5th May 2024
TWOSTAR 2024 Competitors
| Boat Name | Type | LOA | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Wanderlust | Jeanneau 45 | 45 | Charlene Howard | |
| Lazy Otter | Rustler 36 | 36 | Arrien Lekkerkerker | Ertan Beskardes |
AJ Wanderlust – Charlene Howard (skipper)
Charlene is from Davison, Michigan and currently lives in the Isle of Man.
Charlene grew up water-skiing on Michigan lakes but only started sailing at 33. Taking a work sabbatical in 2006, Charlene purchased AJ Wanderlust, moved aboard with her Bernese Mountain dog, and learned to sail while cruising to over 30 countries and island territories. AJ Wanderlust and Charlene have now sailed approximately 120k miles together.
Although Charlene has owned AJ Wanderlust since July 2006, the boat first raced in May 2015, completing the Round Isle of Man Race with an all-female crew.
AJ Wanderlust’s double handed racing credits include the 2017 ISORA season, the 2017, 2019 and 2021 Rolex Fastnet Races, the 2018 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, the 2019 AZAB (Azores and Back), and the 2020 inaugural Lonely Rock race.
In May 2021, AJ Wanderlust sailed an unofficial Twostar (termed Charlotte’s NoStar). An exciting North Atlantic passage to Newport, Rhode Island that entailed 31 days at sea. The return voyage, a mere week later, was 21 days.
Often asked about the importance of the boat’s name, Charlene is happy to elaborate. The “AJ” stands for Amon James, who was Charlene’s father. “Wanderlust” is Charlene’s incurable disease. AJ Wanderlust’s sail number is also meaningful in that 8931 is the American date sequence for Charlotte’s birth date, who was Charlene’s mother.
Charlene is a Yachtmaster Offshore, and an RYA keel boat instructor. A recognized sailing addict who spends most free moments sailing, whether it be cruising or racing.
Charlene is most proud of AJ Wanderlust execution statistics. The boat gets to the start line and keeps sailing solidly to the finish line.
Lazy Otter – Ariën Lekkerkerker (skipper)
Ertan Beskardes (co-skipper)
Dutch national living on the Caribbean island of Curacao. Former hotel owner/manager, lawyer, diplomat, furniture maker, charter skipper and more. Always restless and looking for new careers and experiences. Sailing has been the only constant factor in his life. He has crossed the Atlantic Ocean sailing leisurely but is a first timer ocean racer. For this he teamed up with Ertan Beskardes, an entrant in the 2018 and 2022 Golden Globe Race. Recently Ertan crossed the Atlantic on his 5.80m Mini-Globe racer. They are sailing the Twostar together on Lazy Otter, the Rustler 36 owned and sailed by Ertan Beskardes previously.
