Atlantic 1000, Outer Banks 500 Half Information

Sunday afternoon and the sailors are preparing for their 10AM start tomorrow.
Skipper's Meeting will be a 5:30 this afternoon.

As for the Atlantic 1000 there are only two teams continuing the race -- Team Tybee Island (with Brian Lambert replacing the injured Steve Lohmayer) and Team Semp Toshiba. At this point they are the only teams competing for the overall race. Tybee leads Toshiba by an hour and 16 minutes.

Stay tuned here for Hotline updates over the next week.., as we will be calling in info to Mary to post while we are not hooked up to the internet from on the front.

Rick

Here we go. The boats have left the beach at Tybee Island and are off on the first leg of the Outer Banks 500 (seventh leg of the Atlantic 1000).

Team Tybee got off to a great start and has the early lead.

The wind is light out of the east-northeast, so no spinnakers this morning. Almost no surf -- they bounced over one little ripple and were on their way. When the sea breeze fills in later, it should build to 10-15 out of the southeast.

This leg is 83 miles, so Rick is estimating they won't get to Isle of Palms for about 7-8 hours.

The only two boats continuing on in the Atlantic 1000 are Team Tybee and Semp Toshiba. Steve Lohmayer is no longer on Tybee -- he dropped out because of an injured hand. He has been replaced by Brian Lambert.

The other three teams in this five-boat fleet are:
Cat Fever -- Todd Hart and Bart Hall
Chesapeake -- John McLaughlin and Steve Titus
Accelerated Chaos -- Chris Titcomb and Nate Titcomb

Best of Luck to ALL and Here's to a safe trip to KDH!

We'll be waiting at the Cape...

Before anybody calls or e-mails about it, we are aware that Rick's photos did not show up in his story for the start of the Outer Banks. He is already on his way to Isle of Palms, so he will have to fix it when he gets there this afternoon.

Five boats total???? This was really unfortunate news here as I was looking forward to a full fleet landing at our beach in Wrightsville, just like Worrell 1000 days!

I really want to congratulate Tybee and Toshiba for having the will to continue on just as if this were the REAL 1000 miles race of old, albeit with a one day layover to rest.

I am really surprised more teams did not attempt the full race as there were always a good number for the Worrell. Perhaps the promotion of the even as two separate races hurt this aspect. I think the Worrell 1000 was such a unique event in racing that it deserves to be carried on in some form and hopefully with a full fleet of participants. Seems strange that Team Castrol didnt continue when they have been in past 1000s.

Does ANYONE know the status of the Worrell 1000 and why Mike Worrell dropped the ball here? IT seemed to be getting MORE AND MORE notice in the media the years before it went down last year after the format change. Strangely, I thought it was getting stronger before this implosion.

Still, I commend those that ARE going in the Outer Banks 500. Hope it's a great race. Just sad to see it losing much of the Tybee 500 steam as far as numbers go. I know some had to drop out for unfortunate reasons but where are the other guys?

Kelly

If you search on these and other sailing forums, you'll dig up the dirty truth of why the Worrell isn't being run, nor will it ever be run again.

Basically it comes down to undelivered promises, unrefunded money, and a handful of lawsuits.

Kelly,

I wouldn't worry too much about it just yet. The OBX 500, Tybee500, and the Atlantic 1000 are very young. I'm excited that the OBX and Tybee provide an event that us working stiffs can do with regular vacation time. I think we will see both of these events continue to grow in the future. The race organization was great - especially considering that this was only the second running of the Tybee500. It will just take a little time for them to grow and reach the same acclaim as the Worrell had.

Rick is at Isle of Palms. Wind has picked up to about 15 but still ENE, so probably no spinnakers. Rick said it looks like long starboard-tack legs and short hitches on port tack.

On pain of death he has promised to let me know as soon as he sees anything resembling a sailboat on the horizon.

There's a boat on the way in, coming real fast, not identified yet except that it is a catamaran.

False alarm. Turned out to be somebody sailing for fun off the beach somewhere west of the finish line.

New report, though, of two boats on the horizon (as seen from a third floor).

This is getting to be like a video game. The false alarm was a false alarm. That boat they dismissed as being a recreational sailor turned out to be Team Tybee, and they are now on the beach. The other two boats seen on the horizon are on their way.

Apparently, nobody on the beach has binoculars.

2nd to the beach is Accelerated Chaos
3rd is Semp Toshiba.
Projected for 3rd is Chesapeake
Projected for 4th is Cat Fever.

There is a rumor that there will be a live band tonight at the Windjammer, so if you happen to be in the area, stop in and get some autographs from people who look like sailors.

What a great leg! We have posted pictures on our website at AcceleratedChaos.com
looking forward to the rest of the week.
Team Accelerated Chaos
www.acceleratedchaos.com

Part of me missing being out there with you guys - what an adventure! Keep up the great sailing Chris and Nate! Go get Team Tybee for us!

Jake, what you are saying reguarding the Tybee 500/OBX500 Atlantic 1000 makes good sense. The races ARE young and Tybee surely has a great start. From the looks of it, OBX 500 has a good underpinning too, this from afar. I hope that these two events will meld into one to meet and surpass the success of the Worrell 1000.

I just wish more boats had opted to enter and complete the whole Atlantic 1000 as if it was ONE race instead of the two; they just needed to think of it as a 1000 of yore with a DAY layover!

Regardless, here is wishing success for the whole campaign. I have really enjoyed following the races over the years (since 1981) and was looking forward to seeing the teams come through Wrightsville Beach again, especially after missing last year. I hope there is a crowd at the Blockade Runner waiting on the 19th and there to see them off on the 20th.

It appeared to be a great first day of racing for the OBX 500. I really think special notice should go to Team Accelerated Chaos, who despite their name, managed to do EXTREMELY well on only their THIRD time both have been on an Inter20 together! Insane. Their site has some nice shots of the event as well. Surprised Tybee is still running with their old site (Man, I miss the days of Tommy Bahama with their tracking map and excellent site). Of courrse, thanks to Cat Sailor for providing this medium for exchange as well as minute to minute details. I try to check here daily.

Look forward to seeing the teams Wednesday!

Kelly
Wrightsville Beach, NC
www.beneteau235.com

Kelly,

You do realize what a terrific effort is required to actually put together a sailing campaign up the coast for two weeks? I remember someone posted the $ figures, saying that it costs no less than $30,000 per year per team to do the whole 1000 miles. Thats a significant chunk of change even with sponsorship.

Plus, leaving work for two weeks is not possible for most people.

Jut trying to shed some light as to why there aren't that many doing the full 1000. The race was split so that amateur racers could compete with the rockstars.

Indeed, I do realize the cost. In talking with Martin Willard and others, the figure of 25,000 came up as what might be needed to be really competitive in the later years of the Worrell 1000. Wrightsville Beach's own Blockade Runner sponsored Randy Smyth for a number of years before he moved on to other things due to time(He totally dominated the Worrell 1000 for many years). The figures it took to be competitive at this level, both physically and financially, were not for the faint of heart or pocketbook. Yet, I think others have done this race with much, much less, this from talking to a number of sailors over the years.

Still, in order to REALLY attract the media and garner the attention that the Worrell 1000 brought, I think the full 1000 needs to be a strong force. It was such a milestone in cat racing, moving from the Hobie 16 all the way to the Inter20, and challenging what was deemed "SANE" on a small, open catamaran, that it needs to keep this aura intact to keep the interest and awe that surrounded this race alive and well.

I am at a mystery as to why Team Castrol didn't continue since the tight race between Tybee was surely compelling and a GREAT story that would have continued up the coast, and in my view, brought more attention/interest as it built. It was some of the tightest racing in the history of the event!

As for the one week vs two point, I agree. Surely this is much easier to navigate. Yet the full two week Worrell event always managed to attract a full showing, from big fish and small, amateur and pro.

I just hope the new races build quickly with the Atlantic 1000, as a whole, getting the attention and focus it deserves to keep the tradition of the Worrell 1000 alive and kicking.

One thing is for sure, the racing is still just as excellent...

Kelly
www.beneteau235.com

I wanted to get anyone's thoughts on this aspect of the Atlantic 1000. Although this is obviously TWO distinct races, I was wondering how the organizers deal with the fact that of the two boats doing the FULL 1000, one of them, which happens to be the leader, Team Tybee, has removed Tybee 500 skipper Steve Lohmayer and replaced him with Brian Lambert, surely a big name in the Worrell 1000 (see Team Alexanders-by-the-Bay). Meanwhile, Semp-Toshiba appears to be continuing on with the SAME SKIPPER AND CREW as the first half of the race. Normally, a penalty would be given for switching of crew - I can't remember if a skipper switch is even allowed... perhaps so. At the least, I think SOME penalty should occur when looking at the WHOLE Atlantic 1000 scenerio. I see this as a great advantage to have a fresh skipper not to mention one with tremendous experience in some of the most challenging conditions in the history of the Worrell.

IF given a time penalty, this would put Semp-Toshiba and Tybee almost neck and neck, making for more exciting racing. In my view, I think it's pretty fair and even handed as well. I wonder if Semp-Toshiba complained about this change? While it might be fine if judging JUST the Outer Banks 500, in my opinion, the results of the Atlantic 1000 should REFLECT this change.

Kelly

The first skipper change does not come with a penalty if it is due to injury... I like it that way. If Tybee were to replace Kenny or Brian from this point on, I'm not sure if they would get a penalty for the OBX portion, but they should for the A1000 portion. Since they're organized as separate races, I guess they would then be carrying two times.

I understand Steve's hand sprain is really painful - hats off to him for gutting it out to stick with JC in the first half. In fact, I was impressed with the sportsmanship across the board for the Tybee, such as Jake and Dave not taking advantage of the half-hour rule and teams swapping parts on the beach. Seems like there were a couple of Worrells right at the end where sportsmanship suffered a little.

Keep rockin' OBX fleet!

Kelly,

I think the rules concerning the ability to change sailors between these events was pretty clear, and was known well in advance by any and all teams that would compete.

In some of the 'original' discussions of partnering the Outer Banks 500 with the Tybee 500 - it was discussed that the organizers would make sailor changes between the two events possible - with no penalty - regardless of injury.

One of the beauties of this event being split into two separate events with an overall 'flavor' and 'foot print' of the Worrell - allows for teams to have a much greater set of options (concerning Sailors and Ground Crew) to participate over the course of two weeks and 1000 miles.

Good points, John. I actually didnt remember that you got a free skipper change due to injury. This rule obviously depends on the honesty and good sportsmanship of the team(s) so no absuse would result.

As for the sharing of parts and great sportsmanship you mention, that is DEFINITELY a major plus and something that usually goes on in the cat sailing community (or sailing in general). It is refreshing to see this type of dealing in a race as well. I do remember the Worrell getting rather heated in this area - with teams going with 30k budgets, things were bound to get less friendly. Good to see the sportsmanship aspect return with the new venue.

BTW, I sure miss Tommy Bahama! What a great site you guys had - the tracking and updates were first rate! Any chance of Tommy Bahama coming back for more in the Atlantic 1000?

kh

OBXGATOR: I guess the rules were clear. But you have to hand it to a team that DOES make it through the whole 1000 with the same skipper/crew/support. I think this should be rewarded in some way, perhaps in the future.

I don't know about that $30,000 figure - I suppose if you are paying a team doctor, paying your ground crew, and/or considering boat and sail costs that you could reach that high. Realistically though, you could make a comfortable run 1000 miles up the coast for about $5000 to $6000 for fuel, hotel, food, and some boat costs. We did our food, hotel, and fuel for around $2000 for the Tybee500 but we had spent a good deal more on equipment and sails before hand (I paused for half a minute until David repeatedly told me to cast away the brand new, but shredded, spinnaker on Day #3 and it wasn't even mine!). We were definitely blessed with a hard working fully volunteer ground crew. At this expense level, we weren't uncomfortable but we weren't in the lap of luxury either. When we do this again, we will try to have at least three people on our ground crew, at least two hotel rooms at every stop, and probably forgo the RV and replace it with a van and a truck. The RV was tough to get in and out of some of these places and sometimes had to park far away (with our supplies) and really put a burden on the ground crew.

Regarding sportsmanship...it was incredible. When we broke our rudder, we had at least three offers for replacement rudders and castings (we did have complete backups for this though). During the nukin' weather when we broken our pole and cut away what was left of our spinnaker, we came back to the beach and Richard (Team Manager) had already had at least 5 offers of loaner poles, spinnakers, and rigging. Everyone out there was in this together whether they were running out front or in the back - there's no better sport or better display of sportsmanship that I have ever witnessed.

At today's start, the fastest the boats went was by pusher and by paddle. Once they got out beyond the surf line, they put up their spinnakers and proceeded to sit there for at least 25 minutes, which was when Rick left the beach. It was too painful to watch. And it is 113 miles to Surfside Beach.

See Rick's story and pictures on our race coverage page.

Jake, I'm pretty sure that the $30k figure included the cost of a brand new Inter20 or 18HT.

Hey Kelly -

Thanks for the compliments to the team. We plan to be back for next year, although the debate over the second half continues. As cited by others, missing over two weeks of work is tough. Both of our sailors run their own businesses. And I don't mean that they make a couple of calls to employees and foremen from a desk - when I spoke to them yesterday they were both on tractors moving dirt. In the past, it has been a struggle to keep them focused on the event without losing them to a series of protracted work sessions in the evening when I thought they should be resting. I think they were both relieved that they could still participate with a lesser investment of time.

Jake - I've managed teams on both ends of the spectrum now. From me and two sailors in a motorhome to me and two sailors, 9 ground crew, a motorhome, a truck, two trailers (one huge), three hotel rooms all the way, live internet updates and GPS tracking, coordinating interviews and a photographer. More people does not mean less work. The more hands you have, the more you want to do, and the day fills up quick. Over the three years, my role has become one of "floating" from task to task to make sure stuff is rolling along ok. Its been pretty easy with the team I'm on now - they're all really fun people that aren't on vacation. "Floating," though, has greatly diminished my sense of accomplishment and contribution. It's tough to maintain the sense of family, and with more and more going on, you risk seeing less and less of the event. If you're lucky, like I've been, just about everything seems to get done by itself, keeping the sponsor happy and making it appear that you're completely in control and cool. That's not really what's going on though. I've been in the middle of a team meltdown (not with TB) and it was really a drag.

The best thing you can do is bring together a team that gets along well - if you've got some good chemistry and can eliminate feelings of resentment ("How come I have to rinse out the gear while THEY'RE in the pool with drinks??") the rest will come together just fine.

Ok, I'll put the pom-poms down now.

Finally had to join into the fray after lurking around for tha past couple years (yeah, I'm slow )

One other item that I thought needed addressed with the skipper change...You mention Brian's Worrell experience. Don't forget, Steve & Kenny have both been doing this for a lot of years also. I believe this is Steve's 6th or 7th.

Just hate to see them not given the credit... okay, one of 'em is my brother, so I have to stand up for him

Heck, I love watching for the results and love this race coverage. Thanks Mary.

Annual Averages for Expenses for our Team: 1999-2001

Hotels = $6,000
Parts/Gear = $5,000
*Other = $6,500
Total w/o Boat = $17,500

*Other = Airfare, Meals, Insurance, Sponsor Logos/Decals/Stuff, Entry Fees, Fuel

Matt
Team Outer Banks

What is the average price for a hotel room, and how many rooms does a team need, and for how many nights total? This race is always during a low-season time for the resorts, so I would think rates would be pretty reasonable.

Mary,

The Rooms in Florida are not bad at all...you are correct in that it is a really good time 'seasonally' to obtain rooms.

We typically took three rooms per location. (One year we split the trip up between the management and one couple went for week one and the other for week two - which saved us a one hotel room for the entire trip! But like John has indicated - you work a little harder that way!!)

We would spend a little more time at the first stop (preperation) and Tybee & Myrtle Beach (switch over to night legs/Layover days) and those three places have the highest hotel costs.

In 2000 we had a total of 48 separate Nights/Hotel Rooms for an average of $148 per room/night.

I surely didnt mean for my post to read as if Team Tybee skipper Steve Lohmayer is undervalued in any way. Steve is obviously an EXCELLENT driver and his finish in the race this year proves as much (as do his past accomplishments in Cat sailing, including the Worrell).


Tybee's Steve Lohmayer preparing for Leg 10 after win at Wrightsville in 2001 Worrell 1000

My only comment is it's very rare for a team, even of Tybee stature, to have a backup sailor they can pull in of the quality of a Brian Lambert, a past winner of the Worrell and very gifted in the rough section that encompasses the Outer Banks 500 portion. However, I have no doubt that Steve could have done an EXCELLENT job here as well.

I guess it was part in selfishness, too. I sure would love to see an hour and a half taken off so Tybee and Semp-Toshiba are neck and neck! Heh... Actually, I would have REALLY liked to see Team Castrol and OZ continue on, making the overall race as tight and competetive as the Tybee 500 shaped up to be. As is, the boats ARE very close, but the 1000 seems a safe bet unless something drastic happens.

No one could bug Castrol into going the whole route? heh.

kh
Off the coast of Wrightsville Beach

Yikes! Why don't you guys go back to the original Worrell format of sailing straight through, night and day. No motel room costs and a lot less time off from work. A lot more people could afford to do it -- but do you think anybody WOULD do it?

Rick is at Surfside Beach. Wind is out of the east-southeast at 7-8 mph.

Seems there was a typo on the Outer Banks site re: the leg distance. It is not 113 miles as printed -- it is 75-80 miles.

If the wind picks up, they could be in around 7:00 p.m. -- if not, could be 8:00 or 9:00.

Mary,

I dunno, some people around here apparently think I'm crazy enough to do it.

You should have seen Rick's expression when I walked up to him before the finish on saturday.

"Oh no its that guy!!"

I think bringing back some or all of the original format would be a very cool thing Mary...it would put a ton of strategy back into the event(s)!

What happens or has it ever occurred where the winds just do not fill in. What if even the leaders can not make it to the next checkpoint in time for the next start?
It could happen? Are there rules for that?

I remember it happenning on one last leg of a worrell where they just cancelled the last leg all together.

Thanks for the great coverage catsailor.

I'll need to get home tonight and dust off an old set of rules from the Worrell for that one - I just do not recall.

In the four years we ran - we were fortunate enough to sail the whole course - every year!

I know that I would love to see the event be 1000 miles ala the w1000. From a media standpoint, it just seems to build and build to a climax.

The Tybee 500 managed to do that this year with the battle for first and the battle for 3rd building to a climax. And the climax of Castrol winning by a couple of minutes and Oz winning by a couple of seconds was pretty outstanding.

But, going into the Outer Banks event.., and with only 5 boats seemed anticlimactic. It is still exciting, but after you build to that great finish.., and then.., oof! the wind went out of the sails.

Not to belittle the Outer Banks 500, but that was a hard act to follow.

In checking my log files of this event compared to the Worrell 1000, it seems that we are getting about half the hits that we once did, despite the fact that the site's normal traffic is close to 4 million hits per month. On a projected forecast from the days we were running reports on the Tybee 500, we would only jump to 6 million hits for May.
While that sounds pretty high, during the Worrell 1000 our numbers doubled and started to ge near tripling.
This tells me that interest for a two week tends to build and hits tend to build as people that at first watch, tell others, and the story grows, and the numbers grow.
But, with a week long event, followed by another week long event doesn't seem to get that same reaction.

I know folks are pretty upset with Mike Worrell, as am I. Every year we covered the race we made huge improvements.
Mary and I were quite instrumental in getting the race going again and really helped promote it.

The first year we had some pretty so-so coverage. The following year we added a couple of reporters and got different views of sujects.., big improvement.

We worked up to the point where we had several reporters, several photo takers, and then added video that we could upload within an hour or so.

So, we decided to go all out for the W1000 that was canceled. We acquired a better RV and added satellite internet at a cost of around $6000, plus monthly service fees. All just so we could quickly upload pix and video to the site for all to see.
However, we also planned on doing live feed of the starts, finishes and interviews by have a wireless camcorder broadcast to the RV which would then feed the data to the website so you could see these events "live."

But, another problem arose.., we needed our server to give us a lot more bandwidth and dedicated boxes to handle the traffic. More huge expenses.

And all to cover the Worrell 1000 that was canceled.

Luckily, Mike Worrell announced the cancelation just before another big expense. We had made arrangements to place gps position broadcasters on each boat that would transmit location every 1/2 hour and leave cookie crumbs (so you would know where each boat went, where they tacked, etc.)
The total would have been another $10,000.

We were able to defray some of our expenses with adbanners, but that was not even a drop in the bucket.

There is only one way we could have afforded all this -- if we got enough traffic to come to our site.., and hopefully just take a look at our OnLine Marine Store at www.onlinemarinestore.com

But, with the traffic so far, nothing is really being paid for.
The good news is that I am on my way to Put-in-Bay, Ohio anyway and really Love to follow these races.

Almost 5PM and hope the boats are getting nearer. Gotta go look.
Thanks for listening,
Rick

As of 5:15 PM there are still no boats in sight. The good news is the wind has built and gone more to the south -- should be under chutes in winds close to 15 mph.

Maybe between 6 - 7 pm

Rick

Tybee and Semp Toshiba have finished -- Tybee had about a 10-minute lead over Toshiba. The rest of the boats are in sight.

The rest of the boats are in:
3rd -- Accelerated Chaos
4th -- Cat Fever
5th -- Chesapeake

Rick will have a story and pictures later on our race page.

Order of finish:
Tybee
Toshiba
Chaos
Cat Fever
Chesapeake

Story (scant) and pix up.
I won't be at the start in the AM as I have to put the coach in the shop for some minor work on the satellite dish.

But, should be at tomorrow's finish.
Rick

Jake,

Now that you've had time to rest, I have a few questions. were you glad when the race was over? Would you have gone on (time and money permitting)? i saw you guys when you came in to Hollywood and you were pretty tired from the incident with the rudder. Did the exhaustion get progressively worse each day? What would you say was the hardest thing you had to deal with on a daily basis both Physically and mentally? The first time I got out on the wire at the beggining of this winter (in this same ocean) I couldn't believe the feeling. It was awsome! but about 30 seconds into the experience my butt hit a wave and I was sent flying and spinning back into the rudder. I thought it was hillarious and couldn't stop laughing! Did you guys have any moments like that where you just lost it or was the mood throughout the race more intense because of exhaustion or because of the work you may bd doing aboard?

take care .
(Oops! I guess this is food for another thread)

The fleet had a beam reach start this morning out through 2-foot breakers, and then they bore off toward Cape Fear and raised their spinnakers and took off pretty fast in 10-12 mph wind out of the south.

The wind is supposed to build later today to about 15 and clock a little more to the southwest.

It's about 65 miles to the Cape, and then another 20 miles to Wrightsville Beach. After rounding the Cape, they should be jibing along the shore to the finish.

Mary or anyone, do you have the latest forecast approximate finishing time for the fleet? Are you thinking 6 or 7 hours?

Planning on taking off to see the loons arrive.

kh
Sailing - Wrightsville Beach, NC

Steve Lohmayer is saying mid-afternoon arrival.

Thanks for the tip... For a brief moment I was considering sailing out there and meeting them off Masonboro Island but then realized that with spinnaker, I would be left behind so fast, it would look like I was the Picasso sculpture of the GOAT at MOMA...

On another note, thanks again for the HUGE effort with the Atlantic 1000 as well as past Worrells. After reading Rick's post above, I realized what a MAJOR commitment this was, both in effort and especially financially. I had no idea you have invested this much in the coverage. I would love to see it utilized, especially the GPS tracking, which would enable me to get absolutely ZERO done on this swine machine during this two week period!

Kelly
Wrightsville Beach, NC

I live on the beach at Wrightsville and just popped outside to take a look at the conditions. Wind has definitely picked up a bit here looking like a nice SSW 10-15 or so. Light capping at the moment. The kite surfers are out.

Nothing on the horizon since it's too early but here is a great link to LIVE REAL TIME VIDEO of the FINISH LINE AT THE BLOCKADE RUNNER. You can see ONE of the finish line flags in the picture. This might be the first chance to actually see LIVE footage of the boats coming in.

The camera is up and running as I type. Take a look. See RED FLAG to right of vid screen. Not sure which flag this is, unfortunately. Judging by past Worrells, it could be the south flag. If it's the North Flag, it might be hard to catch the action. Still, it's worth a shot. Dig the WAVE sounds! heh.

Blockade Runner Surf Cam / OBX 500 Leg Finish

http://home.earthlink.net/~ktholsten/br_surf_cam.htm

Kelly
Wrightsville Beach, NC

Four boats have been spotted on the horizon -- but that's from the 5th floor of the hotel. Can't see them yet from the beach. They should be arriving by 4:00 p.m.

Tybee hit the each at 3:33 p.m. Cat Fever is coming in now, about 12-15 minutes behind Tybee. All the other boats are in sight. Wind is southwest at 12-15.

Volleyball anyone???

At 3:50 I see two boats on the beach (I assume they are all in) and a volleyball game in the foreground. Is that a pre-recorded sound of the waves?
Jack

There was a dramatic race between 3rd and 4th... I couldnt see who it was, but 3rd place capsized within four hundred yards on the line! And the 4th place boat, which had gone much farther outside, caught up and passed them...I know they thought they had 3rd locked. Turns out 3rd was Chesapeake passing Toshiba. I know Toshiba is beyond bummed. It was an unnecessary move and they threw in an extra tack they didnt need by coming in too close before the muffed jibe.

Got some pics of the pass.

See the BLOCKADE RUNNER CAM link - you can SEE the boats!
http://home.earthlink.net/~ktholsten/br_surf_cam.htm

kh

ps- ONE BOAT LEFT... have not passed Masonboro Jetty... about 20 minutes out.

Cat Fever was second in.
Toshiba was going to be third, but jibed in the surf and capsized, and Chesapeake passed them.

Accelerated Chaos is not yet in sight. Earlier sighting included an unidentified non-combatant of some other species.

I think I see what must be CHAOS on the horizon...

Chaos is in....not too far behind the other boats. The most exciting thing was the Toshiba capsize and losing of 3rd. Chesapeake was the only boat from this vantage point that appeared to go farther outside.

As Rick noted, Tybee is just killing it. Watching them come across the pier from the jetty, they just seemed to have the best boat speed and balance. Their line was excellent as well, throwing in less tacks. Toshiba elected to come in close to shore, far above the finish line, needing another few tacks; this ended up being costly as they blew that jibe with the capsize. They had the spinnaker up at the time which was an extra pain in righting the boat.

Know Cat Fever is hyped - they looked good as well today. Wonder what happened to Chaos - they had been doing really well but lagged behind the pack today.

kh
Sailing off Wrightsville Beach, NC

ps- Yes, the surf sounds are recorded...

Great morning! A nice breeze out of the WSW at almost 10knts already.

Check out the BR Surf Cam below to see the boats in full view... Looks like Cat Fever is just getting rigged, the rest have their mains up with a bit of activity. Really neat having the real-time cam going.

http://home.earthlink.net/~ktholsten/br_surf_cam.htm

Kelly
Sailing~Wrightsville Beach, NC

I wish I could access that camera from work! Alas...I can't get it through the firewall.

I think you meant Team Cat Fever - All the Team Seacats are back at their day jobs this week!

Only problem is that the sound of the surf keeps putting me to sleep. I think I will turn on that webcam at night when I go to bed.

Doh... Yeah, I mean CAT FEVER. Ye olde SeaCats is not sailing the OBX 500 (at least you got another plug!). Todd Hart of CAT FEVER said that yesterday was the BEST DAY on the water he has ever had. It sure didnt hurt to finish in 2nd, probably the best FINISH he has had in Worrell or Tybee or OBX.

Mary has it right... Leave that on for 10 minutes and things get hazy as the surf loop starts to loop within your skull.

kh

Rick's early story is posted at Catsailor Race Page. Please bookmark that page if you don't want to go through our home page to get there.

They NOW have control of the Surf Cam and are actually panning between boats and zooming in and out from each boat. Never seen the guys move that cam before and I live a few hundred yards to the south of it.

The crazy thing is I am typing on this dump when I should be down there! What a great day for a sail. The wind is offshore and the water FLAAAAAT with nice air building, especially for so early.

Kelly

I think we may have overloaded the BR's Web Cam server...

That start was pretty jumpy!

What a fantastic day for a sail...

Keep 'em coming boys - the Cookout at Quagmires awaits - just around the corner of two more Capes!

That was great, watching a morning start live in the afternoon in deepest darkest Wales.

It's even more impressive IMAGINING YOU watching the start from Wales in your afternoon! One of the great things about the Net. It's publishing for the everyman...

This day is just a perfect one to gather your bearings and wits, licking some wounds, all in preparation for the beginning of the hardest part of the entire OBX 500/Atlantic 1000.

The sailing appears to be everything they could ask for from such a leg. From WB, it's clear skies and the sea breeze has kicked in for an excellent WB to Atlantic Beach run. Wish I was out there.

kh

Here they come.
Rick

Excitement!

Predictions:

Tybee
A/C
Semp
Chesie
Cat Fever

1) Tybee
2) Toshiba
3) Chesapeake
4) Chaos
5) Cat Fever

Story and pix within a 1/2 hour or so
Rick

Well...

I got Frist and Fifth correct!

Way to go - again - Johnny McLaughlin!!!

Apparently there is no cell phone service here at the ferry. I can't call my voice mail and could not call home. Sorry, out of connection except for this.
Rick

Cape Lookout isn't THAT difficult to get around. Just don't get so close that you're in the breakers.

EDIT: I say this as someone who has sailed around beaufort inlet a lot, not as someone who has done this race before.

EDIT: Please be careful guys, there was a great white spotted off the outer banks this past weekend. Pretty Unusual.

So no one has called in the start details? Where's ole Walter Cooper when you need him? Actually, why isnt Walter covering the races anymore? Rick/Mary are doing a great job but Walter's perspective was an additional photographic plus (and he had some GREAT gear).

Here's to hoping the Outer Banks 500, the second leg of the Atlantic 1000, picks up in interest and esteem. Sad there has been a dropoff in the forum activity. Actually, here's hoping the Atlantic 1000 does as well.

Here's a somewhat mediocre shot from a digital I grabbed during conclusion of the Wrightsville leg from right in front of my place. It's an interesting perspective of how these cats look to beach goers down the way. Notice those in the surf, totally oblivious (one pale standby might be gazing in the area). I have seen this throughout the years. A whole FLOCK of 20ft cats would be streaming by outside and the average beachgoer is looking at a freckle on his or her arm.



kh

The boats are in sight, and the leaders should be arriving at the finish line on Ocracoke Island within 15-20 minutes.

Waiting to Exhale!

Interesting. Toshiba was first to Cape Lookout, ahead of Team Tybee. But Toshiba headed out to sea and Tybee jibed in and stayed along the shoreline -- this gave Tybee the lead to the finish line.

Cat Fever would have finished 3rd but they got lost and sailed well past the finish line before realizing their mistake. They had to sail back upwind to the finish, which let Accelerated Chaos in to take 3rd.
Chesapeake is still not in sight.

So the finish positions are:
1 -- Tybee
2 -- Toshiba
3 -- Chaos
4 -- Cat Fever

Oh No...

John Mclaughlin has a thing for Portsmouth Island

Here's what happened to John McLaughlin.

One of the Titcombs fell off Accelerated Chaos and got separated from the boat. McLaughlin was ahead of them but came back and retrieved the wayward crew and returned him to Accelerated Chaos.

But John has a broken spinnaker pole, so he is limping in sans spinnaker.

That's why he is STILL my hero!!

WOW! Talk about keeping your eyes open! Way to go John!

What a display of sportsmanship and being the man.

If any of you have seen Rick Parsley's post on the open forum relative the OBX Great White Shark - here is a link to the video of the beast taken from a local Charter Fishing Boat - "The Poacher"...

Shark Footage

There is link to the video near the top of the page!

They are estimating that it's 12-15 feet long (The boat they are on is a 40 footer) and that it may weigh as much as 1500 pounds!

I have seen many a shark over the years from Pawley's Island, SC to the Outer Banks, NC. I've seen a 14ft Hammerheard off the coast of Wrightsville Beach and many a sand shark in the area. We have had some mean Bull sharks, credited with several attacks.

Several surfers and bathers have been attacked over the past four years at Wrightsville as well. We had a resident Sand Shark that lived around Mercers Pier before it was rebuilt. A 8ft TIGER Shark was caught in Banks Channel across from the Carolina Yacht Club years back (now that's a bit disconcerting). Yet, you take it for granted that sharks are around but rarely if ever even feign interest in humans.

But that footage of the Great White is truly chilling, mainly since you just dont see those beasts around. If watching that video, be sure to watch the WHOLE run, as there are several amazing shots illustrating the size of this White.

Amazing. Sharks are always about, however. Just not Great Whites!!

kh

Considering how much I go sailing in Wrightsville, its disturbing to find out just how much sea life is in that little inlet.

I've spent the better part of a day on a sideways dinghy clinging to the daggerboard in that inlet.

But as you say, they aren't really interested in us unless we're wearing our seal costumes.

Actually, I have NEVER heard of an attack of a surfer/sailor in a wetsuit in this area, and since 99.9% of swimmers are in the summer, this is a rarity as well. You have to remember, there arent too many SEALS in ye olde Carolina waters besides the Asheboro Zoo, so a local shark would probably flee at the sight of a 6ft tall black fish... heh.

Seriously though, many of the bites of surfers have occured at Masonboro Island which is the 8 or so mile long undeveloped island due south. And if I remember correctly, almost every surfer was bitten on the arm and was wearing some sort of divers watch or ring. I know of two that had the Seiko Automatic, actually (as I do). The flashing jewelery caused more a mistake in identity. The seal thing is more a reality in places like the West Coast and South Africa.

Shark attacks are ultra rare but have been on the rise a bit in the late 90s. When surfing, I try to avoid the watch now. Still, you have a better chance of being struck by lightning... Also, remember that the last fatal shark attack in Wrightsville Beach was back in 1957 with Rupert Wade, an old loon that swam pier to pier over 150 yards out, not exactly the normal activity.

Alas, what are you doing turned over in the inlet all the time? heh... What were you on? I sail out that inlet up to five times a week so I might see you one of these days.

btw, if you are into surfing your CAT (or dingy), the swells off the south Masonboro jetty on the MAse side can be insane. Flying a hull down these swells which start about 50 yards outside the inlet is one of the more amusing things you can ever do.

Kelly

This is the big day -- and the last day of both the Outer Banks 500 and the Atlantic 1000. The boats will be leaving Ocracoke Island at 10:00 a.m. and rounding Cape Hatteras on their way to the final finish line at Kill Devil Hills. The leg is 83.7 miles.

For the Worrell 1000, the checkpoint on the Outer Banks was at Hatteras, but apparently most of the hotels have not yet recovered from being devastated by Hurricane Isabel last September. So this time the stopover was on Ocracoke Island.

As a result, Rick will again not be at the start this morning because he had to catch the early ferry to get over to Hatteras so he could be at Hatteras point in time to get pictures. Jon Britt, one of the Outer Banks organizers, has a four-wheel drive vehicle, and he will be taking Rick out to the point. Rick is already in the parking area at the Hatteras Lighthouse, waiting for his ride.

The Cape Hatteras rounding traditionally produces the most dramatic photographs of the race, because the boats round within yards of the beach, while running the gauntlet through the infamous "piss-ups," geysers of water that shoot up here and there, unpredictably.

It is only a short distance from Ocracoke to the Cape, which is why Rick had to catch an early ferry. After the Cape rounding, when he gets back to the motorhome, he will post a morning story on our race page and, hopefully, some pictures, before he heads to the finish at Kill Devil Hills.

Wind this morning is about 15 out of the SSW.

P.S. Last night a big storm blew through at Ocracoke, rocking the motorhome. This morning Rick went out to see if the boats were still there, but they looked fine, all still upright.

Here is a refresher of the rounding from the Worrell in 01. Here you get an idea of just HOW CLOSE the boats can come to the Cape to avoid the worst of the "piss-ups" which are amazing to see. Team Lexis Nexis is about as close as one could possibly get. This is THE BEST view for the whole race as boat pass within mere FEET at times.

No extreme piss-ups in this view but they have been severe in the past. Cant wait to see Rick's pics.



Kelly

The boats rounded Cape Hatteras about 15 minutes ago, in this order: Toshiba, Tybee, Chesapeake, Chaos, Cat Fever.

It was a mild rounding compared to most past years, and they didn't come as close to shore as usual -- maybe because it was high tide. Some of them sailed over what has always been referred to as "the island."

Rick will have stuff on our race site soon. Catsailor Race Page

It's about another 60 miles to Kill Devil Hlils, so projected arrival about 4:00 p.m.

Kelly ,
Thanks for the flash back of us at cape.That is the only way to round the cape. It sure beats last years picture of us capsized in the cape. We love this race and are making plans to be there next year. Here is a picture of the latest ride "ROCKET 88" we will be racing long distance next week in the ditch run from San Francisco to Stockton up the delta.

Jim Korkosz
TEAM LEXISNEXIS

Jim, I have to say, that ROCKET 88 is INSANE! 34ft of power making the Inter 20 look diminutive! What a ride. Good luck - Anyone interested, check out that craft here:

http://www.sfsail.com/rocket88.htm

As for Team Lexis Nexis, I'll hold you to next year, jim! And you better be in the whole 1000!

Here are some more memories while waiting for a finish to the current Atlantic 1000... At least you are looking good 3 out of 4 shots in 02! Had to remind you of that 02 Hatteras fun...



Kelly

Well, I know that a boat is in (as of about 15 minutes ago) but I don't know who. Rick hasn't called back.

Man... Ole Rick loves the drama. He didnt get enough rounding the Cape, so he is adding a bit here. The sly dog. I've waited long enough (making graphics in sheer boredom). I'll check back later this eve. Time for a Sunset sail.

Tybee is in and Toshiba came in about 15 minutes after.

The air died at about 2:00 p.m., so it has been slow slogging since.

But before the wind died, John McLaughlin (Chesapeake)turtled his boat. Todd Hart (Cat Fever) came back to help him get it righted. So those two boats are going to be late. It is expected that Accelerated Chaos will be coming in to the beach next, but, who knows.

Brian Lambert on Team Tybee said after finishing, "You never know what is going to happen in these conditions (light air) -- an hour and a half lead can evaporate very quickly.

But obviously it did not evaporate for Team Tybee -- they have it wrapped up as winner of both the Outer Banks 500 and the Atlantic 1000.

There is a big storm over the sound that has apparently sucked up all the wind and also, apparently, is blocking the line of sight for Rick's satellite dish, so we don't know at this point whether he is going to be able to get stuff posted on our race site this evening.

Rick/Mary...Why the information blackout. OBX500.com said the boats were in at 7:00 p.m. but no details there either? Just Tybee first and Semp Toshiba second... Help us out, our buddies are out there.

Sorry about the blackout, but I tried all night to get the sat hooked up, finally made it this morning and got the results posted. Not the times, however, as I was not tracking time and I see that the Outer Banks 500 site does not have the times posted yet.
Sorry for the delay.

Thanks for watching and waiting.
Rick