Q&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Loved your tour of your instruments. Could you give a tour of the below deck spaces?
Dear Ned, Yes, I am planning to do that with some videos. In the meantime, see the 360° photos that we have that put you inside the boat and on... read moreHow did you know the bird was an albatross?
Dear Isabella, The fist time that I sailed into the Southern Ocean, I had a book about seabirds, and, of course, it had pictures of the birds, and... read moreIs there Wifi in the boat? If there isn’t, do you get bored?
Dear Maura, We have WiFi on board but only for our own ship’s network. I can access the internet through the satellite phone, but it is very,... read moreHow often do you get to communicate with your friends and family by email or phone?
Dear Jack, We have 3 different satellite communication systems: Fixed Iridium (9.6kbaud), an Iridium OpenPort (128k baud) and a Fleet Broadband... read moreWhat are you wearing for protective clothing? Waterproof? Microfiber? And how wet are you getting down to the skin?
Dear Peter, I haven’t gotten soaked from the outside to the inside down to my skin yet, mostly because I have good foul weather gear (Musto)... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Is it difficult to get used to the changes of hours?
Dear Valentin: That is an astute question, and the answer is yes, it is very difficult to get used to the changes of hours as we go so fast from... read moreHow far away do you stay if you see another boat in front of you?
In fact we had an episode recently of Enda O’Coineen passing close to us. See Ship’s Log 12/20 for the details. The essence is that you... read moreDid you have to learn another language to speak to the other skippers?
Dear Aiden: When I was in high school I studied French for 3 years. But I never went to France until preparing for Vendée Globe 2008, and that was... read moreHow hard, or how dangerous, would it be to head up into the wind to put in the 4th reef? Alternatively, could you take the main down completely and sail with only a storm jib?
Dear Robert: In fact, if we’re sailing downwind, we do have to sail back upwind to be able to put a reef in, whether it’s the 1st, 2nd,... read moreAre there any coping strategies you use that you could share?
Dear Kim and Aurora students: With modern communications by satellite telephone, I can call anyone, anywhere, anytime and talk with them, so I am... read moreWhat would you do if there was no wind?
Dear Ethan, If there is very light wind, we have sails that will work in those conditions, and so we just keep going. If there is actually no wind... read moreWhen I grow up, what qualities should I possess to sail like you?
Dear Sanya, I think that you would need to have a dream to see beyond the horizon, to find out what’s ‘over there’. This can be... read moreDo you fish on your boat?
Dear Ileana, No I don’t, and I don’t think any of the other skippers do. Mostly it is because the boat is going too fast to fish, and... read moreHow are you planning to celebrate Christmas on your boat?
Dear Jay, I will celebrate Christmas by having a few treats with my Turkey Tetrazzini freeze-dried dinner, and then call friends and family back... read moreQ&A with Joff Brown
Boat Manager for Great American IV
Are there any sources of heat on Great American IV?
Hi Cassidy and Vera, Thanks for your question. There is no heater on Rich’s boat. He had one on his boat in the 2008 race and thought this... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Are there water tight compartments designed into the boats? In a serious collision will they be able to stay afloat until a rescue is affected?
Dear Jim, Open 60 Class Rules require there to be 5 watertight bulkheads across the boat, thus making 6 compartments. Also, and this seems to be a... read moreHow do you decide whether to set your autopilot to TWA, AWA, or a compass course?
Dear David, Generally we use True Wind Angle for sailing downwind, and Apparent Wind Angle for when sailing upwind. For the autopilot, these two... read moreWe know that you don’t put any trash into the ocean. Where do you put all of your trash?
Dear Cassie: Before the start of the race, I packed 15 weeks worth of food. It’s all packed in garbage bags, for easy distribution inside the... read moreDo you drink water from the sea? What do you carry your water in?
Dear Sarah, Romina, and Iker: No, we do not drink water from the sea, since it contains too much salt for our bodies. There is a famous stanza from... read moreQ&A with Experts
Are more icebergs breaking off Antarctica due to a changing climate, or not? Perhaps there is another reason that the hazard has moved north?
Hi Rich: First off, congratulations on your progress! It looks like you’re only some 170 nautical miles from the ice exclusion zone! The ice... read moreWhy are the boats not allowed in the Antarctic zones?
Good Day Bryon: On observing the tracking charts for the Vendée Globe yachts, you will see a limiting line, encircling the Antarctic, basically... read moreHas the chance of hitting an object of greater concern today, or has that risk essentially stayed the same over the last 15 or 20 years?
Modern technology assists seafarers in ways that were unimaginable just decades ago. Weather satellites and meteorological models provide excellent... read moreQ&A with Joff Brown
Boat Manager for Great American IV
How many pounds can your vessel hold?
Hi Jennifer, Thanks for your question. The boat weighs around 8800Kg (19,400lbs). Because it is a racing boat the aim is to carry as little weight... read moreWhat sort of redundancy do you have for your overall electrical system?
Hi Bob, Thanks for your question. We try to double up or carry spares for most of the systems on board. Read this answer Rich wrote, describing the... read moreWith all the damage suffered by impacts with UFO’s so far into this race, has there been any consideration given to installing underwater collision detection systems?
Hi Jim, Thanks for your question. I believe SAFRAN did trial a system at some point in one of the previous races but I don’t think it worked and... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
What is your favorite food on the boat? Why?
Dear Cheol, My favorite food onboard is probably the granola and raisins I have for breakfast. It’s my favorite for several reasons. First, it... read moreAre you losing weight?
Bonjour Flore, I’m not sure if I’m losing weight since I don’t have a scale on the boat. I know that my arms are getting stronger,... read moreWhat’s the source of power for the electronics on board?
Dear Ellen: We have 4 sources for electricity for the electronics on board. First, we have a small diesel engine, which is used for maneuvering in... read moreHave you gone though any storms?
Dear Liv: Yes, we have been in some storms in this race (we had some severe squalls the first night) and then we have a storm to the south of us now... read moreAt home or at sea — which do you prefer?
Dear Chengfang: It’s unusual, when I’m on land, sometimes I dream of being at sea. Yet when I’m at sea, especially if its bad... read moreHow do you sleep and steer the ship at the same time?
We have a device called an autopilot which will steer the boat while I am asleep. In fact it steers the boat most of the time that I am awake also!... read moreCan Women participate in Vendee Globe ?
Yes. This, I believe, is the first Vendee Globe without a woman skipper, and it’s unfortunate. There have been great women skippers, like... read moreDid you have any difficulties in the race?
Dear DoJoon, We have had several repair jobs on the boat so far. Each takes time away from sailing/racing the boat, and yet is essential to correct.... read moreI noticed that your lung peak flow has increased significantly from 59 to the high 80s, and that it is consistently greater than 80 more than three weeks into the race. To what do you attribute the improved performance of your lungs?
Dear Neal, I think that there was some reaction I had to some of the area near where we stayed before the start. Plus there was a lot of stress, and... read moreQ&A with Experts
How does the speed of the Great American IV compare to the speed of motor boats the same size, or L’Hermione?
Hello Ellen: The speed of motor boats depend on their engine’s power (it’s like cars: normal cars or racing cars are not the same).... read moreHow is the sea temperature warmer than the air temperature? And why is the sea so warm?
Hi Marshall and thanks for your great question! The temperature of the sea surface and the air directly above it can be different because of... read moreWhat is Rich’s sleep cycle? How does he get enough sleep to stay alert?
Hi David, In order to feel rested, most people sleep between 7-9 hours at night. Of course, people who work at night will sleep during the day.... read moreSeveral times I was in Corsica on a boat trip and I could see once a whale and once dolphins. You’ve been sailing for years – have you seen a decrease in marine fauna?
Dear Axelle, The sighting of a whale or a dolphin is so special every time, and as a sailor I feel lucky whenever I see them! But it is really hard... read moreIs there a point at which your muscles, biologically or chemically, will just stop and not do any more no matter how much your mind tells them to?
There is a point of complete muscular fatigue which occurs at the biological and chemical level of the muscles and this is called muscular failure.... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Have you ever seen a Hammerhead shark while at sea?
Dear Alex, No, I’ve never seen a hammerhead shark at sea. I actually haven’t seen many sharks at sea, just very occasionally. We see a... read moreWhat would you do if there’s a storm?
Dear Timothy, I look at new weather forecasts at least twice each day, and so hopefully will have advanced warning of a big storm. With that, I can... read moreMy students are curious about how do you take a bath on the ocean?
Dear Lai Chieh Ying, We don’t carry much fresh water on the boat, but we have a desalinator and a backup, to make fresh water from the sea... read moreWhat kind of books do you like to read?
Welcome to sitesALIVE! I like to read biographies of accomplished people (for example, Abraham Lincoln), and also histories of certain events. I... read moreQ&A with Experts
Is there a point at which your muscles, biologically or chemically, will just stop and not do any more no matter how much your mind tells them to?
The answer is yes, there is a point at which muscles will stop working, but this is rare. Most commonly there is a point that muscles will work... read moreHow do you know where you are when the GPS doesn’t work?
When the GPS does not work, In view of dry land: we use the nautical chart and daymarks or noteworthy objects that you can pick up from dry land and... read moreWhat is it like to live on the ocean?
It is very different to life on dry land; there isn’t anyone around us, we are really alone; it is a moving environment unlike terra firma, so... read moreWhat kind of medicine do you take with you?
Hi Tanja’s class: Rich has an extensive medical kit on board Great American IV that includes supplies to treat wounds, burns, infections, sea... read moreHow would you recommend that one prepare for and be well informed about piracy when sailing off shore? Specifically I’m thinking about the eastern Caribbean, but I’m interested in the oceans beyond as well.
Good Day Dave, Sadly piracy problems can occur anywhere at any time as even away from the well-known areas, there is still a mob of enthusiastic... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Has this Vendee Globe has been physically easier for you than the first one so far and do you take more pleasure in this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxqEVo9xbp4Video can’t be loaded: Q&A with Silvia’s 3rd Grade Class – Cairo, Egypt... read moreIs your asthma problematic for you during the Vendee Globe and do you have everything you need to take good care of you or is the sea air beneficial?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8Eatv8jB74Video can’t be loaded: Q&A with Axelle, Boulogna Billancourt, France... read moreWhere do you sleep on your boat? Compare it to your bed at home. How is it different or the same?
I have 3 bunks on board, one on each side of the boat, which can then be either the high side, or the low side, and then the bench at the chart... read moreWhat do you eat on the ship?
Our plan is to eat 4 meals per day: once every 6 hours. Granola and milk for breakfast, then a sandwich at lunch, then a freeze-dried dinner for 2... read moreDo you get sea sick Mr. Wilson?
Usually I get seasick the first night at sea. One is tired from the preparation, and one is anxious about the challenge of the voyage. In 2008-9... read moreQ&A with Guest Skippers
How did you get to be here from when you were a 12 year old boy?
When I was 12, I was wrestler, as all of my older brothers did. I was 17, when I had an injury on my knee and had to change for something else. By... read moreWhat do you like best about sailing? What don’t you like?
Alex: Sailing is a technical sport, very complex. I really like the process of design, build, prepare the boats, and after sailing her out here. I... read moreHow old were you when you started sailing? Where? Did you build this boat on your own? Would you tell us some words about building a large boat?
Regina: I was 27 years old when I started sailing on the Lake Velence. That is a small lake close to Budapest, as you know. So far I built my boats... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Were you afraid, with all the squalls AT NIGHT ?
Dear Suer, Yes. On that first night, the wind might go from 15 knots to 25 knots in a couple of minutes, and then back to 8 knots, and then back to... read moreHow do you manage to fall asleep after going to bed ? Do you use for that relaxation techniques, and which?
Dear Felicien, Thanks for your question. Please also see my answer to Louison et Nans. Sailing an IMOCA Open 60 is usually so tiring that one can... read moreHow many hours you will sleep?
Dear Louison et Nans, I will try to sleep between 5 and 6 hours in 24 hours. It will not be all at once, and it is unlikely to be all at night. I... read moreDo you have to go forward to reef the mainsail or to change headsails?
Reefs 1, 2, 3 for the mainsail can all be done from the cockpit. For Reef 4, I have to crawl to the end of the boom and make a lashing in a special... read moreQ&A with Guest Skippers
Were you afraid, with all the squalls AT NIGHT ?
It is very hard having a squall during the night. But now there is a moon, so it is easy to see the squall arriving. But when the moon is not there,... read moreHow do you manage to fall asleep after going to bed? Do you use for that relaxation techniques, and which?
Unfortunately I can’t fall fully asleep. However because I am always tired, I can have a nap immediately. To really relax – I do Zen. I... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Is there a daily routine on this voyage? ( we know, that every day is different) but mainly? If yes, what?
Yes, every day is different, for wind, and clouds, and the seas. And yet a skipper will try to maintain a routine, because then he or she can sleep... read moreCan you move the keel? Why do you move the keel left…or right?
Dear Daniel, Yes, we can move the keel 40 degrees from vertical to the left, and 40 degrees from vertical to the right. The keel is 14.5 feet deep... read moreWhat do you think is your purpose for this trip?
First, one always needs a future adventure to challenge oneself, emotionally, intellectually, physically, and within sailing, Vendée Globe is the... read moreQ&A with Guest Skippers