After getting their feet wet yesterday, the US team and the rest of the fleet had a day of rest as 40+ knot winds and increased swells made it too dangerous to launch chase boats.

It's hard to convey what the racers and chase boats went through to safely complete yesterday's three race legs. Waves were breaking over the back of the KK, while racers on the water could see nothing except for the KK. The most dangerous aspects of the event has been the recovery of the windsurfers and the chase boats.

A couple boat crewmen were whacked by boards or knocked over by swells as they assisted the sailors and gear in and out of the water. One crewman fell in his boat and injured his back. He quickly recovered with the help of Chris Reid, the TAWR doctor, and Jeff Whitaker, the US Team Chiropracter. Another crewman was almost trapped between the rescue boat and the KK. Boat recovery has been much tougher than expected. The crane's 900lb swivel and hook is lowered to the water, grabbed by a crewman and hooked to straps on the boat and is used to hoist the two ton chase boat to the pitching deck. During yesterday's extreme conditions, this hook acted like a wrecking ball and came close to bashing the crewmen.

The chase boat crew and their boss, Russ Kerslake are the real heroes of this voyage. They are the safety net for the windsurfers at a great risk to themselves.

The Kapitan Kahlebnikov (KK) has now steamed past Iceburg Alley and is in the tropical waters of the Gulf Stream. The bad news is the large rolling swells that have kept most passengers from sleeping more than an hour or two. Barf bags are now hanging all over the KK.

Yesterday's racing results reflected the experience factor. Pros consistently completed the course in great form, and amateurs were hammered by the conditions and unfamiliar equipment. The Liberty Team, made up of Anders Bringdal, Robert Teriitehau and Nick Olasson won easily in conditions that was described by Bringdal as, "JAWS is nothing compared to this!" Yet by the end of Tuesday, everyone -- sailors, boat crews and support staff -- were starting to feel more comfortable, and an extra leg was run. See the results below for more details.

One correction to yesterday's results: Jace Panebianco came in third, not second in the final leg. There was a misunderstanding about the location of the finish line, which is now cleared up.