11TH HOUR RACING TEAM
A Step In the Right Direction
Wade was contracted to oversee the build of the teams new IMOCA for The Ocean Race. This boat is unique in that it is build for a crewed race and so much of what is "normal" in the class had to be re-thought. Throughout the role, Wade worked closely with the sailing team, designers and technical partners as the focal point of the project right up until the logical conclusion at the start of the TGV. An amazing project.
​
SCROLL DOWN TO HEAR FROM CHARLIE ENRIGHT AND BILL ERKELENS ...
CHARLIE ENRIGHT – 11TH HOUR RACING TEAM SKIPPER AND CO-FOUNDER
"Wade was a passionate and committed build manager for the 11th Hour Racing Team. He did a great job managing our global project, during a global pandemic. Whether it was making himself available at any hour of the day or night, or accommodating our ever-changing construction landscape, Wade always went the extra mile. He was great at liaising with the design team, and the sailing team, on everything from structure to the smallest ergonomic detail. His experience and pragmatic approach helped us achieve a finished product that we're all very proud of. On another note, it was rewarding to see that you can teach an old dog new tricks; knowing it was important to us and our team ethos, Wade took on, and in the end thoroughly enjoyed, the sustainability aspects of our campaign, everything from experimenting with alternative materials, to tracking and minimizing waste. Wade puts his heart into all his projects, and it really showed with this one!"
​
​
​
​
BILL ERKELENS - COO 11TH HOUR RACING TEAM
​
"I am pleased to have this opportunity to write this letter of recommendation for Wade Morgan who worked for 11th Hour Racing from 2020 until late 2021 as the Boat Build Manager for our teams new IMOCA 60 which was built in Brittany, France. Wade joined the team in early 2020 to manage the construction of our new IMOCA 60 to be built in Brittany. The project required him to relocate to France in order to follow the project full time. Despite the challenges that came from the Global pandemic, Wade was able to see the project to its successful completion. The team is extremely satisfied with the quality of the final project Wade was able to achieve on our behalf. In addition to his solid performance in managing the build of a performance yacht, Wade’s commitment to pioneering the use of sustainable building materials while maintaining the highest performance level was of huge benefit to our team. When Wade’s tenure with the team was completed in late 2021, he had effected a fundamental change in the French boat building philosophy related to the use of alternative materials. The testing and implementation of alternative materials used during our build appear to have impressed the local industry we have left in our wake. I highly recommend Wade Morgan; he will make a positive contribution to any yachting project looking to build a boat to the highest level of quality. "
​