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After serving as the 2013 America’s Cup Umpire Boat, Willard Marine’s 43’ High Speed Interceptor was selected as the Start Boat for the Lucas Oil Ocean Cup, a 435-mile endurance run, which took place on October 12, 2013. The grueling race began under the Golden Gate Bridge and ended at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. As the Start Boat, our 43’ Interceptor was responsible for running alongside the 48’ APISA endurance boat and marking its exact time of passage beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Assistant Referee, Gloria Crim and APBA Inspector, Frank Banducci both rode aboard the Interceptor. 

With 1,100 horsepower and a boat that could maintain speeds of approximately 80 miles per hour, a crew of four—Nigel Hook, Andy Hindley, Dan MacNamara, and Lance Ware—set out on their journey just past 8:30am. While initially optimistic about weather conditions, the crew ended up experiencing tumultuous waters with swells of up to 10’, causing everything from electrical problems to water in the fuel tanks. While these technical difficulties were cumbersome, the seasoned crew addressed them quickly and with skill, having to stop only a few times along the run. When all was said and done, the run was completed in 9 hours, 50 minutes, and 51 seconds, setting a world record observed by the The American Power Boat Association (APBA) and the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), which is the world's recognizing body.

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The 2013 America's Cup Challenge takes place September 7-21 in San Francisco, California as four teams sailing AC72 wing-sail catamarans vie for the prestigious America's Cup trophy. This year’s catamaran design means racing will take place at very high speed. In turn, they require an Umpire Boat to not only match these speeds, but exceed them, providing a safety measure (should a boat require immediate attention) and accurate visuals of the competition.

We are thrilled to announce that Willard’s High Speed Interceptor RIB was selected to serve as the Umpire Boat for this year’s races, and it’s a tremendous honor we’re proud to share with all of you. Get familiar with the Umpire Boat below.

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The America’s Cup is heating up and Willard is at the center of the action! Our 43’ High Speed Interceptor RIB is the 2013 Umpire Boat and it’s thrilling to watch it at work. Semifinal races for the Louis Vuitton Cup (best-of-seven series) began yesterday between Artemis Racing and Luna Rossa Challenge. Luna Rossa Challenge emerged the victor of the 15.83-nautical-mile race by 2 minutes in winds that averaged 16 knots.

Today marks the 2nd semifinal race, with races 3 and 4 continuing on August 9th and 10th, respectively. You can watch semifinal races 3 and 4 via tape delay on NBC Sports Network (8/9 @7pm ET or 8/10 @6pm ET). You can also view all of the semifinal races via YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/americascup.

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The America's Cup Challenge takes place September 7–21, 2013 in San Francisco, California. Leading up to the match are a series of races, known as the Louis Vuitton Cup, which take place in July and August. The contenders are Artemis Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand, and Luna Rossa Challenge 2013. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will be the challenger to the previous America's Cup winner, Oracle Team USA. The America's Cup Yachts are 72' catamarans with rigid wing sails. They are FAST. They need equally fast boats for the Umpires of the races.

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Willard Marine will be exhibiting at this years International Workboat Show. Stop by at our booth #1055 to visit us and learn more about our complete line of Search & Rescue workboats. For more details about the International Workboat show visit the link below. We look forward to seeing you there! http://www.WorkBoatShow.com/

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May 18, 2010, Virginia Beach, VA: Willard Marine Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its new facility located in the Oceana South Industrial Park near the Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The event was well attended by representatives from local, state and federal agencies, as well as current customers from the local region.  The festivities began with Virginia Beach’s Economic Development Director Warren Harris joining George Angle, Owner of Willard Marine and Jojo Nery, President of Willard Marine in the traditional ribbon cutting to signal the opening of the new facility. In the ensuing program, Warren Harris addressed the gathering with a formal welcome to Willard Marine and the new employees to the Virginia Beach community. Willard Marine President, JoJo Nery, further commented “Willard Marine’s commitment is to the service and support of its East Coast customers and with the implementation of this new facility the company now has the ability to respond immediately to their needs”.

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