The Most Epic
Art by Clark Miller.The Venture Capitalist Who Was Attacked by Orcas
In our new series, The Most Epic, NFX founding partner James Currier shares some of his most memorable escapades, from surviving killer whales to frying bacon in an igloo.
Adventurer: James Currier, founding partner at NFX, co-founder of Tickle, Wonderhill, IronPearl
Escapades: Long-haul sailing, Himalayan treks, snow camping
It was 10:40 p.m. one night this June when NFX founding partner James Currier’s 30-foot-long sailboat suddenly lurched sideways, shoved by an unknown force beneath the Mediterranean waves. Currier, who was sailing from Portugal to Greece with two of his four sons, kept one eye on the rocky shore, which grew closer with every mysterious push. After a few moments of perilous swaying, his 17-year-old son Cal spotted their adversary.
“It’s the damn orcas!” he yelled. Their boat was under attack by the infamous pod of whales recently targeting yachts off the coast of Spain and Greece.