'Opportunity of a lifetime': Members of Hilton Head Yacht Club participate in race to Cuba
Hap Todd, John Singleton and Norm Shotz stood on the dock at Skull Creek Marina on Saturday making small talk while Mike Roe moved about onboard his 35-foot sailing sloop the "Roeboat."
"Anyone sleep last night?" Todd said, teasing the others.
It was early yet, but already there was a general buzz of excitement in the air -- the kind that comes right before a big trip. And if ever there were such a trip, this would be it.
In just a couple of hours, all four men, members of the Yacht Club of Hilton Head Island, would be joining a group of other club members on a multi-leg sailing trip to Key West then on to Cuba as part of the Conch Republic Cup.
It's the first time the yacht club has participated in the international race, because it's the first time the United States government has given the green light for such boat travel to Cuba in more than 50 years.
The island country has been under an American trade embargo since 1960, but the embargo has eased under the Obama administration in an effort to re-establish commercial and diplomatic ties.
Even though Cuba is a mere 90 miles south of Key West and other countries have participated in the race for years, the island has long been an elusive sailing destination for Americans.
Nearly 60 boats from the United States are participating in the race. Almost a dozen are from South Carolina.
Various sailing blogs and websites associated with Key West Race Week, which runs the week before the Cup, were buzzing with talk of the "Sprint to Havanna" and the epic fiestas the country is famous for throwing.
"I have a feeling we're going to be well-received," said Roe about the somewhat historic occasion of stepping foot on Cuban soil.
Roe, who will skipper for the race, won't be part of the first leg -- a nearly 600-mile voyage from Hilton Head to Key West. That crew consists of Todd, Singleton, Shotz and Henry Shultz.
Instead, Roe will drive to Key West along with club members Aubrey Vaughan, Ed Lyons and Marek Belka, who also will participate in the race along with Roe, Todd and Shultz.
If Roe was nervous about a crew taking his boat all the way to the Keys without him, he didn't show it Saturday.
"It's a great crew," he said. "All the crews are great."
It helps that the men are all good friends. And in a boat -- even a 35-footer like the Roeboat in which things can get, well, tight -- that helps.
"We just have three goals," Todd said earlier in the week. "Get the boat there by the 28th. Don't break the boat. And have some fun."
It also helps that almost all have racked up some serious miles as longtime or even lifelong sailors, including time spent in competitive racing.
When the race is over, a third crew, consisting of Jeff Westfall, Morris Young, Jim Landis, Al Pepe, Smitty Haller and Ivan Puglisi, will see the Roeboat back home to Hilton Head.
"We'll be sorry when it's over," said Todd, as he waited for other members of the crew to arrive on Saturday.
As they readied the boat and said their goodbyes, a small crowd gathered on the marina dock to see them off.
"I'm just happy for them," said Cathy Todd, who plans to join her husband in Key West after the race is over.
Cathy Todd said as she watched her husband packing for the big trip the night before, she was reminded of her children on Christmas Eve when they were young.
"We haven't felt that kind of anticipation in awhile," she said, laughing. "But yeah, it's an opportunity of a lifetime."
Follow along
Want to follow the Roeboat's progress as it makes its way first to Key West then on to Cuba? Watch islandpacket.com or beaufortgazette.com for crew-written updates, photos and video.
Follow reporter Mindy Lucas on Twitter at twitter.com/MindyatIPBG.
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This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 8:16 PM with the headline "'Opportunity of a lifetime': Members of Hilton Head Yacht Club participate in race to Cuba."