1999-2000
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Press Release -May 22, 2000
New Website Look, New Challenge Focus….
Wocket fans,
Notice the new look to our Website? I reflects our new focus on next years “Atlantic Challenge” as our first international race. Even though I won’t make the Vendee Globe Challenge this year, we have a very exciting schedule of races for our Open 60. Competing in these great events will be the best long term program of training and preparation for the next Vendee in 2004.
I am so grateful for everyone’s continued support. Needless to say I was really down after our deadlines passed to make the Vendee this year. But so many of you have called and given me such an emotional boost that nothing can stop us now. And all of our Official Supplier Sponsors have given us their continued support for the Atlantic Challenge!
This is a long term campaign to race in the most exciting Ocean Races in the World aboard our innovative west coast Open 60, “Made In America”. I love to call her “Wylie’s Wocket”, after our esteemed designer (and my great friend) Tom Wylie. Construction continues, and I thank you for the contributions that continue to come in. Also thanks for the clothing orders! Wear your “Wocket Wear” with pride, for you are joining our dedicated team with your purchase.
Having just returned from a working trip to Hawaii, I want to report a great example of the integrity of one of our official supplier sponsors:
While working at Svendsens about a year and half ago, we sold a new Forespar mast with a Leisure Furl boom to our great customer (and Wocket Team member) Adrien Fournier. Adrien has since sailed thousands of heavy ocean miles with great performance. While checking his mast in Hawaii I found a crack in a weld on a vang bracket lug. I called Forespar. Even though Adrien has put many miles on the system, Forespar agreed with me that the design could have been beefier. We exchanged a fax or two, and in 2 DAYS we had a new custom vang bracket in our hands in Hawaii!
I am very proud to have as an Official Supplier Sponsor a company with the integrity demonstrated by Forespar Mfg. All of our official suppliers: Forespar, MAS epoxies, Samson Cordage (The American Group), Doyle Sails, and Nobeltec, demonstrate such service and I am proud to have them aboard. Stayed tuned for some other exciting names joining us soon.
Yours truly, the Wocketeer, will be heading for England this saturday to view the start of the “Europe 1 New Man Star” (there’s a mouthful!). This race is the most popular singlehanded ocean event there is, with around 30 Open 60’s entered. I will of course gather as much boat info as possible, and will send you a full report when I return. I hope this time to hold my own with the other sailors at the pubs! (see the Oct 19 update on our website for a great story on my last trip to France!)
Smooth Sailing,
Bruce Schwab, Skipper