© Nick Turney

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Quantum Key West 2012 has come to an end, sadly, but I think my liver and wallet are very pleased! Team Spaceman Spiff ended the week on a very good note. Each day, we improved and learned more about the boat and the rig, and today we showed that this team can compete. All of our hard work paid off in the end. Our owner/skipper, Rob Ruhlman, is very excited to sail the boat more and compete in this new one-design class. Lesson learned here: no matter how bad your scores seem, or how poor your boathandling and tactics are, never quit. And always try to improve.

© Nick Turney

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A good way to describe today aboard Spaceman Spiff would be, “Think three steps ahead." It was a great day for yacht racing; the conditions offered some challenging tactical sailing, with a passing front and a tidal change halfway through the day. You really had to be on your game. 

Tuesday was another up and down day aboard Warpath. After a bad first race, we were finally able to settle in, and put up two good scores. The shifty and choppy conditions were challenging, and Steve did an excellent job keeping the boat moving. Luck wasn’t always on our side, but we battled hard all day. It’s amazing how a little bit of luck can go a long way, especially in this fleet, as every boat is competitive. It’s definitely a game of inches out there.

© Oracle Racing

Peter Isler

After a day off due to lack of wind, the fleet will be heading out again in about an hour to do battle in what looks to be a nice day of sailing. The forecast calls for northerly winds in the moderate range, fading later, and the race committee is hoping to get three races off so they can hit their 10-race target for the week. Ken Legler, the PRO on our course, was recounting yesterday how Key West Race Week has gone from being a five-race series to its present format. “We try to make our clientele happy, and they wanted more racing," he said.