Three Weeks to go until the largest Formula 16 event in history!
For those not following the events happening in our class, NOVEMBER 9-14, 2009, Gulfport Yacht Club in Gulfport, Florida, USA will be hosting the Formula 16 Global Challenge.
Racing will be held in the protected waters of Boca Ciega bay directly off of Gulfport City Beach with its warm waters and a great venue for sailing and viewing of the races.
Gulfport Yacht Club is famous for having well run, top notch, yet low key events. In addition to the racing there will be several scheduled social events through the week as well as the daily gatherings to discuss the day’s events. Several world caliber sailors are signed up to attend this event so it is a great opportunity to not only meet and compete, but to learn and socialize with sailors from all over the world. Come to test you skills on the water, or come to relax and socialize this event will cover it all. Come and see the latest in boat technology, and share ideas on sailing, tuning and rigging. Getting together with others is always the best and fastest way to accelerate the learning curve on these performance boats, and get ideas to make them easier to sail, set-up and more fun in general.
Fall is a great time to visit Florida, USA as winter has begun in all other parts of the US and other regions of the world. Water and air temps should still be in the mid to upper 70’s and the wind that time of year is usually more consistent and reliable.
For those looking at staying longer or bringing non-sailing family members or friends; Saint Pete beach on the Gulf is just minutes away. The Tampa area has lots to offer as well from theme parks to theater and sporting events.
Plan on coming down for a great event. If you know of any other F16’s in your area, please pass this information along.
Information for this race and the NOR can be found at www.gulfportyachtclub.com Links to lodging, the city of Gulfport and sign up can also be found at this site.
If you are considering attending this event at all, please take the time to fill out the pre-registration sheet on the web page. This is not binding, but will help the organizers properly plan for the event.
Surely someone has something to say. Who thinks a uni sailor will win?
The first 2 GC have both been won by a Uni.
The driver with the skills to win the event will come out on top no matter if they are 1 or 2 up. The configuration will have squat all to do with results over a week long event.
[2 up all the way!!!! 1 up is great fun but I think around the cans against two people doing the same job it's a real disadvantage. I'd love to see 2 champions... of the numbers where there.
REally depends on the winds. I know that the last two GCs were in high winds and the uni won but I think the two ups have gotten better in the high winds so the somewhat conservative sailing by a uni is not as effective as it use to be. Talking with some other uni guys is seems that the uni has the advantage in winds of around 6-10knots. Over this the 2 ups have enough power to really drive with their weight and the one up has to start thinking of depowering. Even with all the depowering options you still loose ground to the boat that can use the full power. Also in higher winds the mark roundings are more difficult one up then 2. Oley has started to stay out on the trap when rounding the windward mark, driving down while the spin is hoisted. I know some of you solo guys fly the spin from the trap but try hoisting it from there. This has got to pick up a boat length or more. I am not saying a uni guy can not win this, but it definetly becomes more difficult now that people are really starting to figure out the boats. And lets not forget the big name guys, Robbie, Greg Goodall, Junior Goodall, Matt, and Oley are going double up, and us mere mortals are all that is in the uni fleet.
Tim, I think what mike did of having a separtate outside the offical ranks prize for top uni was great, and it was good rum, but I would like to keep this as one prize to the best overall, and anything else unoffical.
"Your either first or your last. " The Great Ricky Bobby
I'd say a uni rig is faster. What isn't faster about it is all the screw ups to contend with when you're by yourself.
I'm not sure I'd want to do a really big event singlehanded with a spinnaker either. 20 boats can be alot to deal with, I can't imagine doing it with 50 more. That extra set of eyes goes a long ways into seeing traffic and potential issues, and the extra set of hands help in the "oh crap" moments.
I'd say a uni rig is faster. What isn't faster about it is all the screw ups to contend with when you're by yourself.
I'm not sure I'd want to do a really big event singlehanded with a spinnaker either. 20 boats can be alot to deal with, I can't imagine doing it with 50 more. That extra set of eyes goes a long ways into seeing traffic and potential issues, and the extra set of hands help in the "oh crap" moments.
There is no substitute for having 4 hands on the boat. keeping proper trim all the time is much faster and allows you to be able to drive the boat where you need to, not just where you can. I feel it more than makes up for any added weight. Plus I get lonely out there with no one to talk to.
The first GC was more about attrition. A lot of legs the winner did not use his spin at all. We managed to win every race I did no flip over, but swimming 5-6 times in 2 days has proven to be slow yet again.
Matt while the hands are nice, i never have a problem talking when sailing alone. The meds they give me make it a little more lonely on the boat, but if I forget them we have great debates around the course.
Per class rules, all the boats must be measured for the certificate of compliance with the rules. What day will this happen? I didn't see it on the NOR. I'd like to be there.
Per class rules, all the boats must be measured for the certificate of compliance with the rules. What day will this happen? I didn't see it on the NOR. I'd like to be there.
Every boat should have a measurement certificate to show upon request. The regatta organizer do not have to ask for them or verifying them by measuring the boats. They could, but they don't have to.
Of course if a competitor suspects any boat to be outside the rules he could protest, in which case the measurement certificate must be produced and re-measurement could occurs (The cost of this measurement, if any, is usually paid by the protestor if the boat is compliant and by the protestee if the boat is not).
So unless there is a measurement protest, there is usually no reason to show certificates.
Talking about measurement certificate, it is interesting to notice that there is no SCHRS handicap for N17 as the SCHRS is calculated based on a measurement certificate and none have been communicated to the SCHRS group for this particular boat. I'm just saying...
oddly enough I think it would be great if Bob did race in the GC uni. regardless of what anyone says he is a good sailor and him racing in it would be good for the class. moss on the other hand should absolutely not be allowed to sail. nobody should want to sail against that jackass for any reason.
I don't think Bob wanted to sail. I think he wants to discredit the class by attacking the methodology.
As it stands this is not an ISAF or USS sanctioned event. The club will run it as they see fit. I have little doubt it will be a first rate event and the participants will go away satisfied.
Already have the 10 Alter Cup boats down this way - hope they continue to have a good week there. We have been able to hook up a couple of people with charters and have a new boat still available if someone is still contemplating attending the event.
A while ago there were some posts with suggestions as to accomodations in the area. I can not locate them now, but there are several people looking for as low price as possible without having to pay by the hour or travel far. (No familes to entertain at the beach). If someone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.
According to chatter on the F-18 forum, there will be certified measurers at the event. Where? On the beach? When? How much? Is it required? How long will it take?
Not much to add other than Matt said in an e-mail to me yesterday they were going still going through "discussions" concerning what and how things will be measured. So it sounded like some measurement was going to happen.
BTW, I found a way to use airline miles for hotel so I am will be coming to the event. Looking forward to meeting everyone.
According to the docs I've seen regarding this event and measurement, only one boat of each type is required to be measured, and boats covered by the prescription are only certified until the end of the year (2009).
I've been asked to participate in a measurement party so I'm assuming I/we will be measuruing boats from the time I get there until the time I leave, and then some (I'm out Saturday night).
As for fees, that's a question to be asked above my pay grade, I'm just labor, and cheap labor at that.
I am in no way acting in an offical capacity at this event, basically someone asked me to do a favor and I said yes. Everything I said, other than "I'll be there measuring boats" could be complete rubish.
One last thing, I'm not a certified measurer I'm just a measurer, certification is not required for the F18 class. However, there will be an ISAF certified measurer onsite. Like I said, I'm just labor.
At any ranking event in almost any class you'd expect some form of measurement checking to take place. At the two previous F16 GCs measurement checks were made prior to the event. This is NOT full measurement, it's checking certain items eg at Zandvoort boats were weighed and mast tip weights were checked, new sails were measurement checked and boats were visually inspected to ensure there wasn't anything obviously out of class.
I believe that arrangements for these sorts of checks at GYC are currently being worked out by the organisers. You guys shouldn't get yourselves into a tailspin over this, it's merely trying to ensure fair competition and avoid any ill feelings and accusations being thrown around post-racing! Hope you all have a really great time! I'm so sorry and also jealous that I can't be there
At any ranking event in almost any class you'd expect some form of measurement checking to take place. <snip> This is NOT full measurement, it's checking certain items <snip>
Yup, very common. Show measurement certificate, have the sails checked and a couple of items on the boat checked and stamped. No big deal at all and nothing like the procedure at the olympic games where I heard the chief Tornado measurer showed up with fiberoptic cameras to do inside inspection and impedance measurements to check for carbon fibers in hulls (dont know if it is true, just a story)
I heard that Carla Schiefer measured Hans' new GCat and she might be measuring at the event. Anyone want to add to that unsubstantiated gossip?
It seems to me that a "Whirled" Championship (can't say the real words) which will have at least 5 different expressions of a box rule ought to have a validation of the box rule being met.
Carla weighed my boat & measured sails, not a big deal. Anyway, I heard only top boats will get measured so if you do not expect to be at the top don't worry.
Well at least there will be wind! It's blowing 20 today! Gulf water temp is around 83, the bay will be just a little cooler, daytime highs next week in Tampa should be around 82, overnight lows about 70. Bring sunblock...
Who's coming and when? I'll be dropping my boat off at the GYC on Saturday afternoon, about 3:30 or so, then I have to go to the Airport to meet Andi, then we will be coming back to the club probably about 7pm, anyone going to be there to help us get rid of some Rum?
Just watched the weather channel, looks like the little hurricane is already falling apart, back down to TS strength now, and may further break up over the mountains of Honduras, the spaghetti models show it going straight up towards LA-FL Panhandle...maybe...still much too far out to say with any certainty. I just hope it falls apart.
Who's coming and when? I'll be dropping my boat off at the GYC on Saturday afternoon, about 3:30 or so, then I have to go to the Airport to meet Andi, then we will be coming back to the club probably about 7pm, anyone going to be there to help us get rid of some Rum?
You said RUM? I MIGHT be sailing saturday with the Sea Scouts.
John, you know it is only half to come to Carnac. I guess I'll we seeing you there again next year? ;-)
Gill
Only if I can get a job between now and then ........
Oh, I didn't know. I do hope things turn better shortly. Is it coincidence that Simon is in the same situation or is England hit harder by the crisis then Belgium?
Currently in our small sailing club, around 350 members, I know there are at least 22 of us of working age that have lost their jobs/businesses in the last year..... obviously a large percentage of our membership are retired or not working through choice or other reasons.
I wouldn't know how bad things are in Belgium, but they are pretty bad in the UK - especially close to London as we are.
John, you know it is only half to come to Carnac. I guess I'll we seeing you there again next year? ;-)
Gill
Only if I can get a job between now and then ........
The UK is in uber **** at present.....
I just got a 6 month contract as the head Ski instructor at our local slope. crap pay; but a lot of fun.
I can only see things improving when we have a change of govt; the problem is that our current govt are burying their heads in the sand and just spending money they do not have; It will have to be paid for; somehow.
Oh, I didn't know. I do hope things turn better shortly. Is it coincidence that Simon is in the same situation or is England hit harder by the crisis then Belgium?
Dude, you cannot give the Sea Scouts any of my Rum!
And for the MD/DC boats, where will you be staying the night? We could give you a hand unloading the boats...if we can still walk straight by then. We'll keep an eye out for you around 9pm.
Thanks for the offer. We'll probably just drop the trailers off on the beach and save the unloading for Sunday. We scored a "cottage" at 31st Ave & 56th St. I'll PM my phone #.
I can only see things improving when we have a change of govt; the problem is that our current govt are burying their heads in the sand and just spending money they do not have; It will have to be paid for; somehow.
[rant deleted] [I must resist the urge to start another drill baby drill thread. I must resist the urge to start another drill baby drill thread. I must resist the urge to start another drill baby drill thread. I must resist the urge to start another drill baby drill thread....] I would just politely suggest that political discussions are probably better suited to other places than here.
Speaking of weather. I hopped out of the house this morning to continue packing the trailer and I'm met with a balmy 43(f). But to help keep me from sweating like a pig there's a 12 to 20 k breeze blowing right across the driveway. Thank god for small favors.. As you can see I'm back in the house drinking coffee and wondering what else I can put on to bring the shivering under control. This is what makes Florida so inviting. Tampa is waking up to 60F and rolling up to a managable 80. You Florida guys suck, but when I grow up I want to be just like you. Ed
Not to worry, it's only a -little- tropical depression right now, it may just go away. If we can't sail at least you will get to experience a Hurrican Party up close!
The last time we had to huricane evac. was back in 2004, how many snow storms have you had since then? November is late in the season, the gulf water temps are cooler now (80) so it shouldn't develop into much of a storm. At the peak of the season, in Sept, the water temps out in the Gulf are 92F!
I did my 30 years of -hard time- growing up in New Hampshire, I don't miss the 9 months of Winter...
Ahh, the steady but constant humm of the sump pump in the basement, endlessly sucking the snowmelt... We did have snow at Easter one year I remember only because I got a new bike but couldn't ride it in the snow! And one Halloween it snowed as well. Good times.
If anyone has pictures of the club preparing, boats being rigged, trailers arriving, rum being drunk, ... please send them over. I would like to write a report today and every day after for the website. Please keep me updated.
Update from rob and jills - spent yesterday organising the boats.. 9 boats was a fair juggling effort by everyone. Rob and Jill have been amazing, feeding and organising this huge VIPER crowd from all over the world.
About to head down and spend the day on the water, every one is welcome to come and join us.
Ok so the net connection here isn't allowing uploads so here it is.
Practice day 1 (No racing) I think it's safe to say this side of the USA is just as far as Europe from Aus, 21 hours travel is a long time to be sitting still. We got the whole team together yesterday morning and spend the day in the front yard of Robbie and Jill's juggling 9 VIPERS. The organization and commitment of these guys is second to none and there coaching facility is unbelievable (see). Weather conditions today where 18 knots with shifty 25 knot gusts, it looks like the will be the conditions for the rest of the week. The small water body of Gulfport keep the sea state real flat and we're hoping hurricane IDA will stay and just provide good conditions. It's looking looking like an interesting regatta and the VIPER team is sporting some great talent so we hope they can deliver. Stay tuned for more info and daily reports.
Brilliant practice day!!!! 15 knots, hot and two little Sprint races. The beach is a great catch up for sailors of all levels with smiles everywhere.
Paul, the PRO, has been on the money and called 5 of the VIPERS OCS in the first race... in his own words "you where about... oh... I don't know... but I could see the pin behind you all". Probably get a proper fix on it tomorrow I think.
Competition is going to be crazy! You got: Robbie Daniels Gregg Goodall Brett Goodall The McDonalds John Casey Olli Jason and Patrick Olli and Joana Constantine - just to name of a few of the top gunners that I know of.
From what I saw today these guys are coming into the start with NO ROOM to spare at full speed!!! I mean we hit the zero and they are right on the line. This is some serious top level competition going on.
Today a Blade went over and the skipper fell through the mainsail breaking it into shreds, hopefully they can score a replacement and be back on the water tomorrow. If I am not mistaken it was Chris Stator's boat. They capsized with maybe only six feet to spare from mast tip to our boat (pin boat).
Just got back home. The day started out nice. overcast high 70s for air temps. The winds were out of the south east around 12 to 15kts with five degree shifts. The top teams are: John Casey and crew. Robbie Daniels and crew. Gregg Goodall and crew.
After keeping tabs on who is where the entire fleet is very steady with there positions. The mid fleet is were all the mixing up has been occurring.
Today Robbie Daniels had a pitchpole but his super crew saved the boat. Robbie was flying forward with the mainsheet around his hand and the crew scrambled aft and pulled the rudders over in order to settle the boat down. It looked like a circus act that was very well coordinated and practiced.
There was a collision out on the water. G-Cat vs Taipan. The Taipan is toast and the G-Cat seems to have survived unaffected. From beach reports it was a starboard/port tack situation. Taipan being on starboard and G-Cat being on port.
Three races in today and scores are yet to be reported. I dont have them with me and I am already at home so I cannot give out who is in what official position.
The weather is suppose to settle down the next couple of days, so we shall see what happens.
For the record the McDonalds had boat issues and missed the two first races. In the third race they were mixing it up really good with the TOP teams. They are a force to look out for.
Its going to get exciting as we move into the mid week racing.
Robi, thanks for the report. does the participant list resemble that on .gulfportyachtclub.com/global%20salors.htm ? I am blind out here in New Mexico without reports like yours. Did the wind gusts develop like they were predicting yesterday...into the high 20's MPH? Thanks, Will
No gusts today werent as often as yesterdays. Tomorrow the weather starts to be what it usually is around here for this time of year.
I am going to predict the top finishers will be those who can play the shifts best. Boca Ciega Bay is very shifty and the winds clock around towards the edges of the bay.
Its going to be a a playing field of shifty winds and good tactical positions. I don't expect those who are high in the rankings to fall back without a good battle. Lets see what happens tomorrow.
Not from me. I was too busy taking notes etc. I will try to snap some tomorrow. I did see the Viper support boat sporting some nice long lenses, they may have taken a few. We would have to wait on Brett to see if they upload any.
Just got in, I have to make this quick because we are having a banquet party and well, if I miss my food I get grumpy really quick.
Today again we had three races. Winds varying from 9 to 15kts and maybe some gusts in the higher range. A few rain showers brought it heavy winds for the first start.
One blade lost its mast. A bunch of broken dagger boards due to debris in the water.
Again the top positions have not changed. Stand bye for official results from an official source.
I have one thumbdrive and two cameras loaded with images. I took some video as well. Once all of that is uploaded I will post it up.
Ed lucky duck mills was in the top 10 and Constantine was doing well on his Taipan. He already had to rebuild one hull with his boat.... When the taipan was knocked out... I was sure it was him having bad luck. Looks like he escaped. Kris H is working out the kinks on his new boat as well.
How are they doing single handed against all those cheaters with two extra hands.
Mark, not sure if you are referring to the taipan in the event. But it was not Constantine. It was Seth Stern's boat that was damaged. Seth is back on the water with his stand-bye boat.
Eric sailed with his son at the Alter Cup who doesn't have a lot of experience... but he's definitely a force to be reckoned with. With Tripp on the front of the boat they are heavy but I don't see that slowing them down too much.
Today the racing was a hand full for the racers. The first race the winds were out of the north west, blowing around 18kts. We did witness a lot of capsizes and some broken gear. Mainsails, rudders dagger boards, hulls you name it it broke today.
The top finishers are the top players. Robbie Daniels, John Casey, Gregg Goodall etc etc.
We had wind shifts ranging from 5 to 30 degrees we were changing gates and weather marks almost at every lap. We the race committee had our drama as well. Lines getting caught on props anchors dragging and a few hickups on the comms.
All in all a fun day for everyone. The racers had a blast and the committee was smack in the middle of it all. Shrimp boil at 7pm at Gulfport Yacht Club. For results check the Yacht Club's website. www.gulfportyachtclub.com
It's not you, under spinnaker the top will bend off quite a bit when it's blowing. They all do it, or at least all the ones I saw did, I think all the boats at the GC are using basically the same mast.
More good wind today! It is unusual to have a full week of good wind down here, usually you get 2 days if you are lucky, which is why they scheduled it for a full week, to be sure to at least get a couple good wind days. But 15-20 for a week? Almost never happens.
They are getting their money's worth of racing! It could be as many as 15 races completed by tomorrow!
Good wind and Global Challenge seem to go hand in hand, over the past two years there have been more day's blown out than sailed, 5 blown out and 4 sailed to be exact. At least this years GC is re addressing the balance. At this very moment here in South Wales UK the wind is gusting up to 75mph and I'm so looking forward to my half hour walk to the Yacht Club tonight. However, I wont care too much about the one hour walk home!! P.s Thanks Robi et al for the excellent on the water coverage and commentary. GOOD JOB
Today's the final day, and the lightest air of the past 4 days racing no doubt.
I just checked the Boca Ciega Bay weather and it's saying 5 gust to 10. It should build to a steady 10 plus a few gusts as the land heats up but most likely will stay relatively light compared to the past 4 days.
Look to the far right of the top two charts, the left side is yesterday's winds, timeline across the bottom.
They should easily be able to get in 3 races if they go to 2 laps instead of the 3 laps they have been doing.
Wow, when is the last time we saw a 15 race regatta? Do they get an extra throw out for that? If so that could shake up some standings as there are several who are holding two (or more) DNS-25's.
Can't remember the last regatta with 15 races. Maybe I just don't want to remember such a long regatta! :-)
If I read it correct on the GYC site, they use RRS, App.A. Meaning there is only one dicard allowed. Strange for such a long event. We mostly have about 1 discard for 4 races.
Yes, Andi and Martin have been doing very well for being -out of towners- on a boat not of their own type!
They have no "DNF's" and a worst finish of 10, so very good sailing!
I was originally supposed to be sailing with Andi but then I was later scheduled to be back to flying by now and in Atlanta for re-qual training by this week, which is why he brought Martin to fill in for me. However, the FAA Doctor who was supposed to sign me off last week has been "Out of the office" for the last 2 weeks (Vacation? Having a Baby?) and so I sit in limbo waiting for them to OK my return to work. Maybe next week...
I was sad to miss sailing in this event, and nearly in my backyard, but I'm very thankful that Martin was able to come and fill in. They say they are having a really good time and all the other sailors have been very nice to them.
My thanks to all the other sailors for making them welcome here.
OK... looks like some good racing. What has broken? Curious.
Pete-- outstanding!!!! You beat BM! Sweet! Seriously ... I think it is awesome that you held in there in that wind!
I also thought Amador was coming but I don't see him on the list.
would have been much more fun being there than dealing with a stupidly complicated computer program at work. I thought this crap was supposed to make life easier, not harder
Stand bye for some awesome interviews from the TOP GC sailors. Due to technical difficulties I am unable to upload anything at this time. I cant get the media off the card, my computer's media reader will not read this particular card, so I need to drive 45+ minutes north to get the camera to download everything onto the computer.
Stand bye! I will guarantee you will enjoy what is coming up.
"Ed Mills is a stud!"- anonymous sloop sailor at GC. Conditions were rough, at least for me, but Ed and the other Chesapeake guys got it done.
Hope everyone gets home safely.
Btw- The measuring process is painless. Carla Scheiffer ( please excuse the spelling)did most of the measuring. She's a sweet lady, very knowledable and efficient. Gordon Isco assisted and everyone was within limits. Spinnaker max SA is 17.5 sq meters. Mine measured in at 17.39, which was typical. I think Seth Stern had the lightest boat 107 (235.4 lbs.) or 109 kg., can't remember which.
Watching the top guys was something to behold!! F16S RULE!!
"Ed Mills is a stud!"- anonymous sloop sailor at GC. Conditions were rough, at least for me, but Ed and the other Chesapeake guys got it done.
My respect goes out to the 1-up guys as well. From personal experience (GC 2007) I know that doing races in such conditions makes a 1-up crew very tired. Therefore completing a series of no less then 15 races is a major achievement in my book. Especially when finding the strength somewhere to score a 3rd place in race 13 on the very last race day !
The fight for these crews is against the conditions, themselves and loss of concentration first and against the other competitors second.
For me, these guys and Ed Mills in particular rose up to the challenge and have beaten it. In echo of Pete Pollard I feel we should celebrate their achievement and spirit.
The forecast was 5-10. The first race was certainly less than 10. The wind built slightly until we had a few whitecaps, perhaps 12 knots, but then abated. Overall, 6-10 knots for Saturday.
Thanks to all the people who made this years GC happen. It was a great time with great people and LOTS of great wind (alittle too great at times)!!!! Thanks to Pete for finding Robi to drive for me for the last two days-I could keep sailing and boat could stay on the line. Looking forward to the next GC already!!!
Someone earlier asked about Chris Amador, he was there, indeed had his boat set up on the beach and went out for practice but when Hurricane Ida turned north and aimed at his house in Pensacola, he had to hurry home to try to tie everything down. I think he hit the road at about 4am after being up all day/night and left his boat in Gulfport. He did not return in time to race, but his friends took care of his boat and are today trailering it up to P'cola for him.
Chris, sorry you had to go, I hope all is ok at your house!
And Ditto what Joanna said, even though I was not saiing, it was great to see you all again!
I'm so sorry I couldn't be there at Gulfport and after seeing the pics and video's I'm even more sad about this.
On the other hand I'm so happy that things turned out so well and I feel this is a major achievement for the class. And the video's do so much good work in the way of promo. Truly unbelievable.
Both feelings combined make for a very confusing mental state !
We got home last night around 9:30 pm after leaving Gport at 4am on the nose. Had a two hour delay on I-95 and had to detour in South Carolina.
WOW....What an event. Constantine, Kris and I WERE challenged, and then challenged again and again all week. We were looking forward to 5 days of racing and boy, did we get it. The breeze was 20 - 30 when we got here Saturday night and stayed that way till later on Monday and then stayed hefty (for us) through the week and was lighter on day 5. We were there on a Blade, a Falcon and a Taipan, all uni and we had plenty of time to try anything and everything to get the boats to hook up in the high winds going to weather. The two up teams were able to really work the boats and they had some great speed upwind, really smoking. Downwind was both a thrill ride and a horror flick as the gusts came on and on. By sailing in this event we have raised our servicable wind range and we can now scoff at the high wind days that we occasionally get around here. GYC was the best host we could of asked for. They were polite, super accommodating to the racers and ran the event as smooth as silk. All the details were thought out big and small. There were great teams and unis on the course most with a "we're gonna have some fun" attitude, some were more serious, we ignored them. Robbi Daniels was a great sport who always had a smile and a wave as he flashed by going somewhere like he's late for dinner. Gina McDonald was the effervescent ambassador for the sport and always had a smile and a wave even in trying times. Gulfport itself was a great host and venue for the event. The beach, plenty of bars/resturaunts to suite you whether you wanted beach food or upscale, B&Bs, small hotels and cottages all available within walking to the beach. Everytime I do an event there I say that I won't be making that long drive again, but then I'm back again the next year.
Breakage. Conni had very little if anything break on the Taipan. He does that kind of thing just to piss us off. His new sail that he has been complaining about being too flat was well suited for the conditions in this regatta and he sailed very well and got consistant finishes. What a credit to the builders/designers that this boat (2002 Taipan) is strong, light (104kg) and is a competative platform even today. Kris had a trap line part on day 5 and in the ususal attempt to stay connected to the boat via the tiller, that broke also which cost him a trip to the beach. A broken rudder on day one cost him two races and that was pretty frustrating for him as he missed two races. I was having good luck breakage wise with some small things fouling or giving up and being able to fix them during a race or between races. Then on day 4 the head of my main decided to stay attached to the top of the mast as the rest of it came down. DRAT! There was nothing for it except to secure the sail and then what? I was at the furthest point possible from the beach, about two miles as it was diagonal across the bay. I found that the Blade will do 2 -3 knots on the wing mast when it's blowing 15 - 20 on the beam. I had a great sail back and enjoyed the first Florida post card day that we had all week as the sun made it's reluctant appearance. I was now a tourist. Jill finally spotted me by the time I was about to tack for the beach and gave a tow, many thanks. I had bought new sails a while ago but was too busy to mess with them and had decided to sail with what I had on the boat i.e. what I was familiar with. It would also involve some work to reset the mast to the new sail and I'm alergic to work so that was that. So I missed day 4 and sailed day 5 with the new main, approved by the committee of course.
Again, many thanks to the racers and organisers that let us be part of the scene on Boca Ciega bay during the F-16 Global Challenge. Ed
I think the T4.9 still has a future, particularly as an optimized Uni rig.
Ed and Constantine were the best of the Uni sailors at GC. But with all respect to them, I'd love to see someone younger and more athletic, like Tripp Burd, make a serious campaign on a Uni. Imo, the Taipan 4.9 would make a fantastic specialized one-up boat.
Imo, the Taipan 4.9 would make a fantastic specialized one-up boat
I feel too that the Taipan 4.9 is a good uni boat with a spinnaker. Especially in light winds this design is still very fast in comparison to the newer F16's.
In my opinion, the only modification it needs are T-foil rudders when sailing it with a spinnaker in the rough stuff. That will solve basically all issues a 1-up sailor could have with the Taipan 4.9/F16.
This is still a thing I want to try on my own Taipan F16; shouldn't be an expensive modification.
Come to think of it, what would you think of the above Taipan 4.9/F16 with a carbon mast ? Wouldn't that be one nice lightweight 1-up F16 ?
Seth's boat came in at around 235 lbs. so there isn't much room for weight savings.
It's an older boat and he takes care of it but is not obsessive. So, I would assume there is some water weight, from leakage, codensation and absorption.
Watching JC got me thinking about all this. He carried a very light, very fit crew. On one of the downwinds, JC was in the middle of the tramp, had the main sheeted lightly for that much wind, and seemed to be driving deep. And, he was fast. Very fast!
A rock star Uni driver is what the sport and the class needs. Think about: one guy under spin, trapped out, lots of spray, excellent speed. That would make a great shot for TV.
A rock star Uni driver is what the sport and the class needs. Think about: one guy under spin, trapped out, lots of spray, excellent speed. That would make a great shot for TV.
Well, I think playing air guitar is about as close as he gets to being a rockstar but there are some excellent shots of Hans Klok single handing the Blade at the GC 2007.
A rock star Uni driver is what the sport and the class needs. Think about: one guy under spin, trapped out, lots of spray, excellent speed. That would make a great shot for TV.
Well, I think playing air guitar is about as close as he gets to being a rockstar but there are some excellent shots of Hans Klok single handing the Blade at the GC 2007.
I'm think about something like this.
I'm glad to see Hans trapped out so high. Now I feel better about getting knocked around so much.
Thank you Ed for those very kind words. I had a great time at this event and I am typically a "weekend warrior" and not a 5 dayer. I would do this again! In general, the participants were very friendly and very competitive. Just what I like! We did have some trying times, but we were always having fun when we were racing and that is why we love this sport. Racing catamarans has always been a huge part of our marriage and something we enjoy together and I'm going to do my best to keep that going. Thank you GYC, all our good friends (new and old) and for those that couldn't make it this year - we'll see you the next time.
I have said it before and I'll say it again. Those are some good looking sails.
Did you put some negative round (hollow) in the luff of the spi from the tack and up 1.5 meters?
Thanks again; Praise needs to go to Grant Piggot; he built them with my input as to what I wanted them to do. I'll peg out the kite and have a look; but not that I am aware of; I simply said to Grant I want to have a flat Spi I can drive very hard!
The day when those photos were taken had to be probably the most fun day I've had sailing so far, 4 1/2 hours of just enough wind to get to where we going and then 1 hour solid of adrenaline, out on the wire reach, all the way home, see a boat up ahead, 10 minute later they were behind. What a load of fun it was.
The day when those photos were taken had to be probably the most fun day I've had sailing so far, 4 1/2 hours of just enough wind to get to where we going and then 1 hour solid of adrenaline, out on the wire reach, all the way home, see a boat up ahead, 10 minute later they were behind. What a load of fun it was.
Mayne, and remember we only went 1/2 distance.
I've done full distance when windy and sailed OUT with the kite up all the way to Walton in 80 minutes, and we SAILED UP to Osea from the Club line first. We were sailing a Hurricane59 with a Spi mind!!!
Here are the tidied up results and data of all who participated in the F16 GC 2009 Gulfport USA.
10 Vipers, 7 Blades, 4 Falcons, 2 Taipans and 1 G-cat F16; in total 24 crews who finished at least 2 races.
The event saw 8 singlehanded crews and 16 doublehanded crews.
And first place overall went to an adult/kid team, with a two-blokes doing second place and a mixed (aldult) male/female team in third. A very nice mix of the F16 (2-up) target group indeed.
Interesting to note (see the green numbers) is that the claim that Vipers were the first 5 boats over the line in the heavy wind days is not really reflected in the results.
Vipers were 1 to 5 in races.. 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12 (all strong wind days apparently) But indeed were not in races 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 ..........(or in light wind races 13, 14 and 15)
However, Viper crews were first 3 boats over the line in race 1 to 12 (heavy winds); still an incredibally impressive result, no doubt about that.
Best grouping of non-Vipers crews was in race 13 were 2 Falcons and a Blade laid claim to finish places 2 to 4.
Best score by a Taipan crew was 6th place in race 6 after that they stuck to midfleet placings; really not bad for an oldie. There also doesn't appear to be that much difference between a 1-up and 2-up Taipan.
And of course we see how well Andi Lutz and Martin Schori did; they have put in 4 top 5 finishes on a Blade; 3 of them in heavy winds.
Team McDonald did 6 top 5 finishes overall on their Falcon F16. Also 3 of these in heavy winds.
It is also nice to note that after the previous two Global Challenges were won by a singlehanded F16 skipper (2007 : Hans Klok/Blade, 2008 : John Pierce/Stealth); this years GC was dominated by the doublehanded crews. All GC's up to now had big wind, so that can't be given as an excuse.
I think this wraps it up and till next years F16 Global Challenge !
Wouter, I can't see because the print is too small, but who was the highest placing Uni driver, at what was his highest finish, and in what race? Thanks.
Sone forum readers had this problem before. The printing isn't small in reality but your browser reduces the size on any inline pictures. I have forgotten how this problem is solved. It is at least not something I can change.
An alternative solution is to save the (small) picture to disk and open seperately; it should be full size then.
In answering your questions :
Quote
who was the highest placing Uni driver
Ed Mills (Blade F16), our residential STUD !
Quote
what was his highest finish and in what race
3rd place in race 13; right behind 2-ups Team McDonald (Falcon) and Team Daniels (Viper) who were respectively 2nd and 1st in that race. 4th at that time was 1-up Daniel Feldman (Falcon) with 2-up team Casey being 5th on the Viper.
Wouter, I can't see because the print is too small, but who was the highest placing Uni driver, at what was his highest finish, and in what race? Thanks.
Nobody kept "score" of all the weights as far as I know. I know my Blade weighed about 112-113, the number was jumping around a little bit because my mast was up and the wind was blowing, rocking the boat just a little bit.
Some boats had their masts up, some down, I don't know if that matters other than the 1kilo jiggle.
Other than Carla Shiefer (sp-10) who was doing the measuring, I don't think anyone kept a log of all the weights, and I'm not sure if she did either.
I didn't stick around to watch any other boats being weighed so I can't say what the others weighed.
After all of the talk about measuring and class weights it sounds like the boats were measured at Gulfport. Are those results posted anywhere?
Even back at teh GC 2007 is wasn't official policy to publicize the measurement results.
We all know that the weights of the boats that were there as a few of us made an effort to be around when the data was collected and told eachother what we learned. Of course this ended up in a discussion on the forum and so this data can be retrieved from the archive.
Point being that the data was never publicized by the measurers and I don't expect them to break tradition here. And that is the way it should be I think.
So the only option we have here is the boat owners themselves confessing up to their weight or some spy spilling the beans !
We already have the following data (from other threads)
107 / 104 kg ; Formula 16 class minimum for 1-up / 2-up
104.5 kg ; Conny Seremetis's Taipan USA 276 (1-up) GC number 18 107 or 109 kg ; Seth's Taipan USA 213 (2-up) GC number 13 112.0 kg ; Ed Mills's Blade ??? (1-up) GC number 16 112.5 kg ; Tim Bohan's Blade USA 777 (2-up) GC number 5 112.5 kg (?); Lynn Olsen's Blade 1 (2-up) GC number 3 113.0 kg ; Daniel Feldman's Falcon ??? (1-up) GC number 12 116.0 kg ; Kris Hathaway's Falcon ??? (1-up) GC number 17 120.0 kg ; Pete Pollard's Blade 702 (2-up) GC number 1 129 kg ; Mike Borden's Viper USA 132 (2-up) GC number 6 135 kg ; Unkown Viper (Down from 145 kg)
Not present at GC 2009 but presented as comparisons.
104.0 kg ; Hans Klok VWM Blade NED 111 (1-up) Production series with carbon mast, boom and spi pole. 105.5 kg ; Simon Porteous Aussie Blade AUS 405 (1-up) Production series 112.0 kg ; Mark Pressdee Stealth ??? (1-up) GC 2007 112.5 kg ; Geert Ruesink Blade NED ??? (2-up) GC and Alter cup 2007 112.5 kg ; Matt McDonald Blade USA ??? (2-up) GC and Alter cup 2007 112.7 kg ; Marcus Towell Aussie Blade AUS ??? (1-up) Prototype GC 2007 122.3 kg ; Wouter Hijink Taipan F16 (2-up) GC 2007; the homebuild prototype F16 ; first commisioned boat under F16 rules (intentionally overbuild)
Tim ?
Your boat is an alter cup 2007 blade right ? If so then Lynn Olsens Blade will also be 112.5 kg. All the Alter Cup Blades weight about the same. I know Geert has an Alter Cup Blade overhere and that was also measured at about 112.5 kg at the GC 2007.
Mine was weighed sloop because I was supposed to have my dad crew with me...but had to go UNI because he hurt is back onthe first day of practice...I still left the sloop stuff on though...So, I raced at 129kgs, fully rigged.
There was a Viper at 145 but that was before the water in the hulls, the full cups of refreshment sitting on the hulls, and daggerboard covers were removed. I believe they got it down to the mid 130s at Carla's insistence.
BTW, Carla and her assistants should be commended for their tireless work to measure so many boats and sails in such a short amount of time.
Ed's and mine were stripped clean of any jib equipment.
I did not study Dan's.....probably had the self tacker and jib cleats because it is a "demo" boat. His is the first Falcon produced BTW.
Can't remember Constantine's exactly but I know that he could go lighter if he fully stripped it of all jib gear. Which jib package pieces remained evades me at the moment. BTW, his is so well maintained that it looks new!!!
And your Falcon is a prototype or also a production series model ?Wouter
Don't know. It's a blurry line at the beginning of a production series. I was fortunate to have been accommodated with such short notice with my order. It is noticeably solid and nicely finished.
We were lucky to have 2 very involved manufactures that are both producing very fine F-16s. The winners are the customers. A tribute to a well thought out formula class.
BTW, the pimped out "R&D" Falcon has angled dagger wells (bait).
And what about experience levels? Any professional sailors being paid or sponsored to race in this event?
If so which crews??
Originally Posted by Wouter
Here are the tidied up results and data of all who participated in the F16 GC 2009 Gulfport USA.
10 Vipers, 7 Blades, 4 Falcons, 2 Taipans and 1 G-cat F16; in total 24 crews who finished at least 2 races.
The event saw 8 singlehanded crews and 16 doublehanded crews.
And first place overall went to an adult/kid team, with a two-blokes doing second place and a mixed (aldult) male/female team in third. A very nice mix of the F16 (2-up) target group indeed.
Interesting to note (see the green numbers) is that the claim that Vipers were the first 5 boats over the line in the heavy wind days is not really reflected in the results.
Vipers were 1 to 5 in races.. 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12 (all strong wind days apparently) But indeed were not in races 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 ..........(or in light wind races 13, 14 and 15)
However, Viper crews were first 3 boats over the line in race 1 to 12 (heavy winds); still an incredibally impressive result, no doubt about that.
Best grouping of non-Vipers crews was in race 13 were 2 Falcons and a Blade laid claim to finish places 2 to 4.
Best score by a Taipan crew was 6th place in race 6 after that they stuck to midfleet placings; really not bad for an oldie. There also doesn't appear to be that much difference between a 1-up and 2-up Taipan.
And of course we see how well Andi Lutz and Martin Schori did; they have put in 4 top 5 finishes on a Blade; 3 of them in heavy winds.
Team McDonald did 6 top 5 finishes overall on their Falcon F16. Also 3 of these in heavy winds.
It is also nice to note that after the previous two Global Challenges were won by a singlehanded F16 skipper (2007 : Hans Klok/Blade, 2008 : John Pierce/Stealth); this years GC was dominated by the doublehanded crews. All GC's up to now had big wind, so that can't be given as an excuse.
I think this wraps it up and till next years F16 Global Challenge !
Thanks guys. I think the light weight and how clean the boat looks, after 7 seasons of racing, says a lot about the quality of the Taipan. For the record, when the boat was weighed (officially recorded at 104.5 kg) the only non-essential parts for one-up racing that were still on board were the crew's set of trap lines. I completed the GC with these extra lines (as Kris told me before the race, they come in handy when you need to climb back aboard, and he is right).
I just wish I could sail it to its potential. There is no doubt that the boat a lot more potential that I need to tap into.
This was a great event! I had a really good time. Thanks and congratulations to the Gulfport Yacht Club for hosting a very successful event. Also many thanks go to the City of Gulfport for allowing us to use the fantastic municipal beach, parking lot, and the “Casino Hall” for the banquet.
The conditions were challenging and I have definitely expanded my wind range. I wish that our sailing season were just starting so I could practice some of the things that I learned.
And what about experience levels? Any professional sailors being paid or sponsored to race in this event?
I found this interview with Greg Goodall intriguing. from 3:30 to 4.00 He speaks about the type of sailors the class is aimed at, non professional sailors.
I guess you would have to define the word 'professional sailor' before making such a comment. I say this as the 07 Global Challenge was won by Hans Klok (Catamaran Parts). 08 Global Challenge was won by John Pierce (Stealth Marine) Hans also entered. Greg Goodall(AHPC) and Matt McDonald (Vector Works Marine) were both participating in the 07 & 09 Global Challenges. To my mind all of the above could be classed as Pro Sailors. I accept they are all manufacturers of sailing equipment and aren't necessarily being paid directly to compete but I think it's really good for the Class and probably better than having paid jockey's turn up and take the trophies.
I guess you would have to define the word 'professional sailor' before making such a comment. I say this as the 07 Global Challenge was won by Hans Klok (Catamaran Parts). 08 Global Challenge was won by John Pierce (Stealth Marine) Hans also entered. Greg Goodall(AHPC) and Matt McDonald (Vector Works Marine) were both participating in the 07 & 09 Global Challenges. To my mind all of the above could be classed as Pro Sailors. I accept they are all manufacturers of sailing equipment and aren't necessarily being paid directly to compete but I think it's really good for the Class and probably better than having paid jockey's turn up and take the trophies.
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