Dear Mary,

I like very much women who take time to time a walk on the "wild side"...and perfectly understand your instinctive reaction. You must be an hybrid of Geena Davis and Sharon Stone !

Well, my european temper just try to keep cool a simple sailor's debate...I'm owning a Formula 20 and practice since 1982. I'm an aero-hydrodynamicist and very found of speed.

I have seen many european SPEEDWEEKS during the last 20 years, you can check the records and clocking charts on speedsailing websites. There was NEVER such speeds recorded, even on bursts...and the WEYMOUTH place is a super spot for that purpose...That's where my relative suspicion over claimed 30 Kt+ on standard series cats built up in the history...

You know, the only cat to hit 28,14 kt over 500 m was called "Arcachon's District" and was a 440 lbs 25 footer with 300 sq.ft and pure floatplane-like amas...and she was just kissing water at speed on a less than 1 m wetted length...standard cats couldn't...that's WHY I'm SKEPTIC !!!

Politness seems the cornerstone of every debate between world citizens, even if action seems often necessary to overcome at times some "United Nations-like" mess.

I politely propose that a "Dragster Blast-Cat Challenge" will be put up at Texas City or anywhere else in the USA and that speeds will be rigourosly recorded here...that will end POLITELY the debate...why not gently launch iniatiatives like that...inviting Mitch Booth, Randy Smith, Yves Loday and Hagara ?

Friendly Yours,
a polite Frenchie

Finally, the