Wanderlust Lures Sailor on Worldwide Voyages that Combine Work with Thrill and Adventure
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| For Immediate Release | Contact: |
Mark P. Greenwald Marketing Communications/PR Manager Kenton Smith Advertising & PR 407-856-6680 MarkG@kentonsmithadv.com |
Harker, 57, was born and raised in southern California, and even as a child felt the calling of the sea – and a life of adventure. He was a competitive water skier at the age of 10 and a national champion at 16. He won his first local sailing regatta at 16.
Harker is also credited as a pioneer in the early hang-glider movement, but in 1977, a tragic glider accident caused a fall from over 400 feet that put him in a coma for 11 months and left him paralyzed from the knees down. Doctors said he would never walk again, but Harker’s positive energy proved the skeptics wrong. Not only does he walk, but he’s developed a career as a photographer/cinematographer on assignments around the world, working at a grueling pace few can manage. Throughout his entire lifetime he has traveled across the globe doing everything from teaching water and snow skiing to shooting sports fashion photography and adventure video for worldwide clients such as Volkswagen, Head and Adidas, among others.
“It’s hard for me to sit still for long,” said Harker. “I feel like I am missing something that’s going on somewhere.”
He resurrected his early sailing interest with the purchase of a Hunter 34 sailboat in 2000, and quickly learned how to sail offshore on the California coast. In 2001 he visited the Hunter factory in Alachua, Florida and watched Hull #1 of a 466 model being built, which he immediately purchased through H & S Yachts in San Diego, CA. Eighteen months later he sailed single-handed across the Atlantic.
2-2-2-2 Lust for Wandering Lures Sailor on Worldwide Adventures
Harker specially equipped his Hunter with an extended nav station that houses video editing gear. Harker travels around the globe in his “high-seas production studio,” shooting sports fashion photography and footage for an adventure-themed television show originating in Germany. He was recently selected as one of the “Top 25 Most Courageous Sports Figures” by Outdoor Life Network, and his life story was featured in a half-hour TV documentary called “Profiles in Courage” which aired in July 2004 on the network.
Harker is preparing for a two-year sail around the world launching in winter 2006, and is touring the U.S. in early 2005 speaking at Strictly Sail® events, where he shares stories of his voyages and adventures.
In his current boat “Wanderlust,” Harker sailed 24,000 miles in 22 months, much of it single-handed, on journeys that encompassed crossing the Atlantic twice and included trips to the Mediterranean and the South Pacific, to name a few. Still considered by many to be a novice sailor, Harker amazingly endured -- single-handedly -- four days of 40-48 knot gale force winds off Nova Scotia, where he strapped himself in the companionway and guided the boat with his auto-pilot. He also sailed through a 300-mile long band of squalls in the Pacific that had 10-foot waves crashing over the boat.
The fact that Harker and other Hunter owners are comfortable with venturing into bluewater surprises some. Harker says he is always the star of the harbor when he sails into town with Wanderlust’s distinctive custom navy blue hull with a white boot stripe that evolves into an arrow piercing the red bow. “In exotic ports you don’t see a lot of American boats,” said Harker. “I get a lot of comments like ‘What’s a Hunter doing here?’”
Hunter Marine was co-founded in 1973 by Warren Luhrs, an avid sailor and third-generation boat builder. From the beginning, Luhrs and team had to prove to nay-sayers that a boat mass produced with an assembly line production boat method was indeed tough enough to withstand the rigors of extended offshore cruises. Hunters are sold in almost 50 countries around the world, and have logged thousands of miles as offshore cruisers, racers, and worldwide voyagers. As an example, Luhrs and Steve Pettingill won the 1,500 mile 2002 West Marine Caribbean 1500 Cup race from Virginia to Tortola, BVI in a Hunter HC50.
Hunter’s current bluewater cruiser product line has expanded, with Hunter claiming the largest percentage of the 38’ and over sailboat market share over the past five years. John Peterson, Hunter Marine’s director of sales and marketing, attributes this directly to the market becoming better educated about Hunter’s passagemaking capability.
All Hunter boats are NMMA (National Marine Manufacturer Association) certified, as well as CE certified (a European standard for imported boats that, in certain cases, is more stringent than NMMA certification). All Hunter boats above 33’ meet or exceed the Category A (offshore) standards.
3-3-3-3 Lust for Wandering Lures Sailor on Worldwide Adventures
Within production environments in the sailing industry, only Hunter uses Kevlar™ reinforcement at the bow, which is almost five times the strength of fiberglass. Hunter’s special construction methods, including the through-bolted deck that is sealed with generous amounts of super-strong 3M 5200 sealant, all contribute to a hull structure that is extraordinarily strong.
“When you combine all the unique engineering built into Hunter’s keel boats, you have a boat that is exceptionally solid and safe for endurance sailing,” said Glenn Henderson, head of Hunter’s design team. “It also delivers great performance because of its lighter displacements.”
All this extra attention to construction methods and reinforcement add a lot of cost to the production of a boat, adds Peterson, but Hunter is able to amortize the costs due to their volume advantage.
“Smaller builders can’t do this, so they often take the cheaper route, and quality can ultimately suffer,” he said. “Hunter’s exceptional strength, safety, reliability and pricing make it the true overall value leader in its class.”
Harker says the best testimony he has to Hunter’s strength and performance is his experiences and trials. “My Hunter has sailed through three gale force storms,” said Harker. “It hasn’t had a crack or a creak.”
Harker’s adventure stories and the beautiful photography he shows at his seminars often elicits envy and awe from audiences. He also can’t help but brag about his boat during the presentations.
“My 466 is one of the best boats out there. It’s got a light displacement, it’s fast, maneuverable, stable and solid,” said Harker. “I’m so happy with my choice, I tell people about it all the time!”
Hunter Marine is the largest sailboat manufacturer in North America and part of The Luhrs Marine Group, an Employee Ownership Company. With facilities in Alachua, FL, East Lyme, CT and Portland, England, Hunter Marine distributes sailboats from 9 to 46 feet in over 46 countries throughout the world.
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*Digital photos of Mike Harker and “Wanderlust;” Hunter 33, 38, 41, 41DS, 46LE bluewater cruisers are available on request from Mark Greenwald, markg@kentonsmithadv.com
3/31/05
Weitere Artikel:
Resumé of film and television experience highlights - Mike Harker