jIM !!!
great to hear from you ,--Happy Holidays !!!

The spirit of the race and racers is the most fasinating aspect ,-overcomming the numerous challenges and dangers involved the experiences shared are something that is unique in this day and age.
We have fly overs in fighter jets by past Worrell partisipants ,-bagpipes playing ,-anthumes sung as we leave the beach ,thousands and thousands following the race worldwide ,--so much fun to be a part of.--Happy to see you in Miami again .

Recall your accounts of that night leg in a near miss with a large cruising yacht 20 miles out . You latter found and contacted the yacht and traded sailing stories ,-Team Lexus Nexus -amazing .Congrates on setting a new leg record last year also . Great racing.

Safety concerns ,--you wear a helmet , and take numerous other safety precausions, think we will see more and more wearing helmets as these boats continue to get more technical and achieve higher speeds and record times .

The new boat -the-Jav ,-is really well made ,-but shorter comparative length, taller mast ,-less buoyant hulls make for a much more physically demanding type of racing in higher wind and sea conditions. -Think we will see many more teams drop out ,-a weather determined factor ,--and much more spread between boats . Those that have been racing them the last year ,-have tuning -back up boats as always have a huge advantage.

With 36 teams and counting it will be a very interesting year for the race .

Hope the Tybee race is a great success also -
-this type of racing is grueling ,and dangerous at times ,
but what a fantastic sailing adventure.

A celebration of the human spirit with kindred souls..