New solo entry for Global Ocean Race 2013-4

American Dave Rearick signs up with his new Kiwi 40 Bodacious Dream

The latest Kiwi 40FC Class40 launched by BT Boats in New Zealand in early December has officially entered the Global Ocean Race 2013-14. The yacht’s American skipper, Dave Rearick, will enter his Class40 Bodacious Dream in the singlehanded division of the round-the-world, Class40 race.

On Tuesday 6 December, Bodacious Dream was moved from the Hakes Marine boatyard and launched in Wellington harbour and has since been undergoing sea trials. Rearick, from the Great Lakes area on the North America-Canadian border, is delighted with his new boat: “We’ve had a great time here in Wellington and we’re very pleased with the launch of Bodacious Dream, the BT Boats Kiwi 40FC built by Hakes Marine,” confirms the boat’s skipper and head of the Bodacious Racing LLC team. “It has been a pleasure to work and be around these folks,” he adds. “The launch, sea trials and sail fittings have been fun, exciting and have gone very smoothly,” Rearick continues. “The performance has been impressive and I’m excited to sail in the Class40 design and eager to get on learning more about sailing and racing these fine boats as we continue on our course to the single-handed 2013 Global Ocean Race.”

Dave Rearick has considerable solo sailing experience including the single-handed Mackinac race from Chicago to Mackinac Island; the Solo Super Mac single-handed race from Pt. Huron to Chicago and has logged the Newport-Bermuda Race; the Montego Bay Race and the Trans Pac. For Rearick, his Class40 and the round-the-world race represent more than an offshore racing campaign: “The word bodacious is believed to have grown from the combination of the words ‘bold’ and ‘audacious’,” he explains. “This seems appropriate, not only for Bodacious Dream, but also for the aspirations of bold dreamers of all ages, worldwide,” says Rearick. One of the overall goals of Bodacious Racing LLC in addition to a circumnavigation race is to provide content for educators, environmentalists and dreamers from all walks of life.

Rearick and his team will remain in New Zealand for the stopover of the current Global Ocean Race 2011-12 with the five competing Class40s expected to finish 7,000-mile Leg 2 from Cape Town to Wellington over New Year. Bodacious Dream will then be shipped to the USA and will compete in the Class40 2012 Atlantic Cup starting in Charleston, South Carolina, in early May next year.

For Lapo Ancillotti of BT Boats, the launch of the third Kiwi 40FC is a milestone for the company: “It is an honour to be involved in David Rearick’s exciting Class40 campaign and we are extremely proud that he has chosen a Kiwi 40FC for his upcoming challenges,” says Ancillotti. “Together with Kiwi 40FC builders, Hakes Marine, we greatly look forward to the boat’s sea-trials and work-up in Wellington Harbour.”

Josh Hall, Race Director of the Global Ocean Race is excited by the new entry in his 2013-14 event: “It is really impressive that Dave and his team are planning such a meticulous and well organised campaign for the next race,” says Hall. “Many congratulations also to Lapo at BT Boats and the team at Hakes Marine on the launch of their third boat,” he adds. “The Farr Yacht Design Kiwi 40FC has already proved to be a formidable weapon on the race track and I know our teams in the current race are really looking forward to meeting Dave and seeing his new boat during the Wellington stopover.”