Solo resolve
James Prascevic made a remarkable journey across the Tasman to prove confidence and resilience can be re-built after a mental illness.
Written by Jack O'Rourke
15 April 2020
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On 4 February 2020, James Prascevic completed the first solo Tasman crossing from Sydney to Auckland recorded by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, setting an initial benchmark time of 12 days 14 hours 41 minutes and 15 seconds.
Prascevic is no stranger to a challenge. He was medically discharged by the Army almost a decade ago after developing PTSD and battling with mental health, and found comfort out on the open ocean.
“I moved back to my hometown in Lorne and I bought 4.5 metre fishing boat to go offshore fishing. It is peaceful out on the water,” says Prascevic. “I decided I wanted to put my energy into raising awareness about depression and anxiety by doing a challenge.”
In 2012, Prascevic set out on his tinny to cross Bass Strait and raise funds for the Black Dog Institute. Following that successful campaign, he put his mind to sailing the world’s toughest oceans.
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“When I got back from my Tassie trip, I started doing my Yachtmaster course. It was the first time I had been on a yacht since I was young.”
Since then Prascevic has competed in the 2014 Rolex Sydney Hobart, as well as racing in regattas up and down the East Coast. In preparation for his Tasman transit, Prascevic went out on Port Phillip for days, and spent time sailing solo in Bass Strait, where it regularly reached 35 knots.
After two years of preparation on his 36-foot sailing yacht Joey, including extensive refit work, Prascevic set off from Sydney on 22 January.
“It was a great sense of relief to get going, after so much preparation. Crossing the start line across Sydney heads was the most rewarding part of the trip.
“I left during a low-pressure system which came across the Tasman. The seas were ridiculously messy, and it was blowing 30 knots.”
“I was making good time until day seven. I was 100-nautical miles off the coast of New Zealand when I was becalmed for four-and-half days. It was painful. The fresh food had run out by day six, and for the remainder of the journey I was living off noodles and weetbix.”
“The original goal was to post a respectable record. But it got to the point where I was questioning whether I would even finish.
I broke down a couple of times thinking: after all the effort and money I’ve put in over the years, am I going come up short by 100 miles?”
James’ perseverance pulled him through those dark times, and he gained a renewed sense of optimism.
“There was never a point where I was saying I was going to give up. I was holding on to the hope that a low-pressure system would get me there. All I wanted was wind. Eventually the pressure built up and I was able to make it in with a new record.
“With everything going on, hopefully I can hold on to the record for a bit longer than I excepted,” jokes Prascevic.
Prascevic has a desire to raise awareness for mental health, with the goal to become motivational speaker, drawing-on his experiences in the army and sailing solo to overcome life’s challenges.
Prascevic’s advice to people struggling with deal with life’s challenges is to keep perspective.
“Keep pursuing your goals. Break it down in small pieces, and just take it day by day.”
To follow his journey, check out Sailing Joey on Facebook. A short documentary will be released soon about his sail from Sydney to Auckland.
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