Contact: Mark Herendeen, Endurance Sail Series,
321-863-4426
mark@cyberspeed.cc

Endurance Sail Series Event 6: Steeple Chase 2008 (Key Largo, FL, December 19, 2008)

The 25th Annual Steeple Chase hosted by Catamaran Sailor Magazine successfully completed the running of this Key Largo distance race having taken 42 sailor-athletes on 21 high performance catamarans 110 statute miles around the Key Largo. As one the most popular races in the USA for difficulty, competition followed by logistics 14 Endurance Sail Series teams entered this demanding race with 6finishing in the top,10 of the Sail Series showing participations pays off. The race course was an exhilarating drag race right from the first day start with an expected 20-30 knots out of the north becoming gusty 18–20 north east throughout most of Saturday. Attrition and fatigue can wreak havoc on even some of the best these sailors though every boat completed the first day and all sailor-athletes would have enough time to rest overnight before attempting the second leg or day two. Entering the race Carbon Cruising needed to finish good enough to win the Sail Series and did, followed by Team Philips and Marley’s Yellow of the 3 Marley team boats, including Marley’s White finishing 7th in race and 9th overall for the Sail Series. Langefield’s Team DIYC remained in top 10 of both Steeple Chase and Sail Series, proving persistence can payoff. The second day can demand finesse driving and choreographed crew work depending on wind angles as the fleet heads up north through the Intracoastal Waterway slicing through a steeple chase gauntlet of water born obstacles for these high performance multihull catamaran sailboats 16 to 20 feet long.

As the fleet shot through the start and rounded up through the Channel 5 Bridge heading North back to the Key Largo finish, it was a challenge to safely maximize the strong easterly 18-20 knot winds, and shallow water. Many teams are very seasoned to open ocean/water racing and often have sailors on board for their physical durability and tactical sail trim work so they can last for the entirety of the race. Most of the fleet had to deal with a close point as the wind was not completely from the east and made for a lot of work by the crews to trim the sails for speed giving drivers safe and efficient small maneuvers. Once more, while racing was very demanding, all boats completed the 2nd day of racing with no injuries, though everyone was exhausted and happy to get some more rest. Bob Walke’s wooden tornado of Team Wiki Wiki, Livingston’s Spirit of Barth tornado, Herendeen’s a-cat Space Coast, F16 Team McDonald, and the N20 BMW On a Cat round the other teams in the Sail Series top 10. Complete results are found in the links at the end of the story. The championship saw an increase in the number of the 56 Endurance Sail Series registered teams heading into this Key Largo Steeplechase as sailor-athlete used this right-of-passage long distance race as an exclamation point for 2008 heading into the 2009 racing season. The next Sail Series event confirmation and scheduling may include the Everglades Challenge come March 2009. Check www.sailseries.com for updates on scheduling.

The Endurance Sail Series is a Florida based series for sailor-athletes who have a fair amount of experience and feel comfortable sailing in all types of wind and sea conditions. The Sail-Series attracts a wide array of talented and experienced sailor-athletes from serious recreational sailors, continental championship contenders, to potential Olympic hopefuls all wrapped around beautiful scenery, a healthy sport, and a fun social atmosphere; providing a challenge for all experience levels. Some of the events are in lakes/rivers and others are out in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico with distances from 30 miles to 120 miles.

Series Website: www.sailseries.com
EVENT: http://www.catsailor.com/Steeplechase/SteepleStory08.html (www.catsailor.com)
www.TonyKellerPhotography.com


Mark Herendeen
321-863-4426
Fax 866-504-9071