Faced with the very real prospect of losing his only crew training vessel should she remain in her slip at Crown Bay Marina during a severe storm, Team Caribbean's cofounder Peter Holmberg and fleet manager Dominik Sudekmet with Tropical Shipping's terminal manager William Cheeseman and stevedoring manager James Smith in July to formulate a pre-season emergency plan to hide USA-11 from the wrath of hurricanes.

Constructed for Dennis Conner's '92 America's Cup defense in San Diego, the former Stars & Stripes '92 is an International America's Cup Class yacht measuring 75-feet, that even when stripped of her rigging and towering 110-foot mast, is a most impressive craft. With a 13.5-foot draft and abulb keel weighing a hefty 45,000 pounds, however, no conventional yard is capable of  hauling her.

As Cape Verde-spawned storms earned hurricane status with increasing frequency during the month of August, Smith and Sudek supervised the erection of USA-11's steel cradle at Tropical Shipping's Crown Bay sandfill dock, then directed the removal of her rigging and high-tech carbon fibermast at nearby Crown Bay Marina.

As September 18th dawned, Hurricane Georges acquired Category 5 status and by sunset on Friday, had targeted St. Thomas. With a Hurricane Watch now in effect, Cheeseman and Smith alerted Team Caribbean to stand by for a Sunday rescue -- on the single condition that Tropical Shipping first finish securing its yard, its container ships, and its client's cargo.

By ten o'clock Sunday morning, a Hurricane Warning had been issued and Smith had assembled his 'crash team' -- including employees Aubrey Smith, Kevin Fenner, Cecil Aaron, Jacob Woods, Aubrey Harrigan and crane operator Atherly Gordon -- at the sandfill dock to await USA-11's arrival.  Starting from the marina side, Team Caribbean volunteers Maurice Kurg and DeniseBalzac helped Holmberg and Sudek tow the sailboat through Gregorie Channel.

As storm clouds gathered,  the haul-out team connected hooks to USA-11'skeel bolts. They held their collective breath while Gordon suspended the delicate 75-foot Cup veteran with a single-point lift -- as both rudder and keel were removed -- then laid her gently in her cradle.

While other islanders scurried for shelter, a cool-headed Atherly artfully 'walked' USA-11's cradle, with direction from Smith, to the back of the yard, where she was nestled between specially-arranged containers, then blanketed with her boom as a final protective measure.

Hours later, a weakened Hurricane Georges shook St. Thomas, then regained strength enough to leave a path of death and destruction that reached from the Caribbean to the U.S. mainland.

USA-11 never budged an inch and neither did Team Caribbean's determination to quest for the America's Cup -- all thanks to Tropical Shipping workers who take obvious pride in a 'job well done,' while lending personal credence to the corporate conviction to 'see the world through its customers' eyes.'