Report from the Miami to Key Largo Race

Team Paradise Veterans Sailing competed in the Miami to Key Largo race during the weekend of April 24-25. 34 boats competed in the PHRF fleet. Our team finished 2nd in Fleet and 2nd overall in the ARC2 Spinnaker Class, counting both races. The PHRF fleet was divided into five classes, with a total of 34 boats racing. The course was 35 nautical miles each way.

The Crew

The Crew consisted of Duane Smith, Lanita Soleil, and Nehemiah Cook, all disabled Veterans. Also onboard was Charles Nethersole, a veteran of the British Navy and a world-class sailor. Duane has been sailing with us for several years and he has come a long way. Duane is a certified Basic Keelboat instructor. He helps Team Paradise by teaching sailing, not only to Veterans but to all students. He also heads up our Thursday Veterans Sailing, which has solid attendance.

Lanita has sailed with us many times and she loves it. Nehemiah has only sailed with us few times and this was his first-ever sailboat race. He was so excited to join in on the adventure and he did very well.

Preparations

Duane was the driving force behind our entry. He loves sailing and racing sailboats. The team had practiced a few times during the weeks leading up to the race. Nehemiah was the last team member to sign up.

Our Veterans practicing in our Sonar, a couple of days before the Regatta

We had a team meeting after the Thursday training session. Duane had a navigational chart covering the distance from Miami to Key Largo. We laid it out on the office floor and discussed the best way to get there. We studied the weather map and the tide table and tried to be as prepared as possible.

My role can best be described as Team Manager. As such, I handed out the team assignments. It was important that everyone knew what role they had. Duane was the Captain of the boat. Lanita and Nehemiah were crew members and Charles was the pilot. As a pilot, Charles could step in and override the captain, just like in commercial traffic with much bigger vessels.

Our meeting was great and we all had a sense of being part of the Team. Everyone had something to contribute!

The Day of the Race

We all met up at Team Paradise to launch the boat at 5.30 AM on Saturday morning. Everyone was looking forward to the race. The boat was fully loaded with bags, water, and additional safety equipment. I had to say no to a big cooler box that weighed a lot empty and it took up too much space!

Here is what our team looked like as they were leaving port on Saturday morning. From left to right: Duane, Nehemiah, Lanita, and Charles.

Returning home

Our team had a long run with spinnaker sailing back from Key Largo it took the 6 hours and seventeen minutes to complete the course. They crossed the finish line at 4.17PM. I was on the dock greeting them as they pulled up. They looked happy and everyone was smiling. The rules that I set before the left were adhered to: no physical injuries, they didn’t run aground and they were all smiling. They had kept the team together!

After putting the boat equipment away, I invited our team over to Coral Reef Yacht Club for refreshments and a swim in the pool. We all had so much fun!

For the complete results, please visit: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=14400