No, you have not done anything wrong, Wouter.

I just felt it needed to be noted that the photo was from our website, and to acknowledge Kathleen and Ann.

Okay, thanks.

Please forward my congrats and best wishes to the winners and all the participants of this event. I really would have loved to be there, but just couldn't make it. Great work by 2Bsailing and you guys at AHPC in getting the youths out. A big thank you to the others who made the trip and the expenses to fill the ranks and support this event.

I wish the best enjoyment to all during the final party tonight !


What event is next ? : The NAM-REM race at Zandvoort NL aug 21 en 22 maybe ? (90+ boats expected + offical F18 class race but with a shared start. Good for the kids to measure themselves up to the best)

http://namremrace.web-log.nl/

Some five F16's have hinted that they'll be there, more would be better !

Wouter

Hi all,

congratulations to all involved. Hopefully the numbers build from here, certainly puts some pressure on for the next worlds venue.

Good to see the Aussies come out on top, often thought Bundy looked with interest at my F16 when sailing the Tornado with Glenn at the Victorian Catamaran Championships. No doubt that Bundy and Carolyn's cred has helped get some of these top young sailors into F16, just hope we see them continue to sail F16 and in OZ as well.

My dream is still to see Glenn race F16 one up, then we would really see what a one up can do. In fact Glenn versus Bundy on one up F16's, the ultimate match race? I would pay to watch that . Will have to talk to Glenn at the Mosquito training weekend in October.

I was absolutely beaten by a girl at a world titles.. Fact is she beat every guy at that series!!

Girls have shown what the logic behind the class has worked beautifully.. The class would be fantastic as the combo class in the Olympics.. Not that I would advocate the F16 being an Olympic class!!!

Actually apart from strength and perhaps weight/height. Women should compete head on with "lower" powered classes like the F16

Anyone have the full list of the final scores/races for everyone? Looks like great fun was had by all. Wish I could of come, hope to next time

Mark dropped me back home yesterday evening after the long trip back. I'm glad the return journey was less exciting that the trip up: No traffic, no blown up tyre, no crazy mountain pass.

Now I have to rebuild my boat as it was slightly disassembled for the trip and I have a race on Wednesday!

As for the event, I'm just going to quote what Hans nicely told me: "you brought a 1980 Ferrari to a F1 event"! In combination with my rubbish sailing skills that means I finished last in each and every races except the first one (but DNF anyway for finishing more than 15 minutes after the winners). But I had fun, learned a lot and enjoyed the location and the company.

Congrats to the winners, with hat off and special mention for Geert's "First Real Single Handler" prize.

These are the results from the AVAL CDV website, there was no sailing on day 5.

http://www.avalcdv.com/images/stories/Upload_AVAL/f16hp-results.htm

What a place to sail!

Eric - no blowouts on the way back? What route did you take?

Well done to everyone that made the trip... well done to the winners who really showed that kids and cats mix better than rum and coke... well done to the uni rigs who missed the top places this time, I can't imagine how hard it is to do what we struggle to do with two crew... and geert, the only true single hander, you are my hero and an absolute inspiration to me, keep sailing!!

Now, now Brett, thats a very long bow to draw.....hahahaa

Journey home was really boring. Left Como at 05:45 arrived at Eric's 23:45 and I got home the next day at 08:15. However, I wont for get the Splugen Pass for a long time. Driving down this road with a van and big boat trailer was
entertaining.

A very big boat trailer that was!

We got back home yesterday, luckily no traffic jams this time.
Lake Como was a great venue, probably the best sailing I ever had for 4 days in a row.

So tell me Mark, what were your thoughts when you turned off the main road and headed for the Splugen only to notice that the road was getting slightly narrow....and then quite steep, with quite a few hairpins, getting narrower......getting steeper....more hairpins so tight you start thinking about three point turns.....
We had the same thoughts in May but with the added benefit of snow, lots of....wasn't really the place to show sports bikes off in their best light!
Pleased you all seemed to have had a great time even if you did miss the Thornbury Regatta....

The first ever F16 Euro’s at Lake Como can best seen as a very successful event with great sailing , socializing and an example how F16 regatta’s must be for the future.
From the start of the event to the end of the event it was just a big sailing party with excellent conditions for everybody. Sun, wind and good food and the location.
During the event there was a lot of good internet coverage from several sailors and volunteers as we hoped.

A little story of my experience during the event.

We had measuring/checking starting on Friday with continuation on Saturday and a possibility on Sunday morning before the start of the practice race. Piet was the chief measuring and did a good job by giving explanation on how things should be done and answering questions form the sailors why things are done in a certain way. I think he made a lot of things clear on this topic and there will be a booklet put to getter with pictures on the whole procedure. Lucky for him he could during the complete event be on the water in a rubber duck and take people with him who are able to take photo’s, which could be placed on the internet during the event.
On Friday evening there was a positive surprise for all the sailors, an event was sailed at the club next to AVAL-CDV and all F16’s where invited to join in this regatta with out costs and a good price giving afterwards wind food and drinks. This means that we had a series of 5 races extra. This was great.
Thijs Visser did win this small pre Europeans. Well done.

On Monday the event really started and after a short skippers meeting the boats ( 11 sloop rigged and 5 cat rigged )where send out to the racing area. There was a schedule of 3 races that day and under really perfect conditions ( 30 degrees and 12 to 14 knots ) the race committee had put a 1 mile course put in the water which gave the sailors a good day. Per race we had between 55 to 1h15 sailing and when we came back ashore everybody was smiling from ear to ear. The AVAL-CDV had organized a pasta meal for all and some drinks so the war stories could be told.

Tuesday conditions where similar to Monday only we had a bit more wind ( 30 degrees and 18 /20 knots ) . Again the boats where send out around 12 to be on time at the racing area. The scheduled start time was 13.00 and this was not a problem. The only thing changed was the spare time to have after the first finishers. This was increased from 15 to 30 minutes. The most respect must be given to Geert who was sailing real singlehanded in the 18 knots of wind and with flying his spin, this was a really amazing achievement and he is the evidence that the F16 is the boat to be on. GO GEERT GO.

Wednesday and Thursday we had again the same conditions as Monday and we did see only people smiling after these days of sailing, the race course was perfect, the race committee was perfect and the club AVAL-CDV is a great and active club with a lot of hospitality .

Friday we had the first bad day of weather with thunderstorms , rain and a lot of wind , so there was no sailing possible at all. The day was canceled and the price giving was at 17.00.
Jason Waterhouse and crew where the best and constant during the whole series and crowned to the new and first European champions F16.

We can say that the AVAL-CDV did a great job and we thank them and all the volunteers and the sponsor Ferrari champagne who made this possible and personally I cannot wait till the next big F16 event .

Best regards,
Hans Klok
Chairman F16 Governing Council

We arrived home yesterday.
Thanks all for such a brilliant event! We were so lucky to have 4 days of near perfect conditions - the weather only allowed Paul and I one afternoon of good sailing last week (and one attempt in terribly gusty conditions).
It was great to have such good company and exciting racing. Highlights for me would be the very close finishes - the good ones being beating Chris and Rosanna on the line and when we finished amongst the top sailors, and the bad ones would be being beaten by Hans on the line after a terrible tactical decision left us with a lack of wind and losing lots of places! And losing to Gill and Kathleen on the line in the last race after being ahead at the previous mark! All great fun. Looking forward to next time already.
Thanks to those who have posted photos so far - looking forward to seeing more soon.
Now back to the washing and unpacking...

Ann