What's going on up there? Any reporters available? Wind?

Got a report of 8 races total....Alex first on N20's, then Jake....Nigel first on F18's, then Krantz, then Ding.....Strubel beat Randy on the A's, Randy suffered some boat problems.....Olly won F16's, then Humphries.....

8 Races, excellent! I guess they had wind.

No Races Friday, Rain and lightning all day, They came home to 3" of water in the tent and everything they owned soaked.
Drowned Rats always = next day wind at Hartwell.
6 races Saturday with fantastic wind all day. Got off 2 races Sunday. Matt killed everyone on the LR3. Extremely sweet performance for the new LR3 platform. Can't wait for more details.
CARY

Good wind - it got light and fluky for one race in the middle of Saturday but quickly picked back up - good 10 to 15 for most of the day. Sunday was much the same but the wind gradually died as we commenced racing for the event. Wonderful racing, great parties, and a very worthwhile time.

Alex is so flawless on the race course. We found ourselves in front of him at A-mark only three or four times but even then it didn't last long and Alex posted all bullets for the event. We did have one really exciting finish where the difference had to be the width of a credit card at the finish line!

After a rather bungled up launching of the boat Saturday morning, I had left the drain plugs out of the General and raced that way for TWO races (about 1.5 hours or better). I couldn't figure out why in the world the rear beam was slapping downwind on a lake. Fortunately (for us) a wind shift and a technical problem with one of the safety boat engines caused just enough delay in the racing that allowed us to get to a beach and drain the water...a LOT of water. the starboard hull had so much in it, we were able to tip the boat back and drain water out of the inspection port. We still had a big problem though because we had lost one of the drain plugs. I thought to myself, "of anyone out here, who might have a spare drain plug"...the answer came to me almost immediately and I yelled out to the Zhik/Layline boat 50 yards away "David Lennard - got a drain plug!?". Sure as **** he actually had a spare one on the boat. At that point, I almost expected him to pull an I20 shroud out of that hull too and check to see if I needed it!

The finish on the LR3, which is essentially a home-built a-cat, is astonishing. I'm not a big fan of the way the deck and bow look - but the construction detail and simplicity were unbelievable and is encouraging to anyone who is considering building their own boat.

Jake, yes, he's very good! How many A cats, how many I-20's and how many F18's?

FWIW, Randy beat Matt first race on Sunday, his first race with a new mast that replace his broken mast, pretty impressive considering he had no time for practice or fine tuning the rig. I don't think Randy raced Saturday due to a boat issue. So, Randy and Matt each had one bullet on Sunday (2 races). You paint with a broad stroke Cary . . .

And Matt could have killed everybody, except Randy, on a 10 year old woodie too. Yes, he's that good.

That story is even funnier when Jake and Karl tell it together.

Great regatta! Needs to be longer :-)

Fantastic regatta, and great racing on Saturday and Sunday.

In the N20 fleet there was a definite separation in the fleet. Alex, Jake and Trey up at the front and then the rest of us fighting it out in the bottom half of the fleet. All in all was a great regatta with great wind that tested every single wind range sailing skill except "nuclear" skills.

I'm still waiting to determine the extent of the damage to my boat's bottoms after its little skid on the parking lot on friday night. Apparently down the road there was some significant Tornado damage. (What I heard from my Uncle who has a house on the lake in SC)

A week sailing out of that camp ground would be super cool.

That's why you should always take carrots with you on the boat for snacks -- and for emergency drain plugs.

It's always the crews fault (jake, I've got your back) ... especially after too much Tommy Bahama RUM.

What did I hear Karl say at the party: A Rum hangover isn't nearly as bad as a beer hangover--that's why I drink RUM!"

And the next day, the comment from Karl: "Boy was I wrong"!

I think Friday night was the best party at a regatta, ever.

I mean, how do you beat a 40-person game of flip cup that spanned 5 8-foot long tables?

I smelled like painter's tape in the morning :P

I posted this on Sailing Anarchy a bit earlier today. Probably one of the most fun regattas I ever been to. Couldn't stop laughing the eintire weekend and smile neVer left my face:

It was a good time. Only seventh cat beach cat race and had a blaassttt. Girlfriend's first time on a beach cat (and trapeze)and she ahad a blast. Even when we flipped and she crashed into the spi pole breaking it, we couldn"t stop laughing the entire weekend.

The race committe was superb and friendly, registration was warm, welcoming, and friendly. Race organization and timeliness was the best I have seen for a multi fleet cat bouy regatta(in my limited expereince). Fleet splits were made to accomodate everybody, Hobie 16 fleet had one fleet for crewed and one fleet for single handed. Novice desingation actually worked on the water and it seemed that the novices were treated very well on the water. Food was great, pics of sailing on Saturday night on big screen was fun to watch. Meeting new friends, making acquatinces, and seeing some buds from around the bouys was probably the best. Zipping around the bouys calling and hearing rules was enjoyable. Had so much fun we opened the laptop on the drive home and started picking out next beach cat (digging the N20). And yes, pretty serious for used boat purchase this year.

Will I be back? Oh, hell yes.

Thanks to the volunteers who made it all happen. THanks to Honey Baked Ham Company for providing great food entire time around. THanks to Layline for providing gear discounts at the regatta (Zhik gloves freaking rock, perfect for mast folks, bow folks, and the crews who suck a chute in). Thanks to Nigel and Tammy Pitt for opening up their home. THanks to Tommy Bahama Rum for killing the girlfriends pain.

See ya next year!

Craig
Nacra 6.0 "Hoof Hearted" Sail #666

TB rum + flip cup + No Sailing Friday, so let's Start Drinking early + Great Band + torrential rains Fri night, so may as well stay late at the party until it let's up + Early Sat Race start = Big Fat Head Day of Sailing on Saturday

Even though it wasn't certainly not our most stealer performance, we had a great time. I don't have anyone else to blame about the fat head, but damn it was FUN.

Oh, BTW, Nigel commented on Thursday: "We won't run out of RUM this year!

UHHH, any reports on that BOLD claim?

I did notice on Saturday night, that the drinking curtailed SIGNIFICANTLY!

If Trey and his entourage want to give you a painter's tape headband,just let them.The resistance will only make the tape tighter,like you can't blink your eyes,and it pulls half your hair out.
Don't ask me how I know.

Had a good time with the exception of some boat issues that were entirely my fault. Don't trial your boat at Spring Fever.
That Pitt guy's party's go to 11 as well as his boat. It's always a blast to see everyone.
Tawd

Well,I've actually got to back-up Karl on this one. There is no way he could be blamed for the entertainment that Jake provided for us,because he was standing in the parking lot with a look of absolute astonishment on his face. We were both wondering why Jake would go sailing with the wheels and chocks still on the boat.Talk about a situation going downhill fast.
And Ding is definitely right it's way funnier when they both tell it.

p.s. Ding, I want your shirt!
Tawd