Here are the overall Standings as of this morning (Tues.May 18) at Wrightsville Beach, NC
| Pos | Team | Sailors | Overall Time | TimeBehind Leader |
| 1 | Chick's Beach | Randy Smyth, Keith Notary | 66.17.07 | 00.00.00 |
| 2 | Rudee's Restaurant | Brett Dryland, Rod Waterhouse | 66.33.14 | 00.16.07 |
| 3 | Pomodoro | Hans Meijer, Brian Lambert | 69.21.29 | 03.04.22 |
| 4 | Tybee Island | Steve Lohmayer, Kennjy Pierce | 69.58.55 | 03.41.48 |
| 5 | Worrell Bros. Restaurant | Clive Mayo, Jamie Livingston | 72.29.31 | 06.12.24 |
| Big Brothers, Big Sisters | Guy Selsmeyer, Tom Powers | 79.45.45 | 13.28.38 | |
| 6 | Turtle | Alex Korakis, Scott MacDonald | 80.21.05 | 14.03.58 |
| 8 | Lions Intl | Carl Roberts, Todd Hart | 83.41.32 | 17.24.25 |
| 9 | Outer Banks | John McLaughlin, Peanut Johnson | 84.15.16 | 17.58.09 |
| 10 | Extreme | Dave White, Chris Webster | Retired |
Getting Ready for the 9th Leg From Wrightsville Beach to Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
Ground crews and sailors have been busy making repairs to boats and bodies. Peanut Johnson of Outer Banks may be
beyond repair – at least in time to finish the race. He suffered a broken hand two days ago during the storms that
forced them to shore for repairs and had to sit out of the race yesterday.
 The teams get ready for action at Wrightsville Beach, NC |
Johnson hopes the team will let him back on the boat on the final leg to Virginia Beach in sort of an honorary ride for suffering so much abuse through most of the race.
Still another team is beyond repairing – both the boat and sailors. Dave White and Chris Webster of Team Extreme pulled out last night at Carolina Beach, North Carolina, just 15 miles from the finish line. The only thing "Extreme" about this team is their Extreme Bad Luck. They have been fighting rudder problems from the very start in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They have tried everything except replacing them with NACRA rudders. And that would have probably worked.
Dave White nearly filleted his finger off three legs ago, but braved it out and continued. But finally the pain and the rudders overcame him during the long beat to the finish line and they came ashore south of Wilmington's Cape Fear River.
And the Beat Goes On
This morning as of 9 AM, the wind is blowing strongly at about 15 mph out of the northeast as the sailors raise their mainsails this morning – right down and parallel to the beach. Right on the nose. For the 4th leg in a low these weary sailors must face still another 70-mile weather leg – another beat to weather. "And the Beat Goes On!"
The winds are forecasted to be from the north, but they are surely not at this time, just before the start. The winds are supposed to subside and become variable at around 10 mph later and then switching to the southwest by tonight. Finally! Maybe the fleet can actually use the spinnakers they have been carrying around for the last 4 days.
Perhaps things may work out for the sailors. The low pressure that has been causing all of the weather work is expected to push north by Wednesday night and Thursday. Then a weak cold front will move off the middle Atlantic coast late Wednesday night and push southeast across the water Thursday and Thursday Night. That front is expected to dissipate by Friday. Hopefully that will make the Cape Hatteras rounding a bit better and the final leg to Virginia Beach should be a cruise.
|
Exciting Video Footage For the first time I finally got to a chance to see the video of the 1998 Worrell 1000 done by Bob Feldman.
Bob just does this as a hobby, so don't expect Steven Spielberg. But it really captures the soul of the event. |
Some comments around the parking lot:
|
Stobe Light Inadequate? Some of the sailors were complaining about not being able to see the small yellow strobe light used for night landings. In larger towns (i.e., Myrtle Beach) the small light is easily lost amidst the many other strong lights of the area. "Someone needs to design a light that gives off a signal or sequence. It wouldn't be expensive," said Dave Popp, ground crew for Team Big Brothers and Sisters. |
And They're Off Again from Wrightsville Beach to Atlantic Beach, NC
"Surf's Up!" That would be a great thing to hear, if you were a surfer. But, if you a Worrell 1000 sailor,
it is not your favorite cry.
 Team Outer Banks blasts through the first wave. Others didn't do so well |
Most of the teams got through the stuff in pretty good shape, a few got slapped around, but Carl Roberts and Todd Hart of Lions Intl. broke a rudder pin and couldn't steer. They were perilously floundering in the breakers with no steerage. Luckily they got the boat turned around and got back to the beach. There all the other teams' ground crews jumped on Lions' boat and started working feverishly. This is awesome camaraderie.
 Great sportsmanship and camaraderie was shown here. Carl Roberts and Todd Hart broke their rudder pin in the surf and had to return. The other teams' ground crews jumped in to get them back on the water fast. |
Smyth and Notary had the pole position, but had some trouble getting going. Although they still have the lead, it is a very close one.
The entire fleet is short tacking close to the shore line in an attempt to stay out of the bigger waves they encounter when going farther off shore.
UPDATE, as of 3:30 PM on May 18.
Michael Worrell is expecting arrival between 4:30 and 5:30. However, it may be later as the teams are having to
sail directly in to the wind all the way.
 The Catamaran Sailor Press Bus gives lessons on parking for this regatta. Again it is the prime spot. |
They've Arrived and Pomodoro Takes Line Honors
Short leg, easy day, right? Wrong! Another long beat. In tacking back and forth up the coast line boats actually
sailed 90 miles instead of 70 miles. And for three hours during mid-day it was a drifter besides.
But is was worth it for Hans Meijer and Brian Lambert of Pomodoro (or Team Tomato as they are lovingly called)
taking their very first place finish in the race. But it wasn't easy.
"After about 16 miles into the course we took the lead and really stretched it out. Then Rudee's Restaurant
(the Aussies – Brett Dryland and Rod Waterhouse) played the shoreline better than we did and caught up in the last
three miles. We almost lost it." Said Hans Meijer.
It was a real tacking duel after all those hours and all those miles. It was poetry in motion. Pomodoro eked out
the win by only 14 seconds.
 It was a neck and neck battle to the finish line, but Pomodoro gained line honors over Rudee's Restaurant by 14 seconds. |
When asked if he felt good about the victory, Meijer said, "It was great! But, I'm still not coming back!" Meijer has been telling everyone that this is definitely his last Worrell 1000, although most know he won't be able to stay away.
Brett Dryland was happy about closing the gap between himself and Pomodoro. He said, "We took to the beach and found some bad stuff but also some really good stuff in all the oscillations."
The poor finish by Randy Smyth and Keith Notary allowed Rudee's to regain the overall lead by 7 minutes and 6 seconds. Smyth and Notary were caught in a hole of bad air while the two leaders sailed away. Smyth was relieved that he is only behind by 7 minutes. "We were hours behind at one time," he said.
Here are the results of the Leg from Wrightsville Beach, NC to Atlantic Beach, NC:
| Pos | Team | Sailors | Arrival Time | Distance Behind |
| 1 | Pomodoro | Hans Meijer, Brian Lambert | 19.28.29 | 00.00.00 |
| 2 | Rudee's Restaurant | Brett Dryland, Rod Waterhouse | 19.28.43 | 00.00.14 |
| 3 | Chick's Beach | Randy Smyth, Keith Notary | 19.51.42 | 00.23.13 |
| 4 | Tybee Island | Steve Lohmayer, Kenny Pierce | 20.13.16 | |
| 5 | Outer Banks | John McLaughlin, Peanut Johnson | 21.09.13 | |
| Worrell Bros Rest. | Clive Mayo, Jamie Livingston | 21.23.36 | ||
| Turtle | Alex Korakis, Scott MacDonald | 21.52.18 | ||
| Lions Intl | Carl Roberts, Todd Hart | 22.31.33 |