They NOW have control of the Surf Cam and are actually panning between boats and zooming in and out from each boat. Never seen the guys move that cam before and I live a few hundred yards to the south of it.

The crazy thing is I am typing on this dump when I should be down there! What a great day for a sail. The wind is offshore and the water FLAAAAAT with nice air building, especially for so early.

Kelly

I think we may have overloaded the BR's Web Cam server...

That start was pretty jumpy!

What a fantastic day for a sail...

Keep 'em coming boys - the Cookout at Quagmires awaits - just around the corner of two more Capes!

That was great, watching a morning start live in the afternoon in deepest darkest Wales.

It's even more impressive IMAGINING YOU watching the start from Wales in your afternoon! One of the great things about the Net. It's publishing for the everyman...

This day is just a perfect one to gather your bearings and wits, licking some wounds, all in preparation for the beginning of the hardest part of the entire OBX 500/Atlantic 1000.

The sailing appears to be everything they could ask for from such a leg. From WB, it's clear skies and the sea breeze has kicked in for an excellent WB to Atlantic Beach run. Wish I was out there.

kh

Here they come.
Rick

Excitement!

Predictions:

Tybee
A/C
Semp
Chesie
Cat Fever

1) Tybee
2) Toshiba
3) Chesapeake
4) Chaos
5) Cat Fever

Story and pix within a 1/2 hour or so
Rick

Well...

I got Frist and Fifth correct!

Way to go - again - Johnny McLaughlin!!!

Apparently there is no cell phone service here at the ferry. I can't call my voice mail and could not call home. Sorry, out of connection except for this.
Rick

Cape Lookout isn't THAT difficult to get around. Just don't get so close that you're in the breakers.

EDIT: I say this as someone who has sailed around beaufort inlet a lot, not as someone who has done this race before.

EDIT: Please be careful guys, there was a great white spotted off the outer banks this past weekend. Pretty Unusual.

So no one has called in the start details? Where's ole Walter Cooper when you need him? Actually, why isnt Walter covering the races anymore? Rick/Mary are doing a great job but Walter's perspective was an additional photographic plus (and he had some GREAT gear).

Here's to hoping the Outer Banks 500, the second leg of the Atlantic 1000, picks up in interest and esteem. Sad there has been a dropoff in the forum activity. Actually, here's hoping the Atlantic 1000 does as well.

Here's a somewhat mediocre shot from a digital I grabbed during conclusion of the Wrightsville leg from right in front of my place. It's an interesting perspective of how these cats look to beach goers down the way. Notice those in the surf, totally oblivious (one pale standby might be gazing in the area). I have seen this throughout the years. A whole FLOCK of 20ft cats would be streaming by outside and the average beachgoer is looking at a freckle on his or her arm.



kh

The boats are in sight, and the leaders should be arriving at the finish line on Ocracoke Island within 15-20 minutes.

Waiting to Exhale!

Interesting. Toshiba was first to Cape Lookout, ahead of Team Tybee. But Toshiba headed out to sea and Tybee jibed in and stayed along the shoreline -- this gave Tybee the lead to the finish line.

Cat Fever would have finished 3rd but they got lost and sailed well past the finish line before realizing their mistake. They had to sail back upwind to the finish, which let Accelerated Chaos in to take 3rd.
Chesapeake is still not in sight.

So the finish positions are:
1 -- Tybee
2 -- Toshiba
3 -- Chaos
4 -- Cat Fever

Oh No...

John Mclaughlin has a thing for Portsmouth Island

Here's what happened to John McLaughlin.

One of the Titcombs fell off Accelerated Chaos and got separated from the boat. McLaughlin was ahead of them but came back and retrieved the wayward crew and returned him to Accelerated Chaos.

But John has a broken spinnaker pole, so he is limping in sans spinnaker.

That's why he is STILL my hero!!

WOW! Talk about keeping your eyes open! Way to go John!

What a display of sportsmanship and being the man.

If any of you have seen Rick Parsley's post on the open forum relative the OBX Great White Shark - here is a link to the video of the beast taken from a local Charter Fishing Boat - "The Poacher"...

Shark Footage

There is link to the video near the top of the page!

They are estimating that it's 12-15 feet long (The boat they are on is a 40 footer) and that it may weigh as much as 1500 pounds!