2001 Worrell 1000
This is the latest report on Wed, May 9th, Leg 4, from Cocoa Beach to Dayton Beach, Florida:
Just to get you caught up, 75% of the fleet suffered major damage in the surf at the start from Jensen Beach. Only 5 boats escaped and made it to Cocoa Beach. Michael Worrell asked the remaining boats at Jensen Beach to trail to Cocoa Beach and accept a penalty. A meeting of the Team Managers was held to determine what that penalty should be.
Here is the report we have from our on-the-beach reporter, Dave Carlson:
| Team Manager's Meeting- Tuesday at Cocoa Beach- Dave Carlson Mike Worrell called a meeting of team managers to obtain their input about what to do about a penalty or bonus assigned to racers versus non-racers for today's event. Mike started the meeting describing a 1984 race in Hobie 16s in which parts of a boat were carried across the finish line and counted. This was eventually ruled as unfair to others. But today, Team Canada did finish under control of its crew and could finish under the rules, on wheels. Mike said he could not and would not try to extrapolate for all conditions and eventualities, but had to deal with today's problem. He then described his feelings this morning when sending boats off the beach and seeing them being broken one after the other. He said, "Being a Southern Gentleman, this morning I felt like Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg, sending his boys across the fields. How many times can I send them out? I can't run a perfect race." Mike also made the point again that this is not a democratic process but wanted team input, particularly those who sailed today. Here were several points made by finishing teams after talking to their sailors: The late to arrive crews: these were the worst conditions I have ever sailed in in my entire life. Getting off the beach and through the surf was the easy part. This should not be a lay day for those who didn't sail, which is what they are getting. My racers are totally used up. Maybe even worn out today, with only 2 full days completed. Then the questions began? How about the next tough day? How about the people in the second start who wanted to sail and were told they could not go? Do you want two fleets from here on, with one group penalized? Another suggested 2 hours past the last boat's finish was too long. One manager suggested 9 hours were too many, yet one crew never attempted to sail at all. So if there was a consensus among the managers, it was that a large penalty was not fair, but no penalty was not fair either, even if the fleet was split. The discussion was intense but all points of view were expressed with genuine feeling. Mike then concluded the meeting with his statement that a 2 hour penalty added to the time of the last boat was his choice. |
Wednesday Morning after the Jensen Beach Carnage... by Dave Carlson
Hundreds of leftover pieces and parts were collected and put on the road to Cocoa Beach, and are being assembled
this morning in the parking lot and on the beach...some sessions going late into the night. In addition to the
visible damage, several teams lost rudders or had them pop up well into the race. Many rudders broke out at the
back corners, a terrific nuisance when partway down a long course and remote from anywhere. Some lower rudder castings
did not fare well, but that likely happened in the surf, when sailors were battling powerful white water and being
knocked sideways.
Yesterday's racers were hammered by large waves that appeared suddenly. Les Bauman said that his crew said,"Here's
a Bi".... Kaboosh! Then Les was stuck between the rear crossbar and the tiller crossbar. Somehow he managed
to jam the rudders over, which crushed him more, but slowed the boat down and he got back aboard without losing
it. This happened twice more, but the two other big ones knocked him onto the tramp. His crew Craig Callahan said,
"You gotta slow it down, Les!" Like this was possible. They finished second, and are ready to go again
today. Their manager says they are more tired than that, however.
There have been an oft-repeated suggestion that teams should keep the skipper on the boat in heavy weather, and
run the crew off the rear crossbar. If the heaviest guy is further back, he is susceptible to wave damage and loss!
They are Off on the Leg From Cocoa Beach to Daytona Beach
It was a pretty clean start today due to the winds and surf dying down slightly. Not that getting out to sea was not full of perils.
Baywind had to return because a diamond wire popped off the spreader -- that could lead to a distrous breakage of the mast. After fixing the diamond they started out but a huge wave caught them, shoved them backwards and broke off the entire rudder system.
 Baywind made it out successfully, but had to return because a diamond wire had popped off the mast spreader. Here is their next attempt out the surf had built and they struggled to get out. |
 Baywind's struggles were in vain as they got pushed back, snapping off their entire rudder system. |
 Glenn Ross and Richard Pleasant assess the damage while awaiting parts. |
Castrol was the first
team over in the surf, but the quickly righted the boat and made another attempt. The second attempt was worse
than the first -- the boat completely flipped end-over-end. Luckily the mast was not broken, but a mess of battens
had to be replaced.
So far there are only two dropouts. Dallas was the first, but today the Pyacht Women team decided not to sail. However, Katie Pettibone decided to sail with Rod Waterhouse on Guidant -- Dave Wallace opted off the team.
Standby for the Grand Finish at Daytona Beach
Meanwhile we have this report from our on-the-beach reporter, Cristy Schimmoller:
| Team Guidant had quite a setback when they lost team member Sandra Tartaglino with injuries sustained during the
finish of Leg 1 of the race on Sunday. This was Sandra's 3rd Worrell race and she was sailing with seasoned Worrell
veteran Rod Waterhouse (this is his 11th race) but the wind was up and landing with the surf up can be full of
surprises. Team Sail for Sight had a backup crew member, Dave Wallace, that they volunteered to Team Guidant to
finish the race with Rod. (Dave is from Jekyll Island, GA and this is his first Worrell 1000 race.) With many of
the favorites from prior years' Worrells not competing this year, there was talk of Sandra and Rod taking the lead
in this year's race. Maybe next year. As Team Guidant was suiting up an alternate sailor, Sandra Tartaglino was preparing for surgery to repair the two broken bones she suffered (not to mention a dislocated ankle) during their finish of Leg 1 of the race on Sunday. I had an opportunity to talk with Team Manager Trish Walcott this morning shortly before the start of Leg 2 about how Sandra is getting through this unexpected turn of events. Sandra is really disappointed but is being a ‘real trooper' and plans on joining the team land side as soon as she can. Sandra is a Worrell race veteran, so no one anticipated that she would be out of the race at all, let alone this soon. She has been training both physically and mentally for the race for several months, so being out this early in the game can't be easy. Part of her training had to be ‘bulking up' because there is a weight minimum for each team; weight training for bulking up and aerobics to condition for endurance were both part of her program. Her training also included yoga which contributed to both the mental and the physical conditioning. We all wish her well and hope to see her on the beach soon. |
We are Parked Beautifully (Ocean
Front View -- we are in the first rv in the lower left corner of the picture) at the hotel in Daytona Beach awaiting
the fleet. Believe it or not we have finally got our capture board for the video working. Now are trying to learn
what to do with it. Cristy Schimmoller has been in charge of the camcorder and has done a great job getting some
great footage -- we just havn't been able to see it until now. And it may be another day or so before you are able
to see it. Please keep coming back to this page and maybe we will get it together.
We can now see 14 of the 19 remaining boats on the horizon and should be giving you a full report of what has transpired on this leg.
Meanwhile, Christi reported the following yesterday, but is full of information:
| Wow, Another fabulous day on the high seas – and I mean high! This is the Worrell 1000, and it is amazing. As Leg
3 started Tuesday morning, I witnessed the most exciting sailing I've ever seen. Most of us beach sailors won't
go out on a day like today. And only 5 of the 21 boats DID make it out. But not for lack of trying. I was certain
that the Sail for Sight team had made it on their 4th try when a wave knocked the boat and knocked Dave Lennard
into the surf while Carl Roberts was just trying to keep the boat upright. As the waves brought the boat into shore,
Dave was pinned between the boat and the sand, with another wave on its way. Sure enough, the next wave upturned
the boat, pinning Dave even further. Several people on shore raced in as the boat fell and kept the weight of the
boat off of Dave and helped right the boat immediately. All is well. The Redhook Ale team, with two Worrell first timers on board, Suzette Cruz and Brad Cavanaugh, was valiantly cutting through the surf and looked like they were going to make it through the worst of it. But just when they thought they were home free with one of the rudders down, one of the dagger boards partially down and attempting to put the weather rudder down, they were hit with a wave and sent sideways and over. The mast snapped turning the boat completely upside down, ("turtled" the boat) and they surfed the hulls back to shore. Somewhere along the line, the main sail was also damaged. For someone who has only been sailing catamarans for 3 months, Suzette was still excited and looking forward to getting back in the water in Cocoa Beach tomorrow. Though she did wonder how much easier Cocoa would be than here at Jensen Beach. She is really enjoying sharing time at the helm with Brad. Brad as the more experienced sailor is usually responsible for taking the boat out. Suzette did have a suggestion for the damaged mainsail – how about making some sailbags??? All 5 boats that made it out in Jensen Beach this morning did make it in here in Cocoa Beach this afternoon. Unfortunately, this leg too was not without mishaps. Team Canada made it all the way to Cocoa Beach before flipping and breaking the mast coming into shore for the finish. And Team Guidant lost a rudder a mere 5 miles into the race. Captain Rod Waterhouse managed to make it 60 miles or so before he lost the remaining rudder. He and team member Dave Wallace (replacement sailor for Sandra Tartaglino) had to dump the main sail and come into shore using only the jib. According to team mates, the team's equipment was not with the closest road crew vehicle, so they flagged down Team Tommy Bahama and borrowed rudders and headed back down the coast to Melbourne where the boat had come ashore. As a novice sailor, I can't imagine sailing with one rudder, let alone being out on the open sea without any rudders and no mainsail! – Wow (did I say that already?) The stories each of the teams came in with were amazing, truly amazing. I have always seen the catamarans as the "easy" boats to sail. Boy have I changed my tune on that one. Ask the Pyacht Women's team how they feel about cat sailing after the last two days. Both Captain Katie Pettibone and team member Eleanor Hay are experienced monohull sailors. Katie said that sailing cats is contrary to all their previous training. After witnessing so many battles that were lost with Mother Ocean this morning, they decided to sit tight until the tide had gone out and, hopefully, the surf backed off. That was not an easy choice for them, but as it turned out, a very smart one. And so what about those boats that didn't make it out this morning? Well, the race has its first major controversy over that one. Mike Worrell made the decision to halt all boats going out this morning. That was after many, many crashes, and thousands of dollars of equipment losses and only 5 boats making it out over the surf. So what should the penalty be? And what about those teams that didn't even try to go out this morning? This is my first sail race, so I'm not the one to answer these questions. An update on Sandra Tartaglino from her team mates: She underwent surgery yesterday in Ft. Lauderdale (with her parents and Team Manager Trish Walcott by her side) to repair the leg bone that was broken in two places from the accident coming into shore in after Leg 1 on Sunday. A rod was inserted in her leg and possibly an additional pin. Sandra was already getting physical therapy today to get her up and moving around. Trish is joining the team here in Cocoa Beach this evening and Sandra hopes to join the team by Friday! You go girl! I'm not sure the teams can stand any more of this excitement, but it sure has made it a race that everyone is watching – literally minute by minute! The weather prediction is calling for the same kind of surf tomorrow, unfortunately. I wonder what the morning will bring… |
They are Hitting the Beach at Daytona in Good Time
In winds and waves that finally lightening up a bit, the first two boats hit the beach just after 4 PM.As if filling in for the missing Randy Smyth's team every year, Team Alexander once again pulls off a bullet, just nipping out Guidant by mere seconds. Brian Lambert and Jamie Livingston of Alexanders are now holding a very nice lead overall.
Tybee Island hit the beach a few minutes later, follwed by Team Canada. After that there was a steady spacing of about two minutes between each team, and they finished in this order: Sail or Sight, Key Sailing, and Fully Involved.
Carl Roberts and DaveLennard of Sail for Sight rounded Cape Canaveral just behind Alexanders and just ahead of Canada. Roberts was the first to pop his chute and took the lead as he headed toward the shore looking for more wind. "That was a mistake," said Roberts. " I should have stayed up high with Rod (Waterhouse)."
Meanwhile, Waterhouse and his new crew, Katie Pettibone had the lead just before the finish. But they mistook a flag on a lilfeguard chair for the finish line and sailed past where they should have gone. They actually had to jibe back and return to the finish line. Alexanders took quick advantage of the mistake and nailed another win.
 Even though Guidant had the lead, they managed to overstand the finish line -- mistaking a life guard flag for the pin -- and Alexanders took advantage and snuck in for a near photo-finish win. |
 Les Bauman and Craig Callahan of Fully Involved are fully into this race as well. Again they had a great finish |
Here is an on-the-beach report from Cristy Schimmoller:
| The fourth day and 4th Leg of the Worrell 1000 draws to a close here in Daytona Beach. Unlike the previous 3 days, all the teams seem relaxed and in good spirits. There are a lot more onlookers than the previous three legs B this is Daytona Beach after all where the boats not only have to contend with the waves at the finish line but also with the cars!Today=s waters and race were calm by comparison. All the boats made it out this morning with only one mishap. Team Castrol turned the boat over twice leaving shore damaging what few parts they did have left from yesterday's start. And, meanwhile the Redhook Ale Team was still repairing damages sustained yesterday morning trying to leave Jensen Beach and left a good 20 minutes past the main pack of boats. There was a tangible feeling of relief as all the boats left the shore and the road crews were packing up just the sail bags instead of packing up the boats, broken masts and ripped sails.There was a change in the lineup for Team Guidant this morning. Crew member Dave Wallace expressed the desire to go back to the road crew for the Sail for Sight team. There were a few extremely intense moments during their sail yesterday and Dave decided that that kind of intensity wasn=t for him. So Captain Rod Waterhouse was once again looking for a sailing partner. There was a rumor floating about that the Pyacht Women=s Team had dropped out of the race -- and Guidant Team Manager Trish Walcott mentioned Katie Pettibone as a replacement for Dave. One of the Guidant team members approached Katie this morning about sailing with Rod for the team, and she was excited about the possibility. While the plan was okayed by the Pyacht Team Manager, Katie met Rod and started making preparations to sail. They must have worked pretty well together, because they finished second today in a very close, photo finish! Rod didn't see the first flag and was shooting past the finish, when he had to back track, which gave Team Alexander's just enough to room to sneak past Guidant and finish first. The race excitement continues! Rod says he didn't need that much excitementYSo what precipitated the Pyacht Women's team to withdraw from the Race? Ellie Hay said it was really her choice. She said that they had made a decision as a team to start the race on the cautious side and use the first legs of the race in Florida to get more practice, almost as an extended training. Both Ellie and Katie are very experienced in monohull racing, but have had minimal racing time or even training time with the catamarans. Of the two, Katie has had more training time than Ellie. Ellie felt that with the difficult conditions in Florida, usually the calmest part of the race, there might come a time when her cautiousness would compromise Katie's sailing abilities. Their decision was made last night, after a tough day on the water for the 5 boats that did end up sailing. Katie said that once their decision was made, she put out the word that she was interested in continuing the race. She was very pleased when a team Guidant member approached her about sailing with Rod.Glad to see all the teams start and all the teams finish today! |
| Finish at Treasure Island, Florida- Wed. 5:30 PM by Dave CarlsonAlexander's Brian Lambert shot the curl- an old surfer's parlance for "High speed on my own wave!" The black boat zoomed in through the surf driven by a hot hand. Brian sort of had to, to beat today's leader, Rod Waterhouse and Katie Pettibone on Guidant. Rod had overstood the finish line and jibed to come back, after leading the last several miles by a whisker, right up the beach from Cape Canaveral. But we saw that jibing and surfing in square to the waves is slow, despite Mike Worrell's insistence as the only way to come in, and it was for Waterhouse too. Soon I was able to ask Brian about the day while looking at his broken starboard rudder casting. "Look at that," he said. "Broke it in the surf first thing this morning, then sailed the whole leg broken. Good thing it was the lee rudder." I thought that was pretty good, 80 miles on a broken rudder to win, and stay substantially ahead of the next place boat. "The idea was just to NOT slow down. The air let off to 8 to 12 knots off the Cape, while we were 100 yards off the beach. There was a flat spot, and we went right through. When the air got light we had to come in with the chute, and found a bunch of boats sneaking up the shore including Tommy Bahama." Guidant was among the 3 leaders at Ponce Inlet, and they kept swapping places to the finish, getting faster in lighter air. Then a somewhat unappreciative wag on the beach commented. "There is no IFR today...""What's that?" "I Follow Randy." Carl Roberts and Dave Lennard on Save Our Sight were early leaders, but came in later, nearly losing it in the surf, and the next several boats did lose it. One was flipped in a big set way outside, but amazingly, was righted with no damage other than 4 battens..Boy, were they lucky. Two more boats did capsize by not following Mike's surfing advice. Also lost in the surf was James Korkosz, the crew from NexusLexus, hammered off way outside by a big wave, while skipper Brendan Busch drove successfully for the beach. "I wasn't about to go back for him -- Couldn't!" This gave the Beach Patrol truck a chance to drive up with their siren going, ordering kibitzers out of the way, and launching a flock of lifeguards with red floats to save the happily floating James. He swam in with a big smile- to find they had already finished his boat. Yesterday's surprise second place finisher, Les Bauman did well but was back a few places. I believe he may still be in second place. |
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