Competing teams in the 261 boat Key West Race Week had boisterous practice conditions as a cold front brought northerly winds over 20 knots to dole out blown-out chutes, broken spinnaker poles and bruises to the unsuspecting, before the real racing begins. Reports had teams surfing in the teens for brief periods and today intense action is assured as the large one-design fleet with 46 Melges 24s crowds the starting line this morning at 10:00am. In the PHRF 1 division two Santa Cruz 70s, Chessie Racing and Equation, should provide an interesting showdown. Among the 27-boat Farr 40 class are competitors from five nations, many of whom have come to Key West to gauge their performance against reigning World Champion John Kilroy and the crew on Samba Pa Ti.