“Super Boat” Twin Vee 36 Partakes in Historic Cortes Bank Expedition
Captain Robert Brown and Top Big Wave Surfers Use Twin Vee 36 as boat of choice to Face “Biggest Waves Ever Seen”
FORT PIERCE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 9, 2020 / Surfline, an online site bringing surfers, fishers, and ocean-goers together to provide accurate weather forecasts and marine-related content, recently published an article involving one of the boats designed and manufactured by Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc. (OTC PINK:TVPC). The article, entitled “Has the 100-Foot Wave Already Been Seen”, recounts the January 2008 expedition of Captain Robert Brown and four of the most experienced big-surfers in the world to ride the biggest swell ever photographed.
Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker. Photo: Rob Brown
According to the article, one of the strongest storms recorded in the northern Pacific Ocean had moved into the region, which would undoubtedly bring large waves with it. Brown, along with professional surfers Mike Parsons, Brad Gerlach, Greg Long, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, and videographer Matt Wybenga, made their way to Cortes Bank to face the enormous swell. Cortes Bank, an underwater mountain range whose tallest peak rises nearly one mile from the ocean floor to within about four feet of the surface, had been surfed only a few times by 2008. With just the right conditions, however, its shallow waters turn huge ocean swells into giant, perfect breaking waves.
The team traveled to Cortes Bank on Robert Brown’s 36-foot Twin Vee OceanCat, which stowed a jetski in the aft section and also towed a second jet ski behind it. Robert Brown, who in addition to captaining the boat, was the photographer on board and mentions in the Surfline article how reliable and robust his Twin Vee was in the face of some of the most imposing weather ever seen. “I trusted my 36′ Twin Vee power catamaran (at least it had a little cabin to hide in, which my other boats did not) . . . I had this built to go to Cortes,” stated Brown in the article. “The boat did really well…”
Brad Gerlach riding a giant wave at Cortes Bank. Photo: Rob Brown
When the team arrived at Cortes Bank, they were met with an incredible sight. Waves that far eclipsed anything they had ever seen before. Robert Brown mentions in the article that one particular wave was particularly massive. “I witnessed the biggest wave I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. I was shaking at the thought of being in the wrong spot, but I knew where I was. Because there is no way to measure the wave and no perspective with anything in the photo, it is impossible to measure. But when I witnessed it, I truly felt it was right at the 100-foot mark. It was so big and so loud, and it took forever to finish breaking. In all my years, I’ve never seen anything close to it.”
The challenge, according to Brown, was finding a safe spot to photograph the surfers as they attempted a run. In addition to the potential damage to his equipment, a lot of side waves and turbulence prevented clear lines of sight for Brown on several occasions. Even in such a volatile environment, Brown eventually found the perfect timing when Mike Parsons was photographed riding a wave over seventy feet on the face.
Billabong XXL winning photo of Mike Parsons. Photo: Rob Brown
The photograph later went on to win a Billabong XXL Award, considered the top honor among the big-wave set. Brown states that the other surfers along that day also got a lot of attention from their record-setting runs. “Twiggy got the cover of Ghost Wave, Chris Dixon’s awesome book about Cortes Bank. Brad got tons of publicity. Greg didn’t really get the recognition he deserved on this trip, though, as every photo of him kept getting blocked,” explained Brown. All witnesses, however, agree that Greg Long rode a more massive wave than Parsons, likely between 80 and 90 feet, but could not be captured by photo or video because of the dangerous conditions.
Greg Long, Twiggy Baker, Brad Gerlach, Mike Parsons. Photo: Rob Brown
The 36-foot Twin Vee OceanCat eventually delivered the crew of six safely back to shore. Despite the intensity of the waves, the unpredictability of the ocean, and the unprecedented conditions they found themselves in, Brown’s Twin Vee met every challenge it faced and permitted him to take some of the most impressive photos in the surfing world. “[Renowned surfer] Alex Gray once called it the ‘Super Boat,’ and after this trip, I believed it. Most small boats would not have survived the beating,” explains Brown.
- Those interested in reading “Has the 100-Foot Wave Already Been Seen” can find it here. You can also read more about Surfline at www.surfline.com.
- More of Robert Brown’s incredible photography can be found on his Instagram @rbrownfoto
*Robert Brown provided express written permission to utilize his photos in this press release.
About Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc.
Twin Vee PowerCats is a Premier American Marine Boat Builder and Tooling Company. Twin Vee proudly manufactures American-made products with an exceptional and highly skilled workforce in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Twin Vee has been designing and building boats for over 25 years. For more information, go to www.twinvee.com or visit Twin Vee Powercats, Inc.’s Facebook page.
Contact:
Joseph Visconti
info@twinvee.com
(772) 429-2525
SOURCE: Twin Vee Powercats, Inc.
