Steeplechase Story, Pix and Results are UP

There is a story, pix and results. Just go to our Headline Page at www.catsailor.com
or click on the LOGO at the top left of this page.
Rick

Thanks for the quick report. Maybe it wasn't such a bad year to have to stay home.

I would disagree with your supposition that it was a good event to stay home for.

Part of the charm of this race is you never know what to expect, and for me personally a race where you spend a "few" extra hours on the water beats a race where they have to call off the search for bodies.

Conditions aside from light winds were absolutely perfect. Not a cloud in the sky, temperatures (water and air) were certainly comfortable, almost non-existent chop, and clear waters. Yes, I could have dealt with a little less paddling on day 2, but as Rick's fond of saying "that's racing".

Every race has its story, and this one is no different. Highlights included the infamous mangrove cuts where you really couldn't figure out which direction the wind was coming from except "wrong", holding your breath as you ghost over shallows hoping that you "chose wisely" and won't have to get out and slog though the knee deep sand/mud, always second guessing your route choices, the list goes on.

Added to this list were a few firsts for me at this event:
- trapped out reaching at close to 19 kts in shallow water...at night... with lobster pots (painted black, of course)...with daggarboards down...
- NOT having to paddle through Angelfish creek, despite an incoming tide, thanks to a really flat Galser spin
- spending more than an hour to get to Card Sound bridge
- sailing an F18
- paddling for more than an hour
- NOT having to slog the boat 1/4 mile through waist deep mud to pull the boat across the finish line
- (sadly,) missing Steve's famous party
- and most importantly, beating Ding

oh, and thanks to team "Curb Feelers" for helping us identify the shallow areas on that night reach. You guys can be cool for a bunch of PUNKS!

Loved the post, Jay. I copied and pasted it into the story, as it was probably one of the best descriptions I have heard of the event.
Rick

Didn't say "a good event to stay home for"
I've done about 14 of 'em( obviously I love this race), and dealt with those conditions before. I'll stick with my comment, but odds are real strong I'll be there again next year. It's fun no matter the conditions. I just would have felt alot worse if I'd missed out on 15-20 downwind both days.
Glad you had fun.

well, sure, everyone likes perfect conditions, but that rarely makes you a better sailor.

This weekend, for instance, I learned two things:
- just how versatile a spinnaker really is
- why you should never give Karl meatballs

And yes, I am probably still a 'newbie' at Steeple with only 4 or so.... You grand-master types rock...

Was Karl creating olfactory detectable shifts?

Those F-18s can definitely carry a chute HIGH!

Quick question on this Marstrom (I'm assuming). Is this a new snuffer system and do I want one?

Its a marstrom system but its definitely not new.

People seem to have mixed results with them from what I remember reading.

It's called "the snail". Go figure.

Jay, glad to be your "curb feeler" though next time you say "we're catching them really fast!" think back to your original strategy of pulling your boards when you realize we run aground before you do!
That was really insane, I couldn't see you guys behind us and suddenly as soon as we ran aground, there you were right behind us!
And we were only cool this weekend because the other half of Team Punk wasn't there... don't forget that Ding and Karl... we're starting fresh at Tradewinds
Eric did make a good attempt at joining the team by faking Ding and Zelmer into an hour long paddling match before we dropped out... hehe.

Notice that there is individual forestays. Not the best setup for gybing a spinnaker.

Also really hard on a spinnaker getting wrapped around that drum.

Just wanted to say thanks again for the great, albeit slow, weekend of sailing down in Key Largo. It was a long time since I'd been down there, and the event was just awesome. I hope I can get back next year to participate again. Here is a video my wife Joy put together of her photos and video from the race: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqHK6QaaS0o

Thanks again Rick for putting on this event.

Great video!!

Definitely Great Vid. That should be used as
promo /incentive to get sailors and family down for the Steeplechase.

Think I will do just that for next year.
Thanks,
Rick