Mary is spot on IMHO!

Ditto
I received an email last night from a guy on our fleet's email that hasn't owned a boat in over a year (taking a hiatus raising kids and finishing school), just wanting to chat about sailing. We keep track of boats locally and across two divisions by word of mouth. The boat we currently race, was raced/owned by Dave Popp & Tami Sontag of Wisconsin. Dave developed arthritis and the boat sat in his garage for six years, plus, they had moved to Indiana during that time. Long story but, when Dave realized (succumbed) to the fact they would no longer race, his boat became available to us via this constant contact. The "network" supplied us multiple opportunities when the time was right for us to jump in. I'm glad no one scratched them from the list when they stopped racing,

Another point. Approximately 10% of the people on our email list actually race, 20% don't currently own boats. Thanks for reminding me of the snail mail newsletter Mary, I haven't sent one out since '06 <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Time to get out that purple print paper.

Sorry this response is late. No time last night and I just got in from the baseball park (kids games started this week). Here is the breakdown of F16s in the US. This does not necessarily mean they are active or are members of the Class Association - it just means they have a boat. Some are certainly questionable.

52 total F16s in the US

Taipan 4.9 + spi (16 total)
Arkansas 1
California 1
Florida 6
Georgia 1
Maryland 4
New York 1
Ohio 1
Texas 1


Blade F16 (32 total)
Alabama 1
Arizona 1
California 1
Canada 1
Connecticut 1
Florida 9
Georgia 2
Illinois 3
Maryland 4
Michigan 1
New Mexico 1
New York 1
South Carolina 1
Tennessee 2
Texas 1
Virginia 1
Vermont 1

AHPC Viper F16 (1 total)
Florida 1

G-cat F16 (1 total)
Florida 1 (status unknown)

Mystere 5.0XL + Spi (1 total)
Florida 1

Nacra 5.0 + Spi (1 total)
California 1

To give some idea of how hard it is to locate every boat, consider the case of Taipan #032.

Michael Coffman (Gulfport) imported it as a used boat from Australia. Then he sold it to Dave Ellis (Gulfport) who sold it to Kirby Haws (Daytona) who sold it to Paul Alatorre of Tennessee. Paul, a casual lake sailor, parted out the extra sails and sold me the spin rig, main and extra jib. I had intended on using them to build up my Mystere 5.0XL into an F16 since the Mystere 5.0XL was one of the original grandfathered F16 boats. However, I bought a bigger Mystere 5.5 and sold the M5.0 so that project is dead. I recently sold the 5.5 and just last Sunday found a long-retired Nacra 5.0 with bad sails. I plan to rig the Nacra with the Taipan #032 mainsail and jib along with its spinnaker (a slightly smaller 16 sq meter Glazer F16 spin). That will make it somewhat F16-ish but I have no intention of sailing buoys with you zealots. Did I mention that I'm currently sailing a Dart 18 until the N5.0 is rigged up?

My point? While some of you guys with mid-west values get married to your boats for life, many boats and sailors are just whores. Boats move from sailor to sailor. Sailors move from boat to boat. We lie between their hulls, get all hot and bothered for a while, then get bored and move on the next pretty face. Free love, baby, yeah! Love the one your with! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Children of the sixties, I guess. You had to be there. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

There are more.

For example there is at least 1 Blade and 1 Taipan in Texas. There is also another Taipan in Michigan. With respect to Taipans the last count had just over 20 in the USA, if my memory is still working right.

Wouter

Doc Poulsen told me of a Stealth in NoCal (this was '05)

David, so #032 is still in Tennessee? Got contact info for Mr. Alatore? I'm interested.

and the eagle fly with the dove

You are right !

That is this boat with the owner lifting it, it think he is named Mark Talla ?

A person very difficult to reach.




Wouter

Yes, there's a Stealth in a garage in So. California. Also, there's another Taipan to add to the list--#300, I think it is in New Mexico.

If the Stealth is looking for new home, perhaps you could contact him and suggest offering it here?

Owned. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Well I'll be...congratulations Gary!

That's a nice-looking boat<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Indeed !

Are you changing your name to "StealthGary" now ?

Humm, sounds a bit too slick doesn't it.

I hope to see (you and) that boat out more often then the former owner !

Welcome to the club !

Wouter

Welcome! When do we get the sailing report?

OK, what's with Stealth guys and white sox at the beach?