Worrell 1000 reunion Race: Schedule Defined

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Press Notice below sent by Worrell 1000 Reunion Race. A bit of history on the Race by John Williams here.  John also has a sponsor on the table for an experienced crew to jump in and participate. Contact John at :

Board/Directors and Event Coordinators can be reached at: [email protected]
Event Website: 

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Worrell 1000 Reunion Race Press Notice, 13 April 2019

The Organizing Authority for the Worrell 1000 Reunion Race has confirmed that all planning is complete, and the fleet will depart from the Hollywood Beach Marriott checkpoint in South Florida on schedule, 06 May 2019, with the first warning signal at 0955 hours.

After years of effort by several different groups to resurrect the iconic 1000-mile race, a collective of former teams, sponsors, sailors and enthusiasts has succeeded in the improbable; a small fleet of beach catamaran sailors will face the Atlantic’s harshest challenge.

“Frankly, these teams are focused more on making it to the finish than just beating each other,” said John Williams, a former team manager and this year’s Principal Race Officer following a meeting with the volunteer event officials. “There will be plenty of moments when they’re eye to eye, on the beach or ripping along a rhumb line, and their focus is on coaxing that last half-knot of speed from the sails. But there’s another layer. They all want each other to finish.”

Stopping along the course at a dozen beach towns for mandatory checkpoints, the team with the lowest overall elapsed time wins when they come ashore in Virginia Beach. Two weeks of exposure to the elements demands sailors protect themselves from the relentless sun, summer thunderstorms, pounding surf and the constant possibility of injury. “We place the health and safety of our competitors at the forefront of our planning,” said Beverley Simmons, the Communications Director for the event and an accomplished sailor in her own right. “We have daily inspections of the various gear each team is required to have; flares, radio and cell phone comms, US Coast Guard approved floatation, strobe, GPS and more. On top of all that, we have active satellite trackers on each boat so we know where they are throughout the course.”

Spectators are welcome at each checkpoint, and tracking devices will be viewable by the public via a link on the event website at www.worrell1000race.com.

“The Worrell 1000 Reunion Race” is an offshore long distance beach catamaran sailboat race to be held in May 2019 in the waters between Florida and Virginia Beach, VA. The race will cover approximately 1000 miles with stops at multiple locations along the East Coast of the United States. Inquiries for more information can be forwarded to [email protected].
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