Winter SITREP
Mini-Fastnet Race, June 2022 (Photo Credit: Manon Le Guen)
Wishing everyone a happy New Year!
Where did the fall go? Time for a winter SITREP! Hard to believe, but six months ago I was racing in light air across the Celtic Sea towards Fastnet Rock as pictured above. After the 2,600 nm race from France to the Azores and back in July/August, we put Terminal Leave away for the season. With Jane’s help, in late August we cleaned up the boat and organized it for winter storage. With so many minis around in La Trinité-sur-Mer, a friend and fellow RG650 owner has been keeping an eye on the boat while I have been back in the US.
What a year it has been for this campaign! If you missed the quick recap of this past season’s 4,078 nm of sailing, make sure to check out the blog post here:
While Terminal Leave has been riding out the winter on the trailer in France, I have been busy back in Annapolis. Catching up with family and friends is always a highlight after being gone all spring and summer. This includes getting back out on the water with U.S. Patriot Sailing. Despite the weather not always cooperating, I was able to spend a few days out on the race course with some incredible veterans. The fall and early winter was tough with some races being cancelled due to either not enough or too much wind. This was my first time sailing on the team’s recently donated J109 Patriot VII, which was really exciting. Always great meeting new teammates too! Additionally, I was also able to help the team a bit behind the scenes, which included delivering the J109 from Annapolis to Baltimore ahead of a regatta (Thank you Jane for your help!). The Annapolis team with U.S. Patriot Sailing is currently racing this boat most Sundays in the AYC Frostbite Series which goes through March. Are you a veteran? Make sure to sign up if you want to race with us!
New teammates racing with U.S. Patriot Sailing
U.S. Patriot Sailing’s J109 Patriot VII in Annapolis, MD
In October, the United States Sailboat Show came to town in Annapolis. This event is always an awesome display of boats and vendors, certainly worth checking out each year. Part of the show I spent at the Fawcett Boat Supplies tent talking to guests and showing them the exceptional gear Fawcett’s provided me for this Mini Transat campaign. I really enjoyed the opportunity to share some of my sailing experiences with the sailing community and talk about the products that I have recently put though the test after thousands of offshore miles.
The other part of the Sailboat Show was spent at the end of the dock with teammates from U.S. Patriot Sailing. If you were at the show, then you probably saw the Open50 which has already completed multiple laps around the earth. One of our teammates from the west coast, Ronnie Simpson, recently acquired this boat to race around the world solo next year. Very cool to see and get to know Ronnie. This was an excellent opportunity to meet so many people across the sailing community and discuss how U.S. Patriot Sailing supports veterans through sailing. It was rewarding seeing new teammates learn about U.S. Patriot Sailing at the boat show and a few even came out racing just a few weeks later!
In October, I gave a talk about this campaign to the Maris Grove Veterans Club in Pennsylvania. My grandparents connected me with this wonderful group near where I grew up. I really enjoyed the opportunity to share my story, talk about U.S. Patriot Sailing, and describe what it is like training for a solo ocean race. Even more so, meeting and hearing the stories from so many veterans in the room was really special. Side note, my grandfather is a Navy veteran and was a surface warfare officer on a battleship back in the day, always fascinating hearing about life on those giant ships!
Thank you to the Maris Grove Veterans Club for inviting me!!!
Remember: if your club or organization is interested in a presentation, let me know ASAP
With my grandparents after giving a talk to a veterans club
What else am I up to during the off season? Well I have been busy balancing my drill time in the Marine Corp Reserves with being a student at the National Intelligence University (NIU). …But what exactly does that mean?
As an officer in the Marine Corps Reserves, I am obligated to complete the equivalent of what is commonly one weekend a month, two weeks a year (many of you know those commercials…). That means I have to put on the uniform for 24 days (or 48 half days) and a period of 12 consecutive days. I am drilling (aka working…not marching with a rifle!) in support of an active duty unit at the Pentagon within Headquarters Marine Corps. Same unit from my last two years on active duty, but different section within it.
However, since this is an active duty unit, I cannot just pop in on the weekends like conventional reserve units. This would not be practical with providing support. My unit has been graciously flexible and allows me to complete my drills anytime throughout the year. Therefore, I am currently completing my drills again during the winter months when there is no Mini racing happening in France. By grouping my drills together, I have somewhat more of a consistent schedule and can actually support various projects. This is my second winter with the Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Section where I support a team that overseas the administrative and policy aspects of all things Marine Corps GEOINT related. Very different from the day to day current intel job that some might know (or what I used to do), but still rewarding helping provide input to the team.
The flexibility of drilling also gives me an opportunity to finish a masters program at NIU. I started this part time masters in Strategic Intelligence while on active duty, but covid restrictions and this Mini Transat campaign shifted my original timeline. Since this school is in person, completing the classes is just not possible while traveling. I am finally in my last course this winter semester and finishing my required thesis! On track to finish the requirements by the end of February.
What’s next? The Mini class is finalizing the 2023 racing schedule and in January we have to submit preferences for what races we would like to compete in leading up to the Mini Transat. With such high demand in this class, every race will have a waiting list for entry because the ports have room for only so many boats. Some races have over 150 competitors register! Fortunately, I am fully qualified with guaranteed entry in the 2023 Mini Transat. Technically I have to complete just one race this season leading up to the big race across the ocean. However, there are some big factors that go into deciding which races to compete in…
Balance: This season is all about balancing the number of races with training, wear on the equipment, and risk management. Every race I compete in with Terminal Leave I learn something new and make incremental improvements with boat performance. After almost 5,000 nautical miles of racing in France, we both have come a long way!
Funding is a critical factor. Each race incurs costs to cover race fees and freeze dried food, housing, travel costs, and other living expenses associated with living in a foreign country for any extended period of time.
Every mile raced puts more wear and tear on the boat, sails, and equipment. More racing means more parts needing to be replaced and fixing little breakages common to offshore sailing.
All of this factors into risk management. Each offshore race incurs additional risk to the boat and myself, which always has the possibility of compromising my ability to get the the starting line of the Mini Transat.
Goal: My ultimate goal is to compete in the 2023 Mini Transat which starts on 24 September. I will keep you all up to date when I know more about what the 2023 race season will consist of for me leading up to the Mini Transat.
Huge thank you to my sponsors and supporters who have helped get us to this point. This year we raised over $25,000! With the support through fund raising and equipment from sponsors, this campaign has a solid foundation to launch into the 2023 season. However, we still have a long way to go…
Again, thinking about risk management…the more we can achieve through funding, the safer and more competitive I will be while racing across the Atlantic Ocean. Many tough decisions are made leading up to the race based off costs that all have a major impact to the race itself.
At this point there are also some significant administrative costs and purchases I need to balance leading up to the race. These include:
Mini Transat race fees
Boat Insurance
New sails (based off funding levels, the mainsail at the very least)
Hydrogenerator - a critical piece of equipment for charging the batteries and making sure I have power after days of no sunshine for the solar panels
New deck solar panels - the original ones on the boat have degraded ad no longer work
Delivery costs from Guadeloupe back to the US (going to sail the boat!)
Shipping boat trailer from France back to USA
Sponsorship: We are always seeking additional sponsors who believe in this mission and can help fund this campaign. Feel free to make any connections and help spread the word! Happy to send over a sponsorship proposal with additional information to any interested companies. Please email me at peter@pgnoceanracing.com.
Thank you for reading this blog post! Hopefully this update provides some additional insight into this campaign. Feel free to reach out if there is something you want to hear more about or that I should discuss in a future blog post.
Wishing everyone a happy holidays and new year!
Start of Les Sables-Azores-Les Sables Race, July 2022 (Photo Credit: Manon Le Guen)
