Team Earthlink, USA

From the USA web site:

http://www.usanetwork.com/sports/eco.../earthlink.jpg

Quote:

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Jason Middleton (Captain)
Robyn Benincasa
Isaac Wilson
Mike Trisler

Team Earthlink has always been at the front of the pack, and this year they're gunning for a first-place finish. Although Team Captain Jason Middleton is a veteran racer, he feels the pressure as the team's map-reader on the most navigationally challenging course ever created for an Eco-Challenge. As mistake after mistake threatens to blow their team apart, Team Earthlink winds their way through the grueling racecourse, desperate to finish with a spot on the podium.

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I've been following Eco for years and Robyn never ceases to amaze me, another team I look forward to watching.

I know what you mean!

Robyn rocks!! :up

Yes she does! I wish she was on the same team with Ian and then I would have no trouble picking the team to root for....

Jason was sure having trouble with the navigating. Even though they made a wrong turn right of the bat, I couldn't believe they were able to catch up and end up behind the leaders, Kiwis. That was pretty impressive.

I wonder if they'll be able to catch up now that they followed the Kiwis down the wrong path.

What kind of experienced team puts a guy doing his first race in the navigator role? This can't be a good decision, since he made one slight mistake, you can bet the others now have doubts about his skills and that, being no fault of his, is going to cost the team the race I bet.

Oh shoot, I messed up and posted this somewhere else, thinking he was on Ian's team.

Jason has completely screwed up navigating. And ili, I think you read wrong. Jason is an experienced racer, just a navigator newbie.

yeah but if you were an experienced team, wouldn't you want someone who has some navigating experience for this race? It's ok that Jason is an experienced racer but he admits he doesn't have navigating experience and Eco is not the place to do your first navigating.

I thought about this same thing last night. Brasil also has a new navigator.

I guess, if you're an experienced racer, then you've had a little bit of navigational experience already. Learning how to read maps and use a compass isn't all that difficult, and normally you can build up your confidence with a few good early decisions until you get comfortable with it.

Everyone has to be a navigator-virgin at some point. There aren't that many places to get this kind of unique experience hands-on.

I'm the navigator for the sailboats I race, and it's a tough job where split-second decisions need to be made, and a lot of it's a judgement call. Even if you screw up, you have to get right back on the horse and do it again. So, I feel for what some of these guys are going through :)

I think Jason will actually rally and do well for them. I think making a mistake early on will only help him focus more.