Tybee Island, GA
5/13/2000, Tybee Island, GA, 6 PM
By Zack Leonard
The shore crews made it to the
The fleet has just left the beach for the first night leg of the 18th Worrell 1000. The course
will stretch from Tybee Island to Isle of Palms, SC and cover a distance of 83.5 miles. The breeze
is South/Southeast at 14 knots. The weather may be unsettled on this leg. A weak cold front is
hanging just to the North and West of the course and racers are unsure what the wind will do this
evening. Most think the South wind will hold until at least 9 PM and clock southwest, then eventually
West and Northwest. The velocity could build during the early part of the leg before the wind begins
to shift West.
Dryland and Waterhouse of Team Rudee's popped the spinnaker right from the pole and ran off parallel
to the shore. Smyth held high, trapeze reaching, and tried to get over the top of the Aussies before
setting his black, Blockade Runner chute.
Most of the fleet planned to stay close to shore despite the threat of uncharted shoals and sand bars.
The first three hours of the race will be sailed in daylight, so the sailors can keep tabs on each other
and shoals will be easy to spot. As it becomes dark, navigation will become more important. The boats
don't carry navigation lights, they are only required to carry flashlights to illuminate the sail when
they encounter traffic at sea. The flashlights are used to check equipment, find the food, and check
the telltales, but if the moon is bright, most of the boats will run dark a lot of the time.
Phosphorescence illuminates whitecaps and breakers on sandbars, so the sailors must keep their eyes open.
Sometimes a break that is hard to see in the darkness can be heard as a low powerful rumble.
Smyth explained the problems, "this is a tricky leg, even 3 miles out there are shoals. You are
going high speeds and you aren't sure if the whitecaps are shoals or not." Running aground at
20 miles per hour causes several problems: 1) The sailors are hurled forward as the boat stops
abruptly, often launching them into hard objects like the mast, bow pole, or side of the boat.
2) The centerboards or rudders can break off. 3) The centerboards can cut into the back edge
of the centerboard trunk, causing a serious leak in the hulls. 4)
The boat can capsize onto the shoal, then break up in the powerful waves.
The sailors prepare differently for the night legs. Van Dyke and Cavanaugh are bringing coffee
to help them stay awake. They aren't as worried about dehydration since the sun won't be a factor.
Most of the sailors have switched from wetsuits and spray guards to breathable dry suits for the
cooler night air.
As the boats prepared to push into the surf a TV reporter asked Smyth why the night legs were
necessary if they were dangerous. Smyth responded, "if they get rid of the night legs the Worrell
will be just like every other race, we can't cave to the masses."
This leg could be a fast one. The shore crews and race officers rushed out of the hotel and onto
the road to Charleston. Look for a late night/early morning update with finishes and tales from
the night leg.
