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TAWR2000TransAtlantic Windsurf Race
Portugal to Brazil
Photos: April 1-2, 2000
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UNEXPECTED STORM: The third race ended with Casablanca still in sight, the teams began motoring towards Agadir, some 230 miles south. Plans was to power into the night and reach the second largest city in Morocco before turning west towards the Canaries. Pressure to make up time and a forecast of moderate seas contributed to the decision to journey through the night. But by 1 am, the TAWR group encountered a building storm that rose from the south. Winds and waves grew with each hour and in the darkness, running straight into the fury, some team members suffered over the sides of the RIBs. By 3am the US team captain noticed lightning to the west and suggested that the group turn to shore and find a safe harbor. Miraculously, at that point of the journey the RIBs were passing Jorf Lasfar a small industrial port 20 miles south of El Jadida. With poor and inaccurate navigational charts, the three RIBs creeped towards the unfamiliar shore. The rising surf accelerated their boats with heart stopping speed. A desperate situation, but with remarkable calmness, all hands who were not incapacitated by the sea, looked for signs of a harbor entrance. The wind had increased dramatically by the time the boats found sanctuary. Still whitecaps were everywhere in these sheltered waters.. Huge loading cranes and ocean tankers dwarfed the three RIBs as they probed for a proper mooring. By the time the last docking lines were secured, the winds had intensified to an intense level. Later, it was noted that the winds blew over 60 mph. The reprieve from the Atlantic however was soon to be replaced by a new challenge. A challenge that made the sailors wishing they were back on the water.
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A HAPPY CREW TO BE ON SHORE: After battling the ocean for nine hours, the group had covered only 90 nautical miles. Wet and tired, the American team found the concrete floor of an industrial office to be a welcome shelter. But the smiling faces in the photo bellow disguises the nightmare that ensued. It took the teams 10 hours to get in and out of the port. Five layers of bureaucracy demanded hours upon hours of redundant paperwork. The weather, the cultural attributes and a remarkably low tide brought the TransAtlantic Challenge to a new level.
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