At last! Our website is on air.

It all started when my friend and sailing mate, Mark Schroder, the Manager of Pulse Mining Systems was at the launch of Solo Globe Challenge 2000 in October 1998 and suggested that a website would be an asset to my project.

I knew he was right but just how does one go about creating a site particularly when you are as computer illiterate as I am.

Mark has dragged me, kicking and screaming, into the 20th Century world of Cyberspace and what a fascinating trip it has been. I am deeply appreciative of, and indebted to Mark for his effort, patience and understanding over the two month gestation period of www.sailsolo.com

Mark, thank you very, very much.

Solo Globe Challenger currently sits on her mooring at Lake Macquarie Yacht Club awaiting her new mast, boom and associated rigging which is being built by Whalespars of Peats Ridge.

The need for the new gear was brought about of course, by the belting we copped in Bass Strait in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race of which you can read about elsewhere on this site.

General repairs or replacement of all the other equipment we wrecked on "that" afternoon and "that" night is well advanced and for some time now I've been working on the re-design of various parts of the boat to make her more suitable for single-handing.

I have stripped the deck around the base and aft of the mast of all the winches, cleats and air vents(they let water in) and have re-mounted one self tailing winch on the starboard side aft of the mast to accommodate all headsail and spinnaker halyards. Back in the cockpit on the port side I am to build and install a pod upon which I will position two self-tailing winches(see wish list) to take care of all the mainsail controls.

My good friend, Heinz Brille, is currently fabricating the stainless steel deck fittings and under deck supports to take two inner forestays. My main forestay and the inner forestay immediately behind will each carry a furler whilst the next inner will come into use when it start's to get "fresh" and will carry a storm jib on hanks.

Currently I am organising a series of three speaking nights to benefit The John Hunter Children's Hospital Kids Club. Myself and the majority my crew are going to be at the following locations to present a 2.5 hour presentation on the problems we encountered in the '98 "Hobart"

16th July 1999 Newcastle Workers Club
23rd July 1999 Wyong Leagues Club
24th July 1999 Muswellbrook RSL Club

They will be great nights and we are all looking forward to them.

NBN Television, The Newcastle Herald and Radio stations 2HD and NEW FM have all committed themselves to providing substantial free advertising to promote the nights and with the clubs providing their facilities free of charge it means that every dollar of gross profit is a dollar of net profit.

I think we will raise between $10-30,000. I'll let you know how we go.

Winches for Sale

2 x Barlow 32's $700 ea.
3 x Barlow 24's $400 ea.
1 x Andersen 46 $500

All two speed but not self tailing. All in good condition. I need the money to help me source some new self tailers.

Thank you for your interest in Solo Globe Challenge 2000 thus far and I hope you can stick around for the next couple of years to see how it all goes.

See you next update.

Tony Mowbray