Jake and Dave, Thanks again for the great race! I am so very glad things went so well! You even kept your wits when many would've been paralyzed by panic! Thanks for sharing your experiences!I was coping with a crisis at home. I am one of four caregivers for an elderly friend, who had a health crisis requiring round the clock care, and still had a very busy schedule at my regular job. I was only getting an hours sleep at a time, and the days were challenging. Following your race was a therapeutic distraction on my breaks. Your Cat Cult Brother, Brian

"first boat in each division wins his/her division."

That's all well and good. BUT...the point is your stated objective.
"You want serious hard core racing up the coast... Go ahead and out-run me...but do it with your talent and skill. "

Is trumped if I have the faster ride.

There are lots of options for the race that don't include handicapping.

As Carl suggests you could start open an hour later.

It all depends on what kind of race is desired.

Having run these things with out sponsorship money... I know that attendance is the number one factor. So... what rule do you think will gin up the most boats year after year.

I agree with most posters here regarding the Atlantic 1000/Tybee 500 as they pertain to open class vs. one design. My only caveat regarding the type of craft used lies in the principle of this distance race; if I recall it was supposed to be a race that "ordinary" people with "ordinary" boats could enter. [color:"red"]THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T consider "ordinary" as being the average Joe Sailor taking his buddy's boat out for a spin. There is very little ORDINARY about those that choose to battle the elements for hundreds of miles. Races of this magnitude demand sailors in top physical form, strong mental fortitude, equipment in excellent shape and design, and sheer grit [/color]

I prefer one design in my racing because I spend more time testing my skill against other sailors rather than spending time modifying my boat. Yes, this probably doesn't push the technology envelope, but it keeps my budget realistic. I'll leave the technological pursuits to big-budget folk.

If someone shows up with a 20' x 12' carbon fiber beast weighing 100 lbs and toting a solid foil wing for a sail at a cost of $100,000, it will most likely kill the competition. However, will this person be referred to as the best "SAILOR"?

So, I ask again - what are we looking to say at the end of this race? The best sailor? The best technology? The best skill? The best survior? I think the answer to this question may determine the race structure.

Your thoughts?

The man has nailed it!!!!!

Dave

OK

The goal is a rule which does this.
"Races of this magnitude demand sailors in top physical form, strong mental fortitude, equipment in excellent shape and design, and sheer grit

I prefer one design in my racing because I spend more time testing my skill against other sailors rather than spending time modifying my boat. Yes, this probably doesn't push the technology envelope, but it keeps my budget realistic. I'll leave the technological pursuits to big-budget folk"

So... Why also use the one design rule designed for buoy racing? Carl makes a valid point about saftey issues and such. Why not a more flexible rule such as used by Tornado or Formula 18 classes that would allow more teams to compete safely through inovation?

Take Care
Mark

I think this person would have to be the best swimmer because the boat wouldn't survive it. The kind of abuse that the boats endure during the Tybee/OBX 500 is shocking and that's in an easy year. I can't tell you how many times we became a submarine for a few seconds only to have the boat leap out of the water and keep rockin' on. An ultralight boat just wouldn't have the nadds to keep it up. This race is a great test of sailing in the real world where it's not always blowing a comfy 10 to 15 knots across flat water. Let there be an "open" class for experimental boats, it's a great venue for finding out what really works. But builders beware, if the vessel isn't tough, plan well for disaster.

I believe it's very doable to have a 300 pound 20x12 foot boat that would be as durable as any production boat built today. The only thing is it would cost a whole lot more than 17k. The Mastrom 20 comes to mind.

So, it's not durablity you have to worry about it's the pounding the crew would take as the boat decelerates and then takes off again as it goes though the waves ( 6-12 foot sees w/ 3-4 chop on top). This would absolutly wipe the team out. Hell, it's hard enough to stay on the boat now! Plus I'm sure these lightweight monsters would tend to get a little airborne, which again makes staying on the boat a challenge.

Dave

Hey Dave, sorry I didn't see your post. We took the girls up
to Disney last week and I was away from the computer. I would love to sail a distance race like the Tybee. Although my skill level at this point is nowhere close to where it needs to be for that type of an event. This July is my 1st. year anniversary for purchasing my Hobie AND learning how to sail. But this is the type of sailing I am definitely interested in. And that's the reason for the type of questions I ask. I also think there are a lot of details that could help someone in training to train better for this type of an event. And I think that someone like you and Jake have been great to shed light on some of these details. Like for instance the tennis elbow. Was this in both arms? did it affect your sailing or was it just an annoyance? Have you heard of anyone else having this problem? Should elbow braces be a standard part of the sailing gear for long distance races?

I find it incredible that you guys only had a half hour of training in the ocean before the race. And was that in the ocean or in the bay? Big difference there. I also learned a lot by watching all the boats struggle through the surf. I thought it was only me that was having difficulty with doing that, but I guess it is pretty common. Once this winter I pushed off - SOLO - in 20 knot onshore winds with very high surf and was able to do it. Of course I did a small triangle and returned to shore because I could barely control the boat!

anyway, thanks for your comments and input.

Soma,

In reality we collectively did have a little more than 30 minutes training in ocean sailing. We've both sailed in the ocean before - I've done Round The Island in Fort Walton (although that's usually quite flat) and other ocean events several times and had a Hobie 18 I sailed off the beach in Charleston frequently. We do still have a lot to learn about proper surf launching however. I think we were frequently slow through the surf because we were late getting our rudders down so we could sheet in and power up the main. However, we were consciously being conservative so we didn't damage the rudders with a bottom strike.

Regarding experience level - you can learn quickly. I've only been sailing for four years (excluding a few childhood experiences). Every race brings knowledge and prior to this I learned a lot sailing the Round the Island races where we almost always find ourselves sailing at night. I think this Tybee500 has brought me to a whole new level! It's all about getting out there and doing it.