Rich Wilson, the best ambassador for the Vendée Globe - Vendée Globe 2016
That is how Denis Horeau, the Vendée Globe Race Director described the American maths teacher at the press conference presenting the 2016 Vendée Globe at the Paris Boat Show. It was just a quick stopover in Paris for the skipper of Great American IV, who is busy developing a worldwide teaching programme using the Vendée Globe as a tool. At the age of 64, he is to compete in the 2016 Vendée Globe, even though his boat was recently struck by lightning.
© François Van Malleghem / DPPI / Vendée GlobeTell us a little about your recent travels and how you explain your project, Rich
”I was in China, Beijing and Hong Kong just making connections and they are really interested in the concept. The great thing is the Vendée Globe is so easily understood, one person one boat, non stop around the world without assistance. We are working on the partnerships concept. Schools are excited about wrapping the race into their programmes. In China we were meeting with the right people I think, with decision makers and I think it will work for education, science and technology especially. In the US it spans Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in high schools and we are just trying to reach out to as many people as possible. We reached 1/4m people in the last race and now we want to expand overseas. We can do that, the internet lets us reach people from Bogota to Boston to Beijing and Bali it doesn’t matter.”
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