Reporting direct from A-cat Midwinters: Race report from my viewing spot in B-fleet down in Islamorada: A real workout was had by all.

This was TOUGH competition for the winners and high placement sailors in the Intergalactic. Among the rest of us, Joe Leonard's new boat the EVO pitchpoled going to weather on Thursday in heavy air. Me ditto, as I stuffed my BimXJ 2005- a new experience. It was pretty bumpy offshore at top end wind speed- 17-19, with gusts to 21 mph on the first race of our second race day on Thursday. Then we had another start with similar conditions. After everybody still out had finished, about 8 of the racers took a quick poll, requested the committee boat to go in, so the 3rd race was called off. I am pretty sure it was rather over 22 at the time.....

No serious injuries or mast bustage however, despite some jibing crashes, just a few battens broken and 2 travellers pulling off. Committee boat and chase boats were very well handled and racing was excellent. A Great event, a bit blown out the last day- while the wily old Florida guy Woodie Cope, resisted the heavy air very well and won. Woodie said at the trophy presentation- "Thank God Ben Hall and Brett Moss were duelling each other to weather, and went for a fishing boat with fish poles sticking out, instead of the weather-mark boat". So they took each other out, and Woodie was well prepared! I had a hard time finding that yellow weather mark too, even from about 1/2 mile downwind.

I was most interested in my first-ever view of curved daggerboards: Goran Marstrom (several Swedish Olympic Gold medals I believe) and 2 other Marstroms were so fitted, including John Schiefer's. Skip Elliot's was not. In lighter air Skip did best, but in medium air Goran had a bunch of 2s and 3s and was usually very near the front going to weather- as much as the other 7 well-performing sailors. Schiefer said they gave his boat "life to weather", although he was not able to do the wild thing, much like other well sailed Marstroms (low and slow, but still fast enough to stay near the front). I personally saw Goran going down wind in lighter air with his curved boards up- when I was ahead of him. Interesting/promising developments!

Note- Ben Hall sailed his new EVO very very well with a soft sail- we may seen the last of the hard sail: Hull #2- I think it said on his stern.

Skip Elliot made all the early Hobie 16 sails. Ben Hall is building Hall carbon masts for all J-boats and America's Cup boats; came in 2nd and 4th despite being 61 years old!

2 races were sailed on Wednesday and 2 on Thursday= the Intergalactic series.
Posted results hopefully soon at www.usaca.info