Just saw this.

(CNN) -- More than two years after losing the space shuttle Columbia and its seven crew, NASA said Friday it has set May 15 as its target date for once again launching shuttles into space.

The Atlantic 1000 will be going through there on the Tuesday before the launch which is on Saturday. How will this effect the race?

Mike Hill
www.stlouiscats.com

We will have to go anywhere from 1 mi to 3 mi out around the Cape, depending on how serious they decide to become at that time. We'll be briefed at the manager's meeting on exactly what to do and will be given waypoints to clear on the way around, so nothing is left to chance. They do come out in force if you get too close, and if you go inside the waypoints you will be penalized. I remember using a certain blue boat as a pick a couple years back. They came over yelling at me to go 3 mi out, so we jibed and started to go out. I looked over my shoulder and they sped over to Foghorn, who we were battling with at the time, so we hooked back in for the nice shore breeze. Luckily they had their hands full with the rest of the fleet. I don't plan on having the 50 cals pointed at me again Will be cool to see the shuttle on the pad again, about time!

The problem 2 years ago was that proper clearance to go within three miles of the base wasn't gained before hand. There is an absolute no-go zone within 1 mile of shore and some sort of second zone 3 miles from shore. I got the impression that even regular boaters were to stay clear of the 3 mile zone without approval. For the second running of the Tybee, there was a lot of negotiating and string pulling to get clearance to go within the 3 mile zone. We were told that if we went within the 1 mile zone without a good damn reason that our boats would be confiscated.

I wonder if maybe they will force the race to go outside the 3 mile zone (ouch) since the launch date is so close?

So I guess I should go ahead and wrap my boat up in that radar absorbing tape.

Jake, I somehow dont remeber the confiscation of the boat, I must have been stuck on the prior statement of "shoot to kill" from the gunboats, and there "are plenty of eyes" watching you, "you cant see us but we can see you". There was a starched commander there who was all business, no smiles or jokes when he told us this. I got the impression they were in control of "thier" space.

Dave Mosley
www.teamseacats.com