Race Essentials

Today we're introducing another way to keep up to date with what's going on with the race. Twitter is a quazi messaging/status update/social networking/who knows what else, kind of site. In a nutshell, if you create an account at twitter, and follow the Tybee 500 account here, you can have race updates delivered to you in a number of different ways. There are programs that you can run on your computer that will notify you of twitter updates, plugins for your web browser that will deliver notifications to you, or you can elect to have them delivered to your cell phone via SMS. Every time a new post is made on the website, and every time a new boat enters the race, we'll post a new message on twitter (known as a tweet) as well. Twitter has been rapidly gaining in popularity as a news delivery / aggregation service, and you'll find lots of other useful accounts to follow on there besides the Tybee account. (CNN, for instance has an account that tweets breaking news)

To help get you started on twitter, here are some useful links...
Video Introduction to Twitter
List of Firefox Plugins for Twitter
Twitteriffic - A nice Twitter Client for Mac Users

The dates are announced and the Notice of Race is posted. The 2009 running of the Tybee 500 will start in Islamorada, FL on May 11, 2009, and finish in Tybee Island, GA on May 16, 2009.

Registration is officially open. If you registered for the race last year, you can use the login you created at that time to update your entry for the 2009 event. As always, if you have any questions, problems, or you need support, you can contact the appropriate person via the contacts page.

See comments for times

The leg to Fernandina Beach began with a 10 - 12 knot Southerly breeze which built to 15 - 20 during the morning. Boats started in a rough surf with breakers topping six feet. Team Velocity suffered rudder damage early, possibly because of the surf, and had to hit the beach for repairs costing them more than twenty minutes early on in the leg. Team Tybee was first to arrive after six hours of reaching, with the rest of the fleet finishing in the next forty five minutes. Team Seacats had an unfortunate capsize on the approach to the finish line, but recovered after being passed by the close following Team Marleys White. Team Cat in the Hat also capsized about a half mile from the finish, and ultimately dismasted. No one was injured, but the boat was a wreck. Undaunted, Team Cat in the Hat and two ground crew dragged what was left down the beach to an official finish. The determined sailors have repaired their boat, and plan to start the final leg to Tybee Island tomorrow.

The teams are lined up for the start in Daytona Beach

The starting area is hectic just a few minutes before the gun

Team Tybee won the leg today, and this push didn't hurt their effort

Team Cat Fever and Cat in the Hat battle for position at the start

After trailering their boat to Daytona, Team Marleys Orange show tremendous poise coming in third to the finish in Fernandina

Team Velocity overcame a broken rudder and a 35 minute repair to finish fifth, just 26 minutes behind the first place boat

Team Cat Fever brings their Hatteras style to Florida

Team Seacats was leading Team Marleys White until they flipped over about 500 yards from the finish

Team Cat in the Hat gets a little bit of help getting across the finish line after being dismasted about a mile from the finish

These guys are tired as hell, but full of heart

The weather reports for tomorrow are varied. The only certainty is an early start at 0900 for the final leg of this grueling 500 mile race.

We expect to have boats here in an hour or less. The breeze is strong at 15 - 18 knots out of the SSE with stronger gusts. Watch the comments for times.