In March 2025, Australian sailor Kevin Le Poidevin set sail from Melbourne on a journey that would test every ounce of his experience, resilience, and ingenuity.
Tuesday - 15 July 2025
Alongside co-skipper Darrell Greig, Kevin entered the Osaka Cup—a legendary double-handed yacht race spanning over 5,500 nautical miles to Japan.
Their vessel? The formidable Roaring Forty—a 1997 Lutra BOC Open 40, built in carbon fibre, equipped with a fixed keel, single rudder, aft daggerboard, and 1000 litres of water ballast. Through his Aviator Ocean Racing campaign, Kev was raising awareness for Brain Tumour Alliance Australia, Pankind, and Soldier On.
Raymarine has played a pivotal role in Kevin’s offshore sailing campaigns since the early 2000’s and was a supporter in his campaign in the 2023–24 Global Solo Challenge providing navigation systems that have supported countless miles at sea.
The race began with promise, but the ocean had other plans. A broken boom forced an emergency stop in Newcastle. Then came a massive East Coast Low, delaying them by 10 days. Most would have turned back. Kevin and Darrell pressed on.
At the heart of Roaring Forty was a meticulously designed Raymarine navigation and autopilot system—a setup Kevin had refined over decades of offshore racing. With Axiom 2 Pro 9s at the nav station, an Axiom +7 on deck, Quantum 2 Doppler Radar, and a redundant autopilot network, the boat was a floating command center.
As they approached the Solomon Islands, the radar lit up. Fourteen squalls in one night. But with the Quantum 2 in weather mode, Kevin could see them coming—track their size, direction, and intensity. “It’s your best friend out there,” he says. “You learn to read the colors—red and green—and decide: go through or go around?”
Two major weather fronts slammed into Roaring Forty mid-race. Winds hit 47 and 50 knots, with steep, fast-moving seas. The EV-400 Autopilot held course without fail. “We were under 4th reef, bareheaded, fore-reaching across 40 knots and adverse current,” Kevin recalls. “After 25,000+ nautical miles, that autopilot hasn’t missed a beat.”
Despite the early setbacks, Kevin and Darrell clawed their way back, overtaking two boats before reaching Osaka. It wasn’t just a comeback—it was a statement.
Now, Kevin is sailing Roaring Forty back to Australia, solo. His custom Raymarine network allows him to isolate and troubleshoot systems without losing autopilot control. “When you’re alone out there, that’s everything,” he says.
