Can a small sailboat sail 100 miles on a four-mile long lake in under 24 hours? After drifting for hours, Victor Felice and his crew were clobbered by a storm that trashed his headsail and obliterated his jib halyard shackle, sending them to the marina for repairs. In the end, 24 hours later, he’d come up a bit short on his goal of 100 miles−hitting just 76 miles.
Here’s a video showing some of the trip, to the tune of Groove from the Soul by Mermaid Rescue from The Endless Luau. For obvious reasons, the video does not include shots of the storm that trashed Victor’s head sail and sent them into the marina.
At 9 am September 6, the crew of Mermaid Rescue departed from Pleasant Harbor Marina for a 24-hour, 100-nautical-mile Endurance Challenge. As far as we know, this was the first time a sailboat had attempted an extended time and distance event on the lake. With a space just about four miles by two miles in which to sail, the challenge demands hundreds of tacks and jibes during day and night to cover the full distance.
The Challenge requires that Skipper Victor Felice and crew cannot stop, cannot receive any outside assistance and must sail for 24 hours and the full 100 nautical miles. Both targets must be reached. Sailing with Victor will be Jeff Coulter, Jeff Middlebrook, Tim Millward and Ian Parkinson.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s continued advancements over the years are responsible for the blood cancer survival rate doubling and tripling; in some cases, the survival rate has even quadrupled. Donate to Victor’s Challenge by clicking here.
