Hi all,

this thread realy takes me back. I sailed in the first world ratified speed trials in Australia at Woodmans point south of Perth Western Aust. in about 82'or was it 83' getting to old, we thought we were great doing 28kts. in 28 kts. breeze, as always happens didn't blow as hard as the reputation of the place. There was one big guy there from Hawaii Fred Haywood but he was beaten by a little guy from France I think, Jeanne Piere Siret if I remember rightly. Technique seemed to matter more than brawn. Some Euros were wearing those streamlined suits back then and weight jackets. Cats were there, OZ's top Tornado sailer reached about 22kts. but the best surfcats were doing nearly as well. There was also a 18ft. skiff but it couldn't crack 20 kts.

I still have the speed board which was so narrow that my toes hung over one side and my heels the other. It is the only thing that bears any resemblance to the equipment they use now the fins and sails have had the most change. Sailboards will always be fast because they have so little contact with the water, the "mad scientist" contraptions will continue to come and go they were around before the sailboard.

Did you know that the skipper of Yellow Pages/Maquarie Inovations sails a A class and Taipan 4.9 sometimes with spinnaker, I have raced against him on my Mosquito with spinnaker many times and he is blown away by the downwind speed the one up Mosquito is capable of. Trying to get him hooked more on the F16 thing, hoping my new boat Altered might do it, but as you may guess he is a pretty busy guy especialy with his kids turning into top sailors, hope they to have the speed bug. They sail cats some of the time.

Oh well enough of the blast from the past, I'm showing my age.
Regards Gary.