Contemplating a second boat.

I'm kicking around getting an A-Class. What would you get? There's a whole pile of new and exciting boats out there.

remember, you'll have to allocate the same $$$ you spend on boat #2 to your better half... so pick the cheap one

It's an unwritten rule that, when violated, will result in extreme peril. Don't ask me how I know.

I heard there will be a few nice cats for sale in the San Francisco area in about a month from now

Not very good single handers though.

Ellen McArthur sailed a 75' Tri around the world alone.

I'm sure you can handle a little boat like that all by yourself, on an inland lake of course!

As far as the A cat thing, I've been thinking the same, but can't afford a new -anything- for a few years.

Any of you A cat boys want to swap your slightly used A cat for a slightly used F16? Maybe just for a day?

Karl, there are some insane deals on A Cats right now if you can set aside the newest platforms. Cutting edge rather than bleeding edge. Keep in mind that there are some new A Cat rules developments in the near future that should play into your choice. Happy shopping, Commodore.

A cats were/are changing so fast lately, I decided that I wasn't going to be able to keep up on the equipment level and I wasn't going to be happy with what I had sailing against the level I was trying to. My older boat (a boyer) was still pretty darn competitive on lakes.

That's the truth, Jake - every year, you can count on some design step forward. However, it sounds like the Class leadership is taking that element into account and seeking a way to mitigate it for sailors wanting to try their hand in the Class.

Is that kind of like a "B" fleet , or a "Development" fleet?

Karl,

DnA is now the benchmark, like the flyer was 8-10 years ago. It's a great class if you like to improve your boat,if you're looking for one design this ain't it. I'm taking the opposite course Jake did (imagine that) and trying to sell my F-18 to focus on the A. Lack of local crew, lack of distance races, and ease of setup of the A were my reasons. At your size you have the pick of just about any of them. Get up with me if you want anymore info.

p.s. Get it soon and practice, NA's will be on the Outer Banks of NC ( my home) next year.

Still is doing pretty well.

Wave...

I'd like to see a bunch of a-cats go through the surf at Hatteras:P

Hi Jay -

While the As were sailing here last month, there was talk of a second fleet within the Class for "obsolete" boats and beginner skippers. In addition, there was talk of eliminating the rule requiring the boards to be removable from the topside. That opens the door for T- and L-foils, and also makes the A3 a good platform again. Decisions may be made during the next Worlds.

I always liked the development aspect of the A. I'm just not the right size or shape for the boat.

A-3 has never gone out of fashion, it's what Lars Guck sails and generally dominates North America with. Dubs, as far as your size and shape, you're a lot better suited to an A than me or any number of other big guys. That's another good thing about a development class you change the boat to suit your requirements.

please god.... not a B fleet...

The aussies have it figured... the class races A class by handicap with three ratings. You CAN'T SPLIT A FLEET unless you have huge numbers.... EG. Hobie 16's back in the day..

The Wave qualifies as an A Class and has more regattas

Uh.... what is the "right size and shape" for the boat? I thought skinny little studs with big hair did well on light boats?

That's not big hair, it's a small hooter...

Mike

You can be light OR short... not both, IMO. I weigh in (normally) at 130-135 lbs. That pretty light for the boat, even with a shorter mast and flatter main. Tall people that weigh about the same (like Pease Glaser) can kill it in light to medium/flat conditions, and survive when the breeze comes up with the longer levers for righting moment. I'm light AND short - fact of life. San Francisco Bay on the front of a Hobie 16? I'm your man. Crewing the Nacra 17 with a cute(r) blonde on the back in anything over 10 knots? Not the right place for me - I become a liability on the beat.

One of the reasons I love multihull sailing; lots of options. I've been lucky to sail with a lot of different people on a lot of different boats. I know where my size is an asset and when it isn't. It has inevitably been a frank conversation with many skippers over the years.

If there is a B Fleet that evolves within the A Class, that may be a place I can play, but I don't ever expect to be a champion on that boat. Regardless, it will be the members of that Class that make that decision. Not teh internets.

I guess if you have your sights set on being the World Champion you're right. You're probably also lacking a professional career in sailmaking. Here's a good interview with Arno Terra (DnA)where he states his thoughts on foiling rule changes among other things.
Arno Interview


Thank GOD!

Go to usaca.info and look at what is available.

And this would be a good value. http://usaca.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=627:2005-a3&catid=7:a-class-catamarans-for-sale&Itemid=20

At least you're honest with yourself, which I suspect leads to more enjoyment of the sport for you.

Given your experience, what's a good platform for a tall dude slowly sliding out of shape? And can you install a gimbaled cup-holder on it?

For you Jay? A Wave! It's already got cup holders!

But Leah is still going to kick your azz!

PS, if the Wave had a trapeze and a spinnaker, I'd have one already.

This doesn't cut it?

J/22? :-)

Jay, Dave may his his (or someone else's) tongue firmly in cheek, but he's not wrong. At my Club, there are several active fleets, including multihulls. Pick what looks like fun and fits your priorities. IF the time comes for me to set aside catamarans, the local Lido 14 Fleet is very active, very social, lots of guy/girl teams, VERY tight racing, and economical. Options abound. :-)

You read me like a book Williams and this time it was aimed at Jake. I'm not gonna lie it does look like he's having fun on his little leaner. If you're gonna do handicap might as well do it on a boat where you can keep your beer cold and your sandwiches dry.

The problem with keel boats in Florida is, it's too damned shallow getting into/out of most bays. Great for up nawth, where the water is deep (and cold, even in August!), but not so good in Florida, certainly not in the Naples area where Jay lives.

When I was living in Miami, crewing for Ed Cabassa on his black J24 named "Sambo"(1985-6), we would sometimes run aground in the middle of Biscayne Bay on a low tide!

Yes, it was usually on the berms at the edge of the channel, but still, less than 4' of water, in the middle of the bay??!! I think the entire bay is only about 10' deep, or less in most spots.

Dredging is pretty much non-existant in this area so 4' draft is max. and even then you need to stay in the middle of most channels.

Ouch...hey.

I just sailing the J three up and have discovered the awesomeness. Now I have TWO people to blame stuff on!

Already got my second boat, N5.0. Easy setup, great d-pn, single-able, cheap as hell! Couldn't afford to sell it!
A-cat would be awesome, but lake pleasant is damn rocky. We call anything under 1" sand.

Flying Sidewalk/Scot

Beer cold, sandwiches dry and don't have to sail handicap, check, check and check! Might have to put that one on the short list.

I just threw up in my mouth a little. If want to date ugly girls, at least find one with a rockin' bod.......MC Scow, Lightning, 110, etc. Anything but a flying scot!

um-kay.... for the benefit of those who don't know me (I have been living under a bridge for basically the past 2 sailing seasons):

- I have no friends (I un-friended myself on FB) so my purchase would be something to single-hand, or worse, single hand with grommets running about (at least they're good swimmers)

- As Timbo pointed out and the charts corroborate, my sailing area is wrought with unmarked shoals and WARNING: ORDINANCE DISPOSAL AREA markings it would seem a max draft of as little 4 feet would still be trouble. 3 foot might do it

- There really are no active OD / SMOD fleets of anything down here. BUT, there are a reasonable number of popular PHRF races

- I don't need any more pickle dishes to justify my (lack of) manliness, especially if it means I have to spend a buttload of $ to stay in an arms race

- I'm too cheap to pay for a mooring or slip space, so it's got to be a trailer sailor. And I've only got a 3500lb hitch.

- I'm a multi-snob because I just can't figure why I want to haul lead around.

- I thought about a dingy, but since most alligators and pythons are about the same size as a Flying Scot, I might want something over 20 feet LWL.

I have a bead on something that may fit all of these criteria. It may have more than 2 hulls, though.

Search hard for a Maine Cat 22.

There's a Gougeon 32 for sale in Anarchy's classifieds.

Here you go Jay, and the best part is, you can still use the Hobie 16 hulls for racing if/when you want to race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLOC9x5vZBg

Now, if I could just get Matt to build some of those center hulls, I could probably use my Blade hulls in place of the Hobie 16's.

Matt will build anything you want if you're willing to write the check.

If I only had a man-cave.... or garage-mahal...

what could only pass for a man cave at my house is the trunk of the civic.... which I may have to live in when momma finds out I'm trying to get a boat (back to that $$$ for boat = $$$ for momma)

my evil master plan is to have something by T-winds, although it may not be race ready by then (or ever)

That does look to be a good deal, and relatively close. The DNA on that site kinda gives me a chubber, but the 4k miles of driving, 58hrs behind the wheel, $900 in fuel, and $1600 worth of wear and tear on my pickup doesn't really tickle my happy bits. I see Skip's EVO on there too, he's fairly close to me, and I know some of the history with that boat as well.

I'm not really looking for a boat to race, though I'm sure it'll happen. I need something I can setup and get into the water in a reasonable amount of time. If I spend an hour getting to and from the lake, and hour to setup, and an hour to tear down, I can get maybe an hour sail in during the week. Its just not worth it to me having a 3:1 ratio of hassle to enjoyment. Spending <$10k on a boat probably makes the most sense, though I do love the newest in widgetry out there. It's looking like the foiling stuff is getting more stable, and is definitely looking doable under the current rule set.

The best deal on the USACA site is the 2010 Tool @ $14k. It has the latest generation "bendy" mast and a set of Marstrom curved foils.

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