Brand New Website for the Formula 18s

Website is up and running. If you would like to see it you can go to Formula 18 Website for North America.

Lots of thanks goes to Tracie (Van Houten) Hawks, past chairman. She did the research and set up a fantastic new website for us! There have been others contributing to content including John Williams, Dave Ingram, Area Reps for schedules, and myself.

There is still may be more work to do as it depends on you the class to tell us what you would like to see. I think that Tracie has covered most of the issues already, we will see.

Later,
Dan DeLave - Chairman

Dan,
Please consider using the Google calendar and embed the html code directly into your site. (It's so easy and best of all, its free.) Send out the invites to use it to all of the other F18 Commodores, and fleet reps, and ask them to set one up for each region. That way we can all Synchronize our calendars to one main F18 calendar and it will be totally up to date. Let's get organized for more fun!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Oh Rex you make me laugh! Getting the schedule coordinated on a master calendar is the least of the problems. Getting the powers that be to even send me their schedules so I can post them is like herding cats! They all have access to the website to do this. It was not happening and I offered to do them all, I even set up a template to ease the pain but we only have about 1/2 the races listed.

I do use Google Docs in other areas of my life and like it, but until we are all well up to speed I think we can do it this way for the year. We will reevaluate next year.

Dan

Good thing to have! How comes you are not a member, Dan?

Dude,
If everyone worked off the same google calendar for F18, you can specify who can add events, invite others, and then ITS UP TO THEM TO UPDATE THE CALENDAR. No more herding cats, and real accountability if the event never gets posted. Additionally, the HTML is right on the seetings in google so you can just paste it so that it appears on your website's calendar (and looks like your calendar) Capeesh?

BTW, YOU (Dan Delave) can already post to the "northeastern Catamaran Events" calendar. Try it! Its tooooo easy.

Dan,

You can use Google Calendar regardless of whether others cooperate. I maintain the sparse So_CA_Beachcats_Sailors calendar, and would be happy to give you admin access if you PM me your email address, since anything you might add would be appropriate there. (I *love* Google calendars because one can overlay others' calendars on one's own, including "Weather," "Phases of the Moon," and even ABYC tide tables if you generate them.)

But I concur that asking others to even try to edit a calendar seldom works.

--Glenn

yep,
We have the family calendar, the Northeastern Catamaran Calendar, the weather for the next 4 days. On top of that, the main calendar synchronizes with Outlook, so I can update at work, by just dropping a new event on the Outlook, and voila, it gets pushed out to the sailing club website. Gotta love that convenience <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />!

Glenn:

[color:"green"]I would like[/color] to see a calendar (like the Google one) work and have tides and wind prediction information easily viewable on it. [color:"green"]I would like[/color] it to send out reminders to sailors to attend events with a response area where they can reply yeah or nay. [color:"green"]I would like[/color] everyone to take care of their part of the calendar so we could have the most accurate and up to date information.

[color:"green"]I would like[/color] many things but in the end the calendar was made with a couple of helping hands in hope others appreciate it enough to use it. There is a list of all the Formula 18 events that are going on in the US if you click on the events (not a subcatagory) of the NAF18 website.

Take a look at it here:
National NAF18 Calendar

Later,
Dan

Dan,
I think what you are doing is great. Just trying to get us more organized-willing to help anyway I can to grow the interest level. I see that that there are no Eastern events scheduled on your site? Would consider joining NAF18, but there, ummm (voice trailing off...)doesn't seem to be any regattas in the Eastern calendar... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

There are events planned - the area rep needs to pull a schedule together and get them up. I pulled together the SoCal schedule and it got tweaked afterward by others in the region... it is a cooperative effort. Register and post whatever events you know of as a start.

All the Northeastern Cat events I am aware of are posted on Google calendars, at "Northeastern Catamaran Events". (The same calendar is embedded at our club, garvanpointsailing.com.) If you dont have admin read/write priveledges, just ask me for them, provide and email address, and I'll give you complete admin privleges.

Best, R

Hi Rex -

I only see that one of the events on your club calendar is designated as an F18 event. If you can give me an idea of any other events that will include seperate F18 scoring, I will add it to the NAF18 schedule myself.

John,
We don't have any 'F18-only' events scheduled at our boatyard in Madison, CT (yet). (The google calendar just captures all the Northeast open beach cat events that I am aware of.) Our May 17 regatta, of course, will include an F18 class). To my knowledge, I only know of one planned northeast 'F18-exclusive' event in the works for Sandy Hook NJ, (and that is the one listed on the calendar).It's tentatively scheduled in in NJ the week before the Liberty race.

My pipe-dream (no snide comments!), though, was to look over the schedule of F18 stuff and maybe generate interest for a 'Tour de I-95' cup series or something like that, (not necessarily for this year but maybe next year). There are a few of us that have some interest in doing this. Like golf tournaments, the best way of 'herding our cats' might be to have the interest group all moving in one geographical direction throughout the sailing season, i.e. NJ to Maine. A good start in organizing this is knowing when/what the events may be ocurring. Logistically, this is, of course, nearly impossible to coordinate, but with a little cooperation, folks might be able to come up with a reasonable plan that work, and form the basis for some future scheduling rationale.

Hi Rex -

They don't have to be F18-only events - just events where all F18s are welcome, sail the same course and can be scored together. That's all you need to accumulate points, and all the NAF18 site needs to let class members know where and when they can race other F18s. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

In that case, put the Joe Manganello Memorial Regatta on your calendar!
Hope to see lots of F18's! (all beach cats <=21 feet are welcome!)

Precisely what we have done in the Pacific Northwest.

We've spent a lot of effort pulling all available boats into the Seattle NOOD Regatta. Sponsored by Sailing World Magazine, and Sperry Top-Sider.
http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_fleetsplit_nood.php?regatta_id=1756

The F18 Class has maintained a high profile through out the registration phase by being the first class to register <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />, the first class to make the minimum entrants required to be recognized <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />, and the first class to make the minimum entrants required to have our own start. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

We're looking forward to an excellent event with plenty of exposure for the class and multihulls in general.

Dan and John,

Andy and I have wound down our 2008 big boat committments for the summer leaving us with some open time. We would like to offer our assitance in helping with the NA site any way possible.

You should have my contact info.

Speaking of calendar...

I would like to suggest having the the 2009 West Coast Championships in Oregon to try and get the West Coast northern and southern fleets together - suggested venue the Columbia Gorge - www.cgra.com - can we start kicking this around in an attempt to have a 18-20+ boat fleet at next years WCCs.

Look forward to meeting you both in person at the West Coasts in LB.

Paul and Andy - TEAM BLUR
USA 2477

That's a great offer, and I would support moving the event around year to year.

You guys can make additions on the website now, I think, by setting up an account and logging in. Dan?

It would be cool to see a post there about how your fleet has been growing more than any other part of the US - lessons learned kinda thing.

Sorry: www.CGRA.org

Just let us know what we can do and where you want us focused.

Also, when will the next rankings be done? I actually have a need to get our current ranking. The class assoc. should have results from the PNW for Flights of Spring and NOODs.

Dan:

Don't know if you remember me, but we met at Nationals in Galveston. Looks like you will have another Tiger sailor. I am working in Longview now and in Hobie only sailing area (Fleet 23). Boatless now as Mystere 4.3 spin learning boat is sold. So when season starts again in April/May I will be looking for a used Tiger. Back on the circuit again. (LOL). Will get my butt kicked as I train new crew and learn boat, but isn't that what it is all about, bringing in new sailors and passing it on to youth. Ashleigh is getting pretty good at 14, (7 yr of training). She is skippering now.

Doug

Doug, First it was a blade, then a F17 now a tiger.

Maybe you should just get a boat and not post about it until you get it. Seems like you are jinxing yourself.

Good luck with whatever boat you get, if you ever get one.

Robi:

Still plan om transferring to Tampa area down the road. Company has office there, but I have to learn new techniques and get my ASNT certifications before I can do that, but will see you at GYC someday. Got to sail what you can race!! Tiger would be my 5th cat, boatless at present. Mystere 4.3 was sold in La before I headed north. My career is real lot of traveling and adjusting as you move up. I can basically work anywhere in the world in it. I WANT a Blade or F17, BUT if you have to go 400-600 miles or more round trip just to race on weekends not worth it now. Have to get what the rest in area has, as said many times in the forums. AND as you all know we change boats and have multiple boats all the time right? LOL LOL

Doug

Yes Doug I remember you well.

Actually I have, kind of, put my boat up for sale. It is used and I thought it would be nice to get a newer one. It has been and is a good boat. Just looking for something different now.

I suspect I will not afford the next generation of Hobie even if it does get to the US anytime soon, which I feel is doubtful.

Looking at Infusion, maybe Capricorn, do not know now.

If I do not sell the boat that is okay too. I will just sail it a bit longer before having to decide. I only told the guys in the PNW about is so far as I would like to get our area even larger.

It will go in Classifieds maybe by the end of this week. Hard to part with a boat when I have not decided where I will go from here...got to sail!

Later,
Dan

Dan:

REALLY want a Blade or a F17, but that will have wait till I get to Tampa and GYC as It is Hobie only here. This is the new race ready me. Lost 30 lbs and 7 inches off waist since I saw you.

Doug

Wow! Congratulations that is quite a feat.

Yea this is when you saw me. I can tell buds how to get back in shape if they need to. This was when yiu saw me LOL LOL LOL, BBBBBIIIIIIGGGGG boy.

Doug

Why do I get "You do not have access to download this attachment", when I try to see Doug's photo, even though there have been 62 downloads ?

Why would you want to?

It took you 2 years and 3 months to the day - and that's all you can say ? Back to sleep

Frankenpost!

Actually, I just didn't look at the dates. Still the question remains, why would one man want to look at pictures of another man so bad that he would ask for directions? I think its a valid question.