Key West Convention

Celebrating its 20th year, Key West Race Week begins January 15, and seems to attract big fleets, fun boats, and enthusiasm. You can go to A to Z on this event. If you want great racing, you’ll find it. If you want good times, you’ll find it. If you want to check in with industry folks, you’ll find it. If you want to stand in the Mount Gay rum line amongst elite pro sailors, you’ll find it. This event has it all.

For twenty years, this event has flourished, despite being held at the most southern point of the country, and not the easiest place to get to. It is not cheap either, with travel, dockage, haul-out, and pricey housing adding up. But everything comes with a price, and with expert race management and all the other stuff listed above, plus the best sailing conditions likely found anywhere in the world in January, the event has hit enough of our hot buttons to deserve prime space on our vacation calendar.

Scuttlebutt will be attending the event, as it has proven to be a great chance to check in with the various entities that support us: advertisers, photographers, editors, and sailors. We will be collecting images from the sailing, and this year, we are also seeking party images to show off the on-land portion of the program. Our mantra this year will be “It’s not whether you win or lose… it’s whether you get your photo in Scuttlebutt.”

Depending on how the next week goes, I will either learn how to use my video camera or not. If I do, then I will try to send some clips to the ‘buttheads from the action. I might also bring along my digital voice recorder, and grab some sound bites from the racers. I do plan to bring along a sharpie pen and gather autographs for future Scuttlebutt giveaways. Hopefully folks like Brad Butterworth, Vince Brun, Ken Read, Bouwe Bekking, etc. will be cool about signing my Mount Gay rum cups. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt