The 2002 Worrell 1000
(Note: The latest leg is displayed on this page, starting with the the most recent information on top. Click a hot link directing you to other past pages or pages of interest)

Apres Race, Awards and a Wedding
Great awards party, great wedding

It was a gala awards banquet with a super buffet meal -- the whole thing lasted until midnight.

Each team that finished was honored and given an award. The entire staff of each team was also introduced -- a great idea since these are the folks that make this entire event do-able.

After all the awards were given out, Rick White was introduced and he awarded the highly coveted Carlton Tucker Memorial to Team Alexanders.

Then there was a wedding

Mark was late for the wedding on the beach -- some excuse about the weather! So, the wedding was performed right there at the awards banquet. Congrats to Mark and Lisa!

Video submitted by Bay Wind and Tommy Bahama (Little late getting these up)

Click on the following images to view videos of May 16th:

And for May 17th:

Dimension Data Wins the Leg, Alexanders Wins the War
Alexanders nervously watch the clock as Tybee Island got closer

Dimension Data had their best finish of the race taking first place for the leg just ahead of Alexanders. But the nail biter was for the whole enchilada – the overall victor of the Worrell 1000.
At the start this morning there was only one second separating Tybee Island and Castrol – a dead heat and this being the rubber leg. Alexanders was a long shot and over 20 minutes behind the two leaders. It would take a miracle!
As Alexanders crossed the line many onlookers clicked their timing watches. Tybee Island was in sight and zinging along, looming larger and larger, coming closer and closer. Chuck Bargeron, Tybee Island team captain, paced the beach looking at his watch like a father awaiting a newborn. People were cheering and rooting on the peach-colored boat from Georgia. "Seven minutes and counting," someone shouts. "Eleven Minutes!"
The crowd stared out at the water and tried to judge the time when Tybee would actually cross the line. "I think they will make it," one person said. Soon another said, "It is going to be by seconds."
Then a cheer went up from a group that were surrounding Brian Lambert and Jamie Livingston. The time difference had elapsed and Alexanders won the Worrell 1000 for a "Re-Peat."
Tybee Island hit the shore just over 2 minutes later.
A disappointed Kenny Pierce was immediately grabbed and hugged by Jamie Livingston of Alexanders.

Local press, TV and other media engulfed the two Florida Sailors and had them surrounded with cameras and microphones. Champagne was poured over the two sailors after they broke away from the media.

And the Winners Are

Brian Lambert of Ft Walton Beach, FL Jamie Livingston of Miami, FL

The second place team overall is Tylbee Island

So what happened to Castrol -- the team that had been leading this race most of the time? They arrived about an hour and fifteen minutes after Alexanders and fell into third place overall.

Here are our 3rd Place overall guys:

The Storm Hit the Fleet Hard

Before the fleet left the Outer Banks it slammed them all one more time.., really hard. Winds were recorded over 60 mph. Most of the boats headed for the beach and rode it out trying to keep the boat from flying away. Tybee furled their jib and sailed. Most most capsized or had some sort of break down.

AntieauArt went ashore with a broken rudder. The ground crew rushed back to Kill Devil Hills, but meanwhile they got back in action and at 4:30 pm they were 10 miles south of the finish line.

Rudees has been reported as totally demolished.

As of 5:30 PM there are only eight boats finished. Many are not accounted for at all.

Four boat have officially opted out. They are:

• Athletes in Action
• Howard's Pub
• Baywind
• Rudees

Still missing are:

• Caliente
• Fully Involved
• Catfever

7:15PM Sighting:

two more boats on the horizon, one more unaccounded for.

&:45 PM

Catfever and Fully Involved have finished, only Caliente is missing.

Does this mean the marriage of Mark Harendeen is still on tonight? No! Stand by for tomorrow morning for the wedding.., awards first, weddings second!

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And, They are Off to the Final Finish Line in Virginia Beach
Sailor apprehensive with 60 mph winds forecasted

Team members were tense and despite being "iron men on plastic boats" there was the look of fear in the eyes of many. And for good reason -- at 9:15 there was a weather warning.

Jamie Livingston turned to me and said, "Sort of reminds you of the Steeplechase in '89, doesn't it?" In that particular race only 5 of 45 teams finished. Boats, boat parts and people were strewn up and down the shores of the Florida Keys. One sailor survived by cutting lobster traps and using the bobbers to keep himself afloat better. A boat was lost to the sea and never seen again.

The start was without any major mishaps except for a very tired team, Caliente. One of the crew was swept off the boat by a rogue surf wave. He held on to the boat and in doing so, it capsized.

They quickly righted the boat and took off only to capsize within one hundred feet.

Baywind II was still on the beach. Craig Callahan opted to not sail due a bad gash his knee that has gotten infected. Last night he was having a very hard time just walking and was in a lot of pain.

Alexanders (black hull) and Tybee Island (peach hull) started side by side. They are two of the top contenders to take the overall trophy.

Most sailors are planning on simply hugging the shoreline on a beam to broad reachn where the least amount of wind is. None want to put up a chute and head deeper and into the huge seas just offshore.

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Blustery, High Seas, Storms and 60 mph Winds
Teams prep for probably the toughest leg yet

The weatherman seems to be in a fog today as the forecasts are all over the place. One time you hear 20 to 30 knots out of the northwest, switching to northeast 25 to 30 knots, with scattered thunderstorms with possible related winds of 60 mph. Seas are expected to be 7 feet.

The weather bureau is expecting frontal passage and related severe weather, but just don't know when all this will happen.., or if it will happen at all.

Great Dinner Party by Outer Banks

Team Outer Banks threw a great dinner party with tuna steaks and burgers at Quagmire's last night. Many of the race officials got there late because of having to score Caliente who was very tardy due a broken mast. Caliente did make it in though.

At the party they had a keg of delicious honey beer. It was almost like drinking a fine wine. Great job, Outer Banks.

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The Carlton Tucker Memorial Trophy

Each year this beautiful trophy donated by Catamaran Sailor Magazine is presented to the winner of the Worrell 1000. While it was created the year that Carlton passed away it has plaques that cover every race of the Worrell 1000, going back to the old days when they sailed straight through on Hobie 16s.

The trophy is a sandblasted glass etching mounted on a double-tiered wooden base. An inner light shines up through the glass and illuminates the etching. The etching design is of a catamaran heading for the beach, hull out of the water and spinnaker flying.

The perpetual will be presented at the award party hosted by the Worrell 1000 at the Holiday Inn at 8PM.

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