Les,

I'm glad you brought up the point about the front runners that will be at the Nationals on the F17. It may be one of the reasons so many others are signing up. We all want to compare ourselves to the best sailors sailing one design. It's the only way to see where you really stand and what you need to work on. Also, I have found that most of these top sailors will help you get faster and answer any questions you have about setup, tactics, etc. So, if nothing else, we that attend the Nationals will be picking up a lot of information.

For example, I have been getting beat up most every weekend for the past few months by the local Weatherman. It can be frustrating, but if you stay at it long enough you begin to start to see things. Also, helpful hints from a guy that has been sailing unirigs for 30 years doesn't hurt either!

Also, the rest of us F17 sailors not considered among the leaders will really be eyeing the starting line and course for a break that might give us an opportunity to take a race or two. I expect a few of the races to be very close.


Tom Turlington