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	Why go to Key West?
Not convinced Key West is your sort of regatta?		Prof O'Connell makes the case for finding a way to sail in this premier event.

Reprinted here with permission of Yachts and Yachting - please visit YachtsandYachting.com

Every year, I find January unbearably cold and wet. The sailing has finished in December and I'm always scratching around wondering what to do until the Spring Series. Well, here's a big tip - do whatever you can to get yourself to Key West Race Week.

I was sailing Diarmuid Foley's Mumm 30 Mammy! from Cork, doing mainsheet and tactics. Rob Greenhalgh - who brought a lot of invaluable Mumm 30 experience with him - joined us from the UK as primary upwind and downwind trimmer. Diarmuid steered and we had a selection of Irish Mafia aboard. Starting 20 minutes after the Farr 40 fleet, we learnt a lot from observing their starts and first beats. We won two races and Terra Nova Trading Boat of the Day prize on Friday but eventually had to settle for fourth overall - two re-starts had cost us dearly.

For the racing, weather conditions varied from five knots of breeze and 25 degrees to 25 knots, 12 degrees C and rain on Thursday! However, the other days had that magical combination of 14-18 knots, warmth and sunshine. In addition, the regatta management, managed by Premiere-Racing and headed by Peter Craig, was top class.

In case the above hasn’t convinced you to started searching for flights to Florida next January, below I have listed additional reasons why I'd jump at the chance to go back tomorrow....

- Daily post-racing discussion forums on topics ranging from one-design to America's Cup tactics in Key West, etc. The panels comprised the top sailors available at the event.

- Free daily weather information (sponsored by North Sails) and a thorough de-brief and discussion each day at 1700hrs by their resident meteorologist.

- In the main tent, big screen viewing of the latest matches and drama unfolding from Auckland.

- Daily prizegivings were accompanied by free beer from 1800-2000hrs each evening.

- The weigh-in for the Farr 40, Mumm 30, Melges 24 on Sunday was preceded by a 3km 'Make Weight' fun run.

- There was a free daily 18-page newspaper complete with color photos, comment, human-interest stories and results.

- Results and information notice boards were large, visible, well organized, readable and updated daily before the fleet arrived ashore.

- Arbitration by the group of international judges - they had a busy week in the one-design classes

-An easy-to-understand Boat of the Week and Boat of the Day formulae. A different company sponsored BOTD for each of the five days. The title sponsor sponsored BOTW.

- 10 teams entered a team trophy. Teams comprised a Farr 40, Mumm 30 and Melges 24. Something for the future here?

- No discards! I needed convincing that this was a good idea for years, but I am now a convert, despite us having to carry an 11th and 12th!

I found flights from London to Miami were readily available on airlines such as Virgin and American Airlines. It's then only a 45-minute flight down to Key West, where accommodations can be sourced quite reasonably. 

My advice is to get yourself a 2004 diary now and pencil it in for next January!

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