August 21: Remaining teams race to beat the clock

You Are Here:

Home >> August 21: Remaining teams race to beat the clock

Today's Question
How do you make primitive snowshoes? answer

What should you do if you get lost driving in a snow storm? answer

Today's Question
What is the greenest ski and snowboard on the market? answer

Can I really damage a coral reef with sunscreen while snorkeling? answer

What kind of dog will make me look manlier? answer
Is there a sport that safely combines my twin passions for guns and kayaks? answer
How come most of the world's cultures enjoy eating goat, but Americans don't? answer

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries

1997 Eco-Challenge

August 21: Remaining teams race to beat the clock
By Dan Morrison

The mass launch of the final
four teams in the race

Because of the forced weather delay on all teams still at Bramston Beach, a ruling was made to override the 6:30 a.m. cutoff on August 21. All teams would be allowed to depart in a LeMans-type start.

So at 7 a.m. under a gray sky with a pink sunrise on the horizon — what is that old ditty? Pink at night, sailor's delight. Pink in the morning, sailor take warning? — eight teams launched their kayaks into the surf:

Team Big Five from South Africa
Team Anteverto from The Netherlands
Team Houston from the U.S.
Team Rangers from the U.S.
Team New York's Finest from the U.S.
Team Xtreme from the U.K.
Team Dalriada from Northern Ireland

Patricia Munz of Team Eco-Agents ships out

And finally, at 7:20 a.m., Team Eco-Agents, five FBI agents, pushed off the beach and headed out to sea — and were quickly turned about by the waves and pushed back onto the beach, where they once again shoved off and finally managed to figure out how to use both paddles and the rudder system and broke through the surf.

The eight teams have until midnight tonight to reach Cairns. Less than 17 hours, 80 kilometers.

Some of them won't make it.

An hour after the launch a frantic radio call was received. Team Big Five from South Africa was requesting a rescue.

When you're exhausted, injured, demoralized, seasick, hypothermic, in a sinking boat in 6-foot swells, 80 kilometers can be an impossible distance.

Dan Morrison covered the Marathon des Sables for Outside Online.