BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:217@pgislanders.org DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260309T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260309T150000 DTSTAMP:20260212T195521Z URL:https://pgislanders.org/events/pgislanders-book-group-20/ SUMMARY:PGIslanders Book Group DESCRIPTION:Social Event\n\nPGIslanders Book Group\nFlares Up\nMonday\, Mar ch 9\, 2026\nFlares Up is the true story of adventure\, tenacity and the c apacity of the human spirit to triumph over adversity!\n\nFirefighter Paul Hopkins\, 55\, survives a brain hemorrhage. The experience motivates him to undertake the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge - to row 3\,000 miles across the Atlantic.\n\nHe teams up with entrepreneur Phil Pugh\, who is a ged 65 but renowned for undertaking extreme physical challenges in honor o f his disabled son.\n\nThey encounter major financial and physical setback s\, which cause years of delays and put a strain on both their marriages.\ n\nFinally\, on December 12\, 2019\, in a fourth-hand 20ft wooden boat\, t hey set off from the Canary Islands.\n\nViolent storms\, 30ft waves and eq uipment failure leave both men seasick\, dehydrated and sleep-deprived.\n\ nAlone on the ocean\, they are forced to examine their lives.\n\nWas the d ecision to undertake this challenge brave\, selfish or foolish?\n\nAfter 7 0 days\, nine hours and 11 minutes at sea\, they cross the finish line\, t wo changed men. Will either of their wives be there to greet them?\n\nWith a foreword by Jeremy Irons.\n\nI think this book will appeal to any sail or that has had to exercise their courage\, stamina\, and commitment when sailing through rough waters as well as calm.  Niamh is a talented and ex pressive writer. She brings her extensive technical sailing skills\, trave ling background\, as well as her personal introspection as to why we retur n again and again to the sea and sailing in this entertaining book.\n\nJoi n Dave and Catherine Stevens at their home\,\n2314 Via Veneto Drive\nPunta Gorda\n\non Monday\, March 9 at 1 pm\n\nRegister at https://pgica.org/con tent.aspx?page_id=4091&\;club_id=799073&\;item_id=2890102 ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pgislanders.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/ 02/Flares-Up.jpg CATEGORIES:Social END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR