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Former UFC Welterweight Contender Dan Hardy Readies to Embark on Cross-Atlantic Yacht Race
Former UFC welterweight contender and current UFC broadcaster Dan Hardy hasn’t fought inside the octagon since September 2012, but his competitiveness didn’t end with his fighting career.
Hardy will soon embark on the first leg of the Clipper 2015-2016 Round-the-World Yacht Race from London to Rio de Janeiro. Leading up to the 5,300-mile, month-long segment, Hardy had to go through extensive training.
“There were four levels of training, and levels one and three were really intense,” Hardy said about his preparation. “I had a lot of information to remember and I had to build a lot of knowledge, so that’s been hard work. There was a lot of new terminology to take on board, which I hadn’t necessarily expected to have to learn.”
The 33-year-old Englishman enjoys sleeping late, but that had to change to be able to fulfill his role onboard the yacht.
“Levels 2 and 4 were really physically and mentally exhausting – sleeping and working in shifts, with four hours on, and four hours off, six hours on, six hours off. Usually in a day you’ll sleep two or three times over a couple of hours, so that was something I had to get used to. I’m not normally one to be woken up,” he said.
Once the Nottingham native got the vocabulary down and sleeping habits on board, more challenges were ahead.
“The conditions, you’re living at a 45-degree angle because the boat is keeled over, so even just getting into your bunk is like an obstacle course. You’ve got to be so careful when you move around,” explained Hardy. “You’ve also got to get used to cooking at 45 degrees, which can be a challenge when you’re boiling water.”
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Working inside a team unit is something new for Hardy, who is used to competing as an individual. The mental transition wasn’t easy.
“The idea of working in teams for me was also difficult at first because I’ve always been an individual athlete. The idea of picking up work as a team is hard for me. That’s something I’ve really had to get used to,” revealed for former title contender.
Inside the cage, he had to be aware of his surroundings and anticipate what was going to be thrown at him next. Yacht racing isn’t that much different.
“This is not something for the fainthearted – people are determined to really challenge themselves here and put everything they have into this race. There are times when it is really quite scary – when you’re going at 40 knots, you have to really have your wits about you and do all you can to keep safe,” he said.
The race is the most physically and mentally challenging thing Hardy has attempted. Fighting in the UFC is intense, but a cross-Atlantic yacht race presents a different set of challenges.
“Ocean racing is just so unpredictable. Sometimes you have to make a sail change in really, really bad weather. Your core is constantly engaged. It tests your physicality all the time, in a way that mixed martial arts can’t compare,” he said.
“In MMA you fight for 15-25 minutes and you have to sustain your energy for that period. But with ocean racing, you have to sustain your energy and focus for 16-20 hours at a time, sometimes more. You have to be mentally prepared, often for weeks, sometimes months, on end,” explained Hardy.
“On the boat, you have to have your wits about you and you have to be prepared; you have to keep yourself safe. You can’t trade punches with nature; you have to always give it respect.”
(Photos courtesy of Clipper Race)
