RYAN FINN • Skipper

Ryan is a 28-year-old native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a cancer survivor, having successfully over overcome Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Seven years ago, his nascent movement into the international solo racing world began and he has now emerged and is primed to earn his spot on the water amongst the elite of world racing. Ryan has been experiencing increasing notoriety and success on the world stage of competitive shorthanded sailing. Having raced over 20,000 miles of open ocean, Ryan is uniquely positioned and ready to take the next professional step of his racing career by conquering the world’s oceans.

In 1999, after he triumphed over cancer and sailed 1,200 nautical miles single-handed from New Orleans to Savannah, Ryan knew he was hooked. Since this time, he has placed in the top 5 in several races including 5th in the 2004 Singlehanded Transpac, 5th in the Transat Jaques Vabre, and 2nd in the 2005 Bermuda 1-2.

In 2005, while Ryan was helping Kip Stone deliver his Open 50 Artforms to England, Hurricane Katrina hit Ryan’s hometown New Orleans, Louisiana. After completing the Transat Jaques Vabre on another Open 50, Polarity Solo, Ryan was able to finally return home for the first time in months. Shocked by the devastation, Ryan has made it one of his goals to raise awareness for Louisiana coastal restoration efforts which are a vital defense against hurricanes like Katrina.

In June 2007, on his debut race on his Mini Myrna Minkooff, Ryan won both legs of the Bermuda 1-2 - singlehanded from Newport to Bermuda, and double-handed for the leg back with fellow New Orleans sailor Clark Thompson. Most recently, Ryan was hired by American sailor RIch Wilson, skipper of the Open 60 Great American III, to help prepare the boat for the bio-annual Transat Jacques Vabre, a double-handed race from France to Brazil.

Ryan Finn Ocean Racing is not just about one man taking on the oceans of the world, but it is instead about a man, a team and a following seeking to energize America about this sport while bringing awareness to coastal erosion in his home state of Louisiana.

Ryan's Timeline

JEFFREY DINGLE • Director of Communications

Jeffrey has spent the past five years working with a broad range of American sailors and sailing properties in sponsor development, media production and distribution, promotion and PR. He is responsible for developing the production and distrubtion of media at Ryan Finn Ocean Racing Team and will also take a lead role in sponsor development. Jeffrey has worked with beach catamarans competing in the Worrell 1000 and Maxi cats competing in The Race, Minis racing in the Mini Transat and Open 50s and 60s racing around the world in the Around Alone race. Two years ago he formed The Mini Store, to introduce the Mini to the North American market. Owen Clarke Design has designed a new Production Mini, the M65, which will be launched in January 2008 in Florida. It will be the first ever 'Made in America' production Mini.