Mike Brown aboard Nirvana with Contact 3 GEO
Jun 21, 2004 15: 44 EST
Published Jun 14, 2004 18: 30 EST
On June 18, this Friday, the 44th biennial Newport Bermuda Race will start off Castle Hill in Newport, Rhode Island.
Aboard the Nirvana will be Michael Brown and Gary Swain. Mike and Gary will be using the brand new Contact 3 GEO. The software uses the Contact 3.0 platform in addition to a small GPS device attached to the PDA. When a dispatch is uploaded it will automatically place the boats position on a map!
Mike is a three time Everest summiteer and the man behind the camera for blind climber, Erik Weihenmayer's historic ascent of Everest and the subject of a two time academy award nominee film, 'Farther Than the Eye Can See.' It was also the first time a High Definition camera was taken to the summit of Everest.
Gary Swain's story is remarkable. In need of a heart transplant Gary is living life to its fullest by doing what he can, a major open ocean race in this case. If he is able to get a new heart and make a recovery he and Mike plan to climb some of the world's biggest peaks in the coming years.
Last year Kelly Perkins, a recipient of a donor heart, summited the Matterhorn with Mike again behind the camera. . At one point on the climb, while scaling a steep, technical rock wall, Kelly Perkins looked into the camera and stated, “You can have Everest, Gary. This is enough for me.” It was a personal message to Gary, who is holding onto his dream of climbing Everest one day, even as he awaits a heart transplant.
Coming up this week ExWeb will talk to Mike about his recent trip with Erik Weihenmayer to the Braille Without Borders school for the blind in Lhasa. We'll also speak about what it takes to climb with donor heart recipient Kelly Perkins and starting Friday will be taking a look at the new Contact 3 GEO with a long awaited unveiling.
Charles F Kiefer, III, will be captaining the Nirvana, a Pedrick 80ft maxi racer and the course record holder from 1982 to 1996.
Beginning in Newport, Rhode Island at the mouth of Narragansett Bay and finishing at St. David's Head, on the northeastern tip of Bermuda, crossing the Gulf Stream that unpredictable, meandering river in the Atlantic that separates temperate waters from tropical waters, continental weather from mid-Atlantic weather and the men from the boys. The Race is 635 nautical miles and takes around 2 and 1/2 days.
Image of the Nirvana courtesy of the team.
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