Day 1 of the Great Texas 300 Beach Catamaran Race from South Padre Island to Mustang Beach Texas, saw perfect sailing conditions along the entire length of its 90 miles. Small surf, Mediterranean temperatures, and breeze in the upper teens to the low 20s made for a fast trip northward up the barrier islands.

Race veterans Lee Wicklund and crew David Cerdes made the best time aboard their Nacra 20 with a fast time of 6:08:13, beating out John Tomko and Ian Billings, Team Two Wire Sailing, by 4 minutes. The Two Wire sailing team aboard their F18 corrected out to take the first spot. Shannon Galway and Jonathan Atwood, Team Yo Baby, sailed and epic race and hit the beach in the third position only 8 minutes after Tomko and Billings.



Stephen Coolie, who photographed the fleet aboard a wave runner along the entire length of leg 1 said, “If you could schedule weather like we had today sailing would be as popular as baseball.” Coolie continued, “Once the fleet punch through the surf, gentle rollers, with an overlay of chop, these experienced sailors made getting into a groove look easy.”

Team Ki-Hara helmed by Ingrid Bakker from the Netherlands and local Aaron McCulley as crew had a turn of bad luck. First, their original chartered Infusion developed a 4 foot split along the bottom seam during practice racing. Luckily, the Great Texas fleet pooled their resources and found a Hobie Tiger for them to race. Switching boats, coupled with rudder issues proved to be a challenge for team Ki-Hara, and they flipped approximately 20 miles offshore. Coolie describes the scene, “After they went over, the boat quickly turtled, and righting it proved to be a time consuming challenge. By the time they were back underway, the rest of the fleet had sailed out of sight.” After the finish, in true Great Texas spirit, several fleet members went to work on Team Ki-hara’s rudder problems. Hopefully their new-to-them Tiger is more dialed in for leg 2.



When all was said and done, and the boats were packed up, what else would you expect other than a Texas BBQ on the beach? Well, that’s exactly what happened! A giant tow-behind BBQ pulled onto the sand. Smoke was billowing out of its chimney, and the delicious scent of perfectly done brisket filled the beach. Competitors shared conversation about the day’s events over giant baked potatoes, brisket, and pulled pork, as the sun dipped below the sand dune. It was an incredible scene of kids playing in the surf, Texas-sized hospitality, and the camaraderie that makes beach cat racing so fun.

Join us for live coverage starting every day around 9:30 Central on our Justin.tv channel. And be sure to check out our Facebook page for updates throughout the day!