This is my first year as a true lubber in a long while - feels kinda weird for me to be a spectator instead of on the road for a couple of weeks.

Some of the team managers get together each year to place overall and daily side wagers - generally payable in hops and barley. In the spirit of that friendly, cooperative, "let's get to the finish line" attitude, let's get some chatter going. Who's your horse this year? Been watching the weather? Seacats has a time-guess contest like Tommy Bahama has done in the past - that's always fun to watch. It was amazing that there were guesses from some people that were consistently VERY CLOSE to the actual times, once or twice actually within seconds.

Me? I'm pullin' for the homeboys in the I-20 fleet - Kirk and Glenn have been training, they're better prepared than some probably expect, and they've taken on some new shore crew. It'll be tight up front early between them and Krantz/Lennard and Casey/Sonnenklar. Tybee will pull their normal late-game freight-train move to challenge starting day three.

6.0s? It's all about the Bliss - if he can keep Brandy interested and awake, it'll be straight bullets. I can't choose who'll come out on top in the scrap for second.

Or I could be all wrong. What's your guess?

TEAM SKIPPER/CREW BOAT TYPE
Tybee Island Steve Lohmayer/Kenny Pierce I-20
Space Coast Tom Leobold/Mark Herendeen I-20
Jaypro Sports Michael Ferrera/Roy Okurowski N6.0
Weather Mark Sailing Mike Krantz/David Lennard I-20
Windy Hill Racing J.D. Solomon/Frank Moore I-20
Seacats David Mosely/Jake Kohl I-20
Semp Toshiba Duncan Ross/Roberto Pandiani I-20
Morada Curt Johnson/Eric Norman N6.0
OZ Rick Bliss/Brandy Wood N6.0
Castrol John Casey/Jay Sonnenklar I-20
Key Sailing Kirk Newkirk/Glenn Holmes I-20
Mezzo Speed Frank DiMeo/Adam Szepesi N6.0
OBXCC Charles Thuman/Jon Britt N6.0
Brevard Challenge Brian Karr/Chuck Harnden I-20
Team Lowen Terry Lowen/Rick Lowen I-20
Howard's Pub Doug Kirby/Andy Herbick I-20

John, I wish them all luck! I hope that Rick and Brandy take it for the 6.0s! They are quite a team! I have to root for Dave Mosley, and Jake Kohl because though we haven't met, I feel that Cat Cult kinship from their posts here! I will be rooting for Accelerated Chaos in the Outer Banks 500 since they are Fleet brothers. Wish I could be there!

So what about picks in the OBX500 and an overall Atlantic 1000 champion?

Team Tybee (Kenny Pierce and Steve Lohmayer)-I20
Team Weathermark Sailing(Mike Krantz & Dave Lennard)-I20
Team Cat Fever (Todd Hart and Bart Hall)-I20
Team Chesapeake (John McLaughlin and Steve Titus) -I20
Accelerated Chaos(Chris & Nate Titcomb) -I20 (they are selling the 6.0)
Team Howard’s Pub (Doug Kirby & Andy Herbick )-I20
Team Semp Toshiba (Duncan Ross and Roberto Pandiana) -I20

Newkirk & Homes up the east coast.

Bliss on the 6.0

Can I pick mid-week or so? First blush is Steve and Kenny for the overall, but I want to see what shapes up as the current high pressure system breaks up on Monday night. Could be a heavy-weather sailor's dream by next weekend...

Duncan Ross and Betao Pandiane are the same guys who went from the Horn to Antartida in a H21 clone some time ago.
They could win - but only if the conditions are similar...

Cheers,

Kick their butts Kenny and Steve! Miami Yacht Club is pullin' for ya!
Good luck to Jake and Dave. Mark H., GO BUDDY!

Tybee Island Steve Lohmayer/Kenny Pierce I-20
Castrol John Casey/Jay Sonnenklar I-20
Seacats David Mosely/Jake Kohl I-20
OZ Rick Bliss/Brandy Wood N6.0
Space Coast Tom Leobold/Mark Herendeen I-20
Jaypro Sports Michael Ferrera/Roy Okurowski N6.0
Weather Mark Sailing Mike Krantz/David Lennard I-20
Windy Hill Racing J.D. Solomon/Frank Moore I-20

Semp Toshiba Duncan Ross/Roberto Pandiani I-20
Morada Curt Johnson/Eric Norman N6.0


Key Sailing Kirk Newkirk/Glenn Holmes I-20
Mezzo Speed Frank DiMeo/Adam Szepesi N6.0
OBXCC Charles Thuman/Jon Britt N6.0
Brevard Challenge Brian Karr/Chuck Harnden I-20
Team Lowen Terry Lowen/Rick Lowen I-20
Howard's Pub Doug Kirby/Andy Herbick I-20

20 from 90 degrees for the start, clocking to 112 by the finish. Chuck's starting them from a ways off the beach to try for a one-legged beat to the corner near Biscayne Bay and the spinnaker reach to Hollywood. They'll start on a heading of about 70 degrees and finish around 358 or so...

JC and Jay won the start - Newkirk third, Tybee fourth. They're off!

Hope they're all carrying the big hairy ones - they'll need them!

Dave

Yeah, my money would have to be on Duncan Ross, being South African, although 1000 miles is a bit short for this team, unless it`s done without any stops ! South America to Antarctica is only one of the silly things they`ve done, check their web-site.

Cheers
Steve

Bliss

and racing flat out one-design are two completely different animals.

If Duncan's team hasn't done a lot of straight up racing they just may be out gunned.

Dsve

Breeze is holding up, sun is out.

ssssssssssmokin'!

I'm going to go with Tybee. Although I think JC/Jay have the edge on this point of sail. Jib reaching in the open ocean is JC's thing, but just to play along I'm going with Tybee :-)

Dave

I'm gonna teeeellll, I'm gonna teeeellll!

JC's sooooo gonna kick your butt!

There are some things that JC doesn't need to know.

Pandiani is no newcomer to long distance adventures as well. He brought two H21s from Miami to S.Paulo (Brazil) sailing through the Caribe and Amazon.

There's another famous name in their team, Scheidt, probably the brother of Robert Scheidt, 5 times Laser World champion, also from Brazil.

But long distance racing is not only about resistance, planning or names - it's about SPEED. I don't think he has that much racing experience, so I guess he is crewing for Ross.

Nice job, Dave - you picked 'em. I didn't see your name in the results of the SeaCats guessing game - dust off that crystal ball again, buddy. Tomorrow's another screamer. No 'chutes today, but after they get to West Palm tomorrow, the colors are comin' out, I reckon.



Got Chicken?? Gonna need it!!