I have three problems with attending a F16HP regatta at Rick's Place (or for that matter, a regatta anywhere else)

1) I need more sailing time on the boat before I will feel comfortable enough to race it with a spinniker.

2) I need to find someone to crew for me who can take the time off. (I'm assuming that everyone is planning to sail 2-up and not 1-up)

3) I purchased my boat rigged from the US Taipan distributer with spinniker and I am not sure what modifiecations are needed to make it F16HP class legal. I remember reading something about the stock spinniker pole needing to be cut down a little. Also, the spinniker is currently tramp launched and I am not sure if this is adequate to race with on a round the bouy course.



Jennifer

Taipan #262

E-mail me at fastcatmichael@hotmail.com please - I can answer some questions, and we can get together to work on the spin thing.

The Taipan Nat's will be no spin., and at Gulfport Yacht Club, unless anyone else with a Taipan is willing to put it on this year ;-). It's been approved by Gulfport and TBCSI.

We've got to make sure that there are no conflicts with the other yacht club next door's opti regatta, other that that it's a go.

Your boat is a f16 if sailed as a Taipan plus spin. We'll talk about the crew thing, too. I would normally be willing, but the f16 thing is on the same week as our Alter cup elim.

Gotta go, but please give me an e-mail.

Thanks,

Michael C.

Chuck,



That may very well be a very good solution to make Ricks the F16 nationals and Tampa the Taipan nationals.



Afterall, the F16 class also should serve the Taipan class needs in the USA. This way we can do both.



The two event approach might reduce participation of both but I expect both tho attract at least some 5 to 6 boats anyway. Besides the FX-one europeans has only 5 boats participating too. It is something that that is normal for a class which has just started.



Again, I would like to underline that a 5 to 6 boat participation at Ricks would also serve other aspects of the class that are important.



Anyone against this approach ?



Wouter

Jennifer,



In addition to Micheals post I would like to say :



-1- Good point however the uncomfortableness goes quickly away after a few times. I refer to David Swingle who now sets and retrieves his spi solo by hand (no snuffer). Best ius indeed to hook up with some-one with some experience, like micheal, in this and do it a few times.



-2- If you are looking for an experienced crew for the F16 nationals races than I can offer myself. I'm pretty handy with that chute.



-3- I remember that arguement about the pole length, but I also seem to remember that the end result was that is was legal coz some of us read the definition wrong.



With regard to launching the spi by hand on a round the bouys course. Well, you'll be surprised of how rapidly that can be done. It just takes a bit more practise to become fast, but I've already put the time in. It is not as big a chute as the I-20's for eample it is only 68 % of that size.



Regards,



Wouter

Copy from a post from some 2 to 3 weeks back. The are David Swingles comments on spi-ing from the tramp bag :



As far as spin launching, I’ve been very successful solo tramp launching out of the Goodall supplied bag. Slowly I will work into heavier winds doing this, but so far, piece of cake in less than 10 kts. Wouter had a good writeup a while back. Key points were get close to downwind, don’t gybe, get chute out of bag, hoist quick. Takedown is opposite, except throw the halyard in the water over rear crossbar to untangle/untwist and provide slight tension as you get the monster on the deck. The real point here is there should be no problem tramp launching this thing with crew.

Jennifer,

If you need good crew, there are several very good sailors in the area that might be available as well.

Rick