Florida 300 Information Thread

Will post new info here:

Florida 300: Hotels, Registration and More

F300 HOTELS:
We are down to five weeks before the Florida 300. The last day to get the reduced rate at Islander Resort in Islamorada is tomorrow:

The Islander Resort
80001 Overseas Highway
MM 82.1 US-1
Islamorada, FL ‎33036
Telephone: 305 664 2031 / 800753 6002
Use “Florida 300 Catamaran Race”for event rates
Rate: $209 +11% tax available till April 10, 2015
Islander Water Sports will direct Boat locations and trailer positioning

We are committed to 10 rooms at the Best Western Cocoa Beach but will lose them if not booked by April 16th:

Best Western
Second building north of The Cocoa Beach Pier.
5600 N Atlantic Ave,
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Telephone: 321.783.7621
Use “Florida 300 Catamaran Race” for event rates
Rates: $105.95

For a full list of hotels:www.Florida300.com/hotels

REGISTRATION:
We have several teams that haven't filled out the official registration form and sent in deposit yet. Please register online so we have an accurate count on who's coming.
Florida 300: www.Florida300.com/registration
Dog Fight: www.Florida300.com/dogfight

CREW NEEDED:
Knot2Slow: looking for sailing crew on the F18. Competed last year and looking to compete again this year. Boat is ready to go.

We have another new team that is looking for ground crew. If they don't find ground crew, they will not be racing.

Contact: info@sailseries.com if you are interested in either crew option.

For more information on the Florida 300, please check out www.Florida300.com and "Like" www.Facebook.com/Florida300. For more information on Sail Series Promotions, please check out www.SailSeries.com.

The "Sailing Instructions" for the Florida 300 is posted:
www.Florida300.com/downloads/15_Florida300_SI.pdf

Tracking is mandatory on all boats including “Dogfight” boats. Either a SPOT Satellite Tracker or a smartphone with Kattack Mobile app (free) are acceptable transmitters. See paragraph 8.3 of Sailing Instructions for details.

Looks great. You guys have done a nice job with the SIs and we appreciate it.

I wish Florida wasn't a 22 million miles away.

Thanks, Warren put it together and I spent a day making it a little friendlier and figuring out the tracking.

It's nice to have an option other than Spots, too. I've been incredibly impressed with the Kattack tracking and we intend to run that (in fact, I have included a top-mounted storage pouch for the phone tracker in our new trampoline bag).

How long will the phones last running the app?

I have been doing a lot of testing with the smartphone app. I did an overnight sail on a 40' Trimaran from Jacksonville to Daytona and stayed about 3-4 miles offshore. I had decent cellphone coverage the whole time and did not see any times where it was not transmitting.

I had both a SPOT and smartphone running at the same time. Below is the link:
http://kws.kattack.com/GEPlayer/GMPosDisplay.aspx?FeedID=1388

During the Steeplechase last year, all boats were tracking without gaps in updating and so far, I have not had anyone reporting excessive battery consumption. Other than me when I was tracking, checking the track online and navigating with my phone all at the same time.

Would depend on the phone. I never had anyone mention battery life being an issue. Mine lasts at least 24 hours if it is only being used for tracking. I would not recommend using it for both navigation and tracking. The navigation eats up a ton of battery.

I ran Katack during the Steeplechase and finished each day with at least 70% battery remaining on a Samsung S5. We raced every day at the F18NA's and I think I had 80% battery remaining when we came off the water (without putting it into a power saving mode). It's really easy on the battery.

I'll probably pack a small backup battery/charger for the phone just in case.

We are working on separate "Sailing Instructions" for the Dogfight. We have five so far for the Dogfight and Hans Geisler (G-Cat designer/builder) is trying to get some more G-Cats. Anyone planning to go please register as soon as possible to bring up interest. No deposit is required and no penalty for not being able to do it.
http://florida300.com/dogfight

we're closer to the sun that way.... In August, I think we're only about 3 miles from the sun it seems.

on the cell phone thing, just remember to turn off all the non-essential apps and you'll save a lot of battery life.

I can do it in "settings / Application manager", but i don't know how you do it in Apple phones.

E-mail, messaging, app store, music service, etc. all run in the background and probably sap your battery life. "Close all" and then just open Kattack.

Normally, I'd switch to "Airplane Mode" as well, but I suspect you need the cell transmission to continuously track the boats, right?

I go in airplane mode when I'm using the Navionics app since it uses the GPS (which still works), and won't kill the battery looking for a cell signal when I'm more than 2-3 miles offshore...

I don't think it's even that far from the sun in August.

The best way to do this is go to settings->Accounts and go to all of your accounts and turn off sync for all the services. This means you won't get any emails while you're on the water but I'd imagine you have more pressing matters to take care of.

New Foiling Class for the Florida 300:
We have two foiling entries for the Florida 300. The GT 300 winners John Tomko and Ian Billings will be competing on a "Flying Phantom" and John Casey and Colin Page will be competing on a Nacra 20 FCS.

We haven't sorted out the details yet but they will probably have their own water start after the rest of the fleet starts and finish using a plane perpendicular to the finish line. Because they are not using the same start and finish lines, they will probably not count for overall awards.

You should make them start after us so we can at least see them sail for about 3 minutes before they are out of sight!

They will be. Sort of a pursuit.

So they can just start around, say, noon-ish? And fly by you somewhere mid-course?

I would rather get it over with quickly / early in the day...like ripping off a bandaid. I discussed this with our ground crew last week and they pointed out that it's sometimes really tough for them to get to the next checkpoint before we do (in our "normal" boats) after checking out of the hotel and getting through traffic (I think that was the year of the brush fires too, though). The foilers might need two ground crew units and two dollies!

Speaking as both a past competitor and ground crew, sometimes getting to the destination before the boats can be challenging. Especially if the parking is far from the beach.

It'll be very interesting to see how well the foilers do in waves. Most of the videos I've seen of the Flying Phantom were in fairly flat water.

Should be very cool if they can get that thing up and flying on an extended stretch of flat water.

In a little seastate...looks pretty good. In my experience, videos tend to make the waves look a little milder than reality.

https://youtu.be/PkzFXjw-SWw?t=1m43s


and here.

They will start shortly after the main fleet. We want everyone with the same wind and minimize the chances of a late day.

John Tomko and Ian Billings: "Flying Phantom"


John Casey and Colin Page: Nacra 20 FCS

Very cool! After watching JC vs. the Moth, I clicked on the Red Bull foiling video, with the 4 foiling cats. Are those Red Bull cats also Flying Phantoms?

Yes...they appear to be.

So what's the going price for a new Flying Phantom? (no, I'm not buying one, just wondering).

$50k (ish)

The Florida 300 is glad to announce the addition of Damon Linkous to our race committee staff and TheBeachCats.com as a Florida 300 Partner. It is great having Damon and TheBeachCats.com to helping out. He helped us get the race off the ground last year and was part of the Tybee 500 team.

Bad news...
My wife was in an accident last week and suffered mild whiplash and is going through physical therapy for her neck. Because the gumbo takes a lot of heavy lifting (4 big pots), she is not going to be able to do the gumbo this year.

That's a deal breaker. I feel a little better about not competing this year. Wish her my best, and make her a strong rum drink from me. That will at least help for a little while. Back and neck pain are the worst.

Early forecast is shaping up for a "breeze on" reach. Could be mostly lumpy, with occasional grass, and scattered shoals. Not sure 'bout them there foilers... but I do know my sled loves that stuff. May need to feed the crew a bit more, he'll be tearin' through some calories. Probably a good thing the young guys are sittin' this one out.

Says the not so old guy (with the old acting crew) with ONE distance race under each of his belt.

Todd, that's all you got? A vague reference to your past. Come on buddy dust your current self off and start living agian.

I absolutly own the "old acting" thing, someone has to call bullsh!t when a sewer pipe is broken and we got a gusher here lately.

Riccardi he's looking squarely at you just in case you missed it.

All true... but being a rookie keeps it fun. Few people have enjoyed the full spectrum of expression from young Ding as have I. You will be missed, better yet, come hang out on the beach.

It may take some live bait to get that one.

I've told you I'm in for 1K or nothing. But I do need notice to pull the trigger on that, at least a year.
I've sailed up the Florida coast a couple times, I don't have time or money to do it just to appease some old guys that are afraid to sail to VA.

There's the punk I know and love... "I told you it's 1K or nothing" gawd you're full of yourself, maybe it's a Todd thing. Todd if you're scared just say your scared, in all honesty if I were you I'd be scared too. Getting beat by a rookie and an old man would definatly leave a mark. There is nothing worse than going up against a team with nothing to proove and nothing to lose.

Todd you're dead right... I am afraid. Don't right "skeeert"! But, be that as it may... I accept your challenge, 1 year from now we will race from anyplace you want to Va. As for your time and money, I will also donate to both. And you must reciprocate to me with some courage. Since you have ample. Be advised... next year we will be even "older" than we currently stand in present "oldness".

Ding definitely did not approve that message!

Re-read that with your high power readers this time,no reference to me what so ever, but I hope you do know better than the Sh!t you're peddling.Just pointing out the obvious.

Doohh...Granddude has his money where his mouth is. Ricky ,you can't walk away from that...at least, still with your balls.
I may have to jump in around South Carolina for giggles, that's where it really starts to get fun. I do miss the cape roundings. They are the best part.

So... like I was saying, the forecast looks great for some spirited driving in the ocean next week. The ESE breeze runs with the current and typically brings nice wave action that can be surfed. The chaos currents at the inlets will be where the fun stuff happens. The foilers will have their hands full.

Here on Singer Island the turtles are nesting, watched 2 last night. Sitting quietly with a bottle of wine watching them is good therapy.

"Therapy"... Todd, remember that word.

Florida 300 Presented by Waves Surf Shop

The Florida 300 is a four day open ocean endurance race sailed on high performance beach catamarans 16 to 22 feet long up the South Florida Atlantic coastline. The race is managed by Sail Series Promotions. Next week will mark the second running of the Florida 300, starting off in Islamorada, Florida on May 13th and ultimately finishing after four grueling days of sailing at Cocoa Beach, Florida on May 16th. The last leg will start at Vero Beach and include additional competitors on the shorter 50 mile leg dubbed the "Dogfight" race .

The Florida 300 will include last years overall winner, Key Sailing with Kirk Newkirk and Thomas Whitehurst sailing a Nacra 20 Carbon, hoping to fend off a strong field of returnees and newcomers. The competitive fleet will include a variety of catamarans in three classes F18, Nacra 20, and open class. Each class will compete among themselves for line honors and for overall winners based on the Portsmouth handicap system and overall quickest time.

In addition to the classes competing for the overall trophy, an exciting addition to the fleet this year will be two examples of the new generation of foiling beachcats, the Lupe Tortilla Flying Phantom with John Tomko and Ian Billings on board and Rockets Papa's Pilar sponsored Nacra 20 FCS (Flight Control System) with John Casey and Colin Page. These two boats will form their own "Foiling Class" and compete with each other for line honors, but too little is known about the performance characteristics of these brand new designs to assign them a fair rating to compete for the overall win. Both teams have a long history of winning 300 plus mile races so it should be an exciting race.

At the Cocoa Bech finish the award ceremony for the classes and overall winner of the Florida 300 will also include the presentation of the awards for the 2014 Endurance Series. To compete for Endurance Series honors, competitors compete in four catamran distance races, The Florida 300, Gilligan's Run, Hiram's Haul, and Steeplechase. Each day of racing in the multi day events counts toward overall series points.

Fans will be able to "watch" the race from anywhere in the world thanks to live tracking provided by Kattack tracking software. Each boats position will be transmitting in minute increments. Check the www.Florida300.com to follow all the action live.

Besides the live tracking, Damon Linkous from www.TheBeachcats.com will be providing on-the-scene updates, interviews, pictures, and a daily summary right from the beach. Fans will be able to get in on the action and play commentator by joining the discussion in the forum at www.TheBeachcats.com/forum. Questions posted on the forums will be relayed to the competitors.

Of course all this wouldn't be possible with the contributions of the race sponsors who supply the time, merchandise, and cash money to make it all work. Along with this years title sponsor, Waves Surf Shop, the race appreciates the support of Key Sailing, Kattack, Islander Watersports, Zhik and Shark Bait Beach Rentals.

For more information on the Florida 300, please check out www.Florida300.com and "Like" www.Facebook.com/Florida300. For more information on Sail Series Promotions, please check out www.SailSeries.com.

SMS Racing is looking for ground crew/team manager for the race this coming week. Let me know if you are interested and I can give you their contact info.

Also looks like a Papa's Pilar rum party on Tuesday. JC's new sponsor.

Who are SMS racing? Not on the entry list on the website.

No, they are the Nacra 20 team from last year. H.M. Steiger and Chris Sawyer. Not sure if Chris is racing with H.M. this year or not. No entry yet but in Pensacola deciding to drive down or not.

This is a great opportunity for someone who is thinking about doing a distance race but not sure what they'd be in for. Hope they can find ground crew.

I updated entry list with latest info. There has been some shuffling on the Royal boats and have two boats confirmed and the third boat rumored to be skippered by Leandro Spina rotating youth sailing crew for each day.

I have been doing a lot of testing with live streaming via YouTube using my main camera and pretty much have it figured out. Hope to be streaming starts and finishes live. Will be testing on set up day and hope to stream the rum tasting party. Will post on this site, TheBeachCats.com and Facebook.

Stay tuned...

C'mon over and do the REAL 300 regatta

GT300

No sense in choosing. Do BOTH!!!

Last year GT 300 offered a free entry to their race to the winner of the Florida 300 and we reciprocated with free entry for winner of GT 300.

Tomko/Billings are doing the Florida 300 and I am going to talk to Key Sailing about doing the GT 300. The offer stands again this year. Win this years GT 300 and come join us next year with no entry fee!

That is Way Cool.

I'll be attempting to win this year.
But that Tomko character, ( and others) always seems to make that a bit difficult-
to beat him that is. ;-)

I'm sorry I don't currently have the means (money) to do both.
It looks as though the Florida 300 will be a great time and race.

Kinda like fishin and catching...it's called racing not winning.

Good luck in the GT300!

How about starting in Cuba?

We are live. Check it out!
http://youtu.be/4cGxVBUwWxY

JC is also sailing from the Miami Yacht Club to the Islander Resort:
www.Florida300.com/tracking

Looking at the tracks, looks like a lot of weeds.. they're having to backdown often it looks like.

Winner of the Florida 300 gets a free entry in the Great Texas once again! Good job with the race. We are following from Texas!

Steve Piche
Great Texas 300 Media and Founder

Looks like JC and The Dude are ahead at the onset in the foiling class.

Wonder what the conditions are... I know a couple of us have been castigated in the past for looking at buoy data and interpolating what it might be like on the water so I'll refrain at this point.

We are live Streaming:
www.florida300.com/live

Live Tracking:
www.florida300.com/tracking

Mobile Tracking:
www.florida300.com/mtracking

Sam doesn't come around here anymore since last time.

Kind of baffled by the lack of communication from the race course. I don't see any official posts on florida300.com or thebeachcats.

The live streaming died shortly after JC hit the beach...

Kind of wish we had at least a blogger on site to give us finish times...

Not dissing the effort Damon and Craig have been putting into this but the "old fashioned" solutions sometimes work the best

LEG 1 - 6/12/2012 at 10:00 AM CST
Start: Start 1, Finishes: Elapsed time

Rank Boat HelmName CrewName Fleet Class Rating Elapsed Corrected
1 Key Sailing Newkirk, Kirk Whitehurst, Thomas Open Class 57.9 4:29:36 7:45:38
2 Royal Yellow Lohmeyer, Steve Sonnenklar, Jay N20 59.3 4:40:34 7:53:08
3 Turtle Mojo Macdonald, Dick Ingram, David Open 62.4 5:00:24 8:01:25
4 SSS Racing Steiger, H.M. N20 59.3 4:47:49 8:05:21
5 Royal Orange Sonnenklar, Jared Johnson, Curt N20 59.3 5:00:01 8:25:56
6 Green Room Graphics Cole, Jake Bogardus, Ted Open 62.4 5:23:17 8:38:05
7 Royal White Leandro, Spina Youth Sailors N20 59.3 5:11:44 8:45:41
8 Cat In The Hat Ferber, Larry Smith, Jackson N20 59.3 6:23:03 10:45:57

Foiling Class Uncorrected times:
Rocket (John Casey/Colin Page) 4:00:27
Lupe Tortilla (John Tomko/Ian Billings) 4:33:35

We're racing again!

JC and The Dude are in front again. Talking to him yesterday he says that the weeds aren't a huge deal - if they're fully foiling then they litterally cut through the weeds because they're going so fast. If they do stick on then they don't stick around very long. Its only when you're "lowboating it" when the weeds become problematic. Looking at his speed right now, they're on the foils.

Lowboating is now the term for the rest of us? Sounds as bad as monoslug...

what happened to Capt kirk? he's way back

His tracker hasn't updated in forever and a day.

I think he likes to turn it off :P

Kirk's tracker just reactivated - looks like they're neck and neck with Tortilla.

Rocket then Key Sailing then Tortilla.

That explains the sharpening stones in JC's trailer... (insert evil laugh here)

? Any news? Please post on this forum/thread

I have too many other places to post and have to drive to finish lines and can't post then. Please check the
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sailseries
Website: www.Florida300.com
Live Broadcasts: www.florida300/live

we also have live brosdcast, tracking and broadcast replays. Had some issues with streaming first day but sorted it out.

did anyone stir up the N20 / F18 distance racing debate?

Streaming live
Live Broadcasts: www.florida300/live

There's something wrong with the speed readings on most of the boats. Tortilla is constantly reporting speeds of 25+ knots while Rocket reports high teens but rocket is extending on tortilla...

Tell JC to kick his flux capacitor. That usually works.

Looks like the wind has died even though live readings at Vero are showing 15 from the E - which on their course of ~340 should be a beam reach but still probably too high to carry the spins on the 20 footers.

Reported speeds have dropped considerably so either the velocity of the wind or the direction (or the sea state) is different than what is being reported from instruments.

(or the trackers are misreporting the speed)

I thought there used to be a beach cam for Vero. Maybe you can get an idea of the wind/sea conditions from it ...?

Well going by the tracks, the wind seems to have come south as they look to be gybing now.


Looks like a big hole around Jensen since the boats there are practically standing still while at the head of the fleet they're back up to speed.

Edit: ahh looks like a storm cell is building over the ICW in Jensen right now. Could explain the air evaporating. If you're on the wrong side of a storm when it builds it can really scatter the fleet.

Vero beach reads ENE direction while down around Ft.Pierce its more ESE.

Spotty storms cause these kinds of things :P

Rocket just finished - not foiling... surf looks.. "sporting"

looks like first non-foiler is still in Ft. Pierce?

Key Sailing was in about 20 minutes after rocket. Lupe Tortilla is incoming now.

TORTILLA FLIPS IN SURF ON RECOVERY!

Oh man!!! Tortilla got trashed in the surf.

Cat in the hat, out this leg. Probably dis masted.

were conditions that bad? The wind reports didn't say it was nuking...

Pop-up T-storm perhaps?

Craig said that conditions on the beach were gusting to 22.

In the case of Tortilla, I saw it coming - the wave that is. they had just turned up, the crew was hanging on the bow keeping her pointed in the wind when the first wave pulled him off the ocean floor.... the nose of the boat turned down enough and the next wave that hit them .. momment before it hit I was like "Ahhh shittttttttttt" and wham it went over.

Its lucky that nobody was hurt on that. In shallow water theres the possibility of getting pinned to the ocean floor by dangly bits from the top of the boat.


Start watching from here, you can see it happen... I'm still cringing a bit.

https://youtu.be/LDEAF-1a-3c?t=4577

Did Tomko bring an extra mast?

It hurts to watch. That wave just ripped the bow up and out of the crews hands. I'm very glad to hear no one was seriously hurt.

I've heard the Phantom is out

SSS racing over in the launch this morning. Quickly recovered tho.

Looks like JC and the Dude just finished and are heading upwind (out to sea) after the finish. Might be setting up for a nice spin run down the coast in front of the powerboat racing crowd.

Shame Tomko couldn't finish the race. Congrats to Rocket on the foiling win and Key Sailing on the conventional win.