OK, Jake's in with a nod from the MI chapter president.
He will serve as chapter president for SC. We are having a distance race at the Madcatter on Friday that Tom is running. Can anyone compete in that? I don't see why not.
Bring those F boats and join the party for the weekend.

Pat, is that scheduled to start AFTER the Madslapper Hockey session Friday morning?

Hey Ollie, You will have to ask Tom about that. I would think you guys could do 8am hockey and noon sailing. I am reduced to a mere hot dog cooker for the regatta.

Ollie,

Heading to Fri Morn Skate right now. As I am in charge of the distance race you WILL be able to do both!!!!

Call me about Tradewinds -=0=-

In just read this press release from Nacra Europe:

"Performance Cat USA has let us know that the new Nacra F18 infusion will not be shown at Paris boatshow, Salon Nautique. The reason for this is that Nacra international wants to show the final production model of the F18 infusion and there were only some cosmetic details being finished up on the decks. After several months of sailing, Perfomance Cat wants to deliver the best product available and will make sure that when the boat is standing at a International show that the boat shown is the real thing."

Turns out at least 2 crews at my sailing club have ordered the new Nacra F18 called the infusion. In my conversation with one of the new owners I also heard its new nickname : The Nacracorn. (or Nacricorn).

One crew has sold their Inter-20 in order to go F18. Seems like the same thing is happening in the Netherlands as is happening in Florida.

I just read that Nacra is now serious with persuing the Inter-20 One design class globally. The EU F20 sailors are offered an upgrade package at (what they say) a discounted price. This means a larger mainsail, probably the same one as the US Inter-20. After that they are closing the class rules to "all parts mus be bought with Nacra" and the class goed Single Manufacturer One Design class, implicitly leaving the Formula 20 class. It is doubtful that the F20 class setup will survive. But if it does survive than it surely will totally rejuvinate and see an exiting time in the future with new models coming out. Personally I doubt wether it will survive however; F20 was never as broadly accepted around the world as the F18 class.

In short we are looking at some additional grow in the F18 class from I-20 sailors jumping ship to the F18. I must be said however that alot of crews already jumped ship in the last two years because the F18 world championship was held in The Netherlands during 2005.

So the catamaran scene overhere is once again on the move, with the F18 class as the single exception. It is looking to grow as a result.

Wouter

I, for one, and very happy they actually gave this boat the name "Infusion" instead of "F18".

I prefer F18 - 'Infusion' sounds like a hair product.

I guess its better than calling it the Nacra Vacuum Bag.

It is actually a juicer-hair relaxer.the Nacra Infusion MKI,for dry sailors on the wagon,storage bag's for carrot supply include.! MKII for normal sailors comes with Megaphone, flares and years supply of protest flags and MKIII for greaseball sailors with extra none-skid on the platform and an Uzi. All models come with remote mounted full time live F18 video/photomaker Christmas/Festivus card format. Oh and Wouter thanks for single-handedly killing off the F20 division world wide.

Well, I wouldn't worry about the F20 class. Once you guys all get fat, you'll be back!

The N20 offers it all to me.... A boat I can be fast on that still allows me to wolf down that greasy reubin sandwich and beer while I'm "training"...

When my team gets too heavy to be competitive for N20? Hmmm, the ARC 22 has a ring to it... I think I can even mount a grill on that thing....

Class or not, the majority of cats out there today are good, solid boats with a core of loyal followers. Rock-stars, and those wanting to be, will move from fleet to fleet.

Having only been on the multihull scene for about 6 years, I'd be interested to see if the rock stars as a group ever go back to a fleet they left in the past (other than Olympic class boats)...