It all started when...

Home schooled on a boat growing up, Rhys Balmer's first watery steps were as a youngster. By 13 he could hand, reef, and steer the 60 foot wood ketch that the family cruised around for 5 years in Latin America. Years later when he was spending his summer evenings after teaching sailing in the day, driving a tow boat he met Martin Gibson another sailing instructor from a school just up river. Rhys invited Martin to come racing to substitute for crew on his race boat at the time. A series of wins later and a friendship was born. It wasn't long before ideas of racing in bigger waters began to take shape.

Enter the Moore 24 and the plan to do the Pacific Cup double handed.

Evermoore is a 1982 Moore 24 and this is the beginning of the story of her first transit across the Pacific in the 2016 Pacific Cup. She is sailed by Rhys Balmer and Martin Gibson to sailing instructors based in the Pacific Northwest. Rhys Balmer is currently building a suit of sails for the race and Martin Gibson is working on the fiberglass repairs. Follow Everm∞re at: https://www.facebook.com/Evermoore-Racing-Development-677952442312068/

A year and a half of modification and 2000 miles of blue water and Martin and Rhys had their first ocean crossing and a second place under their belt.

Second in the Kolea Division and fifth overall in both PHRF and the Pacific Cup went to Rhys Balmer and Martin Gibson on another Moore 24, Evermoore. The duo also took the Best First Passage trophy which is awarded to the best passage by a "rookie" yacht and crew as determined by the Race Committee. https://www.facebook.com/evermooreracing/

Many hours of work went into the modifications to the boat and building a full suit of sails for the race but after those first wobbling steps on land, it was all worth it. See the link below for the story in 48 North

Hawaii or bust