Tybee 500 Coverage from Gale's Shore Crew

Latest Tybee 500 News - Sunday, May 11, 2003 - Day 2
Mother's Day at Islamorada

Anticipation

This day began just as warm and as breezy as yesterday's ended, with a steady SSE, about 5-10 knots; lows in the high 70s, highs in the high 80s. And the weather pattern looks like it may not be changing for the next few days. Wouldn't that be nice? We could use a bit more breeze, like 12-15, though.

David was the first to rise and shine with a dip in the pool that's situated not far from our rooms' adjoining second floor balcony. When I arose and looked out about 8 a.m., I saw Gale dive in and swim a while, then relax a few minutes in a deckchair by the pool. Another precious respite. By nine, Carl was finished with his cereal and sorting the bags of gear and clothing in his van and I was trying to find a way to get connected to the Internet. Neither Bill nor I could get our computers to detect a dial tone on the room phone, but the office manager was more than happy to let me plug into her computer's line, and voilá!

By 10:30 the staging area was again the center of activity, where all the boats await the start there tomorrow morning. It's about a mile and a half north of "La Siesta," where we're staying. Lots of odds and ends on the boat filled the next couple of hours, mostly rigging the new spinnaker, and when the list was done and the boat all tidy, Carl and Gale took the opportunity to get a quick sail in before the skippers' meeting. With light winds they couldn't really put things to the test, but they were pleased with how everything had gone together.

Following the skippers meeting came weigh-ins, team photos, then Carl and Gale launched the boat for another test run. When they floated back in, David and Bill shortened the spinnaker halyard then rigged the Inter 20 with a "chicken line," a low-tech safety device that David has used with good results. Made of 3/16 line supplied by New England Ropes, they run along the outside of each hull. When a sailor clips on, it can act as a sort of "brake," and protect a body from violently hurling fore or aft, which not only creates loss of control, but could break a rib or worse.

Gale gave me a lesson in using her video camera for footage requested by a British production company who is making a TV adventure series for National Geographic. Gale and Bill reviewed the route and waypoints required for the two GPSs that they'll be carrying on board.

It was after 4 p.m. before anyone took a break. As we finally sat down with our deli sandwiches, salads and fruit, Gale remarked: "Lunch…that's a novelty." Another novelty is the start for the Tybee-500, which will be not on the beach but on the water, at 10 tomorrow morning. So we speculated about that. Bill and Carl broke out a few storm stories of the Worrells of '98, '99, and 2000, then there was sail talk and an idea to improve the jib's battens. Finally, naptime. After all, isn't this place called La Siesta?

The day ended very late with a seafood feast at Lorelei's, after which Gale and I were surprised with a pretty carnation put before our places at the table. Oh, that's right! Happy Mother's Day! Isn't it nice that someone remembered?

Hmmm… wonder how many other mothers are prepping for a 500 mile offshore race on a beach cat?

--Diana Prentice

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