Everglades Challenge 2012

[Editors]

The EC is on. Here is a link to the Watertribe discussion page with racer updates: http://watertribe.org/forums/

Our friends from Duckworks have a nice page of interesting EC links here:
http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/12/reports/ec/

Good luck to the competitors! —Eds

[Phil]

Is there any place, a person can see a list of what exact boat design each EC team is using.

Can't seem to find anything at Watertribe or Duckworks coverage, probably not looking in the right place.

Either with their Watertribe name or their aka (street name/s)?

Thanks for any help, Phil

[Monies]

Phil, this is a hard one! The answer is no, not in a simple or useful way.

Most years I have compiled a list and written discriptions of the boats the challengers are using, at least in Class 4 and 5 usually, ie. sailboats, if not the canoes and kayaks. I didn't do it this year. This would have Watertribe name, real names, boat names, type, descriptions, even personal information like where from, how many times run EC, backgrounds.

Like a program for the players!

Didn't do it this year and I guess some people missed it.

Jackie Monies

[chrisobee]

There were a couple of videos on the duckworks site where the camera man walked down the whole length of the starting lineup.

[Monies]

Yes, think that was Patrick Johnson who did that. It is hard to follow this race/raid/adventure sail even when you know a lot of the challengers and boats.

Jackie Monies

P.S. They are down to one class 4 boat, Gary Blankenship and JohnHWright, Lugnut/Karank in Oaracle, a Jim Michalak Toon2- a veteran sailor and veteran boat who have finished multi times. If they make it to Key Largo they will win Class 4 Monohulls. Like Survivor!

Jackie Monies

[Phil]

I'm not at all familiar with the Class 5 designs, some success with the Class 1 designs, doing ok on the Class 4 ones I think. This regarding the photos referred to.

Specifically interested in the Class 4 designs that are placing in the 1 through 5 on times.

Also the high placing class 1 and class 5 boats, of course I do realize that the ranking often is more about experience and sailing skill.

It is also about the right boat as some just won't cut it.

Thanks Jackie, that's great info.

[Monies]

My mistake, Gary Blankenship's boat is Oaracle, a Michalak Frolic2.

The B and B boats, Coresounds and the EC 22, Graham's Southern Skimmer have all consistently done well. Win class or in top rankings.

I am too tired right now but will look at rosters for last few years or maybe back to beginning, see what boats and if there is a pattern other than B and B boats.

Gary has always done well.

Personally we think the 6 m. Whaler by Welsford with a cabin like Mike is going to start will do well. We think the Walkabout that Chuck Leinweber is taking in 2013 will be a really good boat (they are talking about going inside Wilderness Waterway)

I talk about this a lot with Mike and part of problem is most people take what they already own or what they can buy reasonably or quickly to repair. Few people actually build a boat specifically for the EC, so they compromise here, make do there.

Mike thinks two man is better than solo, thinks a small cabin for protection is needed, shallow draft, higher sides for drier ride, easy rigging and sails, mast easy up and down.

Hope this helps and I will analyze the rosters if I can tomorrow.

Jackie Monies

[chrisobee]

Also the high placing class 1 and class 5 boats, of course I do realize that the ranking often is more about experience and sailing skill.

I've always been surprised that so many finish in class 5. They seem so cramped and wet and difficult boats. They are the largest sailing class. Many class 5 boats dropped this year due to damage both to hulls and to rigging. This was a particularly brutal year for weather.

The B&B boats seem to dominate class 4 in recent years with a few exceptions. Oaracle has multiple finishes. An I550 finished well last year. Sea pearls have finished several times. The EC20 was specifically designed with the race in mind and won class 4 its first year. small cabin, light, shallow draft and room for two. It has the potential for lots of sail area but can reef down to just a bit.

I think that biggest factors in this race are preparation,luck and mental toughness. Expertise with your boat makes it possible to continue in the face of a lack of the first two. Look at Sew Sew this year. He's almost certainly the best technical sailor in the race but he had lots of problems with the weather and his boat. Plumcrazy was doing a creditable, though deliberate job in a decked over puddleduck racer. He got about half way to CP2 before getting rolled by a big wave. Its a tough race, fewer than half will finish this year. I'm not sure but I think fewer than half made it to CP2.

[Monies]

Chris,

You did good with your analysis! There are anomalies, like the O'Days or "Mullet" the little 14 that didn't enter this year, which may be sailing skill or local knowledge.

John Welsford has talked to us for several years about designing a specific EC boat, as Graham Byrnes did with Southern Skimmer which was built for the EC. Mike so far says he doesn't want a boat so specific to one event, although I would think it would also be good TX200 boat or OBX boat.

We were glad to be sitting this one out!

Jackie and Mike Monies