Van Liew joins a lineup of notable talents that also includes current America`s Cup champion Russell Coutts, the skipper with the strongest winning record in the 152-year history of the Cup. Coutts and Van Liew--who, respectively, have been dominant in inshore and offshore racing this year--will be at SAIL EXPO to give sailing enthusiasts an inside look at what it takes to compete and win at the pinnacle of the sport.

This May, Van Liew completed a circle around the globe in record time.

The 28,000-mile journey--sailed in five legs--took nearly eight months, and its demands were large. Van Liew braved some of the harshest stretches of the ocean; he lived in pure solitude, in a stark environment of minimal comfort, dehydrated food and catnaps; and he faced rugged conditions that, as he says, "were exhilarating, but could also eat at your nerves." When Van Liew ended his global odyssey in Rhode Island this May, one would think his job was done.

But the race was only part of what he set out to do.

This fall Van Liew will stop at SAIL EXPO to share his story, and the inspiration he hopes it imparts, to a wider public. As a young man with a dream of sailing solo around the world, he found the experiences of other solo racers--such as the late Mike Plant--to be the inspiration he needed to fuel his dreams.

During the Around Alone, Van Liew spent up to four hours a day sending dispatches, photos, and video from the boat. His appearance at SAIL EXPO will give many sailing enthusiasts their first opportunity to meet Van Liew face to face, hear his story, and board the boat that carried him around the world.

"Bringing my life onboard to land is really important to me, because I know that everyone can`t be out here doing what I am doing," said Van Liew, during the Around Alone. "However, they can experience the thrill and exhilaration through my real-life stories and they can see a dream, know they can strive for it, and accomplish it someday themselves. In some ways, I am just here proving that you can do anything."

Van Liew`s stop at SAIL EXPO is part of an East Coast tour on Beefeater Bold Spirit (AKA Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America).

Seminars with leading experts are a staple at all boatshows produced by Sail America. But for NY/NJ SAIL EXPO, the seminar offerings have been organized into an "all-star" lineup, including sessions that have proven most popular at other Sail America shows run throughout the country over the past decade.

Seminar topics focus on the cruising lifestyle, the racing world, weather
forecasting, sailing technique, and safety. The show also features special programs designed to introduce new sailors to the sport. Discover Sailing, which takes showgoers out on the water for an introduction to sailing, and a day-long program called Learn to Sail in a Day, presented by Offshore S