg win, before changing to the ORMA 60` Trimaran class.[citation needed]

Two Person Stopping Round the World Race

In the 2007/2008 Barcelona World Race, sailing with co-skipper Jean-Pierre Dick on the Open 60 Paprec-Virbac.[9] He was subsequently described as a national hero and Ireland's top international sailor and was greeted at a reception at the Presidential Residence in Ireland[16]

Crewed Stopping Round the World Race

In 2011 Foxall won the Volvo Ocean race with Team Groupama.[7]

Other rtw events include 5 Volvo ocean races, and a World Record circumnavigation in early 2004 with Steve Fossett on the G-Class catamaran Cheyenne. He was named Sailor of the Month by Afloat Magazine in March 2004.[17]

Damian is a sailor and sustainability manager with Team Vestas 11th Hour racing.[18] Competing in the Volvo Ocean Race, whilst promoting Ocean health and sustainability as part of the Team Vestas 11th Hour racing core goals.[19]

Multihulls

His results in the ORMA 60' Trimaran class include: 1st - Transat Quebec-St Malo. 2st - ORMA circuit championship. 3 participations in Double Handed Transat Jacques Vabre, including 2nd, 3rd and a capsize. 2 Grand prix wins.[citation needed]

Sport

In 2019, Foxall made a 400-metre descent on skis from the summit of Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil (1,014 m), down the Shoulder of Corrán to the top of the steep gully known as the Devil's Ladder.[20][21][22]

Expeditions

In 2019, Foxall ran Quixote expedition's vessel for three months in Antarctica. With his crew, Niall McAllister, Lucy Hunt, Caesar Chinchas, following the route of Edward Bransfield.

Conservation Work

Canadian Wildlife Federation

From 2012 to 2017 Damian worked as Recreation Education Manager for the Canadian Wildlife Federation[23] and is an advocate for outdoor education, connecting people with the natural world to promote health and conservation.

Outdoor Education

Damian Foxall is an active promoter of Ocean conservation. Ambassador for : Sailors for the sea; Race for water. He also works to promote Best practices at afloat with regards to marine mammals. See - When whales meet sails

Bibliography

  • Ocean Fever: The Damian Foxall Story (an Illustrated Paperback Book). The Collins Press; Illustrated edition. 1 October 2011. ISBN 978-1848890374.

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Damian Foxall - The Ocean Race". Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Kerry's Foxall wins round-the-world yacht race". Independent.ie. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  3. ^ "Derrynane boy gripped with ocean fever again". The Irish Times. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  4. ^ S1-E7 - Off Watch - A Conversation with Damian Foxall. theoceanrace.org. 26 May 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Damian Foxall". members.sailing.org. World Sailing. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Les navigants". cammas-groupama.com. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012.
  7. ^ a b Team, Afloat. ie. "Foxall Dream Comes True in Galway as Groupama Win Volvo Ocean Race". Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  8. ^ "About Damian Foxall". Archived from the original on 15 March 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Paprec-Virbac 2 Wins Barcelona World Race". International Sailing Federation. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012.
  10. ^ "Multiplast and Doha 2006 win the Oryx Quest". www.multiplast.eu.
  11. ^ "November 2013 – Challenge and Adventure".
  12. ^ "Capsized racing sailors rescued". 8 November 2005.
  13. ^ Flynn, Niall. "Record breaker: Fastest voyage around Ireland". The Irish Times.
  14. ^ "Damian Foxall steers trimaran to world record". The Irish Times. 15 August 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  15. ^ "Sogetti leads Archipelago Raid". 27 June 2006.
  16. ^ "Foxall's over moon after global marathon victory". Independent.ie. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
  17. ^ "Sailor of the Year Awards 2004". Archived from the original on 31 March 2008.
  18. ^ "11th Hour Racing Team names veteran sailor Damian Foxall as Sustainability Manager". www.sail-world.com.
  19. ^ "Vestas 11th Hour Racing". The Ocean Race. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  20. ^ Renowned sailor completes descent of Carrauntoohil on skis Archived 17 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine RTÉ News, 3 February 2019.
  21. ^ Summit video Damian Foxall, 3 February 2019.
  22. ^ Descent video Damian Foxall, 3 February 2019.
  23. ^ "Canadian Wildlife Federation: Damian Foxall". cwf-fcf.org. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015.