| REPORTS
TYBEE 500 |
|
Day
1
86
miles |
Islamorada,
FL to Hollywood, FL
No
body was designed to hang in a harness for hours on end
pulling on sheets and ropes until they had holes in their
fingers. Equally it was not designed to do stomach crunches
for 6 hours a day while a salt water fire hose blasts into
your face. Yes any romantic notions you may have about this
race turf them to one side – is about pain and endurance.
full story >>> |
| Day
2
90
miles |
Hollywood,
FL to Jensen Beach, FL
As
I write we have come to the end of another long day - 20
% of the race complete. Today was another tough one –
but I guess not as bad as our shock treatment yesterday.
89 miles is a fair whack as the say.
full story >>> |
| Day
3
78
miles
|
Jensen
Beach, FL to Cocoa Beach, FL
Imagine
the scenario – we are 30 minutes from the start –
I am still in shorts and T shirt doing a last minute revision
on the rudders – trying to solve the problems from
yesterday. We have the sterns up and the rudders down. I
pull up the rudder and hear a loud crack – the top
gudgeon pintle breaks off. Shit!
full story >>> |
| Day
4
76
miles |
Cocoa
Beach, FL to Ormond Beach, FL
Skippers
briefing at 9 am – the military is there - all dressed
in camouflage uniform. The Cape Canaveral Space centre is
a national asset – we will protect it as such. Be
warned – there will be many eyes watching you. We
check again the restricted area around the Cape. I
can hardly keep my eyes open and I really struggled to get
out of bed this morning – it was like I had been run
over by a bus – or used as a punch bag at the local
gym. full story >>> |
| Day
5
96
miles |
Ormond
Beach, FL to Fernandina Beach, FL
Somehow
the hours just never seem enough – not enough time
to sleep, not enough time to relax and not enough time to
have fun – why were there not 40 hours in a day. >>> |
| Day
6
100
miles |
Fernandina
Beach, FL to Tybee Island, GA
We
gybe and surf in on a wave fully pumped and cross the line
ahead of Team Oz to register our first win of the event.
I whoop with delight. Team Oz finishes 3 seconds behind
us – a nail biting finish. The beach is crowded and
everyone is cheering. Man it feels good.
full story >>> |
| REPORTS
OBX
500 |
|
Day
7
82
miles |
Tybee
Island GA to Isle of Palms SC
I
was doing my now regular somersaulting getting washed off
the boat. The rudder was kicking up again and to go in and
get it down again became a tiring process. At least our
speed had gone from 10 to 20 Knots. Read between the lines
- that means arriving quicker! Well it was a nice thought.
Crack and the boat spins out - Beto says the rudder snapped
off - I look back and so it has - the leeward rudder completely
disintegrated. full story
>>> |
| Day
8
113
miles |
Isle
of Palms SC to Surfside Beach SC
We
identify 3 obstacles -some breakers about 3 miles away,
Cape Romain and then later a submerged jetty/breakwater.
There is a dark cloud looming in the south which is sucking
up all the wind and threatening rain. There is no wind-
the sea is glassy. fully
story >>> |
|
Day
9
86
miles |
Surfside
Beach SC to Wrightsville Beach NC
We
spot the finish and make some approach gybes – the
last one however is a calamity! The boat stalls after the
gybe - loads up and we are over in seconds. We rush to recover
the spinnaker and right the boat.
full story >>> |
| Day
10
67
miles |
Wrightsville
Beach NC to Atlantic Beach NC
We
got into an early lead and the day started well. We held
the lead for a few miles down the coast gybing backwards
and forwards down the beach. Tybee got inside us on one
occasion and in a band of wind snuck past us taking the
inside option. The breeze was dying and we were right in
the surf line. full story
>>> |
|
Day
11
61
miles |
Atlantic
Beach NC to Ocracoke Island NC
There
were some dramas around Cape Lookout for the other teams.
Team Chesapeake breaks the spinnaker pole while dropping
their spinnaker. Later Team Accelerated Chaos capsizes and
one of their crew gets separated from the boat. Team Chesapeake
goes back and picks him up and returns him to the boat.
full story >>> |
| Day
12
93
miles |
Ocracoke
Island NC to Kill Devil Hills NC
As
we approached Oregon Inlet a massive thunderstorm was brewing.
We were ready to go for the jugular when a massive 180 degree
wind shift saw all our advantage disappear in a single puff.
We hung in and managed to finish about 15 minutes after
Tybee in a well deserved second - securing our second position
overall in the OBX 500 as well as the Atlantic 1000.
full story >>> |
