Nicola Stockdale’s wish comes true

Always smiling, Nicola Stockdale is one of those people who are passionate about their work. “I’m very happy being part of this team. And, I work for a skipper who is a kind and considerate man,” she adds.

The contrary would have been surprising for this Brit who hails from Bournemouth on England’s southwest coast. Born on January 25, 1977, Nicola was introduced to sailing very early in life along with her brother and two sisters. Every weekend, their parents took them sailing off the English coast. “I’ve been sailing ever since I can remember. My dad sailed a lot and competed in lots of races,” she explains.

Travel: more than a passion, an imperative

This desire to travel has never left her. After completing hospitality industry and management studies, Nicola found a job working for a luxury yacht hire company. “I really enjoyed this experience. It was interesting working with major clients,” she says.

In addition to this job, which she held until the end of 2005, Nicola took advantage of the low seasons to explore new horizons. “I love traveling. I’ve been to the United States, Australia and Thailand. I’d like to visit China and Japan. Actually, I get a bit depressed if I stay in the same place for too long,” she admits.

Then she crossed paths with Bilou in 2007

So, it was quite a natural step for her to apply for a job with Team Kairos. Meeting Bilou sped things up. “I met him for the first time in 2007, before the start of the Barcelona World Race. The team were terrific,” she recalls. Since April 2009, she has been in charge of finding the hotels where the group stays, and sorting out transport to get them where they need to be. In short, Nicola is the person who organizes the team’s everyday life.

Clearly happy, Nicola is convinced that her life will always be closely associated with the world of sailing. Her dream is certainly coming true today with her working alongside Roland and the entire team.

Steven Lambert