Ocean Spirit. 71 foot ketch

In 1969 RKJ and Les Williams got together and bought the first of the Ocean 71 hulls, at 71 feet long then the largest GRP boat ever moulded. Rigged as a ketch and with a very basic fit out, they entered the two handed Round Britain Race. They won by two days, the only time the race has ever been won by a mono-hull. An indifferent performance in the Middle Sea Race in 1970 was followed by Line Honours in the inaugural Cape Town to Rio Race in 1971. After 3 years of charter work, the boat was sold and subsequently wrecked in the Caribbean.