It was all my fault for selling Rick' Place Motel in the Keys.., another sailing venue lost. I never dreamed it would be so tough after that.

So, we are left with the Caribbean Club (who now has a barbed wire fence [well not quite that bad] around the beach), and Gilberts, where you never know from year to year what they are going to do, or how they are going act, or how much they are going to charge.

Since the new bridge over Jewfish Creek, myself and many others have pondered how we could utilize that opening to make a better race.., and we have yet to figure out a good way.

However, yesterday after looking at the improvements at the Islander, it would be awesome to launch from there, knowing that every year we would be playing with the same ground rules, knowing we could keep and rig our boat there, keep the trailer there, and not have some jerk hounding you about where you put your trailer, are you drinking your own beer or ours, etc.

The only way I can figure this is to start and finish at the Islander, with a non-stop trip. Going the same direction would allow for a spin run to Channel Five, and a beat/close reach up the IntraCoastal Waterway, and a spin run finish.

Most of the finish times have been under 8 hours, or around that. If it was really light air, we could shorten course before Jewfish Creek, or even at Card Sound Bridge (there is a place to pull out just to the north and east of the bridge.

The race would be easier to run from one position, despite some of the slower boats coming in late at night.

The thought occurred to me when I considered a lot of you love the Round the Island Race at Ft Walton Beach, and many of you are Worrell, Tybee and Great Texas folks.

Would it work for this year.., may only require you to cancel at Gilberts.

Please toss in your ideas and thoughts. And let anyone else you know that is interested to jump in.
Thanks,
Rick