by Dr. Dava Newman, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems My motto for teaching aerospace biomedical engineering at MIT is “Love, Act, Discover, and Innovate”, and this motto has

by Rich Wilson, Skipper Great American III The Vendée Globe race instructions state simply: start at Les Sables d’Olonne (France), leave Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) to port, leave Cape Leeuwin

by Rich Wilson, Skipper Great American III Looking at our chart explains the parade of ships that I saw last nightby their lights, and heard the night before on our radar alarm.

by Laura Mirabella, Shipping Broker The maritime industry can be a challenging and rewarding field for women. Thirty years ago it was difficult for women to break into this industry. In

by Dr. Brien Barnewolt, Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine, Tufts Medical Center Proper preparation is everything. On board Great American III Rich has an extensive first aid kit, and he knows

by Captain Murray Lister, former Master, New Zealand Pacific Eighteen years ago Rich and I initially met when, on 22 November 1990, the first Great American capsized 400 miles West of Cape Horn in

by Rich Wilson, Skipper Great American III For a mariner, crossing the equator – the Line – is a major event. The tradition for a first-timer is an onboard ceremony where the

by Dava Sobel, author of Longitude Skipper Rich will soon cross the Equator, 0º latitude, the great dividing line between Earth’s northern and southern hemispheres. Having traveled from 46º30´N at the start,

By Rich Wilson, Aboard Great American III What better symbol could there be for the interconnectedness of the world than the Vendée Globe, a non-stop around-the-world sailing event? As a skipper in

By Dr. Chris Fanta, Brigham & Women’s Hospital While the challenges that Rich Wilson and the skippers of Vendée Globe face are enormous—managing a large sailing vessel by yourself, day after

by Eric Wallischecke, US Merchant Marine Academy Although Skipper Rich refers to the land that he is passing as “invisible”, I think it really is the ocean that is invisible. A

by Skipper Rich Wilson, aboard Great American III In this race around the world, we will pass many places and peoples. Some will be nearby, as were Spain, Morocco, and the Cape

by Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III The turning mark in the Vendée Globe is Antarctica. We will not see this cold continent as we circumnavigate it, but we will be

by Sam Scott, Associate Curator, Peabody Essex Museum Turn your globe on its head so that the continent of Antarctica is at the top. Notice the ring of ocean that

by Rich WIlson, Skipper, Great American III In the last two days here in the Indian Ocean, we have been hammered by two severe storms with near-hurricane-force winds and mountainous seas.

by Jan Witting, Faculty, Sea Education Association Rich is alone in an endless landscape of waves, traveling the world’s oceans with occasional sightings of seabirds, flying fish, and whales. For

by Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III The turning mark in the Vendée Globe is Antarctica. We will not see this cold continent as we circumnavigate it, but we will be

by Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III The day before the start of the Vendée Globe I saw Yann Eliès riding on his bike, standing on the pedals, with his young daughter

by Marti Shea, Select Fitness When Rich started the race, he had a fitness plan in place to maintain his physical strength. When he broke his rib early in the race

by Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III The midpoint of the voyage, estimated by time or mileage or geography, offers a symbolic chance for reflection on what we have accomplished, or not,

by Capt. Murray Lister, Master, MV Cape York Rich and Great American III have passed The Cape of Good Hope and are now on passage across the Southern Indian Ocean, not being known

by Captain Murray Lister Rich and Great American III continue their passage, currently South of Tasmania, Australia. These waters also have seen the wakes of hundreds of sailing vessels as the countries of

by Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III Halfway around the world, through the Atlantic, Indian, and now Pacific Oceans, we have seen a diverse array of wildlife. Porpoises have played in the

by Ioannis Miaoulis, President and Director, Museum of Science, Boston Rich’s Ship Logs reveal an extraordinary variety of marine life including sea birds, porpoises, flying fish, tiny shrimp, and squid. As

by Captain Murray Lister Rich Wilson and Great American III have passed below New Zealand, sighting the Auckland, Bounty and Antipodes Islands. The passage across the great Southern Ocean is currently being undertaken.

by Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III Take a globe. Center it in your gaze at 15° South latitude, 155° West longitude. Look at all that Pacific Ocean! The Pacific is huge,

by Captain Murray Lister Nature gives the world so many variations of force and climate. Think of the tides, rain, snow, wind, ice, hurricanes and typhoons. Let us now consider the

By Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III Each boat in the Vendée Globe is an example of resource management and depletion. We bring food, fuel, spare sails, spare electronics, extra epoxy and

By Dr. Ambrose Jearld, Jr., Fisheries Biologist, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA As Rich sails across the world’s oceans he may see occasional sharks or whales, but he will not see

by Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III Prior to the start of the Vendée Globe race, there were hundreds of decisions made: which boat to use, which qualifying race to sail,

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

by Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III For Michel Desjoyeaux, success in the Vendée Globe is winning the race, which he has just done for the second time with an extraordinary

by Lorraine Leo, Technology Teacher, Newton, Massachusetts Rich entered the Vendée Globe race in part for the challenge of the race, but mainly for the opportunity to create an education program

by Scott Hamilton, Investment Advisor, Explorer When an expedition comes to an end, I don’t really miss much except for my comrades. There is a huge sense of relief when I

by Rich Wilson, Skipper, Great American III Last week, the moon rose just after sunset, bright and full, flaunting its perfect geometry. Ringed as I am by 360 degrees of horizon, I