The 2010 Everglades Challenge has come and gone.
My performance was... well, it wasn't much of a performance. I broke the boat on the sail from the launch beach to the starting beach. Think about it, a 300 mile race, and I break the boat on its maiden voyage within the first 1/2 mile. New record? I don't know, but I feel like one of those idiots that gets videoed pulling out of the motorcycle dealer with their shiny new bike, and crashing it across the street.
Here I'm rigging the boat with a little help from Ian and Green Turtle
Ready to go on Lightfoot's maiden voyageYeah, I know, could have happened to anybody. Mainsheet wraped around a protruding pin as I'm short tacking up a channel with really skinny water on both sides. The boat tacked itself and with zero boatspeed got blown sideways. I ended up aground. During the retrieval, the wind grabbed the boat and tossed it sideways onto one of its fins. There was a sickening crunch and my race was done. Pack it up and head to Key Largo for a week of fun in the sun with my family. Nice.
Actually it was nice. We had a great time hanging around the Bay Cove Motel (nice people) watching everybody else finish the race. Nice people also.
And so, as my wife puts it, I'm addicted and I'm now spending my free time planing a new boat for September's North Carolina Challenge and next years EC as proving grounds for the (rumored) 2012 Ultimate Florida Challenge.
I'll post the conceptual drawings of the new boat soon.
Hi mark, I'm Maurizio from Rome, Italy. I'm really really sad for your accident. I hope the damage of the boat was irrelevant or inexistent. I bought your same kayak-trimaran from ted and zac. Did they fix your boat? 'Mainsheet wraped around a protruding pin' often happens frequently and sometimes I don't realize it. You are NOT an idiot. You don't know how I'm fearful when lanching or landing near rocks and people.
ReplyDeleteYou and your son seem really friendly! If you come in Italy (Rome), it will be a pleasure to host you and paddle together.