Mary,

Having spent just a wee-bit of time out on the Chesapeeke night sailing, I would say just the ordinary obstacles ... some stationary, some moving. You have your basic shipping traffic: Tugs w/ tows, cruise ships, frieghters, fish traps and unlit navigational aids etc .... the commercial marine traffic are usually going up or down the shipping channel. The hardest thing to fiqure out was the time a US Navy Nuclear Submarine came down the shipping channel from Annapolis (it was there for the Graduation at the Academy)... it made no sound at all, it was all black, no lights, just a small black hole moving against the dark shoreline. Also the Chesapeake is all sand ... you are hard pressed to find a rock to break a window with ... so you can "beach" almost anywhere.

One night I hit a "Clam Line" buoy while doing the PSA Overnight Race while charging downwind ... I managed to swerve just enough at the last moment to miss hitting it w/ the spin pole, but I ran over it ... it made a loud "Bonk" as it hit the front crossbar and passed under the tramp, luckly those things are made of plastic.

I believe Mark's concept is to run the "Beach Cat" Class on the OLD Worrell 1000 format ... you start, you have several points that you can stop quickly at(ie:pit stops) to swap out crew and replentish water/food, you finish .... Please note that there is no manditory requirement that you "Pit Stop", it will be the team's decision.

I believe Mark is working on checking for sites that the beach cats can stop to swap out crew ... we think Cove Point, just north of the Patuxet River, near the lighthouse and Windmill Point, on the northern shore of the Rappahonnock River would be good locations. These sites/locations would section the race into approximently 50mile portions

Todd, you beached near Cove Pt one time if I remember correctly ... but we are thinking of just south of the point, we will need to make a trip down to check out the access from the road.

Mary, You and Rick most likely stayed at the Windmill Point Resort that time you guys came and did the "Down the Bay" ... thats where we are thinking it would be good location for a check point/crew swap for the final portion of the course.

So if you keep your eyes and ears open, and stay alert it should be a fun time. Things are still in the planning stages.

Sail Flat, Sail Fast, Sail Safe
Harry Murphey
TheMightyHobie18/#9458, Fleet54/Div11
P19MX w/spin /#86, CRAC-Open Class