France to France- Antarctica to the Starboard by Rich Wilson

I finally received my copy of Rich Wilson’s new book, France to France–Antarctica to the Starboard on Thursday. http://www.sitesalive.com Ironically it arrived just a few weeks before the start of the 2012 Vendee Globe. Has it really been four years since the start of the Vendee Globe in 2008? Where did the time go? I remember sitting on my couch in November 2008, watching the start of the Vendee Globe with my friend Anne in Australia, Venny in Taipei, Marina in Italy, Vincent in France, Amalia in Spain and Neal in MA. We could see the sailors approaching the start of the event in Les Sables d’Olonne. We were all texting to each other. Although thousands of miles from the race, we could somehow feel the excitement of the race. And as I was thinking of all of the years of preparation for this important event and all of the races that led up to it… I felt anxious too. I wanted the best for Rich and his family and friends, and I knew this was going to be the most challenging of all of the races that he’d sailed. I would follow him with my students as I promised I would. We had followed the NY to Melbourne race in 2001, the race from Hong Kong to NY in 2003, the Transat 2004 and the small qualifying races. Some of my students had been on the GAIII, for a quick tour a year before the race. All of them either followed Rich in a race or had siblings who had followed him. He had spoken at the sixth grade graduation in 2001. (Wow, those students must be young adults in the workforce now!) I knew that the days ahead were going to be difficult ones for Rich, but I had no idea what ‘difficult’ meant. This book reminds me of his many days at sea. It reminds me of how much we learned from Rich in his website where he shared daily reports from sea. We prayed for his safety and wished him the best each day. We knew he wanted to complete the race, no matter how long it took, and we wanted that to see that happen.
I’m going to share the link to the book with all of the sixth graders who were cheering him on in 2008, offering him suggestions on the safest routes. He does a beautiful job of retelling his story simply and sincerely. He writes from his heart and shares his insights into experiences that we can only imagine.
I am going to read passages of the book to the students. I want them to know that kids in the school who graduated just a few years before them, participated in a historical voyage in maritime history. Only two Americans have ever successfully completed the Vendee Globe and we are very proud to know one of them.
Thank you Rich, for sharing your story with us. I read it once, but I’m sure I will read passages of it again and again. I recommend this book to anyone– child or adult– who is inspired to find the meaning of passion and perseverance in their lives.

http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/article/1505/the-great-american-rich-wilson-wants-to-be-back-in-2016.html