For those of you considering undertaking an event like a Worrell 1000 I encourage you to be realistic about the cost of doing the event. While this past year's event didn't happen I suspect there will be an event in the future and if you have dreamed of sailing in it, start saving your pennies, quarters and dollars now.
Budget:
1 INTER 20 $15,000
1 Spare mast $2500
2 Spare daggerboards $600ish
1 Spare rudder assembly $850
1 Spare Sail set $3000 including battens
5 Air fare $3000 (Round trip for all five)
1 Van and trailer lease $2500 including gas
1 Gear, safety gear beach wheel $3200
1 Food for the team based on six people 3 meals a day $1900 including banquet at the end
1 Hotel rooms (3) $3200 X 16 nights total
1 Tools and other misc spares $1000
There are other costs but we figured $25-32,000 would be an adequate but not luxurious budget for the event. Based on the seminar I attended last October in Virginia Beach many of the experienced teams concurred with this budget.
Start saving now if you plan to sail in 2005 and begin your marketing push as most companies close their marketing budgets in October of the year previous of the "plan year" (ie the budgets for 2005 close in two weeks for larger companies).
Mark Michaelsen