Multihull Teams Start the Tybee 500

by Claude on 15 May 2007 The first leg of the Tybee500, a 500- mile race up the coast of Florida to Tybee Island, Georgia, was sailed on Sunday. The race was to Fowey Light Rocks, approximately 6 miles East of Key Biscayne, and back to the beach in Hollywood (estimated straight line distance of 64 miles). Winds at the start were out of the Southeast at about 12 knots, so competitors were forced to tack south to Miami Beach. The start was uneventful, with many in the fleet tacking straight out into blue water. The exception was Team Tybee, who started in the northernmost position, but tacked into the beach early, taking advantage of an offshore lift.

At Fowey Rocks (the halfway point) Team Oolaalaa was ahead of the closest competitor by about two minutes. The rounding of the lead at about four hours into the race was documented by a committee boat at the 'Rocks'. Oolaalaa maintained the lead and finished first at 18:30:58 followed closely by Team Tybee. Team Tiki Watersports-White hit a submerged object just before rounding the South mark and proceeded to Key Biscayne for temporary repairs. After rejoining the race, Tiki White was forced to land at South Miami Beach and retire from the first leg. In Hollywood, storms began to build from the West and threatened the landing. Winds dropped to near calm, and then clocked northwest, forcing the second half of the fleet, which had not finished, into another tough beat to windward. The last boats finished after sunset, about three and a half hours after the leaders.

Day two began with a warning at the skipper's meeting about exposed rocks on Jupiter Beach. It was decided to move the finish slightly south to avoid potential problems. The damage to Tiki White was repaired overnight and they began the race as scheduled. Sick crew member Keith Chapman rejoined Pirates as Leg Two got underway in a steady 10+kt breeze from the ENE.

The wind built to 15kts and shifted slightly north making for a quick ride for the current race leader, Oolaalaa, in four hours, eleven minutes with Team Tybee finishing seven and a half minutes behind. Boats followed in quick succession for a total finishing delta time of just under one hour. One team reported hitting a large shark (no damage) and several teams reported spotting sea turtles during the 70+ mile run. Next stop, Cocoa Beach!

The fifteen teams, including their land crews, have four more days of racing and will stop in Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach and Fernandina Beach along Florida’s Atlantic Coast before they sail to their final destination, Tybee Island, near Savannah, Georgia.