Leg#12 -- Kill Devil Hills, NC to Virginia Beach, VA (60 miles)The Final Act to a Great Drama
2000 Worrell 1000
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Leg#12 -- Kill Devil Hills, NC to Virginia Beach, VA (60 miles)
The Final Act to a Great Drama
The seas are calm and the wind is supposed be out of the west and switching to the southeast at 10-15 mph. It
should be a cakewalk to the finish line. This is also one of the shortest legs on the course as well. Blockade
Runner needs to stay very close to Rudees and not allow them to make up any of that 29 minutes that they are behind.
Rudees is the only team that has a chance of upsetting the reigning champ of this race -- Randy Smyth.
| Survivors What is it that some people possess that makes them continue on in the face of peril and even disaster? What gives them that extra amount of strength, the added stamina to overcome major hurdles?
We could ask Scott and Dior Hubel of Team Premier Shutters, but I am not sure they would have a real answer. But they did rise above it all. After their boat was completely speared all they through by Pyacht at the Atlantic Beach start, they returned to shore and made temporary repairs to the gaping holes in their boat. Repairs? Well! Actually it was duct tape. And all of us sailors know that nothing can beat duct tape (or is that duck tape) – after all it keeps ducks floating, doesn't it? At any rate, Scott and Dior shoved off again. After rounding Cape Lookout they made their way up the barrier islands slowly – their tape job was not sufficient and the boat was taking on a lot of water. All of the islands along that route are pretty much barren. There are a few isolated fishing camps here and there, but no real signs of civilization. So, there would be no help if they landed on one of those outer islands. But they struggled past those islands and barely landed at Okracoke with a listing boat and water filling over 70% of the hull. They drained the water from the hull, retaped and started out once again. Hours later they finally finished to the screams and applause of the encouraging crowds that had gathered in anticipation of their landing. A great job done under very adverse conditions
And you could probably ask Richard Deppe and Tom Weaver of Pyacht those same questions, but again I doubt they could give the deep truth. After rounding Cape Hatteras, Pyacht broke their mast above the spreaders. Using any and all of the material on their boat, they rigged a forestay and backstays to hold the remaining part of the mast upright and then rigged their spinnaker in such a way that it acted like a large jib. With this new rig, looking much Kon Tiki, they headed for the finish line at Kill Devil Hills. Ground crews were keeping track of them all along the way and even had a spare mast available. The ground crew had no way of telling Pyacht that they had a mast, but it made no difference anyway – they seemed to be determined to go on and they were making fairly good time with this unusual rig. Finally they hit the finish line and again a huge crowd had gathered to cheer them in.
A lady was standing next to me and said, "Isn't this a wonderful story of courage and commitment?" I couldn't answer her – I turned and walked away, tears running down my cheek. |
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And They're Off
On the Last Leg and Looking Forward to Their Last Hurrah!
If not an exciting send off, it was certainly colorful -- every team was flying their chutes before the final starting horn. The beach was filled with onlookers and a roaring cheer went up as the final red flag was raised and the boats made their final plunge into the surf.
We are packing up and heading to Virginia Beach, so stand by for more.
They are Finally Here – It's Over
Rudees Wins the Leg and the Battle, But Blockade Runner Wins the War
 Rudees was the first boat in, but had to settle for second spot overall -- only minutes behind Blockade Runner |
 Randy Smyth was immediately surrounded by the media -- writers and cameramen |
Randy Smyth and Matt Struble finished just under a minute later winning the title for Blockade Runner Beach
Resort in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. This is the 6th time Smyth has won this event and his 5th in a row.
Upon crossing the line Smyth raised both hands in victory and fell off the back of the boat. Immediately he was
swamped by press, TV, and other media (me included). Tactically he wanted to keep Rudees in sight but when the
wind lightened up Rudees had developed a big lead.
"The wind switched from west like you saw this morning to nothing. It was then that we didn't even have sight
of them (Rudees). That's scary when you are in light air."
The wind filled in from a northerly direction about 25 miles from the finish line and that was when Blockade Runner
caught back up with Rudees.
 Paula Smyth managed Team Blockade Runner Beach Resort, and at the same time managed her two-year-old girl, Nicole -- both a handfull. Here she finally relaxes with champagne and roses. |
 Not sure you can see it all, but the winning boat was placed in a winner's circle. Behind the boat you can see the two welcoming tents of the sponsors and the lighted information sign in the background. |
 There was a huge crowd in attendance earlier. Here is the view of the beach and finish line area when the last of the boats are coming in. |
 Even though Miss Virginia Beach was there to greet the fleet, we though the mermaid was more suited to greet them. |
| Pos | Team | Overall Time for the 1st Boat/ & then Times Behind |
| 1 | Blockade Runner (Smyth/Stuble) | 77.00.30 |
| 2 | Rudee's Restaurant (Dryland, Waterhouse) | 28.20 |
| 3 | Holland ((Loos, Heemskerk) | 1.50.44 |
| 4 | Alexander's (Lambert, Livingston) | 2.12.04 |
| 5 | Sunnucks (Sunnucks, Self) | 3.43.44 |
| 6 | Tybee Island (Lohmayer, Pierce) | 4.41.11 |
| 7 | California (Busch, Klodowski) | 6.16.08 |
| 8 | Guidant (Roberts, Tartaglino) | 6.34.44 |
| 9 | First Response (Smith, Holmes) | 7.22.27 |
| 10 | Cat House (Hast, Cope) | 9.07.31 |
| 11 | Cat Fever (Hart, Hall) | 10.18.32 |
| 12 | Mobil (Sonnenklar, Adiano) | 10.58.51 |
| 13 | van Dyke Racing (van Dyke, Cavanaugh) | 12.06.30 |
| 14 | Premier Shutters (Hubel, Hubel) | 12.23.06 |
| 15 | Bay Wind (Zenke, Pleasants) | 13.00.36 |
| 16 | Outer Banks (Laughlin, Johnson) | 14.32.04 |
| 17 | Korz/Murray (Korzeniewski, Murray) | 16.22.33 |
| 18 | Pyacht.com (Deppe, Weaver) | ? |
Leg # 11-- Hatteras to Kill Devil Hills, NC
The Surf is Up And Cape Hatteras and Diamond Shoals are Awaiting the Fleet
The wind kept piping all night, pitching the sea into a more upheaval motion, No! We won't miss this start -- it could be a killer for many teams, Also, standby by because we have arranged for a jeep to take us out to the most dangerous body of water in the world -- Cape Hatteras. Even the lighthouse doesn't stand a chance against these seas -- last year they had to move it inland by quite a distance just to save it.
And you have all heard about the pissups. They are caused by the two streams of water, one from the north and the Gulf stream from the south, When the two unyielding water powers meet the demonstrate their battle in water popping straight into the air. Sometimes the pissups will ignite to over 50 feet. This may be the day that we see such a thing. The sailor's only hope is they don't drive right over a pissup.
So, don't get alarmed when I don't give you an immediate report on the start. I have to jump in a jeep and jet to the cape as fast as we can get there to see the cape rounding. Then I will return and file my report on the start and the cape rounding. Thanks for your patience.
| We have a contributing writer -- the skipper of Team Cat House ALMOST DONE WITH THE WORRELL 2000 by Steve Hast Well, here I sit in Cape Hatteras...Only two more legs. My arms hurt, my back hurts, my tail bone hurts and they say this is the easiest race because the wind has been predominately behind. Of course, when I am sitting around with the other sailors I say I feel fine. Everybody feels fine. Unless you have major proof like a bone sticking out of your arm, you say, when people ask, "I feel fine." Back in Ft. Lauderdale everybody was contenders. The first leg we all busted our muscles trying for first. Each leg, each finish, modified the class. Pretty soon it became evident there were three superior boat speed boats. Team Blockade Runner, Team Rudees, and Team Holland. This was my first Worrell, and with each passing leg three rules of thumb about the races became evident. Rule #1 Go to the beach. Rule #2 Go to the Beach. Rule # 3 If going offshore looks good, go TO THE BEACH. It has been a hard lesson to learn. So MANY times we have looked so good going offshore, only to be hosed in the end. Our boat speed is not up to the top five, but failure to follow the three basic rules has hurt us frequently. Like today's leg coming into Hatteras. We rounded the cape, a shallow sand bar with small, not too powerful of waves breaking on it, then began gybing up the beach. Land is a crescent shape, so at some point we were able to sail 63-degrees, with our layline 60-degrees. Anyone, we surmised, who sailed along the shore was sailing a longer distance. Heck, 3 degrees off while doing eighteen knots must be the way to go. It wasn't. Stick to the beach! Before showing up in Lauderdale, I ordered the letters for our sails for our sponsors. They seem larger and precocious. They weren't . Team Tybee Island had most every store on Tybee island on their sail, plus large PVC contraptions holding banner a banner. Smyth was the most thorough. A putt-putt golf flag with the name of his sponsor flapping on the sand. His ten ground crew all wearing chicken-poop green shirts - or sweaters. Hanging banners from the balconies from their hotel room. Team Mobile had giant letters four foot high one could read from two miles away. Many teams had the matching shirts and banners. Our letters looked anemic next to all the others. I never realized people judged you on the size of your letters. I was also surprised at all the attention the race draws in the different beaches. Mostly for the leaders, though. Us mere mortals back in the middle of the fleet get a camera stuck in our face once in a while, but its mostly filler for the interviews with the important people up in front. The girls in the race, Sandra and Sue, seem to get a lot of attention however. I have not been around Sue too much, but I have been around Sandra too often. Too often behind her... She is a good sailor and seaman. In fact, I am much impressed with the skill level of everyone. Some are not as fast as others, but for the most part, the difference between the leaders and the trailers is not all that great...After 6-9 hours of sailing. The few times the camera has been stuck in my face I have been cold and tired, my lips numb, or perhaps throat dry from salt emersion. No Emmy here. Mostly I mumbled stupid stuff that I could see in the cameraman's face was going to end up on the editing floor. Our forgetting to raise a daggerboard while surfing in was caught on tape. Plus the mayhem afterwards when it stuck in the down position ten feet from the finish. The local news showed it... No one wanted our autograph. I can't think back to when I've been a stupid filler for the six o'clock news. It is really amazing how when you are tired, the simplest mistake can become a catastrophe. So far, the ocean and shoals have not been the danger. Simple human error is the danger. Forgetting to release a spinnaker sheet during a pitchpole, breaking concentration in a wave, leaving the beach with the sails not balanced so you turn sideways and get speared by a spinnaker pole. (Not us, but it happened right next to us) The final topic of conversation is about the I-20. Almost without exception everyone has relented the boats are durable. Some of the rudders kick up too easy, some of the rudder gudgeons welds have broken, some of the trampolines have pulled out of the crossbars and hulls, but nothing of substance has broken. Quite to the contrary actually. The boards look thin and long, and I did see one on the beach destroyed, (I don't know why?) But we hit a turtle with ours doing warp nine. It dented the board and pushed it into the hull - but did not break. And if you saw the six o'clock news and saw our rudder bent under the sand in our famous landing, you would appreciate the strength of those tiny boards. The other comment about the boat is the back beam has a tendency to catch the waves when the wind pipes up. It feels like someone put on the parking brake while driving on the freeway. And it seems to be the wettest boat I have ever sailed. All in all I feel very comfortable flying the spinnaker in a blow. I will never forget the first night leg. Sixteen miles offshore, averaging 22 knots, phosphorescence flying off the rudders, trapezing above inky black water, and scared to death of flipping. |
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The Surf's UP!
Despite the wind howling and the surf building, there were no mishaps for the fleet getting off the beach. It was exciting to watch, however and there were plenty of near spills.
 Not only did Smyth/Struble manage to go through the pissups and stay upright, they also popped their chute at the same time. |
It was wild Jeep ride. Thanks to John and Brenda Norris of Hatteras who let me jump into their 4-wheeler Jeep as we tore out through sand and surf to the very tip of Cape Hatteras. We almost did not get there before the boats arrived.
Blockade Runner was the first to go through the pissups area. And they were the only ones that launched their chute while in the most dangerous part of the cape rounding. The rest of the fleet waited until they were around the cape and in smoother waters before setting the spinnaker. Randy Smyth said, "I figured if the rudders kicked up the spinnaker would give us better steering and keep us from rounding up."
Here are some pictures from Cape Hatteras
     It was rough, but they all made it past the cape |
Standby by. We will have a full report at Kill Devils Hills
They're In
And Well Ahead of Me
 Team Cathouse could not get their daggerboard up only a few feet from the finish line. Both Woody Cope and Steve Hast and their ground crew worked for what seemed hours to get the dumb board up. Meanwhile the clock was ticking and they could not get across the line. |
Once around Cape Hatteras is was smooth sailing all the way to the finish line. The wind continued to shift from downwind, to a reach and finally almost a beat. There were no problems on the course other than a few rips in sails and some boards beat up. Blockade Runner has had an ongoing leakage problem that they can't seem to locate. Adding the weight of water as your traveling will certainly slow you down somewhat. But it didn't slow them down that much as they kept dicing it out with Rudees all the way and ended up finishing just minutes behind them. Rudee's win today puts them a bit closer -- they just keep eating away at the slim lead held by Blockade Runner.
Meanwhile it was a three-horse race for 3rd spot with Alexanders, Sunnucks and Holland constantly switching positions. And they finished in that order.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Team | Overall Time for the 1st Boat/ & then Times Behind |
| 1 | Blockade Runner (Smyth/Stuble) | 70.00.49 |
| 2 | Rudee's Restaurant (Dryland, Waterhouse) | 29.12 |
| 3 | Holland ((Loos, Heemskerk) | 1.49.53 |
| 4 | Alexander's (Lambert, Livingston) | 2.05.38 |
| 5 | Sunnucks (Sunnucks, Self) | 3.33.36 |
| 6 | Tybee Island (Lohmayer, Pierce) | 4.28.02 |
| 7 | California (Busch, Klodowski) | 6.06.11 |
| 8 | Guidant (Roberts, Tartaglino) | 6.20.16 |
| 9 | First Response (Smith, Holmes) | 6.56.57 |
| 10 | Cat House (Hast, Cope) | 8.36.50 |
| 11 | Cat Fever (Hart, Hall) | 9.28.25 |
| 12 | Mobil (Sonnenklar, Adiano) | 9.43.39 |
| 13 | Premier Shutters (Hubel, Hubel) | 11.11.48 |
| 14 | van Dyke Racing (van Dyke, Cavanaugh) | 11.25.30 |
| 15 | Bay Wind (Zenke, Pleasants) | 12.01.02 |
| 16 | Outer Banks (Laughlin, Johnson) | 13.15.09 |
| 17 | Korz/Murray (Korzeniewski, Murray) | ? |
| 18 | Pyacht.com (Deppe, Weaver) | ? |
Two Boats Missing in Action
Korz/Murray and Pyacht are still out there somewhere. They both were last spotted southwest of Oregon Inlet.
Pyacht had broken here mast and had jury rigged the spinnaker to fetch them along. But the air is dying quickly
and they may not have enough steam or the right angle to make the finish line. If the air continues to lighten
they may have a really bad problem crossing Oregon Inlet as the current can run as high as 7 knots. That could
either blow them out to sea more if the current is ebbing or worse it could suck them into the inlet and up against
a low bridge if the current is flooding.
| Social Note: The friendly folks of Team Outer Banks has invited everyone to a dinner party at Quagmire's here in Kill Devil Hills tonight. |
Leg
#10 -- Atlantic Beach to Hatteras, NCI'm Off
I Know, I am Supposed to Say They're Off, But I Had to Catch an Early Ferry, So I Missed
the Start
At any rate, when I left Atlantic Beach the wind was out of the Southeast at around 10-12 mph with a moderate surf. So, there will probably not be anything spectacular to tell you about. Meanwhile the ferry's to the Outer Banks are booked solid except for the 9 AM, so I am off.
It appears that today's leg should be without too many problems as in the past. The wind is expected to stay out of the Southeast at 10-15 mph. That will give the fleet a reach to Cape Lookout and then a downwind spinnaker run to the finish line. It should also be a pretty fast journey. Perhaps the "Graveyard f the Atlantic" will not claim another victim this day -- we hope!
I will be reporting again to you from Hatteras, so stand by.
| We Made the Wrong Call As we all were comfortably riding along on the ferry we received word of a collision at the starting. Figures, Doesn't it? All so we could be at the finish line excitement. Here is the report as seen on the Worrell site (they were there): "There was a collision at the start of today's race between Pyacht and Premier Shutters. Pyacht's spinnaker pole speared Premier's port hull and went clean through both sides. Both boats are under repair and will continue to race. Fault will be determined and time penalties and/or allowances will be assessed in a hearing at the end of today's leg." |
We are embedded in Hatteras at this
time and estimating the boats will arrive between 3 and 5 PM. As soon as we see or hear something, we'll be back
to you. Meanwhile, here is a picture from our ferry of another ferry going the opposite way.
And They're Here
Rudees Wins the Battle, But Not the War
Ah Yes! The old Scottish song – "You take the high road and I'll take the low road and I'll be to la la
. . ." And so it went. Blasting along in the smooth water and great wind before Cape Lookout Rudees flew the
spinnaker and went below the rhumb line (see previous definitions) closer to land, while Blockade Runner went without
the spinnaker and stayed on the rhumb line – straight for the cape.
Well they both there about the same time and took off downwind leaving the others in the fleet behind. At the finish
is was mere seconds between them, but Rudees won the battle. Holland came in 3rd not too far behind the leaders,
but still has a monumental amount of time to make up.
 The Brits did another fine job -- they have really come on strong in the last part of this race. Here are Mark Self (left) and William Sunnucks (right) being filmed |
  Guidant Going..! Going..! Gone! Fours judges gave them a 9.5 but the Yugoslavian Judge only a 6 -- must be rigged! |
   Team California followed Guidant in and decided to try and outdo them, but only received 8.5 from all judges. |
Problems?
As you know Pyacht holed Premier Shutters at the start of the race when they got sideways in the surf. They
both soon were underway again and Pyacht made up some fantastic time. Not so with Premier Shutters, as reports
have Scott and Dior Hubel landing on Okracoke Island and unable to get underway for some reason. Their ground crew
is on the way there at this time (5 PM) to render assistance.
Also, Outer Banks broke a rudder casting and was forced to go into Okracoke as well. Last reports are they are
repaired and underway again.
Big Waves?
Not really. If you want to see big waves go to our website and check our archived story about this finish
line from 1998. Now that was big surf.
One of the ground crew from the Midwest area walked up to me on the beach and said, "Wow! Look at this surf!"
I replied, "Yep! And this is a calm day.!"
Take a look at these photos.
     |
| Pos | Team | Overall Time for the 1st Boat/ & then Times Behind |
| 1 | Blockade Runner (Smyth/Stuble) | 66.22.08 |
| 2 | Rudee's Restaurant (Dryland, Waterhouse) | 32.49 |
| 3 | Holland ((Loos, Heemskerk) | 1.41.28 |
| 4 | Alexander's (Lambert, Livingston) | 1.59.22 |
| 5 | Sunnucks (Sunnucks, Self) | 3.29.55 |
| 6 | Tybee Island (Lohmayer, Pierce) | 4.10.11 |
| 7 | Guidant (Roberts, Tartaglino) | 5.43.39 |
| 8 | California (Busch, Klodowski) | 5.48.41 |
| 9 | First Response (Smith, Holmes) | 6.29.54 |
| 10 | Cat House (Hast, Cope) | 7.51.40 |
| 11 | Premier Shutters (Hubel, Hubel) | |
| 12 | Cat Fever (Hart, Hall) | |
| 13 | Mobil (Sonnenklar, Adiano) | |
| 14 | van Dyke Racing (van Dyke, Cavanaugh) | |
| 15 | Korz/Murray (Korzeniewski, Murray) | |
| 16 | Outer Banks (Laughlin, Johnson) | |
| 17 | Bay Wind (Zenke, Pleasants) | |
| 18 | Pyacht.com (Deppe, Weaver) |
Leg
#9 -- From Wrightsville Beach to Atlantic Beach, NC (67.1 miles)The wind is blowing around 10-12 mph and slightly on the beach from a southerly direction, so it looks to be a spinnaker sleigh ride to Atlantic Beach. There are no hazards, no reefs and no capes to worry about here -- just a straight shot drag race. There will in all probability be no position changes on this leg. Last year I believe the entire fleet finished within twenty minutes of each other.
| Great Hospitality The Blockade Runner Beach Resort outdid itself this year. As sponsors of Randy Smyth and Matt Struble they must have felt they needed to show everyone something. And they did. Amid beautiful gardens and lawns that look like putting greens the host hotel gave the teams a great buffet dinner with all the trimmings. And then still another great buffet breakfast this morning. |
Rhumb Line is the straight line you would draw between the point of departure and the destination. For example, today you could actually draw a straight line on the chart from Wrightsville Beach to Atlantic Beach. This would be the rhumb line
Rum Line is a line at the bar that you get in for a Pina Colada.
| Make a Bet On It -- Or Where Is Pete Rose While there is not yet a parimutuel window, gambling is abounding amongst these degenerate sailors. Every day they have a pool where you drop in a fin and pull out a boat team. Yesterday's winners were for 3rd, 7th and 11th spots. It is sort of an illegal lottery – hope the government doesn't get wind of this or the Worrell 1000 will be doomed. Janet Reno will file against it and will suggest splitting up the Worrell 1000 as a monopoly. That is if she doesn't first attack with tanks and teargas because "time is running out. It's for the Children!" A couple of legs ago one of the sailors actually ended up betting against himself. That certainly has to be illegal. Michael Worrell was not available for comment. |
And They're Off Again
 Blockade Runner (Black Spinnaker) and Holland (Bright-green Spinnaker)jump off to early leads |
Standy for an early finish at Atlantic Beach. this should be a record time for this leg. The wind is behind them and blowing well into the teens. Talk to you later at the finish line.
And They Are Here
And Again It Is Holland with the Bullet
 Jamie Livingston of Alexanders said they hugged the shoreline during the downwind tacks and stayed right behind Smyth/Struble. "It looked we had Holland, but when they took their last jibe to the finish line, they rolled right over us." |
 Aussie Rod Waterhouse of Rudees again held close to Blockade Runner and stays in striking distance |
 Glenn Holmes holds up his secret to his success for Team First Response's good finish |
Overall Results after Today's Finishes:
Pos
Team
Overall Time for the 1st Boat/ & then Times Behind
1
Blockade Runner (Smyth/Stuble)
60.57.16
2
Rudee's Restaurant (Dryland, Waterhouse)
33.40
3
Holland ((Loos, Heemskerk)
1.28.54
4
Alexander's (Lambert, Livingston)
1.42.28
5
Sunnucks (Sunnucks, Self)
3.15.58
6
Tybee Island (Lohmayer, Pierce)
3.43.09.
7
Guidant (Roberts, Tartaglino)
5.18.49
8
California (Busch, Klodowski)
5.22.56
9
First Response (Smith, Holmes)
6.09.55
10
Cat House (Hast, Cope)
6.43.52
11
Premier Shutters (Hubel, Hubel)
7.42.16
12
Cat Fever (Hart, Hall)
7.50.12
13
Mobil (Sonnenklar, Adiano)
8.00.55
14
van Dyke Racing (van Dyke, Cavanaugh)
9.59.24
15
Korz/Murray (Korzeniewski, Murray)
10.07.32
16
Outer Banks (Laughlin, Johnson)
10.47.56
17
Bay Wind (Zenke, Pleasants)
18
Pyacht.com (Deppe, Weaver)
Leg
#8 -- From Myrtle Beach, SC to Wrightsville Beach, NC (80 miles)This is Monday and a layday. Perfect timing since all the sailors and their ground crew have been up all night long. This will be some much needed rest.
This course also become a real test from this point on. Florida has a user-friendly coast line that is very forgiving to those in trouble at sea. It has always been the known as the warmup legs of this race. The real race begins on the leg to Tybee Island, and then progressively gets more and more challenging.
Last night it was Cape Romaine, on this leg Cape Fear, then Cape Lookout, then Hatteras -- there are more graveyards for ships in this area than anywhere else is the world. This is an area where deadly shoals can be found 20 or 30 miles offshore. This is the area where two major sea currents clash head on to form pissups (standing waves that spew 40 feet in the air). This is the area where more sailors have met their match and lost.This is an area where photgraphs from airplanes have shown schools of huge sharks following the cats during their northerly trek.
While the sailors are sleeping at this very moment, they are also probably having nightmares about the journey ahead of them.
| From Mary Wells at Catamaran Sailor Magazine's Base Operations: Many of the Worrell 1000 teams are named for the team's major sponsor. The idea is that this gives the sponsor a lot of exposure and publicity. But publicity doesn't do them much good if people don't know what they are, what they do, and, in some cases, where they are. Most of the teams with major sponsors are underlined in the daily results lists on the official Worrell 1000 website. If you are online, you can click on the underlined name, and get to the sponsor's own web site, which will give you all the information. But for the benefit of those of you who do not have time to visit all those sites, here is a brief synopsis to help you AND the sponsors: Blockade Runner Beach Resort (Team Randy Smyth/Matt Struble). Blockade Runner Beach Resort is a 150-room resort hotel and conference center in Wrightsville Beach, NC. It fronts on the Atlantic ocean to the east, and its west side fronts on an Intracoastal Waterway harbor and anchorage. Alexander's on the Bay (Team Brian Lambert/Jamie Livingston). Alexander's is a restaurant right on the Atlantic Ocean beach in Virginia Beach, VA. It also has live entertainment during the summer season. Rudee's Restaurant (Team Brett Dryland/Rod Waterhouse). Rudee's Restaurant and Raw Bar is waterfront on Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach, VA, facing the sunsets. It is in a building that is a replica of an authentic old Coast Guard station. Cat House (Team Steve Hast/Chris Sawyer). The Cat House is a Nacra/Prindle/Inter dealer in Saginaw, Michigan. Also a good source of information about all the cat fleets in the area. Guidant (Team Carl Roberts/Sandra Tartaglino). Guidant Cardiac and Vascular Surgery group develops innovative products for minimally-invasive heart surgery. Other team sponsors are Team One Newport (performance sailing gear); New England Catamarans; Salty Dog Marine; The Cat House. This team also is using this race as a fundraiser for Lions International charities. To donate, call Miles Vieu at 810-229-2783 or e-mail to [email protected]. Bay Wind (Team Chip Zenke/Richard Pleasants). Bay Wind Sailing is a Nacra/Prindle/Inter dealer with shops in Annapolis, MD and Harrisonburg, PA. Cat Fever/Calcutta's Restaurant (Team Bart Hall/Todd Hart). Calcutta's Restaurant is on Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach, VA. It also features TheDeck, an outdoor bar and bistro. Pyacht.com (Team Rick Deppe/Tom Weaver). Pyacht.com, also known as Performance Yacht Systems, is an online store for a large selection of boating hardware, rigging, electronics, sails, gear, clothing, books, etc. Premier Shutters (Team Scott Hubel/Dior Hubel). Premier Shutters makes storm protection products for homes and businesses and the company is located in Melbourne, Florida. Scott and Dior, by the way, are the owners of Performance Sail & Sport, a full-service dealership and sailing center in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Mobil (Team JaySonnenklar/Lou Adiano). I guess the Mobil Oil Company doesn't need much explanation. Tybee Island (Team Steve Lohmayer/Kenny Pierce). Tybee Island is a resort community in Georgia and one of the stops for the Worrell race. The team sponsorship is a community effort, involving donations from many local businesses and individuals. Tybee Island/Entegra (Team Jim Stone/Bill Wallace). The second Tybee Island entry is jointly sponsored by The Entegra Consortium, LLC, a closely-knit group of member companies and individuals who provide turnkey engineering, design and program management services in the aircraft and marine industries. California (Team Brendan Busch/Scott Klodowski). Team California is partially self-sponsored through sales of their Team California T-shirts and hats and their "Notice of Danger" Worrell T-shirts. They are the team with the huge name "Prophet" on their spinnaker, which was sponsored by Prophet Brand Strategy, a professional business services firm with offices in San Francisco and New York. The team also has a number of other sponsors, including Fastlane Sailing Center of San Diego, CA; Terk Technologies (antennas and in-home video distribution); PaineWebber; Smarthome.com (supplier of home automation and smart gadgets for the home); Kokatat (drysuits and other sportswear); Tack&Gybe (sailing watches); Vans (footwear); Hansen Rigging; Performance Catamarans; and Magic Marine (harnesses, tramp bags, etc.) Korz/Murray (Team Susan Korzeniewski/Davis Murray). No major team sponsor, but three sponsors listed at their web site: J.D. Edwards (software technology company); Kapco Graphic Products; and Blackbeard Ale from the Virgin Islands Brewing Co. First Response (Team Kevin Smith/Glenn Holmes). This is Kevin Smith's alarm company located in the panhandle of Florida Outer Banks (Team John McLaughlin/Peanut Johnson). They are sponsored by the Tourist Board of the Outer Banks and numerous businesses in the area. Have you wondered who those folks are that have their names plastered along the side of every boat in the race? I know I have. So, I searched around and found out a little bit, but gosh you have to really try hard to find out. They are: JDEdwards -- as best as I can make out they are a B2B (business to business) software producer. Picus.com -- this is a telecommunications company that helps with long distance saving, does DSL internet lines, etc. Virginia Beach -- the city helped sponsor this year's event as well. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Besides the coverage on catsailor.com and worrell1000.com, some of the team web sites are also providing leg-by-leg coverage from their personal perspectives. I have found six sites that are doing this: California, Blockade Runner (www.smythteam.com), Outer Banks, get0 |
