A vertical axis wind turbine with a turbine rotor with rotor blades disposed for rotation about a substantially vertical axis. The turbine includes multiple vertically extending stator vanes circumferentially spaced apart about the rotor in an annular array. Each vane has a radially inward facing surface, a radially outward facing surface and a flange on an outer edge of each vane. The flange serves to create a turbulent swirling boundary layer on the vane surfaces that rotates in a direction that draws and redirects air flow into the air flow channels defined by the stator vanes that is then compressed by the narrowing of the channels and directed to the rotor blades to drive the turbine.