Here is the full press release from Michael Worrell:
PRESS RELEASE

The management of the Worrell 1000 regrets to announce that the 2003 Worrell 1000 is cancelled. A key investor defaulted on his financial commitment to fund the acquisition of charter boats and subsequent efforts for alternate financing simply ran out of time. Neither Bimare Catamarans, the North American Bimare Distributor, W.F. Oliver, nor the F-18HT class share any responsibility in this matter.

Worrell 1000 management will now focus completely on making the 2004 Worrell 1000 the most successful event ever. The 2004 race will start on Sunday, May 9 and finish on Saturday, May 22 and will be sailed on the Nacra F-18, a Formula 18 class boat manufactured by Performance Catamarans of Santa Ana, CA. http://www.performancecat.com
As special compensation for those teams who paid their Worrell 1000 entry fees for the 2003 race in compliance with the rules of entry schedule, a special discount will be made for the 2004 event. Teams leaving the $5,000 entry fee on file in our escrow account shall receive a credit of $3,000 dollars toward next year's entry fee.

To receive a FULL REFUND send a request in writing to:

Worrell 1000
P.O. Box 446
Virginia Beach, VA 23458-0446

Teams that receive a FULL REFUND will still be credited $1,500 towards next year's entry fee which includes three rooms, vehicles, charter boat, and safety package.

Rental Vehicles
http://www.worrell1000.com/penske.html

Hotels
http://www.worrell1000.com/c_checkpointinfo.html#end

With my most sincere regrets,

Mike Worrell
Race Director / Founder
Worrell 1000
Post Office Box 446
Virginia Beach, VA 23458-0446
U.S.A.
Telephone: 757-422-1000
Facsimile: 757-422-1099
Web Site: http://www.worrell1000.com
Email: [email]mworrell@worrell1000.com [/email]

What a shame! I will certainly miss following it on this website! Rick and Mary my thanks for the great job you've done in the past. I am a fan of the Tour de France, but the Worrell is by far my favorite major sporting event! I hope all the competitors are able to take Mark Michaelson's view/attitude, and will plan to race next year! All the best to you all, Brian McCarter

Brian
Mark does have a good attitude about the Worrell, but our team is real disappointed about not having the race this year.
I think a lot of teams spent a lot more than the 5,000 entry fee. Our team bought a boat to practice with and prepare (it seemed to break something about every time we went out)just for the worrell - $13,000, new sails - $2,500, new boards - $800, new rudders - $600, and new rigging, flares and equipment, shirts with sponsors and the name worrell 1000 2003 on them, plus lots of money spent traveling and practicing.
As far as the 2004 Worrell, I don't think that there are very many teams getting that kind of sponsorship to be able to afford to enter. The years I have been in the race as a sailor or ground crew there were very few teams that had a 30,000 dollar sponorship. It would be hard for me to go buy a Narca F18 to practice on when I already own a Tiger, but if you want to be competitive you need to get the boat tuned and learn how to sail it fast before the race. I also think Mike will have a harder time getting the race going next year with all those charter boats, rental trucks, charts and equipment. The race is just getting to complex and there does not seem to be any big sponsors.
This is the first year for the Tybee 500 and I bet there will be 40 entries more than any Worrell 1000. Why? Because it does not cost so much, you can bring the boat you own - you don't have to go out and buy a new boat every year. If Mike Worrell would have chosen to do the race on the I 20 this year we would all be going down to South Beach in a few weeks because teams already had boats and equipment.
I hope Mike Worrell can pull it off and have a great race in 2004 and find a big sponsor.

Just my opinion

D Lennard

What I still don't understand is WHY oh WHY teh Worrell doesn't go true Formula 18 and allow all boats Mysteres, Tigers, Nacras, The lot ! To compete

Participation garanteed, more then enough boats in the US already. You wanted foreign participation ? Well with the F18 set up you've got it.

Do away with that charter boat [censored] and let everybody bring their own boat or lend one from a friend. The number of tigers and Nacra F18's is already bigger than any charter boat type can supply. And it shaves off a [censored] load of costs.

The answer is so easy and still so much ignored.

Wouter

I'm with Wouter. Why not start the first REAL formula event in the US? (face it - even our formula classes consist of one manufacturer's boat) Nacra's F18 certainly needs a boost in the U.S. and having it as the Worrell boat in 2004 might be what it needs - but I don't think the Worrell needs it. If you look at it from the Worrell standpoint, there aren't many Nacra F18s in the U.S. now and that means that almost every team will have to buy a boat. After being stung with buying a Bimare this year, that's asking a lot.

I'm sure the mood is not cheery in the Worrell camp, but I find it interesting that the "official" web site for the race has yet to post their own press release announcing the race cancellation. It has the eerie feeling of a ghost town on that page . . .

I think it would have been nice for Mike Worrell to have contacted the the teams before canceling the race to see what their thoughts were after all it takes racers to have a race. There were a lot of teams that already had boats and the 10 charter boats from the alter cup. I think there could have been at least 20 to 25 boats for the race. Mike could have given credits to teams using there own boat and had a drawing for the remaning charter boats. It would have been nice to be asked our thoughts.
I think a F 18 format would be great and bring your own boat and have some charters for overseas teams. F 18 is already big overseas. Leave the prize money out of it or keep the amount small so teams come to have fun and work together to make it up the coast.
I do the race for fun and the challenge of the ocean and good competition [color:"blue"] [/color]

On closer examination, I see that the page listing registered teams has been quietly removed from the www.worrell1000.com site. That being the case, I'm appalled by the organizers' insensitivity and lack of direct communication with the sailing community that has supported the event over the years.

For fans of the race that don't frequent this catsailor site there must be some head scratching going on. (Then again, we know that this site is THE source for the latest info )

Don't be sad and come to Europe,

Registration for Round TEXEL starts today !

http://www.roundtexel.com/index.asp?ID_Language=2&ID_Group=1

the political climate between my home country and europe is not encouraging recreational travel :P

We just received an email copy of a story by Lee Tolliver from The Virginia-Pilot ad in Virginia Beach, VA. The story is as follows:
Promoter cancels catamaran race
By LEE TOLLIVER, The Virginian-Pilot
© April 1, 2003


VIRGINIA BEACH — The 2003 Worrell 1000 catamaran race has been canceled because financing for the event has fallen through.
The 20-year-old sailboat race from South Beach Miami to Virginia Beach was scheduled for May 4-17 this year.


“I had a private financial backer default on me,” said Mike Worrell, the race’s founder and director. “I ran out of time and had to cancel.


''Every waking hour was spent on this situation, and it was a very painful decision for me. But I couldn’t put the teams at further expense.”


Worrell’s race has had prior financial problems. In 1987, faced with mounting unpaid bills, Worrell sold the rights to the race. He reacquired the race in 1997.



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For teams entered this year, Worrell has promised to return the $5,000 entry fee, but that might not offset what most teams already have put into the race.


Many have purchased boats, equipment, plane tickets and spent considerable time and money in preparation for what was to be the race’s 21st running.


“Brian and I have put a lot of time and money into this year’s race,” said Jamie Livingston of two-time defending champion Alexander’s on the Bay.


Livingston’s teammate is Brian Lambert.


“We’ve been working on this boat to get it ready for this race, and it’s been a lot of prep work,’’ Livingston said. ''


But we started hearing about this a few weeks ago when we heard the boats hadn’t been sent yet. Mike hasn’t been very up front with people involved, and it’s going to hurt him. Our team and a lot of others have a lot invested, and now there’s nothing.


“Now he has these grandiose plans for next year and wants us to change boats again.”


Worrell said during last year’s race that the catamaran for this year would be an F-18HT Class made by Bimare, an Italian boat builder. The boats sell for about $14,000, according to W.F. Oliver, a North American distributor.


Instead of waiting for the boats Worrell was to make available, many teams opted to purchase their own boats so they could be fine-tuned and used for practice before the race.


Worrell says he still plans to hold a 2004 race but with yet another change in boats. His plan is to use a Nacra F-18. Also for the 2004 race, the registration fee will increase from $5,000 to at least $8,000. In addition, teams must make a $20,000 payment to an escrow account that will go toward a cash purse. Worrell said the purse will be $1 million if he has 50 entries.


“I can’t do it,” said Beetle Bailey, team manager for Alexander’s on the Bay. “We don’t have the money to keep up with Michael. All our money comes from donations and sponsorships, and I can’t keep asking them for more because he can’t make up his mind on what he’s doing.”


Several teams are angry about the late cancellation.


“It is very upsetting,” said Mike Eason of Team Rudee’s. “People have put a lot into this, and a month before it starts he cancels the race and changes boats.’’


Several teams already have plans to compete in the Tybee 500, a new catamaran race from Islamorada, Fla., to Tybee Island, Ga., from May 12-17. The success of that race could put Worrell’s 2004 plans in further jeopardy.


“This is the end of the road for him in my opinion,” said Randy Smyth, a six-time Worrell winner. “But I’m not shocked. Now he’s coming off the wall with this million- dollar thing. That’s not prize money; it’s a pyramid scam. “It’s ridiculous.”


Despite ill feelings in the sailing community, Worrell vows that the 2004 race will be bigger than ever. He says several European teams have e-mailed him to say they likely will participate next year.


“I’m very confident,” Worrell said. “People have written us off before, and I’m keenly aware that people are upset.


“But I had no choice.”


Reach Lee Tollliver at 222-5844 or at ltollive@pilotonline.com

Sadly, Randy may be right if some serious damage control isn't begun soon.

I see a huge lawsuit in Mr. Worrell's future.

I'm just curious about those teams that purchased boats for this years race only to find out that next years event has switched boats again?
Doesn't make sense.......
Cheers
Steve Fields

What's your home country? North Korea?
Europe loves America, it just dislikes its brainless president. Comments like yours are frightening.
But this is not a political forum.

I agree with the other replies here, you will have not have problems apart from the occasional person asking what your opinion on the issue is. But then again that is what happened when I was in the USA too. So no difference there.

This is of course assuming that the visitor doesn't display an "in you face attitude" because that may have the effect of waving a red flag.

And Oh yes, respect for proper protocol with respect to carrying flags on boats has recently gone through an extremely strong revival. Be sure to familiarize yourself with it.

Apart from that you will treated as an individual with character trades that some may like and others may not. No different from the past.

With dismay I read how new (virtual) enemies are created by the world leaders. Apart from a few terrorists these enemies simply only exist in the minds of scared people.

Wouter

I think the there were several mis-steps coming into this year's Worrell. As soon as the rumors started to float around about a $1mil. purse I laughed.

Now two of the highest reguarded Worrell sailors speak out. A major sponsor needs to pick up the race. Oracle, Barton, GM, someone like that needs to be involved to get a million dollar purse and good race management.

I think it will take more than a great sponsor - sailors are getting tired of putting up with a race dictated by one person even though he has done a good job in the past. It is just too much work for one person. None of the 2003 teams have gotton their money back yet as promised or even been able to talk to Mike. Why would anyone want to give him more money?

We did the Tybee 500 this year and it was run better than any of the three Worrell's that I attended. Chuck and all the officeals did a great job and many thanks. The Tybee is run by a comittee, not one person, and it is set up to accommodate the sailors. The race was also a lot less expensive and you did not have to go out and buy a new boat. The Tybee had more boats turn out than any past Worrell. There is also a rumor that OBX may pick up the second half of the race to make it a 1000 mile race next year. Just my thoughts from a sailor that has sailed both events.
Heading to Texas in the morning to sail in the Great Texas 300 (never been to Texas before).

See attachment.

Have Fun
Mike