Thats not an extra trap line, its the bungee for the adjustable trapeze.
It prevents the line coming out of the cleat from dangling around.

Eduard is a pretty good sailor himself, although probably not very well known outside Holland.

The first F18 finished more that 2 hours before the first N20?

Yep.

I assume the winds were dieing from behind?

Mischa and Eduard are really doing great! When will someone start waving the Dutch flag? Wouter? Arie?

That is not really in line with the Dutch national character.

Wouter

Very light winds again this morning, with a boomer off to the south, but clear skies in the direction of the course. No surf to contend with.

Some of the teams were arriving in the middle of the night. THey must be exhausted.

Everyone pretty much agreed that in the winds yesterday you had to have more luck than skill -- you could be sitting in a hole for an hour and see boats sail right past you.
HOpe today is better -- where is that wind that was promised?
Rick

I think this may be the best!!! I wonder if they would be faster trapped out!?

Sorry for the delay. The start was sort of disorganized, because, although there was not much surf, the wind died to almost nothing right before the start, and the boats were having a very hard time getting out through the surf, even with spinnakers up. Five minutes after the start there were still six boats that had not broken through.

Carrie and JC were halfway to Cape Canaveral (exaggeration) before they got through the surf.

Rick says he didn't see anybody using paddles. Why wouldn't people have paddles on their boats? From past years' experiences, I would think all the boats would have at least one paddle.

Wind is about 3-4 mph or knots, take your pick -- still amounts to almost nothing.

We must be watching different soccer games!

Can some one give me the hotel name in Daytona where this leg finishes. Thanks, Dawn (TV1 Alan's Mom)

La Playa Resort & Suites, 2500 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach
904-261-5735

Phillip, Thanks for the link to the pics yesterday. I assume they are Walter Cooper's work. Great pics! Hoping they get decent wind for the rest of the race.

Did you all go to our home page and check out the story and the great pictures of the start?

Thanks Mary! I was busy jumping from site to site looking for current updates.I should know to start my day with Rick! Any word on conditions out there?

http://forecast.weather.gov/mwp/index.php?d=mlb&bg=basemap&pl=&fc=1&from=south

link to NWS marine pages. You can get a radar loop running. There are storms building right over the southernmost bit of the course and then it clears. Looks like seabreeze squalls building over land north of the Cape. I dunno bout Fla, but that would mean wind over sea here...

I looked at all 10 of the pictures Rick posted, and he's right -- I don't see a single paddle. There isn't any rule against it this year, is there?

Don't want to jinx them either, this thing is far from over!

Wouldn't there have to be a rule allowing it?

Mary, Good point. I try to always carry a paddle, and am surprised not to see them...?

I am not a racer, so i can't even begin to say i know the rules but i was told a few years ago it is illegal to use paddles / even reach down and scoop water for propulsion during a race...

This was after i mentioned i saw someone trying to "paddle with their hands" their boat under a bridge durring a race