February 23, 2024 – Dismasted, rescued, retired.

February 23, 2024 – Dismasted, rescued, retired.

A bit over 10 days ago, my participation in the Global Solo Challenge came to an abrupt and unfortunate end when I dismasted in the South Atlantic Ocean. I had just written a downtrodden and somber blog entry a day or two before where I expressed how challenging and...

February 10, 2024 – Cape Horn and a cruel South Atlantic

February 10, 2024 – Cape Horn and a cruel South Atlantic

More than a week since rounding the infamous Cape Horn, I find myself slowly climbing up an Atlantic Ocean that has been very unkind to me and to Shipyard Brewing. I say this not to complain or to say ‘poor me’, but in the context of writing in this blog or in...

January 13, 2024 – Hobart, halfway and bound for the Horn

January 13, 2024 – Hobart, halfway and bound for the Horn

The first blog entry of the New Year sees, as always, a number of milestones to celebrate onboard Shipyard Brewing in the Global Solo Challenge. There’s the passage of halfway, the entry to the Pacific, Christmas, New Year’s and more. For me, those almost all...

December 1 – Over one month at sea! Approaching Cape of Good Hope

December 1 – Over one month at sea! Approaching Cape of Good Hope

There are a number of milestones to be celebrated and reflected upon in this entry. I have now been out here at sea for more than a month. Shipyard Brewing and I have now passed the 1/4 way mark in this long journey of ours; on the theoretical route at least. I am now...

Thanksgiving – Navigating the Saint Helena High and into the South

Thanksgiving – Navigating the Saint Helena High and into the South

Shipyard Brewing blog Thursday November 24 - 0000 As the clock has just rolled over to midnight and signaled the beginning of a new day, it is now Thanksgiving Day; a day to contemplate all that i’m grateful for. And today, most of all, i’m just eternally grateful for...

November 14 – Just crossed the equator

November 14 – Just crossed the equator

Shipyard Brewing blog Tuesday November 14 - 1400 Aloha from the Southern Hemisphere! At 0349 UTC this morning, myself and Shipyard Brewing crossed the equator headed south. The first major milestone in this journey around the globe, this milestone is the accumulation...

November 2 – approaching the Canary Islands

November 2 – approaching the Canary Islands

Shipyard Brewing blog: Thursday November 2, 2023 - 2100 - Approaching the Canary Islands This has to be one of the nicest parts of a round the world sailing race. Read any Vendée Globe book or other solo sailing story about a race like this, and the tales all ring...

November 1 update – The race is on! Passing Strait of Gibraltar

November 1 update – The race is on! Passing Strait of Gibraltar

Wednesday November 1, 2023 update from Shipyard Brewing - 1400 - Shipyard Brewing and I have now been at sea for just over three days and are beginning to settle into this long and challenging adventure after a difficult start. Today is the first day of very nice...

October 17 – 10 days to the start!!! Spain update

October 17 – 10 days to the start!!! Spain update

We’re now entering the final ten days before the October 28 start of the Global Solo Challenge. What began as a pretty full-on project more than a year ago is now down to the final push to the starting line. Fortunately, you can still get a lot done in ten days, and...

September 21  – Arrival to Spain

September 21 – Arrival to Spain

Press Release from arriving into Spain on Shipyard Brewing! Blog update to come soon. Marco Nannini photo A Coruña, Spain - The Open 50 racing sailboat Shipyard Brewing has arrived to A Coruña, Spain after a successful Trans-Atlantic delivery that began in Portland,...

September 17 – 750 NM from Spain

September 17 – 750 NM from Spain

As of this writing, Shipyard Brewing is less than 750 nautical miles from A Coruña and making steady miles in mostly the right direction. My crew mate Ed McCoy and I should be in to A Coruña by some time on Wednesday or on Thursday. It looks like we’ll encounter some...

September 2 – Trans-Atlantic delivery departure!

September 2 – Trans-Atlantic delivery departure!

September 2, 2023 – 0200 – I type this from the cockpit of Shipyard Brewing (formerly Sparrow), as we are on a deep broad reach across the Gulf of Maine towards the southern tip of Nova Scotia. The moon is full, the seas calm and glistening, and the boat is flat and...

July 27 – Splash down. Re-fit continues. Portland, Maine

July 27 – Splash down. Re-fit continues. Portland, Maine

Sparrow went back into the water two days ago on July 25. For those keeping score at home, that's a bit less than a month in the shed. We were mostly just doing the bottom job and the vinyl wrap, but of course there were several other jobs taken on during this time as...

June 16 – Approaching the finish of my 2,000 NM qualifier passage

June 16 – Approaching the finish of my 2,000 NM qualifier passage

It was a windy and bumpy close reach back to the US east coast from Bermuda, but it was relatively quick! As I write this, I am now 1,639 miles into my 2,000 mile solo qualifying passage for the Global Solo Challenge. It's been a heck of a journey - longer than I...

February 14 – Re-fit engage

February 14 – Re-fit engage

While my time in North Carolina hasn't involved much sailing, it has been quite productive. I have been tackling some large projects that I see as being a very high priority to sort out before real training, or a qualification sail can take place. The boat was in good...

January 13 – A winter re-fit in coastal Carolina

January 13 – A winter re-fit in coastal Carolina

January 13 - Beaufort, North Carolina "This town sorta sucks you in" is a fairly common sentiment among people who live in Beaufort, North Carolina. And it does. It's pretty ideal and a bit perfect in many ways. Quiet, safe, beautiful... lots of inland waterways and...

December 4 – Beaufort, North Carolina

December 4 – Beaufort, North Carolina

Just after Thanksgiving, Sparrow bit off her next chunk of the US East Coast as myself and two crew delivered about 400 miles south to the charming town of Beaufort, North Carolina. Not to be confused with Beaufort, South Carolina, the North Carolina version of...

October 30 – Bar Karate Podcast link

October 30 – Bar Karate Podcast link

Another week, another podcast... Super stoked to sit down with my mates down under for the 'Bar Karate' podcast. For those of you that don't know this podcast, it's one of the best racing and sailing podcasts out there and i'm honored to join the list of legends that...

October 26 – Latitude 38 Podcast link is live

October 26 – Latitude 38 Podcast link is live

I was recently featured on the Latitude 38 magazine Podcast called 'Good Jibes'. You can listen to this episode of the podcast at this link: https://goodjibes.libsyn.com/ronnie-simpson-on-the-global-solo-challenge Or you can get it wherever you get your Podcasts, just...

October 24 – Annapolis Part II

October 24 – Annapolis Part II

I've been in Annapolis for nore than two weeks now, and it's again been quite the whirlwind adventure. In some ways Annapolis now feels like home, but as the seasons are changing and the clock is ticking, it also feels like time to go and keep on moving. The boat show...

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland

As of this writing, Sparrow is now in Annapolis, Maryland and will soon be on display on the docks at the nation’s largest boat show. Sponsors are coming onboard, new gear is being installed and we had a great run down the coast from New York so needless to say,...

Newport to New York

Newport to New York

After a long upwind beat, Sparrow is now in Jersey City, New Jersey; just across the Hudson River from Manhattan and about 1.25 miles from the Statue of Liberty. Being here is a huge highlight for me, I haven’t been here since I was a child and the energy of this...

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island – Just two weeks after our initial week of sea trials in Maine, s/v Sparrow has now made her way south to Newport, Rhode Island! The first offshore leg of this entire campaign, myself and two crew sailed Sparrow about 300 nautical miles from...

First Week of Sea Trials

First Week of Sea Trials

Portland, Maine – The newly formed Sparrow Sailing Team successfully conducted their first week of sea-trials for next year’s Global Solo Challenge race last week, just offshore of Portland, Maine. Based at the Maine Yacht Center, the Open 50 class racing yacht has...