Here is some insight as to what it has been like for the sailors getting to Martha's Vineyard and setting up and finding housing for the A-Class Nationals, Worlds, and Tornado Worlds. This is a portion of an e-mail I received from Jill Nickerson of the Suncoast Sailing Team, who are there for the Tornado Worlds:



"The 2002 Tornado World Championship are slated to begin on the 23rd on

Marthas Vineyard, Mass. The Island is abustle with sailors and

equipment arriving daily from about 22 different countries. In addition

to the Tornado World Championships, the A-Cat Nationals and World

Championships are at the same location.



"The Island is a beautiful place located off the southern shore of Cape

Cod Mass but has proven to be quite logistically challenging for many of

the teams, not to mention very pricey.



"The first challenge is to get all your equipment on the island. Some

have sailed over from the mainland to try and save money, others from

around the world have shipped in large 40' containers and still others,

including us, have shipped their cars and trailers over by ferry to the

island.



"Once on the island, there is a small staging area located on the south

east corner of the island where the teams are putting their boats

together. Once together, the teams sail around a portion of the island

to a lighthouse beach located off Edgartown, then manage to get their

boating gear over their either by boat or by carrying it down a long

beach pathway.



"Organizers have done everything in their power to try and make the

location friendly by offering large storage boxes on the beach, near by

portalets, water and electricity in a registration tent. Although you

hear lots of moans and groans in the learning and settling process, it is

not too bad once you are settled in.



"Accommodations are certainly plentiful but VERY pricey.....we had an

offer for a 3 bedroom house in Edgartown, near the regatta site that

rented for a MERE $60,000 a month in season!...and that is in US dollars

....not rubles! As a result, many of the sailors have found

accommodations just outside of town, where much more reasonably priced

accommodations can be found....4 bedroom house for 1300-2000 per week. We

have been staying in our trailer and have parked it in our Australian

training partners front yard."