Napes to Key West- 187 miles (top)

Sanibel Causeway to Boca Grande Pass- 60+ miles

The sanibel one looks easier, and it's about the same distance as day 1 Steeplechase.

+1 There are two passes to duck into if you wanted to shorten the course.

Better have flares, a good gps and a top notch radio. Reason is if you break down in Florida bay, you are far from any Coast Guard rescue asset. Searches launched out of Miami or Clearwater will take at least 45 minutes to reach you, that is of course they don't have to do a search. Better be ready to abandon ship if a helicopter shows up to assist you.

I have not intention of sailing that particular route. Someone just asked me how far it was.

When I have sailed down to the Keys, I've stayed very close inshore, just bumping along the coastline.

Thanks for the distance and the photo-maps Pete, from 35,000 feet it looks a lot shorter! I was thinking it might only be about 100 miles, straight line, but it's nearly double that and even at a sustained 18 knots (as if that's possible) it would take 10 hours! And Robi makes a good point, it could get very lonely out there if anything broke.

Coffee and morning video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQIiQhTFf30&feature=player_embedded

So...where is Hout Bay? NZ or Aus?

No clue.

think its a "bok" land bay ( south africa for non Rugby fans) )

Key West to Dry Tortugas

http://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/directions.htm

http://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/brochures.htm

I'm in! But how do you get a beach cat and provisions out there?

A support cruising boat fleet; and the cruising cats or monohulls to follow and chase racing fleet

It takes Yankee Freedom about 2 hours each way at 20+ kts. It's definately an over the horizon sail, so you'd better have some navigation backup (extra GPS)

Camping provisions can be strapped to the boat. I don't know how feasible these trips are on the F16. For starters, you need a very competent crew/navigator, someone you can talk to for the 4+ hrs so you don't get bored, and more importantly someone you trust with your life. Is the F16 a good platform with 300 lbs of crew weight, 25 lbs of navigation and safety gear, and 100 lbs of camping gear, all while offshore? I haven't spent enough time on the boats in heavy air and more importantly a heavy sea state to make that call.

I will say the F18, N20, F20c, and Tornado are probably better platform for this. If the trip/race is downwind both ways, the F16 would probably be alright as well. Having spent 5 hours POUNDING through 5+ foot Atlantic chop upwind in 20kts+ on the N20 WITHOUT chicken lines (we were <1 mile offshore at all times and this was still stupid), I wouldn't want less waterline. A reef-able mainsail would be nice. Anyone look at Livingston's Tornado modified for the Everglade's Challenge? I'd really like to take a look at that boat, it would probably be the setup I'd take on over-the-horizon trips.

Take a look at the Tybee list of safety requirements. That's my safe minimum. I'd take nothing less than 3 GPS's on the trip, 2 VHF's, EPIRB's for each crew member and enough water for 3 days. Nothing less than Aquata Worrell XT's or equivalent for trap harness's. I'm sure those with more distance racing experience than I will chime in with their tips...

Finally, some of these places look like a blast and may be the next step forward for distance racing. I'd love to see a distance race run alternate years down the Gulf Coast of Florida, Starting in Tampa and culminating in a beastly 82nm mile sprint from Marco's Island to Key West across Florida Bay.

The F16 is not suitable for extended sailing, imo.

Southwest Florida has great daysailing water for catamarans. It would be a really strange series of events that would put you more than a few minutes from shelter. The trips I've suggested could be done, reasonably, on any small boat.

But, as Timbo says, "You can do anything, once."

The tips look great, but to say the F16 can not do a LD race...

I have sailed my F16 in the Steeplechase Regatta twice, about 100mi, 50mi each day. (around Key Largo)

I sailed my F16 in the Hogs Breath Regatta once 100 miles (Islamorada to Key West)

I sailed my F16 in the Miami to Key Largo and back this year 80 miles. and beat the F18s (finished 3rd in h-class)

How many F16's did the 'Around the Island' race last year 100mi?

I repeat (second time) Provisions / camping gear would be put on the Cruising Fleet.
and their are alot of monouhulls out of Miami that could do this. Perhaps after the Miami to Key West Race.

I'm tentatively planning on doing the GT300 next year on a Viper with a heavier mast to handle the three sail reaching, with 375lb crew.

Is the viper mast not strong enough as is? Are the carbon offerings from Falcon Marine needed to 3 sail reach for extended periods of time?

Getting a cruising fleet of monohulls to follow the catamaran's is smart but imo improbable. Frankly I prefer to be self-dependent and I think many of the distance racing crowd agrees with me. With the proper equipment (dry bags) I don't see why 1 nights worth of camping gear can't be brought on the boats. I would say the Everglade's Challenge crowd would be more interested in the sail to the Dry Tortugas than most.

Sail7seas, what were the conditions like in those races regarding wave state? My experience has been the waves in the key's are relatively mild compared to the Atlantic. Even the waves up most of the Florida coast are mild compared to Wilmington, NC in the same wind conditions. Clearly you have proven the boat is capable of distance racing in the key's, did you have crew on board and what particular F16 are you racing?

The aluminum stick, with close to 400lbs on the wire, cunningham on, traveled out? No ****ing way. I doubt a carbon F16 mast would be much better either.


FYI, Matt is using the same Goodall wing mast as AHPC so it's not just a Viper thing. It can take a lot of abuse, I've seen some scary bends with no damage, but I don't think it'd hold up to that kind of outright abuse and misuse.