August 2, 2001

Course Director, Ian Adamson

Welcome to the first installment of Notes from the Field! After a month scouting and investigation (see the accompanying photos at left), we have developed an absolutely stunning and incredibly beautiful course. The British Virgin Islands are some of the least trammeled and most accessible islands in the Caribbean and we have made use of these attributes to bring you the best possible course.

At this point the course is 205 miles (depending on how good your navigation is!) and includes brilliant white beaches, warm (84 F) emerald water, 100 ft. visibility diving and extremely steep hills! The bulk of the course is on or around the water, however the land- based disciplines are extremely challenging. Since the islands are volcanic, the hills are steep and rugged and many of the cliffs drop directly into the ocean.

There are very few trails and most of the vehicle thoroughfares are paved since there is a significant erosion problem due to the precipitous nature of the terrain. We have chosen a bike course that incorporates all possible off road sections and a ridge road that has panoramic views over the entire island chain. It is not possible to complete the bike on anything but a low-geared mountain bike, and we suggest aggressive 1.9 - 2.1 inch semi-slick tires on a hard tail, front suspension bike.

Coastaleering will be very challenging, but also extremely picturesque. The course incorporates a combination of sand beaches, pebble beaches, large boulders and cliffs. Athletes must be proficient at swimming with fins, as it will be very difficult to complete the ocean swims without them. Swim sections in the coastaleering could include open ocean with 6 - 8 ft swell and large wind chop. This will be generally with the wind and swell, and could get quite exciting.

There is a significant amount of sea kayaking involved as you will be moving between islands across the open sea. Expect to be kayaking several times each day, with the longest stretch between islands of 12 miles, possibly into the wind. We strongly suggest you bring your own paddles and possibly a seat pad as well since the kayak seats are hard on your rear end after more than an hour.

The underwater navigation incorporates one of the most famous shipwrecks in the Caribbean. You will have to find several underwater checkpoints, which may include parts of the wreck, which is in superb condition.

As I have mentioned, the land portions of the race are quite rugged. On the whole, the islands are made of limestone and other porous rock so there are no natural water sources. One of the islands you will be on is literally a desert, and you will have to carry adequate water to ensure hydration in the tropical heat. We found several places to buy beverages, so you should take money (the currency is the American dollar) to purchase drinks on the way. Orienteering will be quite challenging at times as we have chosen some areas of dense jungle and thick undergrowth. People skilled in orienteering events will have an advantage, so brush up on those skills.

We have designed several ropes challenges into the course, including a long zip line and a rappel into the ocean. You will not be doing an ascent because the saltwater environment will destroy any mechanical ascenders.

The BVI has possibly the best sailing in the world so we will be giving each team a 38 - 42 ft yacht that will accompany you as a moving transition area and as part of the race on some days. We strongly encourage you to bring your own skipper (as an additional member of the team), but we will supply one if you don't know anyone who can do this. The boats we are using can sleep up to 8 people, so we have decided to allow 3 accompanying people to sail on the yachts with you. Accompanying people are not officially part of the event (they are not permitted at check points of transition areas), but they may help in a limited capacity at any time the teams are on their boats.

Take a look at the images from the scout and you will get a feel for how truly spectacular the course is.

I am looking forward to seeing you all in the BVI in December!

Ian Adamson
Course Director