Did you have to learn another language to speak to the other skippers?

by Rich Wilson | Dec 23, 2016 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk7

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 40 years later! But it is simply amazing how much your brain retains, and although my French was not very good, I always...

How 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?

by Rich Wilson | Dec 23, 2016 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk7

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, 3rd or 4th reef. If it’s the 4th reef, it means it is very, very windy and stormy out, so that will be more...

Are there any coping strategies you use that you could share?

by Rich Wilson | Dec 23, 2016 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk7

Dear Kim and Aurora students: With modern communications by satellite telephone, I can call anyone, anywhere, anytime and talk with them, so I am not as isolated as I would have been being alone at sea in the past. And my friends back home, as well as my friends out...

What would you do if there was no wind?

by Rich Wilson | Dec 21, 2016 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk7

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 at all, then the sails can’t do anything with that, so the boat stops, the autopilot alarm goes off because it...

When I grow up, what qualities should I possess to sail like you?

by Rich Wilson | Dec 21, 2016 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk7

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 both the actual ‘what’s over there’, ports, peoples, cultures, countries, but also ‘what’s...

Are there any sources of heat on Great American IV?

by Joff Brown | Dec 19, 2016 | Q&A, Q&A-Expert-wk7

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 time he could do without. The engine does generate some heat when he runs it to charge the batteries but he does this only...