Zealot is the vessel this whole program is based around. She is a Marc Lombard designed 6.50-meter, single-handed ocean racing sailboat. Of the two classes of boats (Series and Prototype), she is a series boat. The iconic features of this design are the cabin house windows with their complex curvature, and the closed transom not common on many other boats of the class.
Zealot began life with Mos Composites S.L. in 2006 and competed in her first Mini Transat in 2009. She then changed owners and sailed in the Mini Circuit in 2012 and 2013, competing in her second Mini Transat in 2013. She has since changed owners two more times and is hunting down her third Mini Transat.
A Santana 23D, she was designed with the capability of drawing anywhere from 10 inches of water down to 5.25 feet, making her perfect for the lake hopping sailing sceen out west.
Although no longer a part of the physical fleet, this is the stepping stone to the single-handed sailing scene for our skipper, Austin. This was his first boat purchased at the age of 16.
Named for her model, the AMF Puffer is a family boat and the starting place for our skipper, but not in the way you might think. Although not the first boat he sailed, Puffer is the first boat he ever single-handed, and the first boat he used to instruct fellow sailors.
Puffer is still proudly a member of the whole fleet and will likely remain that way for generations to come!
A Hobie Magic 25, it seems obvious where the name came from. The third boat in our skipper's lineup, Magic Carpet joined the fleet in an unusable state requiring a blend of glass work, coatings application, fairing, elbow grease, sail making, splicing, and fabrication. After one winter, Magic Carpet was set free on the waters of Bear Lake, wrapping up her debut season with a masterclass in light-air performance.
No longer physically with the fleet, Zealot would not be here were it not for Magic Carpet. Through all the modifications, repairs, and upgrades, Magic Carpet became the primary source of funds for Zealot and the start of this whole program. Currently, Magic Carpet is sailing around the waters of Colorado, hopefully living up to her reputation.
Though he probably wouldn't float, Nico is the workhorse of the program. A 2003 Toyota Tacoma, Nico hauled Zealot 700 miles from Canada across the border and into Maine. There is little else to say, but that simple fact has earned him is spot here in the program.
