Air temp 90 would be an absolute heatwave over here. 77 would be a very hot day. 65 would be a good day.
Once again there was no sailing Wed eve. Wind was exactly same as last week. 20mph with gusts in 30s. No rain, but air temp only 55 (You can see that I found a temp. conversion chart)

Being aware of the numbers of cat sailors on this forum from all the continents, I am slightly hesitant in saying that you should all come to Ireland and sail with us (maybe the weather will put you off) but, it has happened before.
Back in July 1998 David Sullivan a Hobie sailor from Toledo, Ohio contacted me before he came to Ireland and actually raced a Hobie 18 at our Inland Championships.

Tim, we are looking forward to your return visit - maybe for the Lake Raid on July 2nd.

Current entries are :

F16
-1- Lindsay, Jennifer Gray, Kelly 262
-2- McDonald, Matthew McDonald, Gina 703
-3- Stern, Seth Stern, Nancy USA 221
-4- Harnden, Chuck Harnden, Mavis 189

F18
-1- Cooper, Kent/Shambie Cooper, Kent/Shambie 12
-2- Ingram, David Ingram, Kathy 342
-3- Vandenoever, Tony 132
-4- Shafer, Alex John, Taco 346

NI20
-1- Casey, John Monster, Kenny 464
-2- Herendeen, Mark SPACECOAST
-3- Ingram, David 266 [color:"red"] (= also listed as F18 sailor, which will it be ?) [/color]
-4- Karr, Brian 8

H16
-1- Junco, Javier Clark, Joey 91498
-2- Kartz, Jack Kartz, Leslie 108136
-3- Murph, Robert Tbd 77423
-4- Pickering, Chuck Becca 107948

N5.2 [color:"red"] (Actually FrankenBoat 5.2 class) [/color]
-1- Rodericks, Frank 2112

P182
-1- Uschold, Richard Burman, Joni 640

SPY15
-1- Lynch, Wayne 737


Right now, not one single class can make class. In itself this wouldn't be a bad thing per se. Like this everybody would be tucked into one big open class with one start and I'm quite sure that everybody will have the best time.

With respect to the F16's. We know that Hollis and Robi both can't come with their F16's, But maybe Rick White or Jeff Woodard can join the fun ? And we still have John Hamlet and the owner of Michael Coffmans old boat as F16 sailors in Florida. Maybe one of these is interested ?

Although I still believe that the F18's and F16's should be put together in one fleet and start even when either one of them make the 5 boat threshold to have an individual class. The skill level in the F16 portion is good enough to make life hard on the F18 crews. It is not like any crew will be waiting for the others to finish. But then again I'm just an outsider in this


Wouter

Sorry, Rick can't be there because we are up in Ohio for the summer.

Okay, I didn't realize that yet. Gives an answer to future attendence questions for Florida regatta's as well.

Regards,

Wouter

Your wife must have let you have your wallet back?
Either that or that Delta has recovered.
Either would be good news.
WHEN????
I'm having fun on the Tiger, if I just had decent crew I'd be OK. Wife crewed for me in the TWM, I snuck in third once right behind Nigel and Sailmax1. Have beat Mosley a couple times on his Nacra F-18, I'm liking the Tiger fine, but It always comes back to intermittent crew to make a decision.
Hope there are a buncha Blade16's in production by spring. Any forcast on that Matt?
CARY

Hey Cary! how you been. Long time no see.

I hope I will be back out on the water this weekend.

Robi,

Did surgery go that well ? I mean that you can be on the water this weekend already ?

Wouter

Gary,

Good results ! So how does it feel to race first in wins on very similar formula boats ? Same as pure OD racing didn't it ?




This is just so familiar to me. I still like doublehanded racing best and as such I'm not complete free of the crew-blues, BUT I do appreciate the fact that I could sail and race singlehanded a few times over the last couple of weeks.

IT has been said and written so many times before but I just go to the beach or event without worrying if my crew shows up or not. Sure I dislike being "cancelled" at the last moment, but after 5 min. of grumbling, notifying the RC and taking down the jib I'm ready to launch and as soon as I hit the water I forget all that and go sailing/racing.

Recently it just occured to me again how much I simply don't have a choice. If anyone asks then I will say that F18 is where its at right now. Most definately in Europe. I'm totally convinced of that but still it is not an attractive option for me because of the crew-blues. Same in refersal for the A-cats, here because of the inability to take somebody along for racing. Nor do I like going downwind without a spi, especially not during open class racing. When I looked over the catamaran scene in its entirety I once again noted how for sailors like me there is only 1 serious option. F16 ! There simply is no alternative, not for us.

This sure makes me pretty committed to the F16 class.

By the way. The weekend two weeks ago I got cancelled by a crew and I was lazy so I just rigged the mainsail and did some sparring with an open 15 sq. catamaran (= a modified A-cat. Entlarged mainsail, extra width and no limits on angled daggerboards =foiling). He definately had an advantage speedwise on all courses (as I hadn't rigged the spi) but in several instances the difference was remarkably small. At least small enough to make the sparring fun and to allow me to learn to get some extra speed out of my F16 (sailed as an A-cat). This is all very much beside the topic but still. In the conditions pressent I certainly would not have done it when owning a F18 or something. To much boat to singlehand in those conditions.

Before somebody asks, what I learned most was to use more downhaul and accept sometimes to go for speed and control rather then pointing. I could point REALLY high with respect to other boats like the I-20's, and stay close to the heading of the modified (boosted) A-cat despite having the spi pole and snuffer out in front, but I would have made better VMG but footing it off a little more. But it is nice to known that when needed I can point 5 degrees higher in uni-rig mode. Very helpful were I sail, with the tidal currents. Somethings you misjudge the current and you are pushed below the mark. Getting some extra pointing in can save you 2 tacks to make the mark.

So yes I'm enjoying myself as well. Only I hate missing the second series of club races this upcoming weekend. There go two strike-outs for the club championships. A real pitty.

Cary, best of luck at your next event !

FYI, I'm sailing the F18 this weekend. We have another Tiger coming he just hasn't pre-registered.

Just say 'No' to Open.

When is or was the JPOR?

how did it go?

According to the first post of this thread, the Jetty Park Ocean Regatta is June 4-5.

Wouter

BAH! now I know why I couldnt go to this race, I got duty saturday. I will settle with a nice cup of CABB

*hopefully crosses fingers*

Ahhh, you're just scared that you'll finish behind some F16's ! Ehhh, translating into loser lingo => "that they blow your start by laying on the line" (ahead of you and just have a better start altogether)

Be a man about it ! And beat the women in the F16 class (and Casey in I-20 class) by just sailing better and not by excluding these from your F18 start on procedural grounds.

Whats better : being a winner of a 5 boat class or a 20 boat open class that includes the 5 boat of your own OD class as well ?



Wouter


(Good luck at JPOR Ding ! I hope you have excellent sailing weather)

That's a rhetorical question, right?

Keep in mind Wouter, I bought and sail a boat I don't particularly like so I can race straight up (that's what makes the boat fun for me). So, I'm going to be very uninterested when it comes to open class racing. And another thing... I don't pleasure sail! If I aint racing I aint sailing! Well, we do drills, but sweetness insists that isn't pleasure sailing.

And yes the weather looks promising. Even if the weather craps out, the beer will be cold and wings will be hot!

Ding

Ding ain't skeered of enythin.
However, you'd be pretty tired of looking at his sterns all day, Wouter.
CARY

Don't worry. I know what your answer is to that question.

I also noted that the FrankenBoat 5.2 is in the open class, I'm sure that this is no small influence in your possible answer !





I didn't know this per se but did, however, expect something like this.

But on a serious note, no class can establish and grow itself these days when ignoring the open class setup. It is even a losing strategy to "only do OD racing". A dangerous negative feedback loop is just around the corner. If a OD class falls to attract 5 or more boats at a few events than either sailors will switch killing of the class or hold out on entering the next event and see first who does entlist. This of couse leads to the great situation of where everybody is eyeballing everybody else and no-one is making the first step; resulting is even worse participation.

Funny thing is that F18 in Europe never made any statements about not wanting to do Open class racing and it was the one class that boomed like nobodies business (when not looking to the 70's and the H16)





I wish all of you the best enjoyment ! Either way !

Wouter

I've taken this offline because, everyone has heard it before.

Dave

No need as I'm just pulling on your chain to get some reaction. Nothing serious, just some horsing around hence the frequent use of the smileys.

Lets end it with me wishing you the best at the JPOR this weekend.

Wouter

Anyone have the results or a recap?