I also have Don Q in the RV, let's get going!!! We could also just go to a restaurant/bar, I'll buy the first round, let's pick a time and place! You can hob-nob with the US Sailing MHC Chair (whatever you think that will accomplish...).

Anyway, ETNZ was the last boat into the water, and the first boat out, due to the incident shown above. They hit one of the new, 45-foot mark boats (which are remote-controlled by the signal boat, BTW), but this was just while sailing in through the spectator fleet (both boats were moving). There was actually a photographer on the bow, who managed to take one great shot, then ducked just in time to avoid getting wiped off the deck.

Damage to ETNZ includes: dagger, rudder, dolphin striker and possibly front beam. Lots of black carbon shards were left aboard the mark boat...

Today was the first of two practice days, and was unannounced to the public (no security zone, was the closest you'll get all week on the water). The spectator fleet was well behaved on the course, but presented quite a minefield on the way back to base.

If I can figure out how to post pics, I'll let you see what "job" I have this week.

Also, my POS Crackberry doesn't allow me to post to this site (I can't figure out how to enable JAVA, ironically enough for this event), so my reports will be sporadic; but I can read the site, so let me know where we're partying!

Mike