Todd, you saying you didn't enjoy that day as much as I did??? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> It sucked, but making ~60 miles in just over two hours was ok (till the storm hit)! I think we were just ahead and ~1/2 mile to windward of you when that happened b/c I remember seeing you all get LAUNCHED (think silhouetted against the sky) and thinking, "oh f*ck, hope they're ok". We saw you all up and moving otherwise we would have "attempted" to go back. Was that around Oregon Inlet?

I've been out in 20+ NUMEROUS times, 25+ well above average, 30+ ~20+ times on numerous boats from leaners to cats. I would consider myself someone who excels in big air as is one of the skippers I sailed with (also a big air specialist) before moving to UT. His words, "I can't trust you, you don't care what the wind is, you'll go out, lol". We did quite well in the nasty stuff. When it gets that way, there is a difference between those who can and those who try. (this is going to put in the same boat as Maugen, but..) If you get scared, you are going to act scared, you are more likely to get hurt. Composure is very important in these situations.

I've been out in some WILD hairy sh*t, but.... the vast majority of those times was to race. One race in particular in Ft. W (Bob cat posted a/b this one), we had a couple of waterspouts pop up and it got wild. Sadly, this was the decision making process, "what is the boat in front doing? racing, what is the boat behind doing? racing, so, we're racing too". Peer pressure is a biotch.

I can only think of a couple of non-racing times on a cat that I've gone out when most people would have stayed in. That being said, I would not have gone out that day on that boat. IMHO, breaking the boards would tell me that probably had them 100% down and that would be a mark of inexperience in itself IMHO. (flame away)