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Reporting: Tybee 500 - On The Scene Reports
| May 12, 2003 - Ismoralda, FL to Hollywood, FL TheBeachcats.com is proud to bring you our first on-the-scene reports from the Tybee 500 long distance race now in progress.
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*** Day 6 Final Day and Finish! *****
May 17th The Race Finish: In last nights leg it was Tybee in first, the Key Sailing, Castrol then Tommy's. Overall results are Tybee Island-First, Key Sailing, and Castrol. The first boat in last night came at around 10 pm. Team San Diego hit the beach just after midnight. The last team in, Playtapus arrived around 3 am. It was an exciting finish with the crowd and road crew running for cover several times when the boats arrived on the beach south of the finish mark. Several teams had to get back in the surf and make the mark. One boat actually came all the way up the beach and onto the level land. The boats had a reach to shore and about the last 3 miles had a reach to shore and in 15-20 wind just barreled up the beach. I really was quite a sight. All ground crew member jumped right in and helped.
Team San Diego sailed the last 25 miles of the leg with No dagger boards. The lost the first on only 1 mile out and the last one with 25 miles to go. Team Windy Hill had problems, I believed related to dagger boards and beach somewhere back 30 miles or so and spent the night on the beach, as crew was unable to reach them.
More on the finish later...
May 17th the 6th and Last Leg to Tybee Island, 10:15 est: They are off. Light wind with Tybee, Castrol and Key in the front. Not far from the beach Team Space Coast hugged the shore tight and moved into 3rd. This is a long leg and only time will tell if they make it before dark. Thunderstorms and 10-15 knots are predicted today. Update on the HT18 hull damage and photos soon.
Team Sunnucks hull was damaged yesterday when they bumped a Manaray. The dagger board pushed back into the hull and left a nice tear. The swaped hulls yesterday and are back in the race today. Tommy's blew out their spin mid race and the road crew raced to give them a back up.
We are on the road and headed for the finish at Tybee Island, GA.
More later from the finish.
********* Day 5 ************
Update May 16th, Fernadina Beach, 4:55est.: The wind is blowing 6-8 and the Road Crews have arrived. The ETA for the teams is expected to be
around 6 pm for the lead teams.
Headed to Fernadina Beach
Update May 16th Flagers Pier, 12:30 est.: Tommy's was still in the lead followed by Castrol. Key Saling was not far behind. Key Sailing provided a nice photo op as they hunged the pier tight and almost caught fishing line. The wind is filling in and the boats were are flying their chutes. Team Windy Hill passed the pier at 1:10. They jelly fish were thick and the wind was about 6-7 knots. Team Antique Art had a different sail today as theirs was damaged yesterday.
Update May 16th, On the Road 11:40 est: Carl and Jon are in 14th place and hugging the coast tight just outside the surf line. Tommy's was in first, Catrol, then Key Sailing and the Tybee in 4th. Windy Hill was doing much better and had their spin flying. Wind is still light and we are headed up the road for more updates.
May 16th The Start: Wow, those pushers are great! They are a wonderful part of this race. In the couple of hours some great photos of the pushers efforts will be up to see. Wind is really light and Lee gave a great effort pushing this morning. Tybee was in the lead after a few minutes but the 1st pack was close.
********* Day 4 ************
Update May 5/15 Finish: Team Tybee Island won yesterdays leg. They had a pretty good lead on Tommy's and Key Sailing due to a 2nd hand report
that they had to both drop their chutes after losing some wind mid race. Team Antieau Art had a torn mail sail due to dumping the boat and
falling into the main. 3 boats beached during the race with mechnical problem but all made it to the beach ok. Team Manajr crossed the finish
line last with no spin up and sailed the last 10 miles with no rudders.
As the boats rounded the Cape the sirens were blaring, so teams were escorted to the 3 mile, straight out point and were followed to make sure they got there. Team Windy Hill was having a nice run when they had a bad turn and flipped within the 3 miles cape limit-they tow were shown the right way.
There are repairs going on down on the beach this am. There is a slight breeze @ 6:45 this am. More update and stories later
Update May 5/15: At 2:45 boats were 28 miles out. ETA at Ormond Beach is 4:30 est. More to follow...New photos from this mornings start posted on the photo page.
May 5/15 Cocoa Beach to Ormond Beach, Start: Again is was Key Sailing and Tommy's neck and neck at the start. These two stayed together and distanced themsleves a bit from the rest of the pack 1 mile from the start. Road crew just arrived at Ormond Beach. The wind is light and onshore but shifting. The beach here is very shallow for quite a distance out...it will be fun for the pushers tomorrow. New Photos of Yesterday posted.
********* Day 3 ************
The Finish 5/14 Coco Beach 6:30 est: Great finish with 12+ wind and some
surf! Tommy's was in over the line first, followed by followed by Key Sailing then Tybee Island. Team Morada, Team Alexander's and Antieau
Art. At 6:00est one boat was out, WindyHill. The Texas Road House is sponsoring dinner tonight. More photos of today's start and finish tonight or tomorrow. Teams the did well hugged the shoreline. Prediction is for more of the same weather tomorrow.
Update 5/14 1 pm est - Boats are still close to shore. Tommy's still leads with Antieau Art close behind. All boats are flying full spins Tybee and Key Sailing are in 3rd and 4th. The first group or 5 boats are neck and neck 300 hundred yard offshore. Carl and Jon (Team San Diego) are 10 boats back...the boats hugging the shore are gaining on the further out boats.
Wind is building close to shore and it's a broad reach with spins flying
Update 5/14 12:20 pm on the Road: We just stopped about 5 miles up the coast and Tommy's was in first, Tybee Island, Antique Art then Key Sailing. All the boats can be seen in a fairly close pack. Wind is building but still light. All boats were close to shore...nice photos for later.
5/14 9:07am Update Race Start: We must have upset the wind gods because they have not blessed us today! The race just started Key Sailing is in the lead followed by Tommy's and Tybee Island. There were two starts based on your standings yesterday. Looks like the wind is on the nose again and it will be a long day of tacking. The road crew is packing up and heading out. Will update photos later this afternoon.
5/14 8:15am Sun is out sky is clear and no wind...flat seas 40 min till start
********* Day 2 ************
Update 5/13: More tomorrow. Over 200 photos posted. Please be aware that
these are raw images and there may be images that are not top quality.
If you follow the sequence of photos you can see the race start and the
order in which they finish...including the last boat in.
At 8:45pm 3 boats were still out...
9 boats are in...2nd pack 15 min back
Just in - Jensen Beach, 8:40 Tommy Bahama followed by Key Sailing and Tybee Island....8 more boats in site.
********* Day 1 ************
Update: Last boat in @ 10:30.
Update 5/12: More tomorrow. Over 400 photos posted @ TeamSanDiego.com. Please be aware that these are raw images and there may be images that are not top quality. If you follow the sequence of photos you can see the race start and the order in which they finish...including the last boat in.
Update: 5/12 At 8:45pm 3 boats were still out...
Update: 9 boats are in...2nd pack 15 min back
Update: Just in - Jensen Beach, 8:40 Tomy Bahama followed by Key Sailing and Tybee Island....8 more boats in site.
Update 5/12 The photo page has close to 400 photos for yesterday posted. They are all in order that they were taken. You can see the start, who finished and when, and the last team of the day arriving.
5/12/03 - Reporting from Jensen Beach Florida. Yesterdays leg turned out to be the first night leg. The wind was light and the start was the only offshore start for the race. Team Tommy Bahama was first over the line. The first boat in was Team Castrol around 5:30 in the afternoon and the last team in was Team Windy Hill at 9:45pm.
Lee Wicklund and I waiting on the beach along with Windy Hill road crew for them to arrive. All of a sudden in the middle of a good joke they appeared right in front of us...no lights at all. The were in very good sprits and we feed then pizza and beer. Seems the boats the went offshore had very little wind. Team San Diego came in around 18th of so and made it in around 7:30. Carl and Jon both did well but had chosen the outer water course and got caught up in the gulf current..or almost. They had no trouble with the boat and did very well for their first day.
One team hit the reef had and dumped there boat and lost some gear but made it back in one piece. The paramedics did have to attend to someone but it was road crew who was attempting a repair and sliced himself well with a knife ...I saw him in the elevator and he was stitched up and doing well.
It is 5:45 east coast time and as of yet no boats have been spotted ...looks like it might turn into another night leg. The winds are approx. 8-10 at the moment.
More Later..
********* INTRO ************ The race has begun! The start was in Islamorada, FL in with onshore winds ranging from 5-6 knots. Team Tommy Bahama was over the line first. Closely followed by a group of 4 boats including Team Tybee (photo 900) with the God Bless America Flag Sail. Team San Diego crossed the line in the middle of the pack with a Nacra 6.0, I20 and a Javelin with Smyth sails.
As soon as the boats were over the line the road crews packed up and scurried up the coast to Hollywood Beach to meet the boats at the next check point. All team made it in plenty of time as this leg was one of the shortest and lucky the bar was open! The wind in Hollywood was ~15 knots and white caps were seen. The first boat, team Castrol,
arrived around 5 pm.
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