Wellings sails back into IT

Peter Wellings, founder of reseller pioneer Xanadu who sold the company in 1995, is to return to the computer industry after 18 months at sea.

Wellings was one of the first people to recognise the potential of terminal technology. Xanadu was supporting and promoting off-desktop computing five years before Oracle CEO Larry Ellison decided it had a future.

After Wellings sold Xanadu, he completed a two-year contract to stay with the company, before leaving for adventures on the high seas.

He currently lives in Brighton Marina on board Paradis Bay, his 41ft Pilot House Cutter.

Wellings spent the first part of his sabbatical in the Mediterranean, chartering and travelling. He was caught in a storm off Sicily, and had to ?lie a hull? for three days and nights. He lost his automatic steering and had to hand steer for 28 hours into Tunisia, relying on a description from a passing ship and reference to a school atlas.

Wellings said: ?It was my first venture into uncharted territory since founding Xanadu.? He then sailed on to the Caribbean.

Wellings is now looking for ?challenging and meaningful? IT opportunities and is considering several options, including starting up another business or managing an existing IT enterprise.