December 10, 2001

By Susan McKenzie

Traditionally, adventure race transition areas are on dry land, stationary and used by all the teams. Expedition BVI's TAs are on the water, mobile and personal. Each team has its own Sunsail yacht, which will be used to help the teams switch from discipline to discipline. Each team also has its own skipper, who is considered the fifth member of the crew. That means they can help their teams. It also means that if they make a mistake, the team could be penalized.

Earlier this afternoon, the teams had the chance to meet their skippers, familiarize themselves with the yachts, let the skippers in on a few adventure racing secrets and load their gear onto the boats. Within minutes, the once pristine white yachts that lined the dock of the Sunsail Yacht Club were cluttered with backpacks, paddles and flippers and food.

Most of the skippers come from the islands. They are experienced sailors who know these waters the way most people know the roadways of their hometown. Between them, the skippers have probably raced in every major international regatta and sailing competition.

At least one skipper, though, is no stranger to his team. Ken Gambone and his second mate (and wife) Joanne Masso will be crewing for Team Hummer, whose members are also friends with Gambone and Masso.

"It's nice to have someone from home aboard," says Hummer's Stefani Jackenthal.

As warm sun showers pelted the yacht (and cooled the sweaty athletes), Hummer and its sailing crew went over the meal plans for the race. Lots of salt, no nuts (one teammate has an allergy), plenty of rice (brown) and 50 gallons of water topped the grocery list.

Team Red Bull didn't make a shopping list, but when their skipper offered to take them to the store with what he promised were "the cheapest groceries on the island," they hopped into the bed of his pickup and went shopping.

Wandering the aisles of a small, air-conditioned shop, they filled a grocery cart with instant noodles, cheese slices (not as good as cheddar, but easier), bread, hot chocolate powder and plenty of water. Hands waving and voices rising, the team would stop occasionally for intense debate: which flavour of potato chip (they settled on four different kinds) and should the pasta sauce be with meat, or vegetarian? The meat won.

"Meat is better, more protein," explained Antonio De la Rosa.

Red Bull, like Hummer, will be packing plenty of water in their boat. But its strategy is to rely on the skipper to replenish part way through the race. The team's skipper is a perfect fit for the Spanish-speaking teams, whose members come from Spain and Argentina. Captain Maynard is not only a two-time Whitbread competitor, but he also speaks Spanish. Promptly dubbed "El Jefe," or "The Boss" by Red Bull's other captain, Antonio De la Rosa and his teammates, Maynard has sailed the waters around the British Virgin Islands for more than thirty years.

"I'm the best," he says with a laugh. "We're going to win the sail race for sure," he promises.

Maynard's boasts will be put to the test starting tomorrow, when the inaugural Expedition BVI launches from Lambert Beach, Tortola, at eight a.m.