Thanks, Mary, for putting this up for broad, open discussion. When I saw your post, I immediately thought of the marathon I'll be running at the end of May. I've never run one before, and, Lord knows, I’ll lose no sleep wondering whether I'll finish in the top 100 (or thousand). All I want to do is finish, and satisfy my own personal desire to run a marathon.

Same goes for the Worrell 1000. I live in a state where seasons are referred to as "winter, followed by two weeks of damned poor sledding". In addition to environmental factors, I have young children and lots of outdoor hobbies that compete for my time. I know that I'll never be on a level with those of you who can remain more focused and sail year round. I do, however, often entertain the notion of someday entering the Worrell - for nothing more than to finish. (That goal, given the humbling nature of the sea, can be challenge enough.)

As with the big name marathons, the Worrell may require a certain level of qualification requirements, but those should be more safety related rather than a way to limit the event to top competitors.

In terms of organization, I find myself favoring the formula format.



I’m not so sure that multiple classes would be a problem, however, given that most folks "see" the race in terms of standings tables rather than live from the beaches along the course. The more options there are for entrants, the more the race will remain within the realm of possibility for us dreamers.

Thanks again, Mary, for kicking this off. I look forward to a generous amount of discussion of what folks would like to see for the Worrell 1000’s future.