Caseville, Michigan on the beautiful beaches of Lake Huron will be the site for this year's F17 Great Lakes Championships. So far, the attending list show fifteen F17 sailors from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana coming:
Attending:
Bill Gillespie USA 626
Mike Wisniewski USA 101
Mark Biggers USA 627
Chad Schwall USA 323
Les Gallagher USA 601
Matt Struble USA 628
John Knight USA 104
Chris Berg USA 218
Mike Teets 613
Harold Burns 103
Roger Cochran 320
Mark Batchelor 522
Andy Zitkus USA 630
Jimmy Cox USA 629
Bill Westrick 136

NOR - http://www.websitemagic.com/cram/caseville1.htm

Matt Struble will be conducting an F17 Clinic and answering questions (these have been terrific at the last two regattas!).

Caseville is a great place to sail. Located on the Saginaw bay, just off from lake Huron. The forecast is for winds from the West at 10 - 15 kts.. It does not matter what you are sailing, come on out. The F-17 guys will be there in full force for the GLC and a free sailing seminar for all F-17 sailors.

Come on out,

Matt

What is an F17?

It's a Nacra Inter 17 single handed Uni with spinnaker.

Thanx. I did a bit more research and found some info on them. They're not available in Australia as far as I know though I remember seeing an Inter 17 at a regatta here maybe 6/7 years ago but if my memory serves me right, it was set up sloop rigged with two crew.

And it might have had an aluminum mast. The new F17's (Inter 17R's) in the states have carbon masts, setup for single handed racing only.

Actually, the carbon mast on the F17 / I17R is the same thickness as the I-20 so it should work fine with skipper and crew. I believe they even had one setup with the jib kit for while over at Keysailing and were sailing it two up. It's just not class legal for racing, but you could use that setup in an open regatta.............

Tom Turlington
F17 #124

Here is a link to the class web page. It has the history, etc. Nacra F17 Class

I always wondered if the nacra 17 mast share the same section with the inter 20 (or nacra 20). Or even if it was the same mast but cut shorter and with a new hound height.

Does anybody know for sure ?

Wouter

When I bought my F17/I17R in 2001, the rudders, boards, and I'm thinking the mast was the same as the I-20 except the mast was shorter. I measured the masts with a fabric style tape measure. Once around was the same size exactly......

Tom Turlington
F17 #12 SouthEastern United States
Lat. ~30N longitude ~89W

The first F17s (I-17R) used a a much lighter section (5.5u carbon mast)than the I-20, But they did share the same rudders & boards. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Struth! The boat has had many mods over the time it's been around. I'm glad I didn't take more interest when it debuted in Oz, I'd have spent a gazzilion keeping up with the alterations.

Actually, the original boat is still being used and many times, winning out over the newer model boats. The opinion of some folks is that all the changes are nothing more than a marketing ploy which is only good business. Sailors like bikers (the pedal kind) are always looking for an edge. If Sailor on boat "A" uses new boom and by some freak of nature wins a race or two, sailor on boat "B" will be sure and purchase said boom ASAP (unless sailor on boat " B " is also a biker and has already spent his money on a new set of wheels that are 300 grams lighter than his old wheels!!)

Tom Turlington

It's all about the carbon, kevlar, aluminum and tiny little machined parts... every one of them costing more than my first car. I just wish Peformance Bike and Performance Cat would merge so that I could at least save on shipping! I am able to use the same GPS on my boat and bike... and sometimes the bike clothes work well under the wetsuit.

It's nice to have a group to ride with and a fleet to sail with. All of the cool mods do a lot less for you than time in the saddle or trap harness.

Exactly, you can talk all you want online about weight here and there, but it is usually the guy that's done the most miles or been on the water the most that will be the leader at the end ot the day.

Tom Turlington
F17#12
Litespeed Vortex, Dura Ace, Mavic Ksyrium SL3 Wheelset

And wearing padded bike pants under the trap harness feels better. I have often thought about inventing some way to put a bike on a cat, take off the rear wheel, hook the chain to some type of propeller drive unit, for those no wind days.

If you took off the boom and could put a drive unit on the rear beam, hook the handlebars to the rudders some how.... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Hey, we could race them!

I could also sit home in the a.c. and watch tv. Seriously, some guy did that in the '60s.

There are two more excellent sailors looking for boats to charter for the F17 Great Lakes Championships on the 24th and 25th of this month in Caseville, Michigan. Both have competed in the class last year.

If anyone knows of a boat available, let me know. You can post here or PM me.

It is nice when demand exceeds supply in the class, <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
except for those who can't find a boat. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Surfing, sailing and cycling do have some interchangeable stuff. I use a pair of tri nicks and rash vests under my wetsuits when sailing. The riding helps with fitness too.
My four bikes, RR/Crit, TT, CC and a trainer/commuter = a significant investment. Ebay is my Achilles heel. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

It can get very exy trying to keep up with all the bling.

So what's the LEAST you would spend on a bike; for off the pavement use?