The Pentagon Sailing Club, in partnership with the Capital Yacht Club,is pleased to announce a very special event! Rich Wilson, two-time finisher of the Vendée Globe, will speak to both of our clubs for one night only. I was privileged to listen to Rich's amazing account of his 2017 Vendée Globe race last year during the 2018 Safety at Sea Seminar hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy's Sailing Program. Don't be surprised if he gives you chills, brings tears to your eyes, and makes you want to cheer!
Please Register no later than 9 October using the special registration code RichWilson (registration is required for entry to the Capital Yacht Club). Registration is limited to members of the Pentagon Sailing Club and the Capital Yacht Club. Feel free to address any questions to Abi at membership.commodore@gmail.com, and please contact Abi or Scotty if you have a request for any special guests or other invitees.
When: Wednesday, 23 October 2019, from 6pm to 10pm
- No-host drinks/cocktails and snacks from 6-7pm
- Presentation 7:00pm-8:15pm
- Sea Stories (general mingling) from 8:15pm-10:00pm (Rich’s book will also be available for purchase/autographs)
Where: Capital Yacht Club, 800 Wharf St SW, Washington DC
How: a) Metro to L'Enfant, shuttle to SW Waterfront
b) Uber/Lyft/Via/Taxi
c) Parking is limited but available (street and/or paid lots)
Who is Rich?
American skipper Rich Wilson crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe solo round the world race on February 21, 2017. From the fleet of 29 boats which started the 27,440 miles singlehanded race from Les Sables d’Olonne on Sunday November 6th, Wilson and his vessel Great American IV secured 13th place in an elapsed time of 107 days 00 hrs 48 mins 18 secs. He sailed 27,480 miles at an average speed of 10.70 knots, beat his own 2008-09 time of 121 days and 41 nights by 2 weeks, and became the fastest American to race solo non stop around the world. At 66 years old he was also the oldest skipper in the race!
While racing he delivered a daily, multi-faceted educational program to over 750,000 young people in more than 55 different countries around the world, another of the fundamental reasons Wilson returned to the Vendée Globe.
Rich, a hugely experienced American skipper, is a lifelong mariner and a native of Boston, Massachusetts. He has a remarkable catalog of achievements under sail over an extraordinary career spanning nearly 40 years, including three record passages: San Francisco to Boston in 1993, New York to Melbourne in 2001, and in 2003 Hong Kong to New York.
