Sunday afternoon and the sailors are preparing for their 10AM start tomorrow.
Skipper's Meeting will be a 5:30 this afternoon.

As for the Atlantic 1000 there are only two teams continuing the race -- Team Tybee Island (with Brian Lambert replacing the injured Steve Lohmayer) and Team Semp Toshiba. At this point they are the only teams competing for the overall race. Tybee leads Toshiba by an hour and 16 minutes.

Stay tuned here for Hotline updates over the next week.., as we will be calling in info to Mary to post while we are not hooked up to the internet from on the front.

Rick

Here we go. The boats have left the beach at Tybee Island and are off on the first leg of the Outer Banks 500 (seventh leg of the Atlantic 1000).

Team Tybee got off to a great start and has the early lead.

The wind is light out of the east-northeast, so no spinnakers this morning. Almost no surf -- they bounced over one little ripple and were on their way. When the sea breeze fills in later, it should build to 10-15 out of the southeast.

This leg is 83 miles, so Rick is estimating they won't get to Isle of Palms for about 7-8 hours.

The only two boats continuing on in the Atlantic 1000 are Team Tybee and Semp Toshiba. Steve Lohmayer is no longer on Tybee -- he dropped out because of an injured hand. He has been replaced by Brian Lambert.

The other three teams in this five-boat fleet are:
Cat Fever -- Todd Hart and Bart Hall
Chesapeake -- John McLaughlin and Steve Titus
Accelerated Chaos -- Chris Titcomb and Nate Titcomb

Best of Luck to ALL and Here's to a safe trip to KDH!

We'll be waiting at the Cape...

Before anybody calls or e-mails about it, we are aware that Rick's photos did not show up in his story for the start of the Outer Banks. He is already on his way to Isle of Palms, so he will have to fix it when he gets there this afternoon.

Five boats total???? This was really unfortunate news here as I was looking forward to a full fleet landing at our beach in Wrightsville, just like Worrell 1000 days!

I really want to congratulate Tybee and Toshiba for having the will to continue on just as if this were the REAL 1000 miles race of old, albeit with a one day layover to rest.

I am really surprised more teams did not attempt the full race as there were always a good number for the Worrell. Perhaps the promotion of the even as two separate races hurt this aspect. I think the Worrell 1000 was such a unique event in racing that it deserves to be carried on in some form and hopefully with a full fleet of participants. Seems strange that Team Castrol didnt continue when they have been in past 1000s.

Does ANYONE know the status of the Worrell 1000 and why Mike Worrell dropped the ball here? IT seemed to be getting MORE AND MORE notice in the media the years before it went down last year after the format change. Strangely, I thought it was getting stronger before this implosion.

Still, I commend those that ARE going in the Outer Banks 500. Hope it's a great race. Just sad to see it losing much of the Tybee 500 steam as far as numbers go. I know some had to drop out for unfortunate reasons but where are the other guys?

Kelly

If you search on these and other sailing forums, you'll dig up the dirty truth of why the Worrell isn't being run, nor will it ever be run again.

Basically it comes down to undelivered promises, unrefunded money, and a handful of lawsuits.

Kelly,

I wouldn't worry too much about it just yet. The OBX 500, Tybee500, and the Atlantic 1000 are very young. I'm excited that the OBX and Tybee provide an event that us working stiffs can do with regular vacation time. I think we will see both of these events continue to grow in the future. The race organization was great - especially considering that this was only the second running of the Tybee500. It will just take a little time for them to grow and reach the same acclaim as the Worrell had.

Rick is at Isle of Palms. Wind has picked up to about 15 but still ENE, so probably no spinnakers. Rick said it looks like long starboard-tack legs and short hitches on port tack.

On pain of death he has promised to let me know as soon as he sees anything resembling a sailboat on the horizon.

There's a boat on the way in, coming real fast, not identified yet except that it is a catamaran.

False alarm. Turned out to be somebody sailing for fun off the beach somewhere west of the finish line.

New report, though, of two boats on the horizon (as seen from a third floor).

This is getting to be like a video game. The false alarm was a false alarm. That boat they dismissed as being a recreational sailor turned out to be Team Tybee, and they are now on the beach. The other two boats seen on the horizon are on their way.

Apparently, nobody on the beach has binoculars.

2nd to the beach is Accelerated Chaos
3rd is Semp Toshiba.
Projected for 3rd is Chesapeake
Projected for 4th is Cat Fever.

There is a rumor that there will be a live band tonight at the Windjammer, so if you happen to be in the area, stop in and get some autographs from people who look like sailors.

What a great leg! We have posted pictures on our website at AcceleratedChaos.com
looking forward to the rest of the week.
Team Accelerated Chaos
www.acceleratedchaos.com

Part of me missing being out there with you guys - what an adventure! Keep up the great sailing Chris and Nate! Go get Team Tybee for us!

Jake, what you are saying reguarding the Tybee 500/OBX500 Atlantic 1000 makes good sense. The races ARE young and Tybee surely has a great start. From the looks of it, OBX 500 has a good underpinning too, this from afar. I hope that these two events will meld into one to meet and surpass the success of the Worrell 1000.

I just wish more boats had opted to enter and complete the whole Atlantic 1000 as if it was ONE race instead of the two; they just needed to think of it as a 1000 of yore with a DAY layover!

Regardless, here is wishing success for the whole campaign. I have really enjoyed following the races over the years (since 1981) and was looking forward to seeing the teams come through Wrightsville Beach again, especially after missing last year. I hope there is a crowd at the Blockade Runner waiting on the 19th and there to see them off on the 20th.

It appeared to be a great first day of racing for the OBX 500. I really think special notice should go to Team Accelerated Chaos, who despite their name, managed to do EXTREMELY well on only their THIRD time both have been on an Inter20 together! Insane. Their site has some nice shots of the event as well. Surprised Tybee is still running with their old site (Man, I miss the days of Tommy Bahama with their tracking map and excellent site). Of courrse, thanks to Cat Sailor for providing this medium for exchange as well as minute to minute details. I try to check here daily.

Look forward to seeing the teams Wednesday!

Kelly
Wrightsville Beach, NC
www.beneteau235.com

Kelly,

You do realize what a terrific effort is required to actually put together a sailing campaign up the coast for two weeks? I remember someone posted the $ figures, saying that it costs no less than $30,000 per year per team to do the whole 1000 miles. Thats a significant chunk of change even with sponsorship.

Plus, leaving work for two weeks is not possible for most people.

Jut trying to shed some light as to why there aren't that many doing the full 1000. The race was split so that amateur racers could compete with the rockstars.

Indeed, I do realize the cost. In talking with Martin Willard and others, the figure of 25,000 came up as what might be needed to be really competitive in the later years of the Worrell 1000. Wrightsville Beach's own Blockade Runner sponsored Randy Smyth for a number of years before he moved on to other things due to time(He totally dominated the Worrell 1000 for many years). The figures it took to be competitive at this level, both physically and financially, were not for the faint of heart or pocketbook. Yet, I think others have done this race with much, much less, this from talking to a number of sailors over the years.

Still, in order to REALLY attract the media and garner the attention that the Worrell 1000 brought, I think the full 1000 needs to be a strong force. It was such a milestone in cat racing, moving from the Hobie 16 all the way to the Inter20, and challenging what was deemed "SANE" on a small, open catamaran, that it needs to keep this aura intact to keep the interest and awe that surrounded this race alive and well.

I am at a mystery as to why Team Castrol didn't continue since the tight race between Tybee was surely compelling and a GREAT story that would have continued up the coast, and in my view, brought more attention/interest as it built. It was some of the tightest racing in the history of the event!

As for the one week vs two point, I agree. Surely this is much easier to navigate. Yet the full two week Worrell event always managed to attract a full showing, from big fish and small, amateur and pro.

I just hope the new races build quickly with the Atlantic 1000, as a whole, getting the attention and focus it deserves to keep the tradition of the Worrell 1000 alive and kicking.

One thing is for sure, the racing is still just as excellent...

Kelly
www.beneteau235.com

I wanted to get anyone's thoughts on this aspect of the Atlantic 1000. Although this is obviously TWO distinct races, I was wondering how the organizers deal with the fact that of the two boats doing the FULL 1000, one of them, which happens to be the leader, Team Tybee, has removed Tybee 500 skipper Steve Lohmayer and replaced him with Brian Lambert, surely a big name in the Worrell 1000 (see Team Alexanders-by-the-Bay). Meanwhile, Semp-Toshiba appears to be continuing on with the SAME SKIPPER AND CREW as the first half of the race. Normally, a penalty would be given for switching of crew - I can't remember if a skipper switch is even allowed... perhaps so. At the least, I think SOME penalty should occur when looking at the WHOLE Atlantic 1000 scenerio. I see this as a great advantage to have a fresh skipper not to mention one with tremendous experience in some of the most challenging conditions in the history of the Worrell.

IF given a time penalty, this would put Semp-Toshiba and Tybee almost neck and neck, making for more exciting racing. In my view, I think it's pretty fair and even handed as well. I wonder if Semp-Toshiba complained about this change? While it might be fine if judging JUST the Outer Banks 500, in my opinion, the results of the Atlantic 1000 should REFLECT this change.

Kelly

The first skipper change does not come with a penalty if it is due to injury... I like it that way. If Tybee were to replace Kenny or Brian from this point on, I'm not sure if they would get a penalty for the OBX portion, but they should for the A1000 portion. Since they're organized as separate races, I guess they would then be carrying two times.

I understand Steve's hand sprain is really painful - hats off to him for gutting it out to stick with JC in the first half. In fact, I was impressed with the sportsmanship across the board for the Tybee, such as Jake and Dave not taking advantage of the half-hour rule and teams swapping parts on the beach. Seems like there were a couple of Worrells right at the end where sportsmanship suffered a little.

Keep rockin' OBX fleet!