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2022 Worrell 1000 send off begins at Rudee's

The grueling catamaran race up the East Coast is less than a week away, and Team Rudee's is ready to sail

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Randy Smyth is a 6 time Worrell 1000 champion. 

"For me at 67 years old I haven't done it for 20 years, so it's an opportunity to try to squeeze in one more while I can still do this crazy stuff. The attraction is just the adrenaline rush really that you get in this race. It's a test of mind, body, racing skills, but more than any other race I can think of it's whether your body can make it to the finish line," says Smyth, asked about his return to the race he's dominated. 

"Whether you body can make it to the finish line" depends on a number of factors. There's the unpredictable weather that comes when approaching Hatteras and the rest of the Carolina coast. Hydration and sustenance aren't easy, with full meals giving way to well times snacks on the water. Hands, minds and legs all take a beating getting in and out of the water, the most challenging part of each day. No one is more familiar than Smyth. 

"Lets just say the last time I did do it, I was in the hospital the last two nights before the finish, getting IV's for an infected leg. When I came home I was in the hospital another four days here at home," Smyth recalls. 

The race runs in the waters between Florida and Virginia Beach, VA, covering about 1000 miles with overnight stops at multiple locations along the East Coast. Fifteen teams will compete this year. Smyth is the skipper for Team Rudee's, he's looking for that 7th championship, but he's far more keen on the experience that awaits he and his fellow sailors.

 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL63Lm4ZCdVCDgWDE7zEhYngdEJ21HvWVH 

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