My name Ronnie Simpson and I have a sailing addiction. Four years ago, I took off solo for Hawaii on a big, heavy cruising boat and lost my rudder in rough weather created by a hurricane. I ended up losing my boat and everything I owned, only to be dropped off in China by a freight ship. With no boat, I purchased a mountain bike and rode 9,000 miles through Europe and Asia, mostly thinking of how much I missed sailing. Arriving back in California, I immediately purchased a $1,000 Cal 25 and began prepping it for the Singlehanded Transpac race when a Vietnam veteran named Don Gray offered to loan me his boat; a Mount Gay 30 named Warrior’s Wish. I sold the Cal and moved to North Carolina to refit the boat, and then trailered it across the country to San Francisco to prepare for the race. Sponsored by the wounded veteran non-profit, Hope for the Warriors, I competed in the 2010 Singlehanded Transpac, sailing to Hawaii in 15 days and 6 hours, finishing 2nd in class and 6th overall. The race was one of biggest thrills, and accomplishments, of my life.
On the return voyage from Hawaii, I was double-handing the Mount Gay 30 back to San Francisco, when we suffered a complete keel failure. Sailing with my mentor Ed McCoy, we took on diesel from a freight ship and motor-sailed the boat 760 miles back to San Francisco. With no keel. To my knowledge, this is the furthest anyone has ever sailed a boat after losing a keel. The Mount Gay 30 went back East, and I purchased a 28-foot Albin Cumulus cruising boat to live on and sail. I raced her in the beer cans and in a few SSS races in 2011, most notably the Singlehanded Farallones, where it blew 30 and Chippewa happily romped around the course to a class win.
In 2011, along with sailing Chippewa, I racked up 10,000 miles at sea, most notably competing in the Transpac race aboard the 1D35 Alpha Puppy and sailing the R/P45 Criminal Mischief back home from Hawaii. I also sailed to and from Cabo San Lucas on a 47-foot cruising boat, in addition to tons of buoy racing and local offshore stuff. I learned a great deal about offshore sailing in 2011, and became even more deeply inspired to continue to pursue this passion. It was my best year of sailing yet!
And now, in 2012, I have purchased US 101; Moore 24 Hull #101 for the Singlehanded Transpac. I will again be sponsored by Hope for the Warriors, as well as Quantum Sails and several of my other sponsors from 2010. Starting in January 2012, I will be re-fitting the boat and racing nearly every weekend before beginning offshore sea-trials in March. Taking all that i’ve learned in the past few years, and combining it with a competitive boat, fast sails, a good autopilot and thorough preparation, I am very much looking forward to competing in the race and trying to improve on my finish from 2010. Solo Offshore racing is my passion, and the Singlehanded Transpac is the focus of it. After this year’s SHTP, I will continue working towards my eventual goal of sailing in the Vendee Globe race.
In addition to being an avid sailor, I am a combat-wounded veteran of the Iraq war. In working with Hope for the Warriors, I have been afforded the amazing opportunity to use solo ocean sailing as a tool to make a positive impact on other wounded veterans’ lives. Through raising money, and holding two wounded-veteran sailing clinics in San Francisco Bay in 2012, I hope to use sailing to aid in the physical and mental recoveries of wounded veterans who have come back from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Sailing is a sport that has given me so much, and it is my dream to use the sport to give back to the men and women have sacrificed so much for our nation.
Thank you for visiting this site and checking out my campaign!
Fair winds and following seas,
Ronnie Simpson
Peter Howson photo. 2010.