In 1986 the late Staf Versluys managed to take first place in his class and fifth overall in the Whitbread. Meanwhile this active owner (Bas) kept sailing himself and was seen in the Azores, The Shetlands and Scandinavia. In 1988 he met Bruno Dubois between Lorient, Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Under his supervision modifications were made to Rucanor's mast and keel and the total displacement got reduced. The yacht left for a circumnavigation under the name Rucanor Commodore, but a collision with a whale ended the trip before it could be completed. Today she sails under the name Tomidi Rucanor, after being sold to Dirk Gunst who keeps her in the Belgium port of Ostend.
Bas Van Rijswijk continued with a string of racing successes on the yacht J-Star, a production J44 which performed well but complied less and less with his secret plan: "to go and sail forever without any compromises".
"My ideal yacht doesn't exist" was his conclusion, but then, being on holiday in Cape Town during Christmas 1996, he saw "Warrior" for the first time!