© 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.

© Nick Turney

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It was an exciting Day 3! Well, not so much. Today started off with no breeze and an AP ashore. After giving us updates every half hour, at 1 p.m. our PRO decided to call it for the day. With a gradient breeze from the north and a high-pressure system moving in from the southwest, the conflicting systems made for a very glassy body of water.

© Th. Martinez/ BPCE

Loick Peyron and his Banque Populaire team arrive in Brest, France, after breaking the Jules Verne record with a 45-day circumnavigation.

Earlier this month, Loick Peyron and his 13-member crew completed a 45-day, round-the-world sprint aboard the 130-foot trimaran Banque Populaire V to earn the Jules Verne trophy. Since then, Peyron and crew have been the center of media attention in France. Primetime newscasts here show BPV arriving in Brest, where more than 1,000 spectators braved the winter weather just to catch a glimpse of Peyron and company. It was as if the crowd was gathered at the Cannes Film Festival, trying to steal a peak at Johnny Depp or Penelope Cruz.

© Kaitlin Storck

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My first two days here at Key West Race Week have been a bit of a whirlwind. Besides the high-quality sailboat racing, the fast pace of the event and onshore activities keep the excitement level up.