And as far as the prove your skill thought, who are you proving this too? Do you really care if the guy in the aquacat sailing his first race thinks you are a good sailor, or do you think if he beats you he is going to think you have no clue what you are doing? I know I have never gone onto a race course to assert my superiority (or inferiority <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> ) or seen someone else do that, and if I did meet someone like that I would probably avoid them. [/quote]

It's not about personal superiority, (Were just getting blown around in little plastic boats.) It’s asserting superior sailing skill and there’s nothing wrong with it. It goes to the heart of competitiveness. Kathryn is a very accomplished sailor and understands that it is all about measuring, improving and demonstrating skill, both to your self and to your competitors. You have seen it; it’s why we try to cross the finish line first. Portsmouth racing is less satisfying because it obscures the demonstration of skill.