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My Views [Re: heavyair14] #3549
11/09/01 08:09 PM
11/09/01 08:09 PM

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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Okay, I'm going to give you my experiences and perspective
<br>as to why cat sailing has died out. I began with my first
<br>boat in the early 90's with my first used boat. Where I
<br>lived at the time, the fleet had its own beach and made for
<br>a great social environment for all cat sailors. Even at this
<br>time, I began to hear of how selfish behaviors in the racing
<br>scene were disintegrating cat sailing during the 80's as
<br>people began to get fed up with putting up with the BS from
<br>those self-interested folks that were taking over the
<br>scene at the time, thus causing people to quit the activity
<br>althogether. In the mid 90's, I moved and at one
<br>of the lakes I sailed at, I discovered a fleet that had
<br>split in two, between the serious racers and the social
<br>advocates. I tended to hang out with the social group.
<br>In the late 90's, I moved again, and it was then that I
<br>got a real education on the cat sailing scene. The lakes
<br>I sail now, I am usually the only one sailing a cat. A couple
<br>of years ago, I came in after a day of sailing and was
<br>greeted by someone that turned out to be a major member of
<br>the local fleet. I asked him where his boat was, and he
<br>replied that "I only race". He went on to talk about how he
<br>raced in the Worrell 1000 a couple of years back and all his
<br>racing experiences over the years. My only thought that went
<br>through my mind was the "this guy is the most retarded
<br>individual I have ever met".
<br>In 2000, i finally decided to enter some races with my old
<br>boat, just to get the other side of the story. I discovered
<br>a few things very interesting. For one, my old 17 foot boat
<br>was a bit of a burden. The big 20 foot cats were setting a
<br>pace for the entire day, that was leaving me completely
<br>exhausted. While they finished the courses quick and had
<br>time to rest on the beach, I struggled and had to enter
<br>the next race as soon as i finished with out any rest. I
<br>also noticed that on many races, the fleet members were not
<br>running the races themselves and were instead participating
<br>in them and leaving the work to the division reps. This
<br>appeared to be the case at every race. The fleet members are
<br>so clueless about this, that at the local fleet race here
<br>last year, the trophies were nothing but bricks and they
<br>complained about it. To much is having to be done only by
<br>the division folks to keep it going. I had heard another
<br>story during this time that the Corpus Christi fleet was
<br>shut down by the city because a total knock down and drag
<br>out fight broke out over a dispute on the ruling of a race
<br>some years back.
<br>The only fleet activity that I am interested in is participating
<br>in the annual big brothers/big sisters sailing event which I
<br>have noticed that again many "fleet" members don't participate
<br>in, making excuses of this and that. These people have closets
<br>full of trophies and it is just not enough for them. I guess they
<br>just don't get enough challenge in their professional lives
<br>and feel they have to prove their worth in the races. Well, most
<br>folks that work for a living don't want to put up with them.
<br>I think that the division heads should just quit and let
<br>everything fall to pieces instead of trying to keeping the
<br>racing scene afloat by themselves. Maybe cat sailing then would
<br>be reborn later into something better.
<br>As for me, as I have said, I am just about the only cat on the
<br>lake I sail at and that is just fine for me. I love being
<br>out alone on my cat and not putting up with the self
<br>centered morons that have destroyed the sport.
<br><br><br>

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Re: My Views #3550
11/10/01 06:28 AM
11/10/01 06:28 AM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 84
Orange Park, FL
RobLyman Offline
journeyman
RobLyman  Offline
journeyman

Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 84
Orange Park, FL
Wow!!!!
<br>
<br>I have seen the same thing you are talking about, but not to that degree.
<br>
<br>We used to run 2 day regattas with triangle races the first day and a 10-15 mile distance race the second day. The distance race counted two races.
<br>
<br>Later on, we were pushed to make the distance race triangles because hot shot racers wanted more "competitive" racing. Our fleet died.
<br>
<br>I am not saying the racing format was the only thing that caused the decline, but I do think that it indirectly aligned with the two "camps" you mentioned.
<br>
<br>We have gotten back to our roots a bit here in Jacksonville, Florida, and managed to do what had not been done in the recent past. We now have the local Hobie fleet coming to our races on the river. The Hobie fleet is more on the social side and sails primarily in the ocean. The Hobie fleet likes the 10-15 mile distance races.
<br>
<br>I love triangle racing, but here is why I think it is bad for our sport. Most beginners start on used boats that were designed (and some built) in the early 1970s. They were designed to sail off the beach and have some upwind and downwind capability. Most experienced racers are sailing modern 18-20' racing cat, designed to go upwind and downwind VERY well. When these two types of boats get on a triangle course, the difference is like night and day. The beginners or even experienced sailors on the Hobies immediately feel like they don’t belong. As you said, they end up finishing 20 minutes later and by that time, don’t really care if they corrected out or not.
<br>
<br>The last distance race I did on my A Cat was against another A cat and 3 Hobie 18s. The lead Hobie stayed with the A Cats for most of the race and finished only 10 minutes later after 10-15 miles. At the finish, you had to tie your boat off to a float and run up to record your finish time. Everyone took their time and no one ran. It turned out that if any of the top 3 finishers had run instead of walked; the results would have been different.
<br>
<br>Last weekend I took two of the Hobie fleet sailors for a sail on the RC-27 in about 20 kts of wind. We all had a great time. It was great to hear from Cindi and Paul. Although not as “technically” accurate, the two of them had a very keen feel for the boat, wind and water. I learned from them and I hoped they learned from me.
<br>
<br>I am sorry to hear your experience has been so negative. Come on down, up or over to Jacksonville, Florida for the Gator Bowl Regatta December 1 & 2. We’ll do our best to show you a good time whether you sail a Hobie 14 or an RC-27 or anything in between. And don’t miss the Mug Race in May. The Mug Race is a 38 nm race down the St. Johns River with everything from windsurfers and Sunfish to Hobie 33 monohulls and RC-30 catamarans.
<br><br><br>

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Re: My Views #3551
11/10/01 07:18 AM
11/10/01 07:18 AM

A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Anonymous
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A



I CANT SEE WHERE RACING TRIANGLES CAN MAKE A SPORT THAT IS WELCOMED BY ALL TO DIMINISH. YES THERE ARE GUYS WITH BIGGER FASTER BOATS AND GUYS WITH SLOWER BOATS. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE DIFFERENT CLASSES AT REGATTAS. NO MATTER WHAT THE BIG BOATS ARE DOING IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SMALLER BOATS. YOU RACE IN YOR CLASS AGAINST BOATS WITHIN YOUR RATING AREA. I FEEL THE DECLINE IN CAT SAILING IS DUE TO LAZINESS. PEOPLE ARE IN SUCH A HURRY NOW THAT TAKING AN HOUR OUT THERE DAY TO RIG A BOAT IS JUST TO MUCH TROUBLE. PWC, KIAKS , ETC. ARE EASY , FAST , AND ALL YOU DO IS PUSH A BUTTON. I THINK IF "WE" AS SAILORS COMMIT TO PROMOTING THE SPORT OF SAILING WHICH "I" LOVE TO DO THAT WE CAN BRING IT BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS IN THE 80'S. DONT COMPLAIN AND BLAIM. PROMOTE THIS SPORT , HAVE SAILING SEMINARS WITH YOUR LOCAL YOUTH . SHOW PEOPLE IT IS NOT AS TIME CONSUMING AS THEY ALL SEE IT AS. THATS MY .02 DOUG KLEM<br><br>

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Re: My Views #3552
11/10/01 05:59 PM
11/10/01 05:59 PM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 344
Arkansas, USA
Kirt Offline
enthusiast
Kirt  Offline
enthusiast

Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 344
Arkansas, USA
Doug-
<br>I disagree here on the issue that what the "big boats" do has nothing to do with the "smaller boats". As the 500 poster said- It does quite often! Many times the RC's seem to "cater" to the "big" boats and as was expressed the "smaller" boats are expected to "like it or lump it". Many times I have seen the RC start the next flag sequence within seconds of the last, poor "little" (or oftentimes "newbie"), boat finishing giving them NO time to rest. Meanwhile the "big" boats often had time to go to the beach even! There are ways around this of course and they are employed some places but his point is perhaps we should consider that more.
<br>After all, the "races" are often set up strictly based on the concerns/needs of the "serious" racers w/ no regard to the novices/newcomers. Problem is- The "serious" racers will come back regardless but the newcomers too often decide they "don't fit in" or aren't wanted/welcome and depart the "racing scene" or fleet or cat sailing altogether.
<br>EVERY regatta ought to have something for the RANK amateur sailor and they ought to be encouraged, respected and treated like they are a VALUABLE commodity, not just a bunch of idiots who have to be "dealt with" ("Those idiots don't know what they're doing! They barged, didn't give me right of way, were trying to ask me questions, didn't hold their course, etc.!!"), IF we truly want to "grow" the sport.
<br>Problem is, I agree with one of the posters here that some of these "serious" racers are TOO SERIOUS about this RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY!!
<br>I'm sorry, I get more than enough STRESS at work, DON'T need it when I'm recreating. I find I typically end up actually sailing my cat on our local lake more than the "serious racers" who ONLY race or practice. Several even told me they DON'T like to "just sail"- That is their perogative and I don't think less of them for that but that's not why most people get into cat sailing-
<br>
<br>Later!
<br>Kirt <br><br>Kirt Simmons
<br>Taipan #159, "A" cat US 48

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Kirt Simmons Taipan #159, "A" cat US 48
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