Friday, May 21, 1999
By Thatcher Drew
Rudee’s Finishes First In Light Winds - Kill Devil Hills
There’s only one race this morning. Rudee’s Rest. must beat Chick’s Beach to Virginia Beach by 21 minutes and 57 seconds to win. After over 900 miles, that’s all that separates the leaders.
Chick’s Beach finished slightly behind Rudee’s Rest. yesterday, but only by 2:14, not enough to put a big dent in Randy Smyth’s lead. Pomodoro was only five minutes behind the leader. Tybee Island finished next.
After a spectacular rounding at Cape Hatteras yesterday, the winds grew lighter as the day went on. The good news is that they shifted to the northwest, so the boats had a long reach to the Kill Devil Hills checkpoint.
Big Bros./Big Sisters drifted toward the line for hours in the dark. You could see the dim shape of their white sail, bouncing around aimlessly beyond the surf line. They finally beached the cat 50 feet beyond the flag and had to pull it around. Tom Powers had to leave the boat after wrenching his back going around Cape Hatteras. His alternate, David Popp, took over.
Last to finish was Lions International at 2:30 in the morning. She broke a forestay a few miles past Diamond Shoals. Her ground crew had to drive back and replace the stay. By the time they launched again, they were in for a long night with declining winds.
People are Hurting - Kill Devil Hills
Randy Smyth went to the clinic yesterday to have fluid drained from his knee. Tom Powers had to drop out with a bad back. Peanut’s hand looks better, but it’s cracked in at least one place and he can’t sail.
We suspect other injuries. Most of the competitors were a little subdued as they grabbed grilled chicken and burgers at a cookout hosted by Team Outer Banks in their hometown. The hands look terrible: pickled by the water; blistered by the sheets. Even with the exhilaration of the start, tugging that first sheet in the morning has to hurt.
This Morning’s Wind - Kill Devil Hills
The wind is from the north west at about 10 knots this morning, promising a reasonably fast close reach into Virginia Beach. Mike Worrell had considered moving the start up to 9:00. There are parties planned, prizes to give, speeches to make, and it would be "convenient" if the fleet finished early.
