Skip Novak // Wisdom From 50 Years Afloat

In January 2024, Dr. Deborah Fish became the first woman ever to be elected commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club. For 99 years, RORC, as it's better known, has been regarded as a premier organization for offshore racing globally, as well as a leading authority for safety at sea. Its most famous event – the Fastnet Race – Deb has completed in impressive 11 times. Despite having started sailing only in her 30s, Deb has an incredible sailing resume and now heads up one of the most influential organizations in offshore sailing worldwide. Not only is she promoting, but also living the truth – that offshore sailing is a sport for anyone, provided they are up for the challenge. -- ON THE WIND is presented by Forbes Yachts, the yacht sales professionals. Forbes Yachts sell the boats that allow you to effortlessly connect your passion for yachting to the sea, bringing your world one step closer to perfection. Visit forbesyachts.com to get in touch. -- ON THE WIND is also supported by SailTies, a free app that makes it easy to record all your sailing experience in one place. A digital record of all your voyages, certificates, crew, vessels and clubs. To find out more about SailTies, go to sailties.net.

Kiera and Tripp are the couple behind Apparent Winds, a nonprofit they run aboard their sailing research vessel Resilience. As they sail around the world, they collect and share stories of environmental and cultural preservation while conducting marine research. Their journey started in Washington State in 2022, and led them here to Maine via Alaska, Mexico, Panama, and South Carolina. On their diverse expeditions, they might offer a research platform for scientists, an educational platform for students, and now an immersive charter experience for clients. They interview local people in the places they visit and tell stories focused on environment and culture. Emma got to sit down with them in person while they are in town before heading south this fall. -- ON THE WIND is presented by Forbes Yachts, the yacht sales professionals. Forbes Yachts sell the boats that allow you to effortlessly connect your passion for yachting to the sea, bringing your world one step closer to perfection. Visit forbesyachts.com to get in touch. -- ON THE WIND is also supported by SailTies, a free app that makes it easy to record all your sailing experience in one place. A digital record of all your voyages, certificates, crew, vessels and clubs. To find out more about SailTies, go to sailties.net

Porter Fox is a writer, lifelong sailor and author of the new book Category Five: Superstorms & the Warming Oceans that Feed Them. I was referred to Porter by our mutual friend John Kretschmer, who is a major character in the book. Porter is also the son of Able Marine founder and grew up in Maine amongst sailboats and boatyards. Porter and I had a long and winding conversation about sailing, weather, science and family. His new book is out now and widely available—I highly recommend it. Buy his book HERE. -- ON THE WIND is presented by Forbes Yachts, the yacht sales professionals. Forbes Yachts sell the boats that allow you to effortlessly connect your passion for yachting to the sea, bringing your world one step closer to perfection. Visit forbesyachts.com to get in touch. -- ON THE WIND is also supported by SailTies, a free app that makes it easy to record all your sailing experience in one place. A digital record of all your voyages, certificates, crew, vessels and clubs. To find out more about SailTies, go to sailties.net  

Jon Amtrup is an avid environmentalist, and one of the world's top high latitude skippers. He was an obvious choice for GREENPEACE for their arctic research expedition this summer, aboard their recently acquired sailboat WITNESS. She used to be named “Pelagic Australis” and was designed and built by Skip Novak. She is a unique expedition sailboat, as well adapted to the high Arctic as Jon himself. -- ON THE WIND is presented by Forbes Yachts, the yacht sales professionals. Forbes Yachts sell the boats that allow you to effortlessly connect your passion for yachting to the sea, bringing your world one step closer to perfection. Visit forbesyachts.com to get in touch. -- ON THE WIND is also supported by SailTies, a free app that makes it easy to record all your sailing experience in one place. A digital record of all your voyages, certificates, crew, vessels and clubs. To find out more about SailTies, go to sailties.net  

Vendee Globe sailor Pip Hare returns to the show for a 3rd time only one month before the start of her second Vendee Globe. In 2020, Pip became only the 8th woman to ever complete the Vendee Globe, and on a shoestring, crowdfunded budget to boot. In the years since, Pip has parlayed that hard work and early success into a second campaign aboard a new, faster and foiling IMOCA 60. I caught up with Pip to talk about everything from her fitness routine to making an IMOCA 60 fly in this super fun and meandering episode. Don't miss our half-day workshop in Annapolis on Friday Oct. 11, 'Offshore Cruising Distilled: The Sh*t That Matters Most!'. -- ON THE WIND is presented by Forbes Yachts, the yacht sales professionals. Forbes Yachts sell the boats that allow you to effortlessly connect your passion for yachting to the sea, bringing your world one step closer to perfection. Visit forbesyachts.com to get in touch. -- ON THE WIND is also supported by SailTies, a free app that makes it easy to record all your sailing experience in one place. A digital record of all your voyages, certificates, crew, vessels and clubs. To find out more about SailTies, go to sailties.net    

Blue & Brady of Cruisers Academy return to the podcast to tell some sea stories! This episode is an adaptation of a video that Mia & I filmed with them a few weeks ago, us on FALKEN, them at their shore base in Tahoe, as we started prepping for our Boat Show workshop coming up in Annapolis. We talk about some of the gnarliest things to happen to us at sea and on boats and had a lot of good laughs to boot. Don't miss our half-day workshop in Annapolis on Friday Oct. 11, 'Offshore Cruising Distilled: The Sh*t That Matters Most!'. -- ON THE WIND is presented by Forbes Yachts, the yacht sales professionals. Forbes Yachts sell the boats that allow you to effortlessly connect your passion for yachting to the sea, bringing your world one step closer to perfection. Visit forbesyachts.com to get in touch. -- ON THE WIND is also supported by SailTies, a free app that makes it easy to record all your sailing experience in one place. A digital record of all your voyages, certificates, crew, vessels and clubs. To find out more about SailTies, go to sailties.net    

Nigel Calder returns to the podcast to talk about selling his beloved Malö 46 Nada. Nigel is of course the foremost guru of yacht systems and is at heart and inventor and science buff. He and his wife Terry built their 'dream boat' some 16 years ago and are sad to part ways with her now. We talk about many of the custom design details he's integrated, the systems onboard that made her unique and how he's coming to terms with having to downsize. Checkout the YachtWorld listing for Nada here. -- Episode show notes. Check out 59-north.com to learn more about 59º North Sailing. -- If you liked this conversation you'll LOVE The QUARTERDECK, 59º North's 'deep dives on the art of seam'nship.' Join our interactive community and get involved in the conversation at quarterdeck.59-north.com. First two weeks FREE, then multiple pricing options thereafter. 

Skip Novak returns to the podcast to talk about his new book Skip Novak On Sailing: Words of Wisdom from 50 Years Afloat. There's not much Skip hasn't done in his remarkable sailing career, including 4 Whitbread races, a 5th round-the-world race on a maxi catamaran, and of course pioneering expedition sailing in Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn and Antarctica. I talked to Skip about his new book and in particular some of the more 'controversial' topics he writes about. Pickup Skip's new book here. Check out 59-north.com to learn more about 59º North Sailing. -- If you liked this conversation you'll LOVE The QUARTERDECK, 59º North's 'deep dives on the art of seam'nship.' Join our interactive community and get involved in the conversation at quarterdeck.59-north.com. First two weeks FREE, then multiple pricing options thereafter. 

Lydia Mullan is a sailor, journalist, and on board reporter. She is the managing editor at Sail Magazine and was the social media manger behind Cole Brauer’s recent Global Solo Challenge campaign. She was aboard the vessel Alliance in this year’s Newport-Bermuda race when they struck an object and had to abandon ship in the Gulf Stream. In this episode, we talk about that accident and their subsequent rescue, as well as Lydia’s career as a sailing journalist. -- Episode show notes. Check out 59-north.com to learn more about 59º North Sailing. -- If you liked this conversation you'll LOVE The QUARTERDECK, 59º North's 'deep dives on the art of seam'nship.' Join our interactive community and get involved in the conversation at quarterdeck.59-north.com. First two weeks FREE, then multiple pricing options thereafter. 

Friend of the podcast Pam Wall & our own Laura Parent do an ON THE WIND takeover this week to interview sailmaker and America's Cup sailor Peter Grimm! On an impromptu afternoon in Pam's living room, stories started flying and Pam said 'get the mics!' and this entertaining and charming episode was born! Big shout out to Pam & Laura for literally running the show this week! Enjoy their conversation with Peter Grimm. -- Episode show notes. Check out 59-north.com to learn more about 59º North Sailing. -- If you liked this conversation you'll LOVE The QUARTERDECK, 59º North's 'deep dives on the art of seam'nship.' Join our interactive community and get involved in the conversation at quarterdeck.59-north.com. First two weeks FREE, then multiple pricing options thereafter.