Worrell 1000: And that was that

(May 21, 2022) – The final leg of the 2022 Worrell 1000 – Kill Devil Hills, NC to Virginia Beach, VA – is intentionally short to give the Race Committee the best opportunity to arrive first to the traditional fanfare, pomp, and television cameras that await the Worrell at the home of the event.

And being just 55 nautical miles, its extraordinarily difficult for a come-from-behind victory or any substantial shake-up in the overall standings for the racers, barring any major catastrophes.

This day, the wind Gods were kind: the start saw an 8 knot, offshore, southerly breeze which coaxed multiple teams into setting their spinnakers for the starboard-tack start. With almost no surf at all, the 13 teams were off the beach quickly.

The offshore breeze created some narrow wind passages along the near shore due to the varied heights of buildings and one of these caught team Recreational8 by surprise: the beach crowd that had gathered watched as they flipped less than a quarter mile from the start. They righted themselves, and set off to catch up to the pack which were well on their way.

The breeze seemed to soften (unexpectedly) midway up the course, and the fleet again would face the challenge of changing gears while they waited for the forecasted winds of 12-15 knots. By the time the lead boats were 20 miles out, the breezes finally built to that prediction and spinnakers were up again and full – boats were moving along at a much better pace.

It wouldn’t be long now, or at least not long for 12 of the 13 teams. Team Recreational8 suffered a mast failure under spinnaker near Kitty Hawk, and needed to call for assistance to be towed back to shore. Disappointed, they informed the race committee the remaining miles to the finish would be by land.

Seasoned sailors understand that in a long series, the ultimate victory does not always go to the swift – a well-prepared team and consistent performance lead to the best results, and the 2022 Worrell 1000 proved this yet again. Teams that completed every leg of the race, incurred no penalties, and at the same time exhibited navigational skill and boat preparation rose to the top of the standings.

Even while basking in the relief and camaraderie of accomplishment, it was evident at the evening party that many teams were already making plans for their next attempt to cross the start line and cross a shimmering ocean on a fresh breeze toward the promise of another challenge.

Race details – Entry list – Results – Facebook – Photos

Schedule – 12 stages
• Day 1 – Monday 09 May 2022 – Hollywood, FL –> Jensen Beach, FL
• Day 2 – Tuesday 10 May 2022 – Jensen Beach, FL –> Cocoa Beach, FL
• Day 3 – Wednesday 11 May 2022 – Cocoa Beach, FL ->Daytona Beach, FL (CANCELLED)
• Day 4 – Thursday 12 May 2022 – Daytona Beach, FL -> Jacksonville Beach, FL
• Day 5 – Friday 13 May 2022 – Jacksonville Beach, FL –> Tybee Island, GA
• Day 6 – Saturday 14 May 2022 – Tybee Island, GA (lay day)
• Day 7 – Sunday 15 May 2022 – Tybee Island, GA –> Folly Beach, SC
• Day 8 – Monday 16 May 2022 – Folly Beach, SC -> Surfside Beach, SC
• Day 9 – Tuesday 17 May 2022 – Surfside Beach, SC –> Wrightsville Beach, NC
• Day 10 – Wednesday 18 May 2022 – Wrightsville Beach, NC -> Atlantic Beach, NC
• Day 11 – Thursday 19 May 2022 – Atlantic Beach, NC -> Hatteras, NC
• Day 12 – Friday 20 May 2022 – Hatteras, NC -> Kill Devil Hills, NC
• Day 13 – Saturday 21 May 2022 – Kill Devil Hills, NC ->Virginia Beach, VA

Source: Beverley J Simmons