Q&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Are the Doldrums a specific area in the ocean or is it more of a general term?
Dear Kim’s class: the Doldrums are a more general term. The more specific term used in meteorology is the ITCZ, the Inter Tropical Convergence... read moreDo you know all the parts of your boat?
Dear Nicolas: Yes, we do know all the parts of the boat. We obviously need some specific expertise on different parts of the boat because its too... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Mr. Wilson, do you use math when you sail?
YES! I record how far we have gone each day, or for segments of the voyage, and then calculate average speeds. I look constantly at data from the... read moreWhat do you do when you are not on your boat?
Dear Thomas: We spent over two years setting up this sitesALIVE program, with our curriculum, our website, and finding partners around the world who... read moreWhat kind of autopilot do you use?
We use an autopilot and instruments from B&G which is a company in England. Many of the boats in the race use this same equipment. Question... read moreHow do your peak flow values at sea compare to your values at home? I’m thinking the fresh clean air of the ocean might be a blessing but what about the temperature and humidity swings?
Dear John: My asthma is well controlled, and so the peak flows are about the same at sea and on land. Where there may be a benefit from the clean... read moreMy class was looking at your photos from this last week. Your hands appear very blistered? How do you treat the blisters? Do you wear gloves?
Dear Kim: Yes, I do wear sailing gloves which are leather and have the fingertips cut off so that you can still untie knots. Our Expert Dr.... read moreI notice that you have not gotten much sleep lately. How do you manage to stay awake with only a few hours of sleep?
Dear Alexandra: Over many years and many miles at sea, I’ve learned that if you are sleeping and then woken up by something happening with the... read moreQ&A with Experts
For future races, on these types of boats, would it be possible to rig up a stationary bicycle type of affair? The lower body would get a workout and the power generated could be linked to drive the coffee grinder pedestal winch.
Hi Jim: Thanks for your question. Bicycle type arrangements have indeed been fitted to a couple of the larger 105ft-130ft trimarans, as some of the... read moreWhat would happen if you stopped breathing in an asthma attack? I already had a few asthma attacks and don’t know how bad it could be
That is a scary thought! If you stopped breathing from an asthma attack, you would pass out. But you don’t want to ever let that happen. So, be... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
Since you are allergic to grass, did you grow up with no lawn?
We did have a lawn in front of our house. And I would run around with my friends on it. And in the fall, when leaves would come off the trees, it... read moreIs it hard having asthma while sailing? Also, do you have a waterproof inhaler in case it gets wet?
Dear Olivia: Yes, it’s hard, since sailing this boat involves so much exercise and when I am grinding the winches for 300 revolutions, I get... read moreHow long have you had asthma?
Dear Christopher: I’ve had asthma since I was a one-year old boy, so basically I’ve had it for my whole life. The big challenge when I... read moreWhat is the name of the navigation software you are using and is it possible to use it on a pleasure boat?
Dear Angelo: The software is called Adrena, and certainly it could be used on a pleasure boat. It’s quite complicated, but over time you learn... read moreWhen the sails get wet, does the boat go slower?
Dear Saul: Wet sails won’t slow down the aerodynamic propulsion of the boat, but they do make the sail handling harder if you have to put wet... read moreI want to be like you! You are amazing! What did you learn from the ocean?
Dear Abby: I’ve learned how beautiful nature can be, with a clean blue ocean, a clean blue sky, birds flying around the boat, and occasionally... read moreHave you seen a mermaid?
Dear Cordelia: No, I have not seen any mermaids. But your question does remind me of something that happened last night involving a curious creature... read moreDo you hear different sounds with the wind?
Dear Sarah: On a nice day at sea, the wind is pleasant rushing past your head and ears, and sounds nice. But on a bad stormy day, when the wind is... read moreIs your physique something you built for the race or is it a way of every day life style in general?
Dear Thanos: Regarding physical training, I start with the general fitness goal, which includes biking, swimming, some running up hills, and then... read moreQ&A with Experts
Can asthma be cured?
In 2017 we do not yet have a cure for asthma. We do have very effective medications that keep asthma under control, so that people with asthma can... read moreIf you have asthma, should you be sailing?
If your asthma is out of control – with coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath – it would not be safe to be sailing alone around the world. ... read moreQ&A with Guest Skippers
Olivier Blanchet / DPPI / Vendée Globe
What has been your favorite part of the race so far?
It’s when I decided, off the Kerguelen Islands, to really live the adventure. I decided that I would no longer endure but fully live this adventure.... read moreWhat has been the hardest part of the race so far?
During a stormy night with winds of 60 knots, I had to repair the engine. The boat would take off in surfs and get laid over by waves, and I had to... read moreWhat do you think is your purpose for this voyage?
My goal is to inspire understanding of others. Our society tends to close itself off. Through the Vendee Globe and the emotion that it induces, what... read moreHow did you get to be here, from when you were a 12 year old boy?
First, I read a lot. I developed my passion for sailing out of reading. I read hundreds of books about the oceans. From Mutiny on the Bounty to The... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
What is it like getting to see the world by boat? What types of landmarks have you seen?
Dear Inc: That is one of the interesting aspects of this journey – we have seen almost no traditional landmarks. In fact, until I saw Tierra del... read moreOn average, how big are the waves that you see?
The wave height depends on how much wind there is, and for how long it has been blowing, and the depth of the water. In several of the depressions... read moreCan you describe Cape Horn for us?
Dear Julien, Cold, gray, windy, big waves, and because it is a real choke point, i.e., approaching from the west, you have very few choices, you... read moreWhen you were little, did you ever think of sailing the globe? Did you grow up loving boats?
Dear McKenzie: I grew up sailing with my parents, at first on a day sailing boat, and then a cruising boat. I liked it because it was beautiful on... read moreHave you ever traveled with a cat or a dog on board?
No, I have not but I know that others have. I’m sure not in the Vendee globe, but for cruising. There was a famous story in a book called Once... read moreQ&A with Experts
How long will it take the sea state to decrease, based on the decrease in the strength of the wind?
The ocean surface waves experienced by Rich are created by the wind that he is skillfully harnessing to move in the direction he wants, but also by... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
What did you study in school, that most prepared you for Vendée Globe?
Dear David: I liked math when I was in school, especially geometry and trigonometry. I liked how orderly it was, and you could get an actual answer,... read moreHow do the stars look at night from your boat?
Dear Annya: We have not seen many stars on this trip because of the weather, and that is very disappointing. On other voyages, I would spend a lot... read moreWhat did you like to play when you were a kid?
I liked to play soccer (which is football in every other country in the world!) I wasn’t big enough to not get hurt if I played American... read moreWhat will you remember most about the sea?
Dear Abril: For this trip, I will remember most the camaraderie that developed between the group of boats in the Southern Ocean, in particular with... read moreHow do you cope with instant gusts and is it a situation you often encounter? How effective are weather forecast data to predict these instant gusts?
Dear Arda: The weather forecasts cannot forecast individual gusts, but they can forecast if an area, such as a front, where the wind will change... read moreCan you tell us about the offshore traditions sailors like you have?
Dear Irapuato students: One tradition is to put a coin under the mast for good luck. I put five, in front of the mast! The first, leading the way,... read moreWhat is the most amazing place you have ever visited?
Dear Zidane: That’s a very difficult question to answer! I’ve had the pleasure to visit about a dozen countries, and they are all very... read moreQ&A with Experts
What did you study in school that most prepared you for your profession?
– David, West Newbury MA, USA
Science, Math, & Writing
Every class I had throughout my education has been helpful to me in my profession as a geophysicist, but the ones that immediately come to mind are... read moreBiology
I grew up on a farm and was always interested in what was in the water in the ponds, rivers and swampy areas. I also loved going to the coast and... read moreMath
I was a math major in college, and those skills were certainly necessary to study ocean physics as a graduate student. Studying plastic pollution in... read moreHistory & Math
Good question David. My profession is operating ships like tankers and bulk carriers. Like Rich Wilson, I grew up sailing and watching ships go... read moreMath, Physics and Geography
School, to me, was something that had to be tolerated, day by day. Commencing High School, having just turned 12, and leaving just three years... read moreExercise Physiology
I had a double major as an Undergraduate in Exercise Physiology and Education. I then went to Graduate School for Education which allowed me to... read moreBiology, Chemistry, Physics and English Literature
I am a doctor, and so to prepare for my medical career I studied (in college) biology, chemistry, and physics, the usual requirements before... read moreArchaeology & Art History
If I’m to be honest about that, I didn’t so much plan for my profession but just followed my heart when it came to what I wanted to... read moreStudent Teaching Courses
The courses that I studied in school that most prepared me for my job as a teacher were my student teaching courses where I was able to apply all of... read moreMath, Physics, Geography, Meteorology & more…
As you watch the progress of Rich and the other skippers in the Vendée Globe you can see that success requires having a diverse set of skills.... read moreJournalism
Journalism–my classes in both high school and college, and actually working on real newspapers in both schools–best prepared me for what... read moreTheater History
In college I studied theater history, and had to write many long research papers. Learning how to structure a research project and use primary... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea
How do the barometric pressure numbers relate to the strength of, or changes in, the wind?
Dear Lauren: Barometric pressure indicates high pressure systems, which generally have good weather, and low pressure systems, which are generally... read moreHow many amp hours does it take to completely charge the battery bank and how long based on the conditions and usage does it take to deplete the batteries?
Dear Ray, Our ‘house’ battery bank, that runs all of the equipment on board, consists of 3 lithium batteries of 200 amp-hours each, so... read moreFrom one senior to another, do you have any joint stiffness?
Dear Jerry, I don’t have any deteriorating joint problems, I’ve been lucky that way. But my knees are sore from crawling around on them... read moreCan you get lost at sea? What would you do?
Dear Mateo. Yes you could get lost at sea . There are no street signs out here. Once you are out of sight of land, you can wonder what direction... read moreQ&A with Skipper Rich Wilson at sea