GT300 Day 1: Carnage

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Sent by Ryan Verret – More at www.gt300.com
“That about sums up today’s first leg. The race started in no less than 16 knots, and built throughout the day. Before the boats left the beach, the wind claimed its first victim, Team Dallas, blowing their traveler right off the track, sending bearings flying into the sand. While many argue that the traveler should be bolted to the center of the beam in these boats, those people clearly haven’t ever reached up the Texas coast, where the traveler is your only hope of avoiding a pitchpole or capsize.

Not long after the start, Team Zhik 1 on their Nacra F20 Carbon had to return to the beach with a blown spinnaker pole, which they jury rigged before heading back out. Today must not have been a lucky day for F20C poles, because the other F20C in the race, Team Zhik 2, also finished the day never having run their chute, folding their pole shortly after the start. Team Zhik 1’s luck did not improve as they either struck something in the water which caused their daggerboard and hull to spilt (see above pic.), or the board exploded under pressure to the same end. At any rate, they had to turn around and head upwind, flying the damaged hull so that it would not take on too much water. Second casualty of the day, and most boats hadn’t yet reached the halfway point.
Many capsizes, pitchpoles, and turtles later, teams started arriving at the beach. The official results aren’t yet posted, but this is the order of arrival on the beach: www.gt300.com “

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