Team Seacats

What I just said

I just heard from Daryl who heard from someone on the beach that Oolaalaa, Tybee, and Tiki 1 were 10 miles out. I’m guessing 30-40 minutes. That’s much better than what it was looking like earlier in the day.

I’m so excited!

I want make sure that I mention our good friends at Layline. Mike Krantz is not only an accomplished sailor from the Tybee 500, Great Texas, Alter Cup, and so many other regattas, but he’s got a great company that supplies whatever your little heart desires in the way of sailing paraphernalia, including hardware, clothing, and cordage. Added to which, the price is right and customer service is guaranteed. They even include live, online chat for any questions you may have regarding your order.

We’d like to take a moment to show our appreciation and support of a company who doesn’t even sponsor our team. Kokatat. Jake returned a drysuit to them that was leaking and their customer service was so motivated to meeting and exceeding it’s customers’ needs that they didn’t repair the drysuit, they actually replaced it…and it was even a new purchase! Thanks again to Kokatat for your concept of care after the sale.

Last, but certainly not least, is our main man, Frank Moore. Frank is an attorney with Mansmann & Moore in Pittsburgh, Pa. They specialize in many areas of law, including personal injury. They are both former district attorneys for Allegheny County and have more than 40 years of trial experience between them.  His support, both financial and emotional, have been invaluable to Team Seacats for the past two years.

We spoke to Rick Bliss who estimated that, based upon the fact that Jay and Steve were only forty miles out at 3pm and were making about six miles an hour, they could be in as late as midnight. And when I say “they” I mean the fleet and not Tiki 2. It seems that they thought St. Simon’s Island looked like a fun place for a siesta and have have dropped out of the race. Something may or may not have broken, causing a decline in motivation for sailing and an increase in motivation for a tasty beverage.

TDCYC also suffered a breakage of some sort around the St. Simon’s area and have gone to the beach. I have no news of whether their ground crew has been able to reach them or if they’ll be able to continue the race.

The good news that will most probably move up the finish times, is that the wind has clocked to the South here at Tybee Island. Depending on when they run into this change, they’ll begin to enjoy a sweet spinnaker run. This about face could make for a dinner bell landing. I hope so, ’cause I wanted to get some happy finish line shots for the final, deciding leg of this week’s festivities. Speaking of festivities, I may even try to get a few compromising shots of bleary eyed, rum soaked sailors even later on in the evening!

Judi Bargeron has announced that the planned banquet has been moved back until 9pm in order to (weather willing) give the guys a chance to shower and change clothes before the party.

All I’ve got for you in the way of photos right now is a shot of Daryl (who is quite obviously secure in his masculinity) sporting a couple of my Hello Kitty band aids.

Laurel Sonnenklar just told me that Rod is estimating an 8:30 finish for him and Jared at this point.