Norh Carolina Challenge, Place your bets.

Friday morning is the start of the second annual 100 mile race. Starting at Ceder Island NC and going non stop in a giant loop.
This years challengers areRandy Smyth(SewSew) - 18 ft cat, J.P.Ayers(Hold your course) and Jolleen Rasmussen (Course setter) - Isotope,
Vlad (Crazy Russian) inflatable catamaran. Also Alan Stewart and Grahm Brynes on their winning monohulls. I want to hear the predictions.

www.watertribe.com

Satelite tracking allows us to get a 30 minute update on the competitors.
www.watertribe.com
click MAPS and Class 5

I'm rooting for Vlad.

C'mon, I'm cruiser. My goal is to be sober for the start and get back to finish in time for after race party.

More exiting bets are there.

Will world's best sailor (Randy a.k.a. SewSew) be able to get ahead of one of the world's best paddlers(ArdieO)?

Will best racing catamaran(Isotope) with new and improved rowing setup be ahead of Graham(Roo) on a planning monohull, designed for the Challenge?

Will Alan(SOS) loose his shoe and, as result, fall back to third place?

How long will Hobie 14 (beachcomber)last in the Challenge?

Will Wizard, on inflatable kayak from West Marine, get ahead of all of them? (I'd put half of my money on it)

Will SnoreBringGator and CrazyRussian finally manage to get together and choose nice bar in Beaufort(1st checkpoint) to discuss their experience in around the Florida race, instead of continue this stupid thing?

CrazyRussian out. (on my way to start, sitting in motel room 200 miles from the start and getting all exited)

Go Vlad, Alan and Randy too.

Well...that settles that. I'm rooting for Vladimir!

Oh, my. I meant exciting, not exiting.
Tell you truth, my russian is as bad as my english.
Time to go.

Go Alanasaurus!

Hahah, good luck to all~!

I thought maybe that was a misprint. Are they taking a break from the circumnavigation?

Alan came home.

Give him a call. (when this race is over) :P

bump

The day started off with absolutely no wind, so the kayakers jumped out to an early lead. Randy Smyth paddled his A-Cat all morning and most of the aternoon until he finally caught some wind and caught up to finish just before the lead kayak (from the tracking). JP and Joleen are just emerging from the Harlow canal and hopefully will be able to sail the remainder of the course.

For those who are still watching, the event is over - everbody came out safe. JP and Joleen finished 11th overall and 3rd in their class. Randy set a new record on his A-Cat.

Here is a video of Randy Smyth racing. Quite unusual, hah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynszNTARLcw&feature=player_embedded
Congrats to Randy, finishing in 15 hours and 25 minutes and winning by slim margin of 28 min. Very fast solo kayaker ArdieO was leading most of the course.

My favorite part was when Frank called Randy "smokin' fast".

He was smokin' I have never thought that catamaran can be paddled that fast