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Great Lakes Sail Online
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In this Issue:
Queens Cup- Slow Start, Big Finish
Neal Petersen- Busy Man
Round Britain- Wrap Up
Atlantic Alone- 5 boats will be on the line
Block Island Race Week- Wrap Up
Great Circle- Update
Queens Cup-
In a Queens Cup that started at a brutally slow pace,
the fleet experienced an exciting finish. After sailing in drifiting
condtitions the fleet experienced a 50 knot squall at 0500.
These varied conditions produced Rag Doll owned by
Peter Reiske of Milwaukee as winner. In 2nd was many time
winner Bantu skippered by Thomas Kuber. 3rd overall was
Michela owned by Miguel Gambetta.
Other Class Winners were:
Class 1- Fast Eddy E.J. Buerger
Class 2- Michela Miguel Gambetta
Class 3- Fourth of July Ronald DeBruin
Class 4- Program Warren Levins
Class 5- Tapdance R.M. Olds
Class 6- Encore Cork Boersma
Class 7- Hurricane Rick Trisco
Class 8- Accipiter John Zechlinksi
Class 9- Rag Doll Peter Rieske
Class 10- WhatChaMcollit James McColl
Class 11- Perception Jeff Papanek
SC 70- Equation Bill Alcott
How to make sailing round the world look easy ?
I traveled to Charleston SC to spend time with Neal Petersen
as he prepares hisboat, www.no-barriers.com for
this Septembers
Around Alone race.
I learned that Neal's day to day situation makes
sailing around the worldlook easy. Time after time you hear that
the biggest hurdle in sailing in Around Alone is making it to
the starting line. Neal's days serve as supporting evidence
for this statement.
One of the best ways I can think of to describe what
Neal does is to look at theroles he fills, and why he must fill all
of them to succeed. Neal's ventures look much morelike a
full fledged major league sports team, than a typical sailing campaign.
So, who is Neal Petersen ? He is a sailor, speaker, educator,
motivator, author, project managerentrepreneur,
fund-raiser, marketer, and merchandiser.
As the race approaches, Neal would like get more involved
as a sailor. After all,he has to sail www.no-barriers.com
around the world single-handed. Currently Neal ismore project
manager than sailor. Sure, he sails three times a week,but
at this point the myriad prepatory tasks he must
perform are more important.
For instance, I worked with Neal on installing an alternator.
The electronics of www.no-barriers.com require
lots of juice.
The alternator we fitted is rated at 150 amps.
During the installation we had to make modifications. The alternator
did not quitefit its mounts. As we filed the unit to fit, Neal glanced
up and said, "If sailboats were easy,then everybody would have one.".
He could also have said if they were cheap everybody
would have one. And if sailboats aren't common, neither is
the funding they require. So, to fund the boats need for equipment
(150 lb. batteries, lap top computers, new sails etc.) Neal must raise
funds.
The subject of fundraising is omni present in his life. In my days
with him he met with and turned down one sponsor. Then he anxiously
waited for a deal to close with a major sponsor. He gave me
small clues as to who this could be. It's a multi national corporation, he intimates.
It has offices in all of the Around Alone countries (USA, SouthAfrica,
New Zealand and Uruguay).
Then as I prepare to leave Neal is hammering out a press realease.
The title: "Prudential Sponsors Yachtsman". This is the deal Neal
has been hinting at. This is a major deal andhis satisfaction is distinct.
During the last round the world race, Outside Magazinedescribed his boat
this way: "The red patchwork boat, plastered with decals from
Petersen's many small sponsors.......". Now Neal's boat carries decals
from South CarolinaPorts, Phillips Industrial Services, Prudential,
Passport, Cat Graphics, Fast Signs, Spinlock and The Source.
Because of this financial success he paid the entry fee for the race ahead
of schedule. Despite all this progress, Neal needs at least one
more sponsor. He will goon with a range of fund raisers, from raffles
with service clubs, to having supporters pay $ 2.00 to sign an old spinnaker.
As I saw Neal actively attempt to raise funds, I wondered
how much autonomythis requires him to give up. When I saw
him turn down an ethically questionablesponsorship opportunity,
I saw that he is his own boss.
The sponsors not only support Neal's sailing, but
another significant activity. Neal also is head of the
No Barriers Education Foundation. It's mission: "To teach children
to believe in themselves, inspire youth to set goals, and
demonstrate that in obtaining and applying an education, dreams can
come true". Neal tells them repeatedly that there are no barriers
to acheving goals in life.
Neal's life serves as text for his educational program,
and motivationalspeeches. Neal was born the wrong color
in apartheid South Africa. For him to dream of owning his
own racing yacht was preposterous. However, Neal pereservered
and designed and built his own boat.
From time to time Neal brings childern on board
www.no-barriers.com. He takesa very literal
instructional approach.
There are few flights of rhetoric. Instead, there are real life examples.
Such as: if I want to sail to England and it will take me 20 days, and I
will drink 1.5 gallons of water per day, how much water should be
in my tanks ? As the kids,shout out random guesses Neal points
out that they must know mathematics to figure the answer. As adults
we can figure that problem in our head. However, we all wondered at
one time or another just why we were in school, when there was fun
to be had outside. Neal emphatically points out that lessons learned
in school can pay off- in such ways as the very boat that moves beneath
their feet. Kid's respond energetically to Neal's direct approach.
Neal also mentions to kids that when he was young he read
books by Chichester, Rose and Slocum. These offshore sailors
became his heroes. Later after several extremely eventful voyages
on www.no-barriers.com, he wrote his own book. No
Barriers, is
the title and it recounts Neal's story, and adds 'author' to his resume.
In Neal's office sits a box with copies of No Barriers in it.
Neal, of course, sells these. Along with the book he sells a line of
t-shirts and hats. All have original art work, and of course go toward
funding his boat and educational foundation. You can find these
items at more locations than just his office. He has distribution deals,
with Wal Mart and West Marine. Marketer and merchandiser are
yet more roles for him.
In all of this Neal is the entrepreneur, "one who organizes,
manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise." He carries
the accouterments of the modern business person, cell phone and pager.
Often he sits at a computer and uploads material to his website. He is
always working to convey his message.
It is apparent to be a professional sailor, is to be a professional
in other areas. In the case of Neal and www.no-barriers.com,
sailing is not
the only focus. To be a viable commercial sailing operation you must
look outside of the sailing business and make a presentation
to a broader audience. Neal has branched out of the sailing box.
His alliance with Prudential (# 18 in the Fortune 500) is an example of this.
Raising money for sailing sponsorship is not always popular.
A streak of elitism prevails that says you can have the biggest
boat you want, as long as you have the money to begin with, and
don't try to benefit from it. Professional's like Neal need to muster
their own resources. To gain these resources they must accept sponsorship.
Sponsorship deals should be seen as an achievement. Let the market place
determine their acheivments. The archaic elitist system should not
determine who competes.
The educational program that Neal bases on his sailing adds value
to his sailing. To gain maximum value from his time he
applies professionalism in many areas. In doing so he strives to
support himself, and to spark the dreams of others. The
goals he set really do make a solo circling of the globe
under sail look easy.
Round Britain
The conclusion of this edition of the Round
Britain race was the most exciting ever. Spirit of England
the trimaran that had led the race all the way ended up an
exceptionally close 2nd place. The winner ended up being
fellow multi hull FPC Greenway. FPC Greenway had a
cumlative time of 10 days 15 hours and 24 minutes, while
Spirit of England ended up with a time of 10 days 16 hours
and 1 minute.
In Class I Musto Performance was victorious over Victoria
Group. Class 2 saw Jeantex beat Wolfie's Toy which is now
an entrant in the Around Alone race.
For a complete wrap up visit: http://www.pilgrims.com/rwyc
Atlantic Alone
This Sunday is the start of the Atlantic Alone race from
Falmouth England to Charleston SC. This races serves as a
feeder race for the Around Alone race.
An often used phrase in Around Alone circles is, getting to
the start is the hardest part. In the Atlantic Alone this is also true.
With 11 boats entered, it looks like only 5 will actually sail the race.
In Class 1 there will be new Open 60's. Team Group 4 skippered
by Mike Golding will make her racing debut. FILA with captain
Giovanni Soldini will be Golding's Class I competition. It will be interesting
to see how Soldini has recovered from the tragic loss of a crewmember
in April.
Class 2 will have 3 boats. Mike Garside will debut his Finot 50
Magellan Alpha. Mike has already sailed from England to the USA
and back so should be quite on form for this race.
Minoru Saito is a 2 time Around Alone veteran. While not posessing
the budget of others, his experience is extensive.
The third Class 2 boat is Cray Valley with Jean-Pierre (J.P.) Mouligne
as skipper. J.P. has raced this Finot 50 before, and sailed her to England
on her own bottom just this month.
The 3,350 mile crossing should be a stiff challenge for all of these
sailors. For further coverage visit: http://www.aroundalone.com
For interviews, with Gardisde, Golding and Mouligne please
visit: http://www.torresen.com/aroundalone/aroundaloneseries.htm
Block Island Race Week
Close competition and tight finishes marked an action-packed series
at Premiere Racing's Block Island Race Week, June 21-26.
The fleet of 134 boats - a record for recent even-year events -
competed in two divisions and raced every day including
a fast Around the Island Race.
Light southerly breezes generated by a stalled high
pressure system combined with strong current to keep
competitors and race committees on both circles on their
toes throughout the regatta.
The coveted Boat of the Week Trophy for the
winner of the most closely-contested class went
to David Nickerson of Noank, CT, sailing the J/35
Split Decision in PHRF4. The eastern Connecticut
was also awarded the PHRF Boat of the Week Trophy.
Nickerson who has been racing at Block Island weeks
for the past 20 years, has been campaigning his J/35 for
the past nine. He credited a loyal regular crew and
an excellent feel for the boat's performance numbers
based on many years of one design sailing for the victory.
The winner of the Boat of the Day Trophy on Monday
was Robert Taylor's J/105 Hijinx, from Jamestown, RI.
The trophy is awarded to the boat that wins in the class
with the closest competition. The Tuesday winner
was Australia's John Calvert Jones in his Farr 40 Southern Star.
Jones trailed class leader John Thomson's Solution until
the closing stages of the race before taking the lead, and
the trophy. On Wednesday the top prize went to Robert Siegel,
from Stamford, CT, skippering the J/40 Pax in PHRF4.
Only two minutes and 16 seconds separated the first five
boats in the class after the three and a half hour race around the island.
On Thursday, David Brodsky's Swan 55 Odyssey,
from Newport, RI, won in PHRF2, narrowly defeating the Petersen 42
Settler, sailed by Jim and Tom Rich, from Southold, NY.
Brodsky's winning margin was only 40 seconds in the class.
The Friday winner was the Mumm 30 Xisled, raced
by Chris Doscher and Mark Ploch, from Clearwater, FL.
Great Circle Around Alone Campaign News
-The Around Alone Race 50-footer Great Circle
completed a fast run to the Azores in mid June but her
skipper's course changed sharply after he came
ashore in Horta. Brian Hancock is marrying his long-time
girlfriend Sigrun Jonsdottir on July 3.
"My first idea was a wedding in the Azores," Hancock
explained. "However not being sure that US law
recognizes marriages that take place in Portugal, I flew back
to the US. Please lift a glass on July 3, at 10 am EST, when Sigrun
and I tie more than a simple bowline.
"No it was not a sudden decision," added a tanned
and relaxed Hancock. "We had been talking about
getting married for some time and as my slogan states 'Goals are
dreams with a deadline'. It was time to set a deadline. Without
sounding hokey, this really is a dream come true."
Great Circle which is entered in Class 2 of the
Around Alone singlehanded race around the world,
sailed 2200 miles from Marblehead to the Azores in ten
and a half days. Her fastest 24-hour run was 242 miles.
"The boat sails like a cork full of jet fuel," he reported
ecstatically. "For the first time since I have owned it,
everything was working perfectly, including me. It is
a very fast boat, easy to sail and a credit to Peter
Ebbutt's design talents. I feel that Great Circle is
definitely capable of winning Class 2 providing
I am able to find sufficient funds to be competitive.
For more information: http://www.greatcircle.org