ATLANTIC 1000 Images

DAY 11 – Atlantic Beach to Orcacoke Island

It was a 9 am start today and a relatively short leg – around 60 miles. We are off with a healthy shove from Fernando. Tybee gets a good start as well and takes and early lead. We start in third but soon pass Team Accelerated Chaos into second – I just love that name!

We get going and stick with Tybee – the breeze freshens and we get going on one of those famous double trapeze spinnaker legs. Thank goodness its only 14 miles to Cape Lookout. We see the 156 foot tower before we see the Cape. We are just about laying the sandy spit as it appears. Rounding these Cape’s is always a tricky thing. You can check the charts as much as you like – but it is always a kind of a feel thing when you get there. The sandbanks are always moving – so is the tide – you can never predict what you are going to get.

We see that Tybee is battling to make the point as well. We have managed to gain some height on them and I sense they are getting nervous as we are going to make it and they won’t. They are a touch lighter than us and having 2m and 195 pounds on the wire (in the form of Beto) is helping us. Next minute Tybee capsizes. We are pretty much on the limit too as we are just holding the bag. Disappointingly Tybee right the boat in probably less than 2 minutes and are back in the hunt. We have taken the lead.

We approach the sand bar and drop the spinnaker – we lift the boards, find a channel and scoot through – no problems. We choose the shortest route right near the shore. We gybe and put up the bag and skim off at a great velocity in the flat water. Tybee is in hot pursuit. Tybee gets inside us and then seems to pull ahead – we hold a slightly lower course. The wind starts to die and it starts to rain.

It is time to gybe again as we reach the shore – we have worked lower than Tybee and when they come out from the beach we cross in front of them and re take the lead. We are giving them hell. Yes! We play cat and mouse with them covering their every move as we gybe down the coast and increase our lead. The wind dies further and we decide to head offshore in search of better breeze.

Our plan pays and we sail away from Tybee who fade in the distance. We have a little breeze and are moving along nicely. Out of nowhere we see Todd Hart - Team Cat Fever coming down from above us with a pressure. We heat it up and stay ahead of him. We are excited as Tybee seems to be stuck near the coast in little breeze and we have good wind offshore.

We eventually need to get back to the shore as we approach the finish. Our worst nightmare – Tybee is in sight – they have been working the shore and as we approach we find the breeze is stronger and about 40 degrees different. They have done a massive catch up job. We drive hard and they cross in front – we have lost our lead – there is a little cursing (understatement!).

We cross Ocracoke inlet and we know the finish is near. We see the flags and head in. We finish in about 2 minutes odd behind Tybee. We are happy to have finished closer than ever to Tybee – we are upping our game – we have one leg left.

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. The first rule of seamanship is displayed in fine style. Great Job - Team Chesapeake! This is what it’s all about.

HOME