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08/Feb/2009
Pineapple Cup - Fort Lauderdale to Montego Bay Race
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 15:00 -
Gear Buster!
Montego Bay, Jamaica – Thin Ice has reported to have lost their rudder within 100 miles of finish. The Jamaican Defense Force is out looking for them now. Spider Glide reports rounding Cuba to find 30 knots of wind and 15+ foot waves. They blew out their big kite, and are trying to fix two others that have almost shredded. Wild Ride!
4 boats still to finish. Results are updated. Monday, Feb. 9, 07:00 -
Line Honors Goes to Roger Sturgeon's Rosebud/Tean DYT
 
Montego Bay, Jamaica – Rosebud/Team DYT crossed the Montego Bay finish line at 01:33:35 this morning missing the race record by just over one hour. Even though they did not get that last bit of breeze or shift to finish before 00:30, their achievement is amazing given the conditions. The weather for the first third of the race was far from record setting and for her to make up the time in the bottom half of the course was a great accomplishment.
Further back Red Max has a sizeable lead in IRC B as she rounds Cuba. Affinity still leads Java Knights in a close race for PHRF Line honors. Live results are posted in the link above. Stay tuned for photos from MoBay as they come up.
Sunday, Feb. 8, 15:00 -
Montego Bay Yacht Club is Getting Fired-up!
Montego Bay, Jamaica – They are expecting the first finisher sometime after midnight tonight. The Pineapple Cup tradition continues; the cases of Red Stripe are chilling, the bar is stacked with rum. Race Committee hands a welcome case of cold Red Stripe to the crew of every finishing boat as soon as they cross the line. The Pineapple Cup Trophy (seen in photo) is waiting to be claimed by her new owner. 
Montego Bay Red Stripe Tradition
Race Record? It Could Be Close!!!
To beat the record set by Titan 12 in 2005, Rosebud/Team DYT will need to finish before 00:30 tonight. Rosebud is now around Cuba and making the final run in following seas and tradewinds. According to tracking she is making 23 kts on gybing angles with 224 nm to go. Will the breeze hold when the sun goes down?
Big Tactical Move in PHRF!
Affinity is the only boat in the entire fleet that went through Exuma sound to the west of Cat Island. Based on distance-to-go she appears to have taken back the lead from Java Knight. The Exuma Sound route is usually a gamble - it looks to have paid off this year.
February 8, 2009 -
Legging Out
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – The front half of the fleet is stretching its legs in 20 kt reaching conditions. Rosebud/Team DYT is holding about a 40nm lead as she clears Cat Island. Next up - Long Island. If she continues to average 15kts boat speed she will miss Titan's record by 4 hours. Can they make it up? More pressure tonight as she frees up to the south? Will the wind hold through the Passage?
The back half of the fleet did not make Eleuthera before the knock. Looks like they are all stuck in a 10-15 nm hard beat in 15-20 kts to get around the North End. Java Knight picked up a small lead in PHRF by being the left boat in the shift.
February 7, 2009 -
24 Hours Down - Rosebud/Team DYT takes a commanding lead
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Race tracking shows Rosebud with a big lead as she moves past the midpoint of Eluethra. Rosebud has picked up speed pushing 14-15 knots. Current gribs show a little more pressure for the front of the fleet - slightly above 20 kts. Over the next 12-24 hours there are pockets of 25 kts forecasted for the South Eastern Bahamas.
The SI's will allow the fleet to choose either side of Cat Island. Typically the Exuma Sound side is risky with lighter wind at night. However, with strong NE pressure it may be an option for some to consider.
Affinity and Java Night are neck-and-neck for the lead in PHRF with 649 miles to go. Red Max has a sizeable lead in IRC Class B.
February 6, 2009 -
Jamaica Bound - The fleet is off and running (or beating)
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Starting conditions reported in from race committee - 12 knots (average) breeze from the North East and seas 3-4 feet at the start which is within a mile of shore. Seas will be much higher in the Gulfstream as a result of the strong Northerly from the last two days. The "marching elephants" were moving fast on the horizon. The IRC class showed its aggressively racing colors - three boats were over early at the start.
Keep an eye on the tracking on www.iboattrack.com for regular fleet updates.
Interested in using IRC?
Owners and Organizing Authorities wishing to adopt IRC for their events should contact US-IRC Executive Director Luiz E. Kahl for help with the process luiz@us-irc.org.
The US SAILING Offshore office administers the IRC rule in the US. Yacht owners should contact Eric Baittinger at irc@ussailing.org for help with certificate application or with rating questions.
For all US-IRC latest news, events and seminars check out the US-IRC web site at www.us-irc.org and go racing with us.
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