NEWS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information:

Speaker: Charlie Simon, charlie@worldsailing.guru Phone: 425-765-8162

Sail Nauticus: Ryan Newland, ryan.newland@norfolk.gov Phone: 757-823-4242

World Circumnavigator Charlie Simon to Speak at Norfolk's Sail Nauticus

“The Adventure of a Lifetime: Circumnavigation Under Sail”

4/10/2016 Norfolk, VA–Captain Charlie Simon will be speaking on April 16, 2016 at 10:00 AM, in the Virginia Room, Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center next to the Nauticus Marine Center. The talk is free, open to the public, and includes an open house aboard the Simon's sailboat, Celebrate, the Taswell 58 which took them around the world. Participants will get a genuine feel for what it is like to sail around the world!

A popular speaker and accomplished author, Charlie and his wife, Cathy, completed their world circumnavigation with the World Cruising Club's World ARC 2014-15 Rally starting in St. Lucia in the Caribbean. They sailed away on Celebrate leaving Rodney Bay, St. Lucia on January 10, 2014 and returning to the Portsmouth/Norfolk area on May 15, 2015. Along the way, they transited the Panama Canal, stopped at many islands across the South Pacific, passed through some rough weather in the Indian Ocean, went on to South Africa, and then had benign conditions crossing the South Atlantic to Brazil and back to the Caribbean.

He is the co-author of a forthcoming 2016 book, along with Cathy, entitled QuickStart Circumnavigation Guide: Proven World Route and Sailing Itinerary Timed for Weather (worldsailing.guru/qscgbook.aspx). The book gives sailors at all levels an overview for planning a voyage.

Captain Charlie whose 60th birthday kicked off their circumnavigation said, “You need to be fully prepared for a trip like this one. After purchasing Celebrate in 2012, we sailed her from Ft. Lauderdale to Nova Scotia and back just to get a feel for the boat and decide on equipment and rigging improvements prior to the circumnavigation.” The Simons have now accumulated 100,000 sea miles between them including two trips to Alaska.

For more information and to register for the presentation visit: http://www.sailnauticus.org/events or https://worldsailing.guru/Events/Nauticus2.aspx. Space is limited.

Sail Nauticus (www.sailnauticus.org)

A community sailing center in downtown Norfolk that offers a free after-school program, Sail Academy, geared to middle school students in Norfolk Public Schools. In the academy, students learn sailing, swimming and water safety and participate in maritime science-based activities using concepts in physics, math and geometry. Program participants can receive academic credit, along with learning leadership abilities and different skills, and they get a chance at starting new friendships, making it an incomparable experience. Sail Nauticus also offers various youth summer camps that accommodate beginners as well as experienced sailors.

Sailing Vessel (“S/V”) Celebrate (https://worldsailing.guru/Celebrate.aspx)

Meet the boat! Celebrate is a Taswell 58 AS designed by noted British naval architect Bill Dixon and built by the highly-regarded Ta'shing yard in Taiwan in 2003. 62 feet long overall, she weighs 33 tons and provides a stable, comfortable ride in rough seas. Designed to accommodate six people, the boat is spacious for a sailing couple and has ample room for the spares and safety equipment needed for a circumnavigation. She is sloop-rigged and sails at 8-9 knots in a good wind. When the wind dies, her 160hp Yanmar diesel engine will keep her going at 7 knots with a fuel range of 1,400 miles.

Captain Charlie and Cathy Simon (https://worldsailing.guru/Bio.aspx)

Charlie has an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of California, a Masters in Computer Science from Washington State University and a USCG Master’s License. Professionally, he has worked on numerous major software projects including Microsoft's MSNBC.COM. Cathy Simon is a retired banking executive with Wells Fargo and Barclay's Bank in San Francisco. She has a BA degree from Washington State University.

The Simons have been married for 36 years and have a 32-year-old son who joined them on one leg of the trip. Since retirement, they have been active philanthropists supporting causes in their local area as well as international and youth sailing organizations. Having visited Vanuatu and Fiji on their circumnavigation, they were quick to send aid to these recent hurricane victims.

World Sailing Guru (https://worldsailing.guru)

This website was developed by Charlie Simon to help people get started voyaging under sail! It includes articles, events, and helpful links that encourage sailing at all levels.

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