The Tybee 500
On our way through the surf. Jon’s not making a fashion statement with the straw hat. It was really sunny, and that was good relief for him.
My good friend Jonathan Farrar and I decided to race the Tybee 500 this past May. The Tybee is a beach cat race up the coast of Florida, starting in Islamorada, Florida, and ending in Tybee Island Georgia, which is just East of Savannah. The start of the race has varied over the years, so this year’s race was actually closer to 540 miles. The course is divided into 6 legs, starting and finishing on the beach each day. Both starting and finishing can be quite exciting, depending on how big the surf is on a given day.
This year 24 teams entered the Tybee 500 in two classes, the NACRA 20 and the Formula 18. The majority of the fleet was racing in NACRA 20’s (as were Jon and I), but the F-18 proved to be the boat to be racing, as the top three finishing positions were held by F-18 sailors. Of course, winning a race such as this requires much more than choosing the correct boat. One needs time on the water, physical training, proper boat preparation, and a very capable pit crew. Each leg starts at 10 AM, and on light air days, teams are finishing well into the evening (our longest day found us hitting the finish line at 11:59 PM). On shore assistance is required for boat preparation, and for help with breakdowns.
Jon and I had two sponsors for the event. Our title sponsor, Key Sailing, is a catamaran dealer and water sports rental business in Pensacola Florida. Owned and operated by Kirk Newkirk, Key Sailing operates parasailing boats, rents wave runners, sailboats, and powerboats, and sells an variety of sailboats and sailing equipment. Key Sailing is in an ideal location on Pensacola Beach, and is certainly worth visiting when vacationing on Florida’s panhandle. More information can be found at www.keysailing.com
Our secondary sponsor, The Chicago Match Race Center, is located in Belmont Harbor, right on Chicago’s city front. The facility is host to match racing regattas and training from May through September. Sailing takes place in the CMRC’s fleet of Tom 28’s, specifically designed for match racing. Boats are also available for corporate team building activities. Event and membership information can be found at www.chicagomatchracecenter.com.
As team Key Sailing, Jon and I had high hopes, but we did not achieve. We finished 14th overall, and we were the 9th NACRA 20. We did learn a lot from our experience, and we will prepare for this race much differently next time around. Furthermore, we really enjoyed the race. We had a great experience sailing for Kirk Newkirk and his gang at Key Sailing, and we enjoyed the camaraderie that exists among all the Tybee 500 participants. We are looking forward to entering this race again.
Flying a hull across the finish line at in Jupiter.
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