Episode #48: Ronnie Simpson on Fulfillment and the Pacific Cup

Welcome back to Latitude 38’s podcast, Good Jibes! This week’s host, Nicki Bennett, is joined by Ronnie Simpson to chat about finding fulfillment in sailing and his coverage of this year’s Pacific Cup, which is running for the first time in 4 years.

Ronnie is an Iraq war veteran who discovered sailing after being wounded and has since sailed well over 100,000 miles. Ronnie is a cruiser, racer, sailing journalist, media guy, delivery captain and charter captain who is pretty much always around a sailboat. He has contributed to Latitude 38 as a writer since 2010 and specializes in Hawaii race coverage and offshore racing coverage for the magazine. After living on sailboats in San Francisco Bay for several years, Ronnie has spent most of the last decade based in Hawaii and Fiji, with no shortage of ocean crossings and cruising in between.

Hear how to find community in sailing, how it can lead to so many great things in life, what viewers can expect from this year’s Pac Cup, the perks racing has over cruising, and his favorite racing stories.

This episode covers everything from racing journalism to the best parts about sailing. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• How did Ronnie’s injury inspire him to get into sailing?
• What is the Pacific Cup?
• How does sailing help heal trauma?
• Why race vs. cruise to Hawaii?
• When did Ronnie race the Pac Cup?
• What is the course record?
• When does Ronnie set sail?
• Short Tacks: What’s his bucket list sailing destination?

Learn more about Ronnie on Instagram @CaptainRon_Official and the Pac Cup at PacificCup.org and social media.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast spots – follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!

Check out the episode and show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Ronnie Simpson on Fulfillment and the Pacific Cup
  • [0:22] Welcome to Good Jibes with Latitude 38
  • [0:43] Subscribe to Latitude 38 at Latitude38.com
  • [0:50] Nicki Bennett
  • [0:56] Learn more about Ronnie on Instagram @CaptainRon_Official and the Pac Cup at PacificCup.org and social media
  • [1:41] What’s a story that shaped Ron as a sailor?
  • [2:15] TransPac
  • [2:35] Ludicrous Speed
  • [3:43] How did Ronnie’s injury inspire him to get into sailing?
  • [6:33] How does sailing help heal trauma?
  • [7:38] Podcast
  • [7:56] Mental Health
  • [9:55] Have you ever done the Ha-Ha? The Baja Ha-Ha is a low pressure, super fun cruising rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas – a great way to kick off the season of cruising and make friends. The 2022 Baja Ha-Ha is 10/31-11/12. Find out more and sign up at Baja-HaHa.com
  • Pacific Cup
  • [10:57] What is the Pacific Cup?
  • [11:46] COVID-19
  • [13:42] Facebook Live
  • [14:44] YouTube
  • [15:37] Why race vs. cruise to Hawaii?
  • [20:42] When did Ronnie race the Pac Cup?
  • [22:07] What is the course record?
  • [24:17] What was Ronnie’s first race across the Pacific?
  • [25:17] What else does he have to share about the Pacific Cup?
  • [26:20]  Learn more about the Pac Cup at PacificCup.org and social media
  • [27:33] When does Ronnie set sail?
  • [32:49] Did you know every month you can get your copy of Latitude 38 delivered directly to your mailbox? Subscribe at Latitude38.com/Subscriptions
  • [33:37] What is Ronnie’s new boat?
  • [34:25] Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
  • [35:02] What type of business did Ronnie have?
  • Short Tacks
  • [36:49] What’s Ronnie’s #1 sailing safety tip?
  • [37:29] What upgrade is he looking forward to doing on his boat?
  • [37:49] The Race by Tim Zimmermann
  • [38:07] What’s Ronnie’s bucket list sailing destination?
  • [38:47] What else would he like to share with the audience? 
  • [39:25] Learn more about Ronnie on Instagram @CaptainRon_Official and the Pac Cup at PacificCup.org and social media
  • [39:47] Make sure to follow Good Jibes with Latitude 38 on your favorite podcast spot and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts
  • [39:54] Got a great sailing story to submit? Do so at [email protected]
  • [40:14] Subscribe to Latitude 38 at Latitude38.com
  • [40:21] Email [email protected] to advertise on this podcast or in Latitude 38 sailing magazine
  • [40:24] Check out the July 2022 issue of Latitude 38
  • Theme Song: Pineapple Dream by SOLXIS

Thanks for listening to Ronnie Simpson & Nicki Bennett on Good Jibes with Latitude 38. Subscribe here to receive Latitude 38 to your home each month.