The Annual Key Largo Steeplechase, a 110-mile trek for cats around Key Largo, was this past weekend. There were 45 high-speed, world-class beach catamaran sailors competing from all around North America. Lars Guck and Hans Barth on a Tornado finished the race in just nine hours and ten minutes, falling way short of the record despite having great winds.

The winds were a consequence of a cold front that passed through the area. That changed the normal pattern of 10-25 mph from the eastern quadrant. Instead the sailors found northwest winds that built during the day and became gusty late. Then on Sunday the winds started out at 15 mph, switching from northwest to north by northeast, and dying way down by mid afternoon.

The first leg of the course runs north for about eight miles. The fleet had to sail a beat to Card Sound Bridge and then made a small right turn to get to Anglefish Creek (the way to get to the Ocean side of the islands.)
It was no surprise to see the hotshot, lightweight boats up front, i.e., two Marstrom 20s, a CFR20 and the like. But by the time the fleet hit Angelfish Creek, Bill Roberts on a heavy Supercat 20 had the lead.
On the leg from Card Sound Bridge to the creek about half the fleet were able to fly spinnakers. Other than that brief time, spinnakers were not able to be flown.

Spacecoast with Tom Leobold on the helm and Mark Herendeen were one of the first to fly their spinnaker from Card Sound Bridge to Angelfish Creek

At the finish line the first day there was real problem for the racers. There was an extremely low tide leaving the last 200 yards with water of only a few inches. Most of the sailors tacked for the finish line, being sure to not overstand. That was a mistake. Those folks ended up pulling their boats to the finish line. And worse, with every step the sailors would sink up to their thighs in the silt bottom.
The spectators watched as Mike Phillips and Joe Green on a Marstrom 20 approached with a sizable lead. But, they were the first to tack too soon. That put them downwind of the finish line. They got off and started the trek to the line.

Mike Phillips and Joe Green on the Marstrom 20 used their spinnaker on the leg from Card Sound Bridge to Angelfish Creek. (Note the big electric motor just in front of the mast.., well, it really isn't an electric motor. That is the Swedish boat's answer to a Snuffer. It rolls the chute into the drum)
Meanwhile Brian Lambert and Jamie Livingston on the CFR20 bit the bullet and overstood considerably. This allowed them to skim across the shallow silt on a close reach. They passed the leader and won by a couple of minutes.
Then Alex Shafer and Nigel Pitt gave a demonstration of just how to do it. They overstood by even more than Lambert/Livingston and sailed neatly across the line.

Brian Lambert and Jamie Livingston on the CFR20 snuck into the lead by overstanding the layline to the finish line and used by using their sails to reach across the line in the very shallow water.

The first leg of the Key Largo Steeplechase is more or less a drag race. The second leg it a finesse leg, where you must be able to read the water, find alternate routes around the sand bars, and learn to tack quickly in the mangrove creeks. That was how the race developed the name of "Steeplechase."
The CFR 20 broke a rudder arm just after the start, knocking them out of the lead and contention. Tommy Bahama was first through the Channel 5 Bridge, about 2 miles south of the starting line. Carla Schiefer and Clive Mayo on a Marstrom 20 were about 10th through the bridge, but on on the long beat upwind to the finish line they passed all the fleet and took line honors for the second day.

The chop blasts the crew

That slap by the sea nearly knocked the crew off the boat.

Lars Guck and Hans Barth head for the Channel 5 Bridge in very good wind.

Phillips and Green on the Martrom 20 go under the bridge

Donald Thinschmidt and Andrew Wierdo blast their Tornado through the chop

Tommy Bahama was first through the Channel 5 Bridge.

The chop did manage to whop a few folks.

The lead boats finished in good wind, but the straggling boats had to suffer dying winds to the finish line.

Guck/Barth won the Olde Lawn Chair Perpetual Trophy for the first time sailing a Tornado and took 2nd place on handicap.
On corrected time the top ten were:
1) Bill Roberts/David Weir, Supercat 20
2) Lars Guck/Hans Barth, Tornado
3) John Casey, Kenny Pierce, Team Tybee, I20
4) Alex Shafer, Nigel Pitt, Tommy Bahama, I20
5) Mike Phillips/Joe Green, Marstrom 20
6) David Ingram/Bob Ingram, I20
7) Carla Schiefer/Clive Mayo, Marstrom 20
8) Mark Murray/Alex Efre-Perez, F18
9) Mark Herendeen/Tom Leobold, Space Coast, I20
10) Dave White/Leah Soares, N6.0NA

Click Here for Full Results

Sponsors for the event, hosted by Gilberts Resort, were Caribbean Watersports at the Sheraton, Calvert Sails of Islamorada, Catamaran Sailor Magazine of Key Largo, and their store at www.onlinemarinestore.com.
Next year's event will be the second weekend in December.