The North Atlantic was a playground today, as racing took a back seat to having fun. Eddy Patricelli, USA, set the tone this morning when he threw the North Atlantic's first loop at the beginning of the first leg. After some initial friskiness, Patricelli and Nicolas Olasson of the Liberty team, settled down to chase the KK for three hours in overpowering conditions. After the final sprint, Patricelli threw another loop, and then boarded the KK with a new title under his belt (First North Atlantic Looper). Olasson won this first leg, followed by Patricelli. Antoine Matin, European/France and Philippe Adamidis, Greece, withdrew.

The playground got rowdier in the afternoon leg when equipment problems and sailor changes delayed its start for over an hour. The leg finally began with Gilbert, Anders Bringdal and Micah Buzianis as the official fleet, and Jace Panebianco from the USA team who went along for the ride after Kiran Beyer withdrew before the start. Jason Gilbert of the European team, was the only sailor who made it through 4 1/2 hours marathon with no equipment changes and in the final count, exhibited great sportsmanship.

During the long marathon there was a lot of playing in the wake of the KK -- jumps, body drags, wave rides, sail-360s, loops (for the record, Panebianco threw the third North Atlantic loop) -- and after two hours of watching, Robert Teriitehau, Liberty, couldn't stand it anymore.

Teriitehau talked the race committee into letting him out to play, and boy, did he have fun. He sailed so close to the back of the KK that it looked like he could jump aboard, and then threw a mast-high forward. The fun continued until the fleet converged for the start of the sprint portion. At that point, the locals joined in -- a school of dolphins appeared and swam off the wake until the sprint caught up with the KK.

After the marathon came the final 1/2 hour sprint for the finish. Buzianis and Bringdal were neck and neck, and Buzianis pulled forward at the end, with Gilbert in third. Buzianis seems to have recovered from his monstrous bout with seasickness. Unofficially, Teriitehau was over the line first, and Panebianco was last.