Hey all

The 33rd Madcatter in Syracuse just finished this weekend. If you have never been, you missed a great time with all the Rum you can drink and some amazing winds.

The results are at http://www.fleet204.com/09madcatter.shtml, while some photos can be found at photo gallery (or the Slide Show .)

Winds were 30 knots over the deck of the RC boat during the race on Sunay.

Looks mighty cold! So that's where Sandra was this year. I'd hoped to see her in the Tybee again! Huge congrats to Pat and Sarah! 204!204!204!

Madcatter Fun

Top Photo Just a lil Gust for ya!!!!!

Hold on Doctor!!!!!!!

Bottom-16A Winner Mark Modderman & Sandra Tartaligo in high 20's sokin to weather.

Thank you Mike Walker!!!! (photo credit)

Great job by all in 204!

Check out Mike W's website, he got lots of great shots of some of the more spectacular wipeouts at the gate.

Mike

I hope Pedro let go of the tiller cross bar,looks like it has a nice bend in it.

The crossbar wasn't permanently bent. What you can't see in that low-res photo is the expression on Monica's face that you can in the high-res one - she's looking up at Pedro with wide eyes that say, "That stupid Puerto Rican is going to plant his butt right on me when he falls!"

Classic.

That was the best pitchpole of the weekend, at least as seen from the signal boat. Happened right at the gate, the boat dug in quickly, but went over very, very slowly, allowing Mike to get all those great shots.

I was particularly impressed at how long Pedrin was able to hang on.

Mike

Thanks Brian
We are very excited to take home some hardware from a Madcatter.
Sarah and I have always had an agreement that I don't flip her and we finish all the races.
On Saturday, while heading to the finish on a reach after a shift, I got driven over by Richie and then Modderman. I was in the top 10 at the time and played it conservative (no flips).
Sarah looked at me somewhat upset and said:
"Stop worrying about flipping me and drive the boat"
Pretty cool moment for me. No one else drove over us and we still didn't flip.
On Sunday,downwind in 30k, she looked back and said "you got this"
Not bad for a 13 year old girl with a pink hat.

Pat:

Yea I started my grand daughter at 6. We haven't won any races yet, had to take a few years lay off, she is 15 now. But we will go at it gain soon. Least we had fun together. The young keep you going at it strong, don't they.

Doug

On the sequence with Pedro, there you only see a few shots, but I think I took about 15 in the 3 or 4 seconds that it happened. It is tough to grab stable shots like that from the bow of a pitch deck with a 350mm lens. That is why you have to stand all the time to take those pics.

I am 'pissed' - in a good way that my good friend Stuart didn't get the shot of me hanging off the bow of the R/C boat while fending off one of the racers. My butt was right off the rail and I was about 4 ft off the water just holding on the rail.

I can read the caption now... PRO falls off deck of RC boat.

Mike, Thank you for coming and once again having to deal with very difficult conditions for a PRO.
I know there were many qualified RC officers on board, but the judgment calls are still tough.
The entire on the water crew did a great job of handling the de-masting, picking people out of the water and tracking down the sailors that simply went to shore around the lake.

Yesterday was 85F, sunny with a nice breeze.
Our PUR friends don't believe that can happen in Syracuse.
Maybe next year.

Thanks Pat... You guys rock and I consider you all my 'other' family.

Mike

(p.s. if anyone is looking for a tacktick (t061), I just listed mine on ebay - it will show up later tonight (after 8:30pm).