Hi Dan -
It was good meeting you and Brian and Chris - I love that regatta for the chance to meet people.
The 4.3s got the turnout I'd hoped with all 9 pre-registered boats showing up, and all three 14 Maxis showed up, too. I was disappointed with the number of folks that bailed out for the last day, but I completely understand the desire to get on the road. We actually had some breeze on Sunday, though it was deadly shifty. In the first race, I'd split from the fleet in about 3rd or 4th, got to the right side all alone, and caught the new wind just right by sheer luck. I finished that one a half-leg ahead of Jamie in 2nd. That was my only bullet - lucky but gratifying.
Unfortunately, with less of the fleet on the water, there wasn't much that could change in the standings for the last two races, but it was good experience anyway. I had a great time.
Saturday, I had crew on the boat - an 11-year-old girl named Jennifer Fridman. She wanted to learn how to sail, and her family was thinking about buying a beach cat. Nobody was offering her a ride, so I took her along despite my feeling the extra weight and inexperience would be a hindrance. I was trying hard to practice what I preach - TAKE A NEWBIE SAILING! She did great and her Dad is now seeking a 4.3! Do it! Take someone new out! I did it ONCE and a new boat will be joining the 14 fleet!
The conditions, IMO, favored the 14 Maxi due to their ability to carry the sail area all the way around the course. Bob was way out ahead every race, of course, but without a bit more breeze, I'm not sure how much of that was pure Bob and how much was the extra area. This may become one of the great unanswerables! I don't think I let the other two Maxis get in front of me - Dan? Can you remember where you finished up in relation to the 4.3s? I'll try and get the finish sheets from Mr. Ernie to double check. I never finished less than one to three boats behind Bob, with Jamie or Mike Fahle or both in front of me. I finished 3-2-2-1-2-3 in the 4.3s, which is 4-3-3-2-3-4 in the 14s, I think... My third race, however, I got caught in the huge butterfly net of crossing that immense finish line on the last trip downwind, so that one earned me a DNF. That sucked - race for 76+ minutes to learn I'd crossed an obstruction and got the same score I could have had drinking a margherita on the beach!!! I certainly didn't gain distance or advantage - Jamie came from waaaaayyy outside to win that one! I'd gybed inside of him thinking he'd seriously overstood, and never noticed him flogging the 'chute trying to get up over the finish pin he noticed in the nick of time. I sailed right up to the pin-set boat and had a conversation as I went by - since they didn't have a pin in the water anywhere near them, I assumed they hadn't set it yet. Turned out they were camped out in the middle of the line. Never occurred to me there'd be a line that big in the middle of the course... boy did I feel stupid! Tough lesson...
If Bob's performance is the bench mark, then clearly the 14 Maxi has legs over the 4.3, though I think they are probably more evenly matched in wind over 5 knots or so (once that hooter is rolled up). Jamie and Mike have both been sailing the 4.3 for a while, and I feel they know how to make the boat perform - I'd like to get Bob on one just for reference sometime...
In any case, it was a great weekend for 14-footers, we picked up another interested sailor, we represented the fledgling class well. Let's pick the next event to make a showing! The Ohio group have a couple of events picked out this summer - what are the 14 Maxis interested in doing?
Let's keep it going!
