Overall winners Randy Smyth (left) and Matt Struble elate after finishing one of the two overnight legs.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Emerging out of the fog just 52 seconds behind final-leg leaders Brett Dryland and Rod Waterhouse, Randy Smyth cemented his reputation as the premier multihull racer in the Western Hemisphere by winning this year's Worrell 1000. Smyth, sailing with crew Matt Struble, finished nearly a half-hour ahead in cumulative time to sail home with top honors in this captivating, 12-stage sprint up the coast. With an elapsed time of 77 hours and 30 seconds, Smyth and Struble posted the second fastest time ever in 18 editions of the race.
Australians Dryland and Waterhouse pushed Smyth and Struble the whole way, sailing a fantastic final race to take second overall. Third in Saturday's final leg and third overall was the Dutch team of Gerard Loos and Mischa Heemskerk.
Despite the winners' seemingly wide margin of victory, the overall title was far from secure halfway through the final leg of the race. After the start, the wind became unstable and shifted all over the compass. Puffs filled in from one direction, died, and then the breeze shifted 100 degrees with regularity. Dryland and Waterhouse held a huge lead over Smyth's Blockade Runner at the halfway point, and looked to have more than the 29-minute spread they would need to jump into first overall. "At one point they were so far ahead that we couldn't even see them," said Smyth. But the wind shifted to the north and filled in at 10 knots while a light fog descended. With still 25 miles to sail, Smyth began his comeback. "We really started flying upwind," said Smyth, "but we were back in seventh place." Boat speed saved the day as the 45-year-old Smyth was able to close the gap and sail through the fleet to finish second.
This is Smyth's sixth Worrell 1000 victory and his fourth consecutive win. It's easy to wonder how one person with four different crews can be so dominant in such a difficult race. Dumb luck can take you out of this race with one bad wave, yet Smyth has survived and competed each time. Sailing a small catamaran in the ocean requires a sensitivity and seamanship that is impossible to appreciate until you've tried it. Competitor Rick Deppe, a Whitbread veteran who's seen a lot of ocean miles, said: "This gets an eight out of 10 for danger."
According to race organizer and founder Mike Worrell, this edition of the race was one of the most successful ever as 18 of the 19 entrants sailed the entire course. "The sailors seemed more prepared mentally and physically for the race than they used to be," said Worrell, "even the English team came in January to attend our seminar on how to get ready for this race." Female skippers Susan Korzeniewski and Sandra Tartaglino worked hard to prepare and became the first female skippers to finish the race. "Mentally I was a little disappointed with my performance, so I want to try it again," said Korzeniewski, adding, "I'm glad it was light this year; I need to work on my heavy air sailing."
All of this year's competitors profess that they'll come back again next year for the two weeks of tortuous but unequalled competition. What attracts them to this unique brand of racing? The best explanation comes from Worrell: "To me it's the personal challenge of doing something that puts you in danger where only your wits and ability to deal with your surroundings can assure your safety. Then overlay top competition and you've got an extreme sporting event, similar to the Volvo Ocean Race. I don't know why these people do it, but that's why I started it."
Stand by for SailNet.com's wrap-up feature article later this week. For the full scores, see www.worrell1000.com.