Craig VanEaton and I sailed his Supercat 20 tall rig from Miami YC to Gilberts yesterday in 25 - 27 KNOTS gusting to 28 - 30, straight downwind. Survival mode, everything max depowered, nothing left to do but keep crew weight back and steer, rough ride.
Today is supposed to be the same or greater winds, but more of a reach, it will be interesting to see who starts, who finishes and who survives!

Been watching the weather. Can't wait to see the news on this one... fingers crossed for no damage and no injuries. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Okay, here's the story so far.
18 boats registered. 10 boats actually started. 9 boats went under Card Sound Bridge.

Here is the order going under Card Sound Bridge:
1 ARC 22 with Eric Roberts and Dave Weir
2 Nacra 20 Accelerated Chaos with Chris & Nate Titcomb
3 F-18 Capricorn with Olli Jason and Patrick Gilles
4 F-18 Nacra with Mike Krantz and Dave Lennard
5 Nacra 20 Team Tybee with John Casey and Kenny Pierce
6 Nacra 20 with Jake Kohl and Frank Moore
7 Hobie 16 with Michael Siau and Lindsay Young
8 Nacra 20 (not sure who)
9 Nacra 20 Cat in the Hat with Larry Ferber and Dale Larkin

The race got started almost an hour late because there was a tremendous wind-driven current going under the Jewfish Creek Bridge against the boats. It took 10 minutes for them to (almost) all get under, with lots of honking from the backed up car traffic, because the bridge normally has a five-minute maximum limit on opening.

Two boats were not able to make it through the bridge before it closed, so Rick White and Chip Short, on the "committee boat", took them under tow and were going to wait until the bridge could open again.

Unfortunately and ironically, right after the bridge closed, there was a car accident right in the middle of the bridge, so they had to wait until the cars could be pushed or towed off the bridge.

By the time they were finally able to get through the bridge and get to the starting line, it turned out they were not really late, because boats were still tacking up Jewfish Creek in the current.

Meanwhile, I had called the Coast Guard earlier to alert them about the race, and the officer on duty said, "Can't you do this race some other day?"

Current weather says 25-30 knots, gusting to 35, out of the northeast. Sounds like perfect spinnaker conditions. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

It is going to be interesting to see how the Hobie 16 does in these conditions, compared to the bigger boats.

Mary,

Didn't you guys register the boats? Could the unknown Nacra 20 be John McLaughlin?

Anything new? *gnaws on nails*

"What do the papers say?"

Here is a preview of our new young gun, Mike Saiu this happened off Tavernier Creek. They were honking pretty darn good and just behind the leaders. They had the boat back up and running in no time. These folks are true hardcore sailors. Bunch of I20s backed out, but NOT THEM!

Ninja EDIT:
Photo was taken by: Mike Hill
Moto boat Owner was John Kocol

How did you get that picture! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> You guys are tougher than I am! Just lookin' at their bare feet and I'm freezing!

Thanx for the pic Robi, got any more? Craig and I avoided that situation more than ahandful of times yesterday...whew.

Just to clarify I did not take the picture. I am just posting it for Mike Hill. He went out with a friend, and took some photos.

Here is one of our friend Jake and Frank. When these pics were taken, the wind was blowing 23 knots with gusts to 27 knots (wind speed taken from Molasses Reef NOAA station).

Steve,
John McLaughlin is not here. That was just a report from some people who watched the boats go under Card Sound Bridge, and they just didn't happen to get an I.D. on one of the boats.

John,
Gnaw no more. All the boats are in and accounted for. Seven actually finished. Olli Jason/Patrick Gilles (F18) pulled out at Ocean Reef, probably because Olli was pretty tired after being in the water for an hour after being separated from the boat and Patrick was pretty tired from righting the boat and not being able to keep it righted. A good samaritan on shore came out and rescued Olli and reunited the team and somehow got the boat to shore behind a house.

Kyle Kandt and Ed Furry (N20)pulled out at Port Largo after breaking their mast and limping along for a ways with something jury-rigged.

There was some tense time while the Coast Guard looked for Larry Ferber/Dale Larkin (N20, Cat in the Hat), because his Epirb was going off. Larry finished at the beach, and it turned out he didn't even have his Epirb with him, because he had inadvertently left it on the dock at the Caribbean Club. Apparently, somebody must have picked it up and thought it was something that plays music and started pushing buttons.

Anyway, I haven't posted anything until now because I have been busy listening to lectures from the Coast Guard and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Any updates?

Heck, I forgot to tell y'all -- in first place on corrected time for the first day are the youngsters, Mike Siau/Lindsay Young on the Hobie 16.
2. ARC 22, Eric Roberts/Dave Weir
3. Nacra 20, Team Tybee, John Casey/Kenny Pierce
4. Nacra 20, Chris and Nate Titcomb
5. Nacra 20, Jake Kohl/Frank Moore
6. F18, Mike Krantz/Dave Lennard
7. Nacra 20, Larry Ferber/Dale Larkin

Thanks for the updates.

Just got off the phone with Krantz.

Apparently, upwind to the ocean was just fine, but then as soon as they got to the waves it got "nuk-cleeear". They pitchpoled 4 times before they decided to pull the main down and sail under jib alone - 12 knots DDW under jib only they said.

Everyone flipped at least once according to him.

Isn't that MR. Krantz to you. If it ain't it should be. Watch your manners boy.

Who is this Cat Fever guy? I don't know that he's been around any races lately to remember everyone's names <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

We are a trifle concerned about the usefulness of epirbs, since the Coast Guard supposedly had coordinates but could not find it at a famous bar in Key Largo. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />