There's no mystique to it , it pretty much sucks. After racing someone hard all day it ends up being who can slog through the mud the fastest? Put a damper on it for me.
Other than that it's a great race, even the mangroves are fun.
Todd

Absolutely not - dealing with that )(*U#@#$)* beach is your initiation. It tests your intellect to properly evaluate how much your boat will slip sideways without boards or rudders so you can calculate how much to overstand to avoid as much trodgging through the silt as possible. Then it tests your resolve when you have sailed so hard, so long, fought tooth and nail for every position, and then spend 20 minutes trying to overcome the last 50 yards of 50 miles while your competitors grimace in pain and exertion while trying to regain that position which they had previously thought to have lost. The boat that was on the horizon 5 minutes before is a mere whisper away and slowly inching to the finish. One more ounce of energy and resolve and it's yours! It's the Steeplechase Damnit! Into the creek and over the woods with yeee. If a little silt will stand in your way, this race is not for you. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

well said Jake

That's funny cuz out of the 8 or 9 Steeplechases that I did, we could sail across the line at Anne's Beach on about 6 of 'em. Those definitely were better racing than dragging your boat over mud. The flats on the backside are the test, not leaving the mark on the beach at Anne's where the RC took it out of the truck. Be kinda nice if the boat could float , even with no-one on it.
Man, Jake, you been takin' 'roids or something ya sound alot tougher on here than I remember you. But then again you know me I'm just a Wuss.
Todd

Is there a results post someplace? I'd like to see all the competitors & boat types.

Cheers!
Mike.

I do believe Jake you just "scratched the line in the silt." Will I cross it or not. Very nice.

Hey Jake ,
If you wanna be grimmacing in pain and over exerted, how 'bout doin' a bottom job on my blue boat, since you did such a pretty job on Franks. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />Plus that'll give you a chance to bulk up those muscles so you can lay off the steroids.
I was going to get Bill Hendricks to do it but he had to quit foolin' w/ gel-coat. health reasons.
Todd

...that won't show up at any regattas...

Oh snap.

Not that your at.

This race is what it is. It was my first attempt and I new exactly what I was getting into. I had been looking forward to it for a year, and despite the issues I had, I had a great time and can't wait to try again next year. For me, this event is as much an adventure as it is a race. The first day finish, the sand bars and mangroves, and the navigation that's required are all a part of what make this race unique. Those that finish have not only finished the race, but have conquered the course.

My hero!

Boyyyy...you sher gotta perty mouth.


<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I think you may have gotten your strong pills and your estrogen mixed up.
So when do ya want me to drop the boat off. I'll leave the gel-coat on your porch.

any chance at seeing TEAM CAT FEVER come out of retirement for the Tybee 500 this year???? I am hoping thats the big push to get the bottom of the blue boat all shiney!?!

There's a slight chance, and yep that'd be the reason. As long as you guys will be there to help me pull my boat up:).Life threw a few curve balls at me this year, if I can dodge 'em next year I hope to do some more racin'.
Todd

I would definitely hook a brother up if I had the time to manage my own life at the moment...regretfully, though, the docket is full and will probably be that way for the next year. I didn't miss the curve balls...they're pretty big.

Two Blue Balls at Tybee this year? Somebody better start doing more sailing and less talking.

Loose some weight, get some sponsors and do the Tybee with me. How's that for talk. Ball's(blue or not) in your court.Team Sunnucks (on an 18ht) named mine "The Blue Freight Train" during the first Tybee. Jake can have [color:"blue"]Balls [/color] all to himself.
Jake, I may end up doing the bottom myself, if so I may be giving you a shout w/ some questions. The few people that I've found that can do it are either too busy or outrageously expensive.
Todd

no problem. I learned a lot of "what not to do" last time.

Keep in mind the name of the race: Key Largo Steeplechase. That includes all things in the way of completing the course.
There is not always mud flats that shallow at Anne's Beach, but it was extremely low tide this year. Not much I can do about it except wait for more Global Warming so that the flats will be 10' deep. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
I did walk the outer mark out quite a ways and noted that the water never got any deeper. So, there it was.
Interestingly, most of the sailors did a fine job of making the finish quickly, without slogging through the mud. The object is to sail across the line and it can and could be done, and was done by most of the fleet.
As Jake said, your best bet is to be sure and overstand so you are reaching to the line.
As a war story, I remember sailing the race with my new Mystere 6.0. All the way down Hawk Channel in deep water the rudders kept kicking up. It was driving me nuts.
Then when we hit the flats they got stuck down. We had to drag the boat on its side to the finish.
My son Dave sailed a Mystere in the Worrell and now calls the design "Mis-Steer."
My other great experience was with a G-Force. Thinking it would be nice to not have to worry about boards, I bravely went at it. Only to discover that the boat is very, very deep without the boards. Again, we had to drag the boat across the mud.

I used to have a motocross track in Ohio. A couple of riders asked me to cut down the size of one of the jumps.., they said they had to slow down for it to be safe..!
Duh! This is Motocross, dumby.

Very similar.
Rick