The occasion is Hans first visit to Hatteras on a catamaran. For the past two years he has been knocked out, rolled, pitchpoled and ruined before arriving. The New York Times picked up the story and made it famous. Getting Pomodoro to Hatteras became a ruling passion for her crew, her support staff, and a large contingent of supporters. As crew chief "Beetle" Bailey says, "Both years I would pull into the General Mitchell Motel in Hatteras and the same people… the same darn couple… would tell me, ‘We hear your boat was cracked up.’ "
Today Hans could barely miss. The winds never blew over 15 knots. The boats were often becalmed. "Rounding Cape Lookout was easy," was the quote from Ken Pierce of Tybee Island. The notorious Hatteras surf was maybe a foot or two high.
So they partied on the beach with champagne and a big crowd imported from Alexander’s on the Bay, that four star restaurant in Virginia Beach that provided the uumpf and the services of some of its regular patrons to make this challenge a reality.
The General Mitchell motel in Hatteras will be hopping tonight. And all you gonzo cat sailors who want telephoto shots of boats falling off of waves will have to make do with a champagne toast. For his part Hans Meijer has promised to quit after this year. "I’ll never do it again. This is the last year, and we’re going to get there."
To get there, Hans and the rest of the fleet will need to round Cape Hatteras, spend the night at Kill Devil Hills, and then race the last leg into Virginia Beach on Friday. The weather calls for 10 to 15 knot winds.
Oh, and by the way Randy Smyth and Keith Notary in Chick’s Beach regained the lead today, coming in first ahead of Rudee’s Restaurant. They did it by getting to the wind, which today was in shore. The wind was pretty stable to Point Lookout, when it fell and shifted several times. Chutes went up and then down again. Chick’s Beach and Rudee’s dueled in the shifts. First Rudee’s was ahead. Then Chick’s Beach, near the shore, caught the shift and left her opponent standing. It was the reverse of yesterday when Rudee’s got the luck.
So once again the lead has shifted. After all these miles, only a few minutes separate the leaders. It is becoming a tense horse race between two skippers – two teams that are incredibly evenly matched.
The Start At Atlantic Beach -10:09AM
The boats are away at Atlantic Beach on a pleasant morning in a north east breeze at eight to ten knots. Last year this was the leg that defeated many boats. Weather conditions are unsettled. A low pressure area is hanging off Hatteras, looking much like the one that built fifteen foot seas last year. At the same time a high pressure system is moving in from the west, pushing winds and thunderstorms before it.
A caravan of vans and trailers is heading for the ferry. This year the Worrell 1000 has arranged for a special ferry that leaves at 12:00 noon sharp. Crews are scrambling into their cars.
The occasion is Hans first visit to Hatteras on a catamaran. For the past two years he has been knocked out, rolled, pitchpoled and ruined before arriving. The New York Times picked up the story and made it famous. Getting Pomodoro to Hatteras became a ruling passion for her crew, her support staff, and a large contingent of supporters. As crew chief "Beetle" Bailey says, "Both years I would pull into the General Mitchell Motel in Hatteras and the same people… the same darn couple… would tell me, ‘We hear your boat was cracked up.’ "