REGAL REPASS
3/28/2007 4:52:46 PM by Sandy Lindsey
The man responsible for bringing West Marine into existence is quite the adventure hog at heart. But it’s his love for his company and its humble roots that really sets him apart.
When Randy Repass founded a small company, West Coast Ropes, selling nylon rope from his garage in Sunnyvale, California, who would have ever imagined he was taking the first step in changing how we would all shop for boating products? In 1975, he opened his first retail store West Coast Ropes store, followed by the 1977 acquisition of West Products, which then became West Marine. In 1978, he moved to further dominate the industry by forming a wholesale division, Port Supply.
“Our mission is to be the best supplier of boating-related products and services and to treat our customers even better than expected so they regard us as the best company in our industry,” says Repass, explaining the key to West Marine’s rapid growth and expansion. “Our efforts are focused on fulfilling our mission every day.” Perhaps one of Repass’ elements of success is the fact that not only is he a boating industry leader, but an avid boater himself. In effect, he is his own best customer.
“Boating is the best way to get away from it all and to focus on things that really matter, like relationships with spouse and family,” he says. “I enjoy product testing on our family’s boat, Convergence.” He also enjoys sailing, snorkeling, diving, cruising and meeting great people — both locals and cruisers from all over the world.
He currently owns an impressive fleet of 13, including the 65-foot performance cruising passagemaker Convergence, a 42-foot lobster yacht named Explorer, a 40-foot club racer/cruiser sailboat in Santa Cruz, four kayaks (two aboard Explorer in the Northwest and two aboard Convergence in the South Pacific), two rigid inflatables and two eight-foot Walker Bay sailing dinghies plus a Laser and a rowing shell. “My wife, Sally-Christine, and I love cruising the world,” adds Repass. “And we really enjoy product testing in exotic places!”
Repass has plenty of tales to share, but a few hair-raising moments stand out when asked about his wackiest moments on the water. “There have been plenty of adventures and crazy moments on the water — from surfing down waves aboard Convergence under autopilot at 23 knots in 45 knots of breeze well aft of the beam with a triple reefed main on a trip to Tonga from New Zealand, to sailing through fresh inch-thick floating fields of pumice from an undersea volcano in Tonga, to running 10-knot rapids in British Columbia aboard our 42-foot lobster yacht (not recommended!),” he laughs. “But probably the most bizarre was transiting the wide entrance through a coral reef in New Caledonia against a five-plus knot current with 20 knots of wind on the stern, which caused the sea to be very short and steep and look like the water was rushing over a reef below, making one expect to crash aground momentarily. The water was really about 50 feet deep!” And with stories like that, it’s no wonder the masses flock to West Marine before taking off on their own sea-bound adventures, albeit not as death-defying as the ones Repass has experienced.