2004
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Special OCEAN PLANET NEWS update: June 14, 2004
*CASCO BAY YOUTH ADVENTURE CRUISE GAINS MOMENTUM.
*KEVIN AND SHAUNA FLANIGAN OFFER MATCHING GRANT FOR OCEAN PLANET.
*DESJOYEAUX AND GOLDING TAKE WINS IN THE TRANSAT RACE.
From Bruce Schwab:
It is really noisy in the shop as I type this. The sounds of sanders, vacuums, and air tool noises are music to my ears. It means progress, and we are on track for my scheduled launch date of July 9th. Then we plan to fit in as much tuning and sailing as possible before the Youth Adventure Cruise on July 29th.
Youth Adventure Cruise:
Better hurry, the deadline is to sponsor a young adventurer to sail aboard Ocean Planet is fast approaching. There has been great support for the cruise already, with over $13,000 raised for The Opportunity Farm for Boys and Girls and The Made in America Foundation. Thanks to the promoters of the cruise, Capt’n Eli’s Root Beer and MaineToday.com!
Check it out at: www.captneli.com/youthadventure.php
Matching Grant offered:
While we are on track to be relaunched and sailing again, to be ready for the Vendee Globe we need a lot more support. Recognizing our urgent need, longtime Ocean Planet supporters Kevin and Shauna Flanigan have offered a MATCHING GRANT for donations over the next two weeks!! If you have been thinking of helping out, now is your chance to double what you can do for Ocean Planet. Now is the time, really.
Transat winners:
In my last update I mentioned the ongoing, epic, Transat race. Michel Desjoyeaux, winner of the last Vendee Globe (2000/2001), has finished first in the ORMA 60 multihull division. The “Emperor”, as he is known, has cemented his position as possibly the top solo ocean racer in history with yet another convincing victory. It that wasn’t enough, he also set a new solo transatlantic record of just over 8 days, 8 hours. This two-time Figaro, Vendee Globe, Route du Rhum, and now Transat winner just doesn’t know when to stop winning.
But of course my attention has been focused on my potential Vendee competitors in the IMOCA 60 monohull division. About midnight Saturday night, “Iron” Mike Golding finished first to Boston in an incredibly rough and competitive race. He also set a new east to west monohull transatlantic record of just over 12 days and 15 hours! Early in the slog across the cold north atlantic, Golding predicted that the race would come down to “The last Man Standing”. His words proved prophetic as one by one his top challengers suffered calamities that put them out of the race. The final attrition due to damage came as former race leader Mike Sanderson on Pindar-Alphagraphics shattered one of his daggerboards and dropped back to third. Check it all out at http://www.thetransat.com/!
Ok, back to work on MY boat…
Bruce Schwab, Skipper
USA 05/Ocean Planet