usually about 55ºF this time of year. Most have dry suits. Those with wetsuits are wearing layers. I see alot of concealed pfd's in that they have lycra shirts on top of the pfd's. Those pfd's are quite warm if you contain them properly.



GARY A near by weather buoy. Looks like wind is still near 20 kts this morning.

Welcome to postfrontal conditions in S.B. ,today should have a lot of North in it, that usually creates violent 180 deg. shifts as it blows over the mountains. I know you guys were getting pummeled out there, but watching two kids on a 29er flying the kite and some Laser sailors rocking it while the fleet sat on the beach, well.....

How does any F18 sail without a jib?
Was that done in the Worrell?
(I'm sure someone is going say it does not make any difference in the name of safety, but that is NOT what I am asking)

It sails like a uni.... how's that?

It tacks much worse than a uni without the jib. The jib is small but it makes an incredible difference when it comes to tacking. This comparison comes from having raced a Hobie 17 a couple of times.

My question was really refering to depowering the boat not tacking.

Pretty much no difference. Besides in the conditions they are experiencing in SB you need the jib to tack (as Jake indicated).

Okay, if today and tomorrow get blown out, what happens?

Can a world championship be decided with just one race?

Ding

>in the conditions they are experiencing in SB you need the jib to tack<
I find it hard to believe WORLD Class sailors can not tack without a jib by reversing the rudders.

Yes, world class sailors would be able to tack without a jib, I never ment to imply that they couldn't. In my opionion with the condtions at worlds it's easier to tack with the jib than without it. I'd much rather make it through the tack on the first attempt rather than having to back up, wouldn't you?

With 30k gusts, the thought of having to change direction would make me nervous too. Not so much from a skill standpoint but because there is very limited ability to respond to those kind of gusts and shifts when the boat is not moving forward in the water. Throw in some big waves and moving backwards just to get through a tack turns into a riskier maneuver than dealing with the exta power from the jib. IMHO you're pretty vulnerable when trying to back into a tack when it's nukin'.

Gybing would be worse in those conditions. As Yveginy Bartomov once said, "when it was blowin 30, we just did a coward gybe". He was referring to a tack.

David Mosley
www.teamseacats.com

Water temp? About 57 degrees. Dry suits.

The wind has switched around and is PERFECT!!! Finally.

Check the new Sharon Green shots!

Hi Matt,
fantastic pictures.
May I ask you to put "your famous" list with the sail numbers online?

Thanks

Fritz

If my memory is correct, only one F18 boat has sailed the W1000: Team Netherlands, Hobie Tiger, 1999? They used the jib.

and the boat ended up in pieces!!

What is your point here?

I recall they broke the mast coming into the demolition derby that was the Hatteras checkpoint that year. They had no spare mast and had to retire. This was at a point in time before HC USA began importing the Tiger from Europe.

BTW I think the correct team name was Team Holland and the spin was launched from a tramp bag (pre-snuffer).

Are you sure that was a Tiger? I thought they sailed a Dart Hawk. I could be wrong.

Mike Hill
www.stlouiscats.com

That was Gerard Loos and if I remember correctly, the were trying to get out through the Surf at the start of a leg - the bows reared up and they rolled over, breaking the mast. I remember watching it live that year - they had the web cam which updated every 30 secs or so. I think that it was before 1999. Gerard Loos did sail a Hawk on the European circuit and was paid by Laser. He then went to work for Hobie to promote the new Tiger. I am not sure which cat he had for that race.