Hi Everyone - Waiting for information from The Team but do know that Tommy got off to a good start from the fourth position that they earned yesterday. ...However, we just received this photo via satellite.....See below.

........Word just in.......

Team Tommy Bahama just finished fifth and in so doing, gaining valuable time on their closest competitors,  It would now appear that they have moved into sixth position only 7 minutes behind Tybee Island, 28 minutes behind Fully Involved, and just over an hour behind the third place Dingy Shop.  As of 02:15 or so, Outer Banks has not yet finished which will probably mean that their finish time will be in excess of 2 1/2 hours wiping out their previous advantage of being able to finish that wild Leg 3. 

Stay tuned for the Morning update from John and the team.

.........Mr.Ernie
 

Hi everyone -

The first night leg is behind us, thankfully without incident.  The start was the first downwind launch we've had this year - an exceptionally odd occurrence.  The boats literally leapt off the beach, and the rear beam was out of Dan's hands so quickly that he took a spill in the shallow surf, sustaining his only wound for the trip.  Our team decided, wisely, to run off the beach before setting the 'chute.  Tybee Island, one boat above us, tried to set the 'chute about 15 seconds before the start, and had a very difficult time controlling the boat as it bounced, bucked and slid on the hard sand.  Their pusher spent a lot of energy just holding the boat from going over the line early.

Ten yards off the beach, Nigel set the spinnaker and our boys were off, running north on a course for the jetties at the mouth of Charleston Harbor.  It was nearly a straight shot, but the seas were very confused.

"It was bloody dark," said Nigel.  "You couldn't see the waves until they hit you, and they came from all directions.  Alex was driving for almost the whole leg - it took incredible concentration.  He drove a very deep and fast line."

They only jibed three times before making the waypoints at the two rock jetties that extend almost three miles out to sea, an extremely dangerous feature of this particular leg.  The jetties are invisible in the blackness of an overcast and moonless night.  Many teams in previous years have run up onto the one of the jetties, sustaining serious boat damage and injury, literally hitting a rock wall at something over 20 mph.  Our boys past within 2,000 feet of the jetties, cutting the corner as close as they dared, relying on the navigation points carefully programmed in their GPS units.

"We never even saw them,"  said Alex.  "It was just too dark, and with the washing machine in front of the harbor, we couldn't hear it either."

"The phosphorescence was cool, though,"  Nigel grinned.  "There was a glowing trail behind both hulls.  I told Alex, 'Turn off the afterburners!  You'll give our position away!'"   Several of the teams reported seeing the phosphorescence, as well as close encounters with some of the wildlife.  There were vivid descriptions of schools of rays, a few turtles, and one shark sighted by Key Sailing.

"That sucker was big!"  said Kirk Newkirk. 

His crew, Glenn Holmes, was particularly worried about the shark's proximity.  "It was just swimming along next to us," said Glenn, "and I KNOW it wasn't looking at Kirk.  He's too skinny."

Our boys crossed the finish line just before midnight, making the run in less than six hours and meeting a personal goal.  It turned out to be a good thing, too, as the wind began dying and shifting to an offshore breeze only minutes after they made landfall.

"This shift will hurt the teams behind us." Alex stated flatly, worriedly scanning the dark waters as he pulled the cold wet gaiter from around his neck.  Nigel and Alex were both cold, even in drysuits, and were hustled off to hot showers as the ground crew began stripping equipment off the boat in a light rain.  It was a late night for all of us, but the team should be able to sleep in a little in the morning before setting off for Myrtle Beach on the second and final night leg tomorrow at 6 PM.

More tomorrow -

..............John