Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2021: Volvo Race man overboard sailor Alex Gough racing on LawConnect

Alex Gough made international headlines for his starring role in a perilous experience at sea. But it hasn’t deterred him from setting sail in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Sailor Alex Gough was involved in a man overboard incident in an around the world race. But it hasn't deterred him form racing.

LawConnect supermaxi sailor Alex Gough was just 24 when he got the opportunity of a lifetime – racing aboard a round the world racer in the famous Volvo Race.

The opportunity later turned into a dramatic rescue at sea with Gough involved in a man overboard incident in the Pacific Ocean after being washed off board the Hong Kong entrant Scallywag.

Gough was outside the boats lifelines working on a sail change when a wave smashed into him, sending him, overboard.

Alex Gough during the 2017 Volvo Ocean race on Scallywag. Pic: Konrad Frost.

“It sounds weird but I’m glad it happened because I learnt a lot and I can pass that knowledge on to other people, the younger guys now,’’ said Gough, from the Sunshine Coast but recently based at McMahon’s Point ahead of the 2021 Sydney to Hobart.

“It happened so fast. I didn’t really have time to be scared. The guys did a great job to get me back on board.

“When I popped my head out of the water they were already coming back for me. I think the whole exercise took seven minutes. I was just lucky it happened in the daylight.”

Alex Gough being rescued at sea in the round the world race.

Perhaps not so lucky given he is constantly reminded of the incident, was the fact it was caught by on-board cameras and beamed around the world.

“I try to get past it a little, it’s not why you want to make headlines. But I won’t be making any of those mistakes again,’’ he said prior to Sunday’s start of the 2021 Sydney to Hobart.

At the time skipper David Witt, the skipper of the Scallywag supermaxi now racing to Hobart, said it incredibly lucky the rescue had taken place in daylight as Gough’s black crew clothing had made it difficult to see him.

LawConnect is one of three supermaxis in this year’s Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

But rather than putting him off, the experience has made Gough more determined to become a professional sailor.

“I don’t get scared of it happening again, I just got more cautious, not so gung-ho, which is probably a good thing,” he said.

Gough is doing his sixth Sydney to Hobart and while he has been on some of the best campaigned boats, he has yet to taste victory.

“It’s a hard thing to get. We came very close with LawConnect (formerly known as InfoTrack) in 2019,’’ he said.

He also sailed on the Tasmanian yacht Alive twice but not in 2019 when she won the race overall.

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