Andrew Bishop, former managing director of the World Cruising Club (WCC), has revealed that a close-call on his first transatlantic passage compelled him to rethink his life. After an accidental gybe led to concussion, he realised it was time to ‘embrace the day’ and approached the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) founder, Jimmy Cornell for a job.
Andrew, who retired on 6 January, was on a career break from the Navy when he joined his father for the 1989 ARC.
“It was my father’s long-term ambition to sail across the Atlantic, and the opportunity arose for me to take time off,” says Andrew. “I basically had a gap year at the age of 29.”
He helped his father prepare their new-build Freedom 39, a time he
