#349. Peter Gibbons-Neff - the namesake of PGN Ocean Racing - is a solo sailor from Annapolis aiming for the single-handed Mini Transat next year in 2023. Peter & I have crossed paths many times, most recently in Kinsale, Ireland - we were outbound on ICEBEAR heading to Sweden, and Peter was inbound on his Mini arriving from France. We traded photos and I promised then I'd get him on the show! Peter tells me the story of how we wound up in the same harbor an ocean away from home.
Peter grew up in the Philadelphia area, sailing dinghies there and in the Annapolis waters from an early age, raced offshore as far as Bermuda, competed at the highest offshore collegiate levels as a skipper for the U.S. Naval Academy’s Varsity Offshore Sailing Team, and served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. As he transitioned away from 10 years of active duty service, Peter started a 2023 Mini Transat campaign to raise awareness for U.S. Patriot Sailing, a non-profit team dedicated to supporting military veterans navigate the transition to civilian life. U.S. Patriot Sailing helped Peter and now he is giving back as an ambassador racing on the ocean.
The Mini Transat is a 4,000+ nm solo ocean race across the Atlantic Ocean from France, unassisted, on a 21’ sailboat. Last year Peter sailed over 3,400 nm on his Classe Mini and is preparing to complete the qualification process this season.
If you would like to support this mission, please consider donating through his GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/dc565273
PGN Ocean Racing: www.pgnoceanracing.com
Fawcett Boat Supplies: www.fawcettboat.com
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Candlewick Press is the publisher of Old Wood Boat, a new picture book which follows the life of a dilapidated sailboat as she is scraped, scrubbed, sanded, varnished, and made seaworthy again by a new family. Written and illustrated by artist and sailor Nikki McClure and featuring her signature cut-paper illustrations, Old Wood Boat is a love letter to sailing, restoration, and outdoor adventure. On sale May 10 wherever you buy your books.
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Order your own Cotton towels and beachwear - podcast listeners will get 20% off when checking out. Use coupon code “onthewind” (all lower case, no spaces) at buldano.com
