CC alumna helps round-the-world sailors

Jennifer Lilly ’99 during the Global Challenge, 2005.

Meteorologist and CC graduate Jennifer Lilly ’99 knows which way the wind blows — in any place on earth. Working alongside the official meteorologist for the 2005–06 Volvo Ocean Race, she is providing crucial information on the changing weather to the competitors as they race around the world.

The second leg of the renowned race began from Cape Town , South Africa on January 2 as the competitors race to Melbourne, Australia. The race started in November 2005 in Vigo, Spain, and will end in June 2006 in Gothenburg, Sweden, home of race sponsor Volvo’s headquarters. Between start and finish are more than 31,000 nautical miles, four oceans, five continents, and some of the toughest conditions an ocean sailor can face.

Lilly, a meteorologist with Sailing Weather Services, is herself an experienced ocean sailor. She competed as an undergraduate at CC, which has one of the most elite sailing programs in the nation.

After graduating cum laude with a B.A. in economics from Connecticut College, Lilly received her master’s in atmospheric and oceanic sciences from McGill University in 2004.

Her company is helping to keep the crews safe and competitive by providing weather data service to all seven teams. “Given the complexity of the weather, interpreting meteorological data is a challenge in the best conditions — but when you consider working at a desk that’s moving at over 20 knots while bouncing violently back and forth through a very loud, cold, and wet environment, the challenges multiply exponentially,” explains Lilly.

Read more about Connecticut College’s winning sailing teams, past and present.