Phil Haydon and WindCheck’s Own Joe “Coop” Cooper are Competing in the Bermuda 1-2 in Support of Sail 4 Epilepsy

Tomorrow, Friday, June 4, Dr. Philip Haydon will depart Newport, Rhode Island aboard his Quest 33S Cepheus, on Leg 1 of the Bermuda One-Two Yacht Race. 

Aside from two of the world’s finest sailing destinations, the “1-2” is unique in that the first leg is sailed singlehanded and the second doublehanded.  Starting Thursday, June 17, Phil and co-skipper Joe Cooper are racing Cepheus back to Newport.

For Phil and Coop, this race is about much more than adventure at sea.  The information below is from Phil’s website, sail4epilepsy.org.

Dr. Philip Haydon

Phil Haydon is an internationally recognized neuroscientist, and the Annetta and Gustav Grisard Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Tufts University School of Medicine. He runs an active laboratory researching a multitude of neurological disorders, including epilepsy. As president of Sail 4 Epilepsy, Phil is on a mission to inspire people with epilepsy, their families, and their caregivers to take One More Step towards living a fuller life, with the necessary safety measures in place.

Bermuda 1-2, Leg 1

On Friday, June 4, Phil will set sail from Newport, RI to sail solo 635 miles to Bermuda. We will live-stream the start of the race on Facebookbeginning around 10:55am EDT and follow Cepheus as she sails down Narragansett Bay. During what we expect to be a four day voyage we’ll be posting photos, videos, and blogs sent in from sea to our website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Bookmark our boat tracker for positions updated every hour.

We invite you to follow this voyage and Phil’s dream to sail the oceans of the world. Although he will be the only sailor physically aboard when Cepheus departs, he’ll be joined by our crew of Virtual Shipmates who have decided to participate in our One More Step Challenge. Phil will feature Virtual Shipmates while he sails. By sharing their inspirational stories, we will raise awareness not only about epilepsy but about ways that people with epilepsy aren’t letting this disorder prevent them from living their fullest life possible. Featured Virtual Shipmates will receive a Sail For Epilepsy flag that was flown on the day they were highlighted, with the noon position and their name written on the flag.

Bermuda 1-2, Leg 2

The second leg of the Bermuda 1-2 is sailed double-handed, from Bermuda back to Newport, RI. Phil will be joined by Sail For Epilepsy advisor Joe “Coop” Cooper. During all of our races and sailing training voyages, we will be featuring Virtual Shipmates who have taken the 1MoreStep Challenge. By sharing their inspirational stories, we will raise awareness not only about epilepsy but about ways that people with epilepsy aren’t letting this disorder prevent them from living their fullest life possible. Featured Virtual Shipmates will receive a Sail For Epilepsy flag that was flown on the day they were highlighted, with the noon position and their name written on the flag.

About the Bermuda 1-2

The objective of this particular race is and remains the making of a single-handed/shorthanded passage, which encourages safety, good seamanship, communication, and on-going gear and technique development and testing. It is an event designed to accommodate and challenge both singlehanded cruisers and racers.

The Bermuda 1-2 was conceived and founded in 1977 by the Society of Lone Offshore Sailors (SOLOS) under the direction of OSTAR competitor Jerry Cartwright. In 1979, it became the sole management responsibility of Goat Island Yacht Club, Ltd, until 1992 when a joint agreement with the Newport (RI) Yacht Club was enacted, making both clubs co-organizers of the race. The St. George’s Dinghy & Sports Club has been the host club in Bermuda for the event’s entire history.

If you’d like to receive updates during the race, please use the Register Event button to sign up.

About Sail 4 Epilpsy

Philip Haydon is an internationally recognized neuroscientist with medically controlled post-traumatic epilepsy. Phil has started the non-profit organization Sail For Epilepsy with a mission to inspire people with epilepsy to take One More Step towards achieving a fuller life, with the necessary safety measures in place. He plans to navigate the oceans of the world to:

• inspire people with epilepsy
• raise funds to support research for a cure 
• promote awareness of epilepsy and educate the public

Look for an update in Coop’s Corner in an upcoming edition of WindCheck.

Bon Courage, Phil and Coop!