Miss GEICO Mystic Speed Run from Miami to West Palm Beach Tomorrow AM

http://www.evsjupiter.com/main.htm This is a camera shot about 11 miles north of the ending point (Palm Beach Inlet Cam is currently out of service). It is raining and has been on/off since 4 am. Seas look choppy but nothing that boat can't handle.

From Palm Beach (inlet is called Lake Worth) to Govt. Cut is about 85 miles.....so at 170 avg. they can nail it in 30 minutes.

http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/webcams/slwi/ This is about 6 miles south of the ending point.
 
Intracoastal Race

It was called the Gold Coast Marathon and run back in the 50's and 60's, up the Intracoastal, not in the ocean at all. As you can imagine, it will never happen again.
 
In December, Miss GEICO plans to break the world record point to point speed run from Miami to Palm Beach. With Marc Granet at the wheel, Scott Begovich on throttles, and John Haggin as navigator, the Miss GEICO team will leave Key Biscayne and cover the 65 miles to the Palm Beach Inlet in the hope of beating thirty minutes and establishing a new world record speed run. Jonathan Hillstrand, captain of the Time Bandit from the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” will also join in the fun as the four musketeers seek to make history.

The guys will be accompanied by the GEICO Cigarette Pace boat and the GEICO Safety Boat and at the Palm Beach Inlet the GEICO Support Boat with the local news media will be on hand to congratulate the guys. A helicopter manned by our safety chief and TV cameramen will chronicle the record run. Due to unpredictable weather conditions, please check our website for updates on the world record run.


30 minutes over 65 miles is a 130MPH average. When setting the record, no reason to crush it the 1st go around. Gives them some thing to break and maybe just maybe even obtainable for another team to try to capture..(hint hint racers!)
 
65 miles seems short to me but I don't know if they are racing "inlet to inlet" or from landmarks (like the Breakers hotel in Palm Beach).

Mapquest calls it 75 miles on the road, so 65 could be the number.......
 
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December 15, 2009 - Tuesday
Miss GEICO Shatters Speed Record
Category: Sports
Riviera Beach, FL - Under unexpected rainy skies and hazardous sea conditions, the neon green Miss GEICO catamaran with its roaring turbine engines weathered the elements in establishing a new World Record Speed Run on Tuesday, December 15, 2009.

World Champion driver, Marc Granet and throttleman, Scott Begovich, joined by Captain Johnathan Hillstrand of the Time Bandit from the “Deadliest Catch” set out from Government Cut in ..Miami.. and sped north to ....Palm Beach..... Team Owner, Captain John Haggin, re-aggravated an old racing back injury minutes into the speed run and had to call it quits and return back in one of the two safety helicopters.

The Discovery Channel sent two of its most experienced cameramen to cover the speed run and their awesome footage will undoubtedly be seen in next season’s “Deadliest Catch.” The ear to ear grin of Captain Hillstrand summed up this momentous occasion. “It was incredible,” exclaimed Hillstrand.

The World Champion Miss GEICO boat covered the 78 miles in slightly over 45 minutes and averaged in excess of 100 mph despite the treacherous ocean swells and showers.

Team Owner, Captain John Haggin, was thrilled to witness yet another World Record achievement for Miss GEICO. “I continue to be humbled by the performance of my entire racing team. It has been a long racing season and with our 4th consecutive World Championship and now smashing a world speed record in my hometown is simply fantastic.”

Granet and Scott Begovich and the entire AMF race team unfortunately will not rest easy this offseason. The national boat shows begin in January with the first race in May and already there are several new challengers looking to defeat Miss GEICO in 2010
 
I am assuming that if they hit something taking out Haggin's back, he is not going to be jumping boat to boat, swimming or leaping onto a helicopter, he is going to be moving very gingerly...... From the few times I have spoken with him, he strikes me as the kind of guy that would say "**** it guys, it hurts but GO!!!!" So if he bailed it was probably hurtin pretty good.
 
probably jumped in the chase Cig and got lifted from there..

Considering a few of those miles are in Biscayne Bay and the ICW in WPB, thats pretty good time..
 
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