For the 2005 edition of the Cadillac Van Isle 360, the Cheekee Monkee has a big target painted on her backside as we are going in to the event as the defending winner of the �Fastest Elapsed Time� from the 2003 race. We have always preferred a low profile, but with a name like Cheekee Monkee, you know you are going to be a target for somebody to aim at.
In support of our desire to be the fastest around the island once again, the Cheekee Monkee has undergone more modifications since 2003. We have added lifting foils, stripped out the interior, upgraded the rigging and added an 800 pound water ballast system. You can read more about that on our website, listed below, plus a lengthy account of our adventures in 2003.
To do well at any kind of race, the outcome in our class is determined largely by the crew. The crew is more important than the boat, more important than the skipper...the crew is the crucial element that takes the performance of the boat and skipper to the next level � podium finishes.
On the Cheekee Monkee, we have a great crew: Shane Alfreds as the mainsail trimmer, big strong and talented. Running the jib, screecher, spinnaker , mast rotation, mast canting and foil trim are tasks shared by Jason Arnold, Mike McGarry and Morgan Tedrow. Jason has been sailing on the Cheekee Monkee for 10 years now, Mike McGarry is part owner of a 37� Nigel Iren�s foiler called �SKAT� and Morgan Tedrow is the newest addition to the team, having joined the crew last season and helped the Cheekee Monkee to achieve a podium finish in every event we sailed in during 2004.
The Cheekee Monkee is looking forward to the 2005 edition of the Cadillac Van Isle 360 � it is the best regatta we have ever participated in and raises the bar on the world stage for adventure sailing regattas.