Hi all,

if you have never been this is a must do regatta. More cats in one place than I have ever seen and no Mono's to put up with. The F18's reckon they will be there in force after only 4 last year. Organisers say all spinnaker boats will be on the same course so this is a chance to show them what F16's are made of. I know it is a big drive from S.A. but it will be worth it. Great place for a holiday.

Questions and comments can be posted here www.forstersailing.blogspot.com/

See attached Flyer for Details.

See you there <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

So Phill you going?

Gary,
I'm rostered to work.
Hope you get some good sailing in.
Regards,
Phill

What a great Event Flyer. I really like the catch phrase at the top;
"In pursuit of pleasure with wind"
When I get wind it's less than pleasurable for everyone else in close proximity! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Phill has been very kind to lend me his Blade for that weekend. Great opportunity for me to become familiar with the F16 cat rigged and to do so with the company of Gary, whom I hope to pick up a lot from.

The A Class and F18s are coming out in force this year. Hopefully we will be going head to head with them.

I see Hobie is at least partly sponsoring this? Interesting since up here, in the good ole USofA where Hobie started they have essentially isolated themselves and refuse to sponsor anything except Hobie EXCLUSIVE events! They even threaten to punish Hobie Fleets who allow any other types of boats to compete in their sponsored regattas-
One reason I'm not just dying to see a Hobie F16 in the US-

Looks like great fun but a bit too far <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Kirt

Hi Stephen,

great to have you on board even if it is on a borrowed boat. But I am sure that can be fixed in the future <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

Feed back I have had was all spinnaker boats should be on the same course so hopefully we will see more than the 4 F18's we saw last year. They are certainly making the right noises, not sure about the A's course though, they had big numbers last year could be even more this year with Worlds not far away, so may not go head to head, besides the top guy's eg. Glenn are just to tuff on short course.

Not sure if I will be one or two up yet, my crew broke his hand, so waiting to hear from Greg as to how Viper will be sailed bedore finding out if I have to get scratch crew. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

A local Hobie franchise (Hobie Sports) has taken it upon himself to help sponsor the event.

Usually get a good fleet of Hobie 16s there too, with a couple of 18s.

Been 2 years since I have been to Forster and realy miss it. Favorite regatta.

Flat water and stiff sea breeze.

Tornado's at Forster on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u95Oz4FS1us

Hey Steve,

Seabreeze site looks like there could be some wind this year, although it's early yet.

Looks like I will probably sail one up at this stage, regular crew has broken hand. I guess that will guarantee a BLOW <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

Hi all,

forgot to mention, Greg intends to sail the Viper 2 up with Brett. Wants the sailing practice before heading over for F18 North American Titles.

Wow,l if TA's video is anything to go by, really wish I was there. Good breeze and flat water. Anyone care to share their experience? what are the conditions there like?

Not as good as where I live, but it is OK. You should have seen last year, think it is on this site from last years thread and Yahoo somewhere <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Forecast looks good for this year, leaving Thursday for the big drive about 15hrs. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> Doing a overnight stop this year, get there Friday arvo. Looking forward to sailing against Stephen and having a blast <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />.

Hi all,

well as allways it was a BIG weekend.

Aproximatly 100 cats entered. Split into 4 starts. First start was 10 Taipan Sloops along with a 9 boat Misc 1 Fleet made up of Nacra 5.0,14&16 squares, Hobie 14, Maricat 4.3 cat rig, Paper Tiger. Second Start was 20+ Hobie 16's all sailing Triangle, Windward and Return courses.

Third Start was 20 A class. Fourth start was 7 F18's,3-4 Nacra 5.8's, along with a 6 boat Misc 2 Fleet made up of 3 F16's, Hobie 18, Taipan 5.7 with spinnaker and Tornado. All sailing widward and returns 3 laps. No times where taken for any of the class fleets despite them sailing the same course as Misc fleet, hell of a long way to drive when you only get results for a six boat fleet despite battling with the F18's all round the course <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />. So I will mention them in my report as the F18's where what the F16's spent most of the time racing with.

First race, wind was building from 8-12 knots, but shifted right through out. Flat water. At the start I was pushed into the start boat, after being hit from behind by the Hobie 18, who then had a Nacra 5.8 run into the back of him, pushing me in to the start boat again, luckily the start was recalled. Restart I managed to get into irons whilst trying to hold position on the line and started about a minute late. Could see Stephen ahead on Blade 404, with Greg and Brett on the Viper further ahead, I was fully powered up and pointing above most of the fleet, with the aid of the shifting wind I was able to claw back most of my loss by the time they tacked and crossed me. I was well ahead of Stephen and only a few lengths behind the Viper. But I hung on to the tack to long and the Viper got away again by the top mark, it was just behind the Brewins Capricorn F18 in second place. I rounded the top mark with the front A's who had done some laps by then, it was kite up and on trapeze down the return blowing away the A's and battling with F18's. I dropped kite early and was doing allright, next lap more of the same but wind shifted more making a earlier drop for one up F16's while the rest of the fleet all two up laid the mark, causing me to lose some ground, was still hanging around the back F18's though. Last lap at the top mark the wind had shifted alot, thought it was worth a short spinnaker sail though, hoisted jumped on trapeze but not in the foot straps as the wind was not strong enough to drive the bows down, was heading for the wing mark, not good <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />, thought I would drop it soon but before I did, sailing across a sandy bottom, I hit a weed bank (1m long ribbon weed)may as well have been a sand bank, with boards fully down <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. The Blade cartwheeled violently, amazingly nothing broke as water was less than 2m deep (most of race area is aprox 2m.) Took me a long time to get it back up during which I watched Stephen capsize at the top mark, I managed to get up and going before Stehen but didn't cross the finish line, fuming about racing in a area where you couldn't keep boards fully down if you where heading for the wing mark <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />. The Viper finished second over the line behind the Brewins F18.

Second race the wind was 15-25 knots, the Viper took of in pursuit of the Brewins F18 again, I went the wrong way and was well back on Stephen at the top mark, I then proceeded to capsize gybing at the clearance mark, left the kite down after that in disgust, the gusts where getting nasty and I was surprised as the race went on to see Stephen still well ahead hoisting the spinnaker, finaly it lead to a crash which finished his weekend with a bad back. The Viper again was second over the line behind the Brewins F18.

Third race started in gusty 25knots which dropped breifly to 12 knots by the end. Seastate was choppy. The Brewins put the hammer down and had a clear win from the Viper this time. I managed to get in the groove on the Blade upwind and was amazed to find myself passing a F18 to windward about 25m after the start <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />. Kept the Viper in sight until a few tacks at the top mark saw them get away. I didn't set the spinnaker until the wind dropped on the last down wind, but managed to beat one F18 home, best result for a hard days work. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

To be continued,tomorrow.

Continued.

Sunday wind was light in the morning, I headed out to start area about 10am, when racing was supposed to start as start and rescue boats where out there. Found myself drifting round for a while then the wind started to pick up, I decided to hoist the kite and see if I could inspire the race officers to start a race by flying a hull all over the place. Was having good fun, but nobody took the bait. Eventualy flying a hull, started by sitting to leeward with the kite up, then getting hull up to balance point with the mast at about 45 degrees, I came to grief <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. Nowhere to hide as I had to get a rescue boat to lift the mast for me, as wind was to light to right the boat <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> they didn't mind and thanked me for the entertainment. Turns out that the Editor of Australian Sailing was in one of the boats with camera, so maybe F16 will get something out of my playing around afterall. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Eventualy the wind started to fill in to the race officers satisfaction and the fleet started to leave the beach, I had been on the water for 2 hours allready, probably not a good move <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />. The wind kept picking up and shifting buy the time we started was around 15-18knots but the wind was at 90 degrees to the course so we had 3 laps of reaching <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />. Trying to keep up with sloop rigs was not much fun, only saving grace was Viper tried to use spinnaker a couple of times allowing me to catch up, I kept sailing high above the finish line to pull the spinnaker but Greg was on to me and we finished nose to tail with kites up .02 seconds seperating us. Brewins where first over the line again I think and with the Hobie 18 finishing ahead of us he easily won on Yardstick.

They reset the course for the second race thank heavens <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />. Wind was around 16-18kts again. Viper was off chasing the front F18 again, while I had fun with the rest of the F18's and the Tornado, I finished up around fifth over the line with the Viper second over 1min 30s ahead. Next race the wind was 18-12 knots, dying out as the race went on, Viper was near the front again, I was having a great battle with the F18's and the Tornado passing 3 boats on the last downwind to finish nose to tail with a Infusion, for fourth over the line with the Viper again second 2min ahead.

Monday dawned with strong wind but by race time it had died down, I headed to the start area in a light building offshore breeze with kite up, only to be told to head back in when I was half way out, as there was no wind in the start area. Got back to the shore just in time to be told the wind was in the start area, so head back out <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />. But the wind kept dying and shifting despite winds strong enough to trapeze in at times we never got a race started, so that was the end of the regatta. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

With all races sailed in conditions that the Viper could twin trap upwind in, they had won every race on Yardstick except the reaching race won by the Hobie 18. One up on the Blade I had clear second places in the 2 races up to 18 knots where I could use the spinnaker, but the other 4 races I was beaten on Yardstick convincingly.

Never thought I would say this, but I can't wait for a regatta where you sit on the side upwind occasionaly, will probably happen next time I am two up <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

Suprised the 5.8s did not walk away with the regatta with those courses. The wind shifts kept the RC on their toes.

Hi Stephen,

the 5.8's were not included in the Misc Div 2. Yet another case of small number of boats getting their own Division? I dont know what it achieves? Next time I may as well stay at home if I want to race 6 boats. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />