Issue 6, June 2008

Employee Profile: Mark Jollymore, Director Customer Support and Avid Sailor

Mark Jollymore has been with AMIRIX Systems and VEMCO Division since 2000 and has an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of New Brunswick and an MBA from St. Mary's University in Halifax. Prior to heading up VEMCO's Customer Support Group, Mark was a Regional Manager for AMIRIX Systems.

Outside of work, however, one can often find Mark aboard a sailing vessel somewhere in Halifax harbor (and well beyond!), as he has been an avid and accomplished sailor for about 30 years.

According to Mark, his most intriguing sailing experience was the 2006 Halifax to Saint-Pierre race. It was his first long distance doublehanded race which proved to be a real education in working through sleep deprivation, and the post-race reception at Saint-Pierre was unbelievable.

The scariest situation Mark encountered during his high seas escapades was when he was working the foredeck in a severe storm during a race and they were hit by a huge wave. The boat broached and Mark went over the side and plunged into the water.

"Fortunately, I was tethered and in a safety harness so I was able to stay with the boat and get back on by myself," said Mark. "The lesson learned is safety gear never seems too expensive after you've had occasion to use it!"

Mark's next big race is doublehanding aboard Fred Guptill's Secoudon II (the smallest boat in the fleet) in the 2008 Newport to Bermuda race. It's about 650 nautical miles long and if the winds are good, it should take them around 6 days.