Challenged America Transpac update - July 21

by Sean Downey on 22 Jul 2005 Kevin Wixom filed a report with us about some wild goings on aboard B'Quest and how the team of disabled sailors dealt:

Started the day with a wrapped spinnaker at 2:00 am. About to change shifts when the spinnaker wrapped around the headstay and it took over an hour to get it cleared.

All the time we continued to sail on the mainsail but had to maneuver the boat to fix the wrap. I (Kevin), as the apprentice bowman when forward to try to get it down and the sight must have been pretty wild. A one legged guy trying to pull down a fouled spinnaker in the middle of the night in the middle of a squall. It was 20+ kts and raining most of the time. Finally got it down, re-packed it and raised it again about 4:00.

In the meantime all 4 working hands came on deck to deal with this as well as the squall which then worsened to 25 kts so there was lots of sail trimming to do. By 7:00 the sun was coming out and we were able to start to relax. Today was spent trying to get a bit of sleep and some housecleaning chores down.

And of course, continue the race. We find ourselves very North of most of the other boats and while we’re in 5th, there is some hope of having a good line to come down and meet the others in 2 days or so. But, the wind was lighter than we hoped all day. The crew is working well together but are tired and getting a bit beat up with some bruises, cuts, bumps, etc. Not bad when you consider that we lost 1/3 of the original crew on day one, and the remaining 4 who can work are missing 2 legs, 1 arm, a lung, and various other parts amongst us.

The water is a very dark and beautiful blue color and the sky light blue with puffy white clouds. We’re all in shorts and t-shirts during the day and even at night don’t need the foul weather gear except for rain; it’s very warm.

Kevin


About Kevin Wixom:

Crew Position: Helm, trimmer, pit, navigation
Residence: Lakeside, California
Marital Status: Married with 4 sons
Employment: Engineer
Disability: Leg amputee, AK (above the knee)

Kevin Wixom is a long-time resident and native of San Diego, and enjoyed the ocean and water sports all his life. His first sailing experience was as a teenager, learning the basics of sailing around San Diego Harbor with a local Explorer post.

Kevin earned his degrees from San Diego State University (SDSU) and National University, and has worked in San Diego’s high-tech industry for many years.

Three years ago, after resuming his sailing interest with his family, Kevin became disabled in a car accident that took one of his legs. Determined to ‘stay in the game of life,’ he continued his career, swam, and sailed, becoming ever more physically active than before his accident. He now participates annually in a local triathlon, volunteers as a mentor for other amputees, and is active as a volunteer and adaptive sailing instructor with the Challenged America program.

A member of the Challenged America Sail Team, Kevin crews on B’Quest, the rehabilitation program’s Tripp 40 racing sailboat, instructs and races in the Martin 16 sailboat, as well as the Sonar class sailboat. He has raced in the NOOD Regatta, Newport to Ensenada, Mexico, San Diego to Ensenada, Bishop’s Rock, and local Wednesday night Beer Can races. The 2005 Transpac will be Kevin’s first Hawaii race.

Kevin and his wife Rhonda, and their 4 sons, reside in Lakeside, California.