by Rich du Moulin, Owner, Intrepid Shipping

We all have to make decisions in our lives, many of them important to our friends, families, and ourselves. Rich has had to make decisions during the Vendée Globe to maintain the safety of Great American III; to produce articles, photos, podcasts and videos for sitesALIVE; and to balance sailing fast with preserving his physical and mental strength.

Rich is the oldest competitor with a seven-year-old boat that is not the newest or fastest design. He knows that many of the competitors are sailors who are aggressively pushing their newer boats. Knowing that he cannot win on pure boat speed or physical strength, Rich is using his experience to make decisions that keep himself and the boat in the race, with the goal of crossing the finish line through experience and endurance.

Decision-making at sea is very hard because you are tired, alone, and sometimes scared. Very often you do not have much time to act. Making a good decision relies on experience and judgment for sure, but planning and preparation are also very important. If you can anticipate a problem, then you can plan ahead and not have to make a last second decision which might be too late. Good luck and good decision-making, Rich Wilson!