It only takes a moment to subscribe to our e-mail list at www.TommyBsailing.com - here's a sample of what went out a little after noon on Monday:
Hello Worrell Fans!
VERY exciting start this morning! We started from the fifth position in about 10-12 knots, and a 2-foot chop in a narrow surf-band. The race committee mandated a port start this morning. This meant that all competitors were to sail the break on port – any starboard tackers were required to take sterns until clear of the surf line. The surf line was very narrow, however, and Alex, driving off the beach this morning, tacked early, only 45-50 seconds after the start. As the second row started one minute after us, our boys were already through the tack, double trapped, and SMOKING.
The sudden burst of speed after the tack caught us all off guard – within a couple hundred yards, the Harken-equipped Tommy #1 veritably leapt into fourth place as the rest of the front row began tacking to cover. Our boys began aggressively closing on the stern of San Antonio in third. The Texas team had tacked 20-30 yards further off shore, and as the spray started flying, it appeared that Alex and Nigel had driven through their lee into clean air – a good position for the 80-mile reach to Jensen Beach.
The ground crew, voices hoarse after shouting encouragement into the wind, quickly gathered our things and headed for the parking lot, where the extraction of the motorhome from the tight-cornered municipal parking lot would be the second toughest task we would face today. The toughest is keeping optimism while we’re out of sight of our sailors – equipment failures are the hallmark of this regatta. But the careful months of preparation and the strength of the race-tested Harken hardware is our wooden stake against the vampire of destruction.
We had a little scare about 10 minutes after the start – the race committee rushed up to the Tommy Bahama trailer to report a yellow boat sailing to the beach. Uncle Buck grabbed his binoculars and sprinted ahead as recon – we quickly ascertained that the South African team has suffered a breakdown. They have chartered Kirk Newkirk’s instantly recognizable “Undecided.” The Key Sailing owner has a custom paint job with a white starboard and yellow port side on both hulls. After assisting the South African team in securing a new port rudder arm and upper casting, we finished packing up and squeezed our way out the “in” gate of the city lot.
We were fortunate to have some visitors from the Los Olas Boulevard Tommy Bahama store – Dawn and Marcus joined for the start this morning, taking away with them a big slice of Worrell 1000 excitement and pride. After the start, Dawn was asking about how the sailors deal with the weather and rough seas. As Julia continued to describe our adventures from last year, Dawn’s pretty eyes widened – “That sounds SCARY!” she declared. Marcus is a pretty big guy, so we offered him a spot on the boat for next year, but he seemed a little reluctant.
We’re speeding north as I write this – record time for this leg is a little over 4 ½ hours, so we should be able to greet our sailors properly this afternoon. Got some good pictures this morning – check them out at www.TommyBsailing.com and get a grin. Our pusher Dan unveiled his team Jersey with the characteristic “88” on his back and shoulders, and the team name he earned so well last year – Evinrude!
GPS tracking is working well – our team is cruising at a little over 15 mph in 10-12 knots of breeze. Make sure you catch the Tommy Boat on the tracking page.
More information as we get it – keep cheering us on!
John Williams
Tommy Bahama Sailing Team