Maug/Tad,
Personally, I would never have loaned my boat out for an event like that. So, my hat is off to you right from the get go. That race is an extreme test of both man and machine. I think it was an extreme sport before the term was even coined. Even brand new boats break under those conditions. As someone else opinioned, the lead team's trials and tribulations get a lot more "press". I am sure some of the other teams have had just as many problems, if not more. It just doesn't get reported.
I cannot imagine that anyone is thinking you sent out a boat that was anything but as well prepared as you knew how to make it, and as I said before, I can't believe you let your boat out for that kind of abuse. <Grin>
Their boat is going to be in MUCH better condition after the race than when they loaned it. Mischa tore it apart and reconstructed it. Even after all the work they did, the boat took on significant amounts of water the first day. They did even more work on it and now have most of the leaks corrected. It all depends on who you loan your boat to!
