Righting the boat was no problem - it was gathering the spinnaker and getting it under control before righting that was so tough (this is easier if you have a snuffer system - not so for the distance racing pole we use). It was a matter of a minute or less once the spinnaker was out of the way. It was very windy every time and the wave action makes it even easier. Once we got settled on the turtled boat, it was again only about 30 seconds before we had her laying on her side again and properly angled for righting. We actually capsized three times throughout the week – once on leg #2 and twice on leg #3. I was rather inexperienced in those nuclear conditions and, in hindsight, we were simply pushing too hard. One of the capsizes happened because I had to go to the low side of the boat in order to restuff the spinnaker that continually kept coming out of the pocket we had on the trampoline - we weren't the only team with this problem. The first one on day 2 was both a puff that hit us and a wave that bucked the boat which caused David to loose footing and slide uncontrollably down the trampoline. I kept saying how that, instead of a hiking strap, I wanted to install several recessed 'heel' pockets in the trampoline in which to rest your heel for grip (remember where you heard that!). I'm always afraid of getting stuck under a hiking strap in a capsize. The third capsize was where we drove into the back of a steep wave with too much power - actually the boat didn't capsize then, it was only after what was left of the spinnaker drug in the water and pulled the boat over.

I phoned Richard and Cary after our spinnaker breakage so they could get some parts ready in case we needed to try a rendezvous but told them that we were currently planning to continue as is. About 30 minutes later, Richard called back for an update and David answered (I was driving to give David a moment to catch his breath too). By this time the wind had gotten pretty light and we were not making very good time. David was rightfully concerned that with the waves still big and the wind getting so light that if we went in to the beach for a repair that we may have serious problems trying to get back out again. It was at this time that Richard mentioned the area in the rules that stipulated a DNF would get you the last boat's time plus 30 minutes. David didn't even bother to consult with me and he didn't need to - he immediately replied "thanks for looking out for us but we came to finish". At no time did we contemplate dropping out...it was more of "gee...this has GOT to get easier soon!". So much effort had gone into getting into this race that I think we would have stayed in it unless one of us was physically unable to continue. However, at the time I was wondering how anyone could do 1000 miles of this - I have a whole new respect for those guys. Our goals coming into this were 1)survive 2)finish 3)not be last. Two out of three isn't so bad and we actually felt very good about our speed at the end. Toward the end of the week we were really getting the hang of the heavy air sailing and were able to horizon some damn fine sailors that we were unable to catch before.

Regarding the physical training; I was working out about three to four times a week - five if I could manage the time. I go in the mornings at 6am to the gym and do aerobics for 20 to 30 minutes and fast paced weight training for about 45 minutes to keep the heart rate up. I did this coupled with a low fat diet consisting of one portion carb and one portion protein six times a day (actually about 4 times a day and then I would cheat but with a healthy smallish dinner). It's mostly the "Body For Life" program - if you can stick to it wholeheartedly, this program will give you incredible progress quickly and in a very healthy manner - no starving (causing your body to go into fat storage mode) but you do have to work out hard and frequently. Being sore is the goal – this means your muscles are rebuilding to be more efficient. I was really working out every muscle group but I did focus a little more finely on back and shoulders. If you’re interested, I recommend buying a copy of the book. If you can get past the goofy pictures, it’s pretty inexpensive, a quick read, and makes a lot of sense (and works). I lost 18 lbs in three months and wasn't doing everything the plan asked me to.