With the new year right around the corner I thought that it would be good to provide a preview of what is coming up in 2009 for the PNW Formula 18 fleet.

The PNW F18 fleet currently have 5 top-notch events on the calendar for 2009 and all the regattas should be very solid events based on 2008 attendance. If you are interested in only doing 1 or 2 events, I would suggest the NOODs or WAVES which had the highest attendance and best post race events.

I will update this forum with the final schedule, but for right now here are the current dates...

Jericho Flights of Spring - Jericho Sailing Center BC - April 18,19
Seattle Sailing World NOOD - Seattle CYC/SYC - May 15,16,17
WAVES Olympic Can Am - Vancouver BC RVYC - June 27,28
Bellingham OD - Bellingham BYC - September 19,20
Seattle F18 Fleet Championships - Seattle CYC - October 3,4

In 2008 the PNW Fleet saw great competition between the Infusions/NACRA F18s and Tigers with Scott McDonald (BC) and Andrepont/Koch (Seattle) swapping race wins and near the top of North American rankings and Colwell/Colwell (Bellingham) winning the F18 Fleet Championships in Seattle as well as the Tiger NAs.

For more information you can contact the PNW fleet reps at F18teamblur at live.com ...

Also....

- 2009-2012 Racing Rules Seminar - Sponsored by Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle - www.cycseattle.org

Puget Sound sailors will have a chance to get a head start on understanding changes in the racing rules Jan. 16 at a seminar to be conducted in Seattle by Dick Rose, an internationally recognized rules expert and the rules columnist for Sailing World magazine.

The seminar will be held at the Magnuson Park Theater, 7110 62nd Ave., NE, beginning at 7 p.m. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Sailing Foundation, and Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle is sponsoring the seminar.

Rose is a longtime member of the Racing Rules Committee of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and was part of the working group that developed the changes in the Racing Rules of Sailing that will take effect Jan.1, 2009.

By far the most significant changes are major revisions in rules that apply at marks and obstructions, in Part 2, Section C of the rules.

"The old Section C rules, particularly old Rule 18, were by far the most complicated of the 2005-2008 rules," Rose said. "While competitors generally liked the 'game' they produced, many sailors and officials called for simplification."

In response, the rules committees of US Sailing and the Royal Yachting Association developed several drafts of possible revisions to Section C, and proposed rules were tested on the water by various fleets in 2006. Some of those tests were conducted by the fleets that race in CYC races on Lake Washington.

The ISAF then appointed five rules experts from the U.K. and the U.S.A., including Rose, to develop the new Section C rules.

Rose said sailors who have new rule books should bring them to the seminar.
Rule books also will be available for purchase.

Tickets will be on sale at the door at $15 for Adults and $5 for students, payable by cash or check at the door.

The Sailing Foundation provides grants to help high school and college teams travel to national championships and assists in acquiring boats for youth racing fleets in the Puget Sound area. Corinthian Yacht Club is the largest sailboat racing club in the Northwest.

The theater where the seminar will be held is part of the Magnuson Park Community Center. To reach the theater, enter Magnuson Park from Sand Point Way at NE 74th Street ( the location of the security gate used when the park was a U.S. Navy Base). Then turn right on 62nd Avenue NE, and the Community Center is the large brick building about 100 yards up the street on the left.