Hey All,

Priorities have changed radically for the 2005 sailing season. I'll be selling my fast, smart, well built Taipan and buying an inferior design so I can sail w/ my daughter in large fleets of mostly teenagers...
Maybe i'll get lucky and USA #300 won't sell...Regardless, : i'll be back...

Paul Kilkenny

Don't do it. She will learn far more on a more technical boat.....

Hi Paul,

I'm hoping you can't sell and will be "stuck" sailing with us. No harm in sailing two types of boats, is there? Get your daughter what she needs and support her, but squeeze Taipan sessions in when you can. Have your cake and eat it too.

I know that I wrote earlier that I would take leave of F16 forum for X-mas, but I was stuck somewhere for a few hours and my company was a PC with a live INTERNET connection. So here goes :

Man, what a pitty !

Do you still own that musto skiff ? Sell that one first ! (Joke !)

That exchange rate between the Euro / AUS$ and the US$ is going to last for quite a while. If you sell that T now you won't be able to buy one back soon. Unless you opt for a domestic Blade F16.

But seriously, It is pitty to see you go. I hope you will never regret the decision.
I hope you daughter gets fully hooked on sailing else I'm sure you'll be very sorry.

Can you do us a favour and introduce he new onwer to the F16 class. When possible invite him to contact us, the class. I like to keep track of the boats and the sailors so I can advice interested sailors properly. As you know we don't do spam or unnecessary mails so his contact info will be quite safe.

Best wishes for 2005 Paul !

With kind regards,

Wouter

the whole issue arose about a month ago. My daughter, who never asks for anything, who brings home good grades and dances eleven hours of Ballet per week , pulled off her pointe shoes one Friday night and asks, "can I quit dance for awhile and go sailing with you...? ".
One thing leads to another and we start planning a campaign in 29er's for '06 (you'd do the same for your daughter - right?). At first, the whole plan looks pretty painless, 30 regattas for 29er's in 2005 plus the Worlds on the S.F. city front (compared to maybe five for the F16 {thanks Hobie} ; the Taipan looks to be a quick sell w/ money left over for a second suit of sails for the 29er... Thing is, i've done skiffs and I REALLY don't wanna sell the Taipan.So, Family Conference w/ the following compromises :

- Daughter takes sailing lessons in the spring(in her spare time...???)
- I buy her a Byte or Laser radial
- the Taipan stays in my garage
- my copy of Reviving Ophelia goes back on the shelf, half read...
- ...for now.


Happy New Year,

PK

USA #300

Geez, man did you duck the bullet on that one !

I feared something like this. Like you i've done, and am still doing, the skiff thing but "nobody ain't telling me" to get rid of my cat. That is unless they want to risk some serious retaliation.

I can SOOOO understand :



Come to think of it. Honestly I think the Laser 1/F16 combo to be a better start into sailing for (you and) your daughter than the 29-er. God knows how active the laser fleet is and how difficult spi skiffs like the 49-er and 29-er are. You must be rally gung-ho to step on a 29-er as a novice and do "sail for 1 minute and swim for 10 minuts" phase for the first months or so. Laser 1's will give your daughter a good crash course in pre-start sailing and tacks/gibes on a planing mono. And the F16 is a much nicer (stable) platform to get acquainted with spi sailing. If she still likes both modes of sailing after a year or so then you enter the phase of looking at doublehander spi skiffs. I'm you know as well as any other Paul how important working together as a crew is on these skiffs. Seriously; sailing alone on them is easier. You mutual coordination and understanding needs to be so spot on or you are just death rolling behind that big spinnaker. I have not encountered to many sailors that had a stomach for that kind of sailing after a while. I'm sure the 29-er is a little easier than the 49-er but still any prior laser and cat experience is a huge help.

Anyways, I understand that you have cashed in all your good luck for 2005 already now !

Although you may have some good future still left unused ahead of you. If your daughter takes to sailing likes she did to ballet than I'm sure you'll be the envy of the F16 class.

Welcome back Paul !

Whew. I guess girls alter family dynamics...what would I know about that, though.