There are two possible charter boats available for the Friday-Sunday, May 20-22 nationals in Ohio. I'm driving up from Pensacola, and there is a boat going from Atlanta. Expecting 20 or so 4.3s. Anyone else want to go and need a lift and a boat?

Hi John,
Are the nationals being sailed with main, jib and spin.., and optional single- or double-handed?

And are there any charter boats available? Heck I will only be about 100 miles away at Put-in-Bay, Ohio and that ought to be a lot of fun. Haven't sailed in Columbus for quite some time. Alum Creek is the venue, right?
Good luck,
Rick

Mark Smith is on the beach looking for you with details - he'll give you my number. Hope you can make it!

BAM! - got Rick a boat and an RV site. Anyone else?

Hey all, I am a avid mono hull sailor but am about to step in to the world of multihull with a Mystere 4.3 where do I talk to others and where can I get parts and upgrades??? Any help would be appreciated.

Where are you in the world? We're having a tuning and rigging clinic on the beach in Ohio this week at the nationals - the 4.3 lends itself to a lot of tinkering and this will be the first time so many skippers have gotten together in one place. I'll be taking a lot of pictures and notes, and I'll try to get them up on my website at http://members.cox.net/williamsjohn - the official class website is at http://mystereowners.org/mystere . Make sure you get an e-mail address to Jamie Diamond or Mike Fahle so you'll be on the list to get the class newsletter and notification of regattas where 4.3s will be showing up. We also fit in the box rule for Formula 14.

Welcome to the class - it's a fun little boat.

I am a 3hr drive east of you in JAX. Bad news though the guy sold it to a higher bidder so every one I am open to suggestions as well as offers, I WANT A CAT!!!

Looks as though Dave Fort has won the Mytere 4.3 Nationals.., an old Hobie 16 and 18 guy.
I spent most of the regatta as RC helper when I got T-boned in the 3rd race -- and I was in 2nd place overall at the time. Too bad.., except better in the early part of the regatta. I would have been really upset at being in the same position and then get knocked out near the end of the event.

John what is happening with the manufacture of the 4.3 Mystere?
are they still going to manufacture them or is the manufacturer thinking of "shelving" any future production?
Seems a pity to me if they adopt the later option.

The class is putting together an order right now - some of us had a summit meeting on the beach at Nationals to go over a "wish list" of rigging options, mostly related to moving the downhaul hardware attached to the base of the mast. Once we've got that list together, we're moving forward - I think at least five will be ordered, including one for me, hopefully for delivery before the end of the season. I'll be selling my 2001 then. New boats are $4-5K US fully dressed. Nationals next year are likely to be in the upper midwest again.

BTW - got the DVD. Muchas gracias!

I can't understand why we have never seen the Mystere 4.3 introduced into Australia, there is a very fertile market for "lower priced" 14' cats in Austarlia that isn't being serviced.

Dunno, Darryl... it is a heavy boat (for a 14-footer) and underpowered, even with the larger US sail plan. I guess you folks in Oz are used to things of the quality of your Alpha Omega and the Taipan which could never be produced at such a price... favorable exchange rates made the 2001 and 2002 boats particularly affordable.

Even the US manufacturers won't touch a 14-footer right now... so there aren't a lot of options. I imagine the AO would have a market here if there were a way to mitigate the big freight tab. Up here, the only F-14s are the Mysteres and refurbished/refitted Hobie 14s - oh, and Rick's Super Wave.

When you sat heavy John, just how heavy is the all up sailing weight? and how big is the sail plan?

Speaking of Rick's Super Wave, I decided to go a step farther than just the Hooter.
The new rig should be completed in a few weeks. It will feature a new forestay, mounted 5.6" ahead of the mainbeam off the bow sprit, and will sport a self-tacking, roller-furling jib.
The Hooter will be mounted on the bow sprit at 9.6" and will be roller-furling.
Added also will be a trapeze.
Should be a lot more power and perhaps make it as fast as the Mystere 4.3 in most conditions.
Rick

Perhaps another opportunity for a Vectorworks deal?

Rick your the "Orange County Choppers" of cat sailing>

What are "Orange County Choppers"?

Hi Darryl -

Our website says the boat is 230 pounds (105 kg), but I think it is more than that all up. The Wave is 240 (109 kg) all up, and I'd swear the 4.3 is over that. Suppose I'll need to weigh them both and take out the guesswork.

I can move both around on cat trax if I have the trax under the front crossbeam and lift from the back. I struggle on deep sand or uneven surfaces, but I only weigh 130 pounds (59 kg). Issue becomes mass rather than muscle.

What does the AO weigh?

http://www.orangecountychoppers.com/

Thanks, but I still don't understand the metaphor.