Let's just let it rip a little bit.

Carlson ran a Catnip rating with carbon rudders, daggers, A-cat carbon mast and spin, only taking a hit for the spin. That's not very sportsman I think. That is a call-out to the polka-dot.

The 30 is nothing like it began in existence, adding a carbon rig, square top main, an upwind A sail and a spin that is 24 square meters (258 sq feet) larger than original, totaling 78 sq meters (839 sq ft) . The F18 spin is only 21 sq meters. Of course, it's the only boat with an 'all sails' DPN rating, which was quickly expressed to me by a very kind (I'm serious) Roberts gent after said race. What is 'all sails' exactly? and how can any boat have that kind of rating? (Again, I'm serious) They did sail the 30 well. I know that. However, again that is a reason for the DPN to drop. Look at all the classes with top sailors on board and what happens to the DPN. Is the the boat? The sailors? The football field of sail? The only thing that matters is time on distance. Period. Oh, and they add racks to the boat sometimes too. I forgot about that.

And you, Dave, sailed a completely stock F18. Shame on you! Heavy none the less.

We did add curved foils to the M20. Other than that we were stock. There is no current adjustment for that at the moment.

Every time I call the sailors to task on their ratings circumnavigation I get the same answer, "Well until they tell me I can't do it...." I'm not sure exactly who 'they' is, but I thought 'they' was us, the sailors, who approach this sport in a gentlemanly way and respect their fellow competitors. Damn am I wrong about that one.

The fact is, nobody thinks they have a chance to beat the 30 without doing something drastic, which is why I saw more frankenboats than a bad episode of Mystery Science Theater last weekend. In the face of staggering odds, the human mind will stop at nothing to succeed, especially when it can add some carbon bits to a bent popsicle. Then, when one fails they go find something else to do, like the 200 competitors that didn't show up last weekend.

Did I think we had a chance? Yes. However, if it wasn't pursuit style, the Antrim 27 would have taken all the marbles. Hats off to them for sure.

So I came to the conclusion that this race is going to slowly decay to the point of a club race (Rudder Club that is) unless it is evened out somehow. For sure, something has to be done to make the common man feel he has a chance if he sails splended.

Is this sour grapes? I do really hate to lose. But I only like to win when I have done my best to play a fair game and execute the game plan to the best of my abilities.

Is that what you were looking for Dave?