If Casey Smith doesn't win the seamanship award on this leg it is criminal!
I think the video of us putting in the emergency rudder after the break says it all, but I will labor on further.
I think I have nominated Casey four times on four different legs. As a "under 30 year old" aboard, his 30th birthday was actually three days after the start in Alicante. Except for the somewhat frequent bouts of nakedness, Casey has been nothing short of a stud on board. we break it, he fixes it. Bulkheads, longitudinal frames, generators, keel systems, electronics--you name it. And now rudder systems.
Middle of the Atlantic in the spring, the last thing you want to hear is the bang of a rudder snapping off. Not only due to the fact that your regatta is probably over, but the fact that you want to get home safely, Casey helped engineer and implement a system that not only got us home in one piece, but put us right back into the competitive game.
The rudder snapped. He took on the practiced process of getting us back in the race. The spare rudder was brought out and he took the group through the necessary steps to get the rudder in place. Once the initial process was completed, the only nudging he needed from me was to change from his foul weather gear into a survival suit for the inevitable dunking while hanging over the side and helping slip the rudder stock into the bearings. No fear, no hesitation- his help putting this system in place and implementing the replacement saved our race and got us safely home at the same time.
Casey's attitude and determination is what this award is all about. He win's this hands down in my book. In fact, name the trophy after him.
Click here for photos of Casey in action, fixing just about everything that breaks
