Steeplchase Thoughts

I remember finishing the first day, multiple times in the glow of the hazard lights. Doing it all in one day would be very condition specific, which would, most likely,turn alot of people off due to the travel and time commitments to do the race. Plus it wouldn't really be the Steeplechase that you guys originally started.
Maybe try running that format as a new race in addition to the Steeplechase and see how it goes and go from there.

p.s. It kills me to see Rowells lot going to waste, every time I'm down there.

I am totally with you on Rowells. What a great place for so many venues.

Might be a good idea to try the new format in the spring sometime after Easter when room prices are back down.

You always come through for me, Tawd.
Rick

If you run out of the Islander, could we stop the end of the first day at the Upper Keys Sailing Club? that would be a split about equal to where we're used to.

Actually, that would be a really nice run. It would be nice to start and finish at the Islander with all that space.

Rick, what are the chances this might be possible for this year?

I also agree with Tawd...having it one day is definitely do-able but it just wouldn't be the same. It feels like I get more return for my trouble with a two day sail.

I would also like to vote for an upwind start if the predominant NE breeze is in place off the Islander...set a line square with the breeze into a short weather leg with a mark to be rounded before popping kites and heading south.

It's doable if the conditions are right. It's by no means guaranteed, more like the opposite. I'd say out of the 10 or so Steeplechases that I've done, the full race in one day would have been doable on maybe a third of them.Once you go through the creek back to the ocean you're pretty much committed, there are a few pullout spots but not many, and in the dark would be rough finding one.
I'm not familiar with the upper Keys sailing club, but if they have the room and a landing spot that sounds like it could be cool.

Only 18 miles up the road between them and not having to leave the boats tied up in the mangroves overnight at Anne's beach is a bonus.

I like the idea of using UKSC if possible as the layover.

I have only done one of these races and it was very light, we didn't finish the half way point at Annes Beach until 9:30 or later. We had some mechanical issues that didn't help either... It seems to me the idea of doing the whole thing in one day is very condition specific, and while do-able, would not be ideal.

My other input is that here we are only a month away from the start date of a race that for some requires quite a bit of planning. I have bought plane tickets for myself and a few friends who are using this as a winter getaway. We have made reservations at Gilberts. Its not that the plane tickets would change with a change in the race format, or that we couldn't cancel at Gilberts and go somewhere else, just that doing so a month before the event isn't great planning.

I don't have the experience in distance racing beach cats that some of you do, but I do have a lot of experience distance racing other boats, with lots of boat and crew logistics involved. It is in fact a large part of my livelihood. If you are going to change the format, start now and get it figured out for next year (2013), not a month before this years event.

Two years ago we had no problems with Gilberts whatsoever. We plan to arrive earlier this year to have a bit more setup and leisure time.

That my $0.02. That said, whatever happens we'll have a great time! Looking forward to less time drifting and more time socializing this time around.

I think that Karl's UKSC suggestion has a lot of merit. Is there space to pull the boats out for the night?

And do you stock the bar at UKSC or just double their income projection if we all pulled in there?

It's also probably closer to Islander to run back there between finish 1 and start 2. And it would split up the

steeple

part of the chase on the backside, right? Which might make it more challenging to have the start on day 2 with all the boats moving up through the mangroves. I think it might be pretty cool!

I do recall a few loooooong drives (hung-over of course) from Kelly's motel to Anne's Beach at the crack of what-ungodly-hour-is-this on Sunday....

And how much is Rowell's selling for these days?

Perhaps an equity membership? <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

Oooofff...that fleet wide entrance into Tarpin basin in race mode will be nutz. That's a pretty narrow creek and usually has a bit of boat traffic <img src="<>/crazy.gif" alt="crazy" title="crazy" height="15" width="15" />

I wonder if we shouldn't enter Blackwater Sound from the West north West...ala up and around skipping Tarpon Basin. That would give the fleet just a little time to stretch out a little.

edit...looking at it again, it's something a little over a mile to Grouper creek from the sailing club - that probably won't be too bad working through the creek.

or make it optional on how you get back to Islander? Either go North or backtrack your route south?

Is it exactly equidistant from UKSC to Islander

The club could work, but this year there is no way that would happen. The club has funny quirks, yet they were great about starting the Keys 100 for several years and enjoyed watching.

To utilize the Islander and UKSC, I think it would have to be a counter-clockwise race. That way on the second day's start the fleet would not all be roaring into a narrow channel, rather through one small hole and into another large sound.
If UKSC is for it, they would probably do a deepwater start for us on the second day. While you would miss the normal spin run down Hawks Channel, you would probably have a blast under spin going across the shallows of the back water. May be even more of a

Steeplechase.

Back to Gilberts.., the manager still has not called back despite emails and many phone calls. So, we drove over, but the bar and all the help were swamped -- veteran's day. So, we are going back over tomorrow and corner the guy.
Rick

I would be willing to live with the crowded fight through the creek, or a longer detour to the WNW entrance to Blackwater, to keep that typical south bound spin-run on the outside. But, I don't think I've ever run the kite through the backside...could be interesting.

I did....once

And

interesting

would be an understatement. But we survived and didn't destroy anything, although the conditions were pretty moderate (12-15knots)

I also remember a southbound beat to Anne's Beach in something like 15-20 out of SW with harsh gusts, but that's part of the charm...never really know what's going to happen until you're there.

Jake, weren't you at that one where few, if any, could get through Jewfish creek because of the headwind and current? Someone had neat video of all the

attempts

at making the bridge...

Can someone post that great youtube video of the boats attempting to get through the old bridge? No Steeplechase conversation is complete without that.

Yeah, our ground crew shot this video. I never got around to it, but I was going to put Benny Hill's Yakity Sax music on top of it.

http://www.teamseacats.com/2006/12/12/the-draw-bridge-video/

okay, checked Google Earth and from Islander to UKSC would be
+/- 33 nm going clockwise
+/- 54 nm going counter clockwise

So if Day 1 were to be the longest, you'd want to run counter clockwise...

Yes. Awesome.

anyone reconnoiter 1525 Ocean Bay Dr, Key Largo, FL?

Just south of that address looks like an empty lot with ocean access on Google Earth. Can't tell if there are rocks at the waterline or not. Probably are, but....

That would be a cool spot for the layover. Clockwise from UKSC it's 39nm day 1 and 48nm day 2. You'd split up the Bay side into both days...

And it's across the street from UKSC, so if you stayed nearby, the drive would be super-short.

Being what appears to be an empty lot, we'd probably need landowner's permission and it would be nice to have someone keep an eye on the boats at night...

you lost me, Jay

just looking at a map for a likely place to stop. Empty lot on the ocean side across the island from UKSC, but probably full of rocks as I can't imagine a beach on that side...

Looks great from the aerial maps <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

That's my favorite part , spin on the backside. Boards and rudders up flying the kite across the mudflats. Done it a few times.

Thanks Rick. Diligence on this will be greatly appreciated.

We used to have the Hogs Breath Keys 100 that started from the UKSC, just south of Grouper Creek, sailed south across all the mud flats with spins up and it was great. Broke out to the Ocean Side through Channel 5 with a first stop a Marathon.

That race is no longer, although Warren Green has tried to keep something similar open. Not the same though.

Anyway downwind on the backside is a thrill.
Rick

I tried that twice. Blew up (twice) the first time and finished with a concussion the second. That was a great race though.

I always really enjoy the spin run down Hawks channel on the outside. I can't imagine going the other way upwind up hawks channel. That could be painful.

Of course the first year I did it was directly upwind up Hawks channel. I think we finished at 10pm that night. The wind while light still wasn't terrible. Just fighting it directly upwind made for a long day.

Back side is usually upwind or a reach. And for some reason it usually blows stink on the second day.

I haven't done that many, but I've seen pretty much all conditions on either day...

The spin reach on the backside is a bit of a challenge getting your angles right. Not to mention those pesky lobster traps popping your rudders or snagging the boards.

And spin reaching with boards/rudders up across the flats (in traffic) does tend to increase the pucker factor. I think we flipped at the first flat with the spin up and had to slog out to the top of the mast to lift it up and right the boat. Dragged a lobster pot about 50 yards, too, trying to free the board.

I think the hardest was that nasty beat down Hawk's channel (finished about 18:30 hours) with the harsh westerly. My crew almost quit at Anne's Beach after our 1/3 mile slog pulling the boat in the thigh-deep mud to cross the finish buoy (literally) laying in the wet sand. Not just the mud, but that dang sea-lice crap that stung the snot out of us during the

Bataan Death March of shame

. I think an ARC finished last and the tide had come back so they sailed right in...

The next day was upwind/reach in about 20 knots and cold cold COLD

Then there was that drifter year when Ricky quit on day 2. I think that was the same race where we finished well after dark on day 1 as well. Ricky was our

curb feeler

and hit the sandbar so we could steer around it.

But that's why we do this race... for the stories <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

So when can I expect my royalty check? <img src="<>/grin.gif" alt="grin" title="grin" height="15" width="15" />