Hi Mary

In 88 a number of catsailing teams raced in the Ultimate Yacht Race series using a center gate course on then brand new H-21s with spin , a new innovation for cats at the time,-along with J-24s and Ultimate 30s in seperate classes .
A professional racing series made for TV sponcored by commercial sponsors and advid racers from Texas. The Ultimate Y R was shown on NBC Sports TV that fall.
Roger and I were fortunate enough to win the event held in New London Conn. though in OCT on Long Island Sound ,-it was ccooolllddd ,-again in 88 ,in the days before drysuits were readily available ,-or at least before I had one .
I visabley had signs of hypothermia ,shaking etc ,in watching the film latter .
The TV camera part was fun to watch latter,-{{no autographs please }} --kept waiting for someone to ask ,but no takers ,-but there were many of the current stars {rock stars}of sailing from Americas Cup events and others in attendance racing in the Ultimate 30 and J-24 Classes.
Any way -the course used was large and had a center gate between A and C mark that all had to pass through . The concept was to keep racing boats close and more reliant on speed and tactics rather than taking a flyer off to one extreme side ,the theory being it would be more interesting for sailors and spectators alike .
We had 4 days of racing using the center gate in all types of conditions,-from light wind races to gusts to 40 one day ,though fleets were small.
The final day of racing {think we won 5 k } we took the start and sailed well upwind ,but
we were passed going downwind right at the gate with spin FLYING in about a 15 to 20 wind having overstood the gate and misjudged the tidal current., The gate was at an off angle on starboard especially for higher sailing angle cats and only 10 boatlengths wide .
We were using a Hood spin developed for the H-21 mainly by Carlton and the other team was using a highly advertised North spin ,-the team had recently returned from the Olympics held in Korea that year and was well sponsored.
Great guys as I recall who we had a great race week with and dinners and drinks afterward .We passed the team back again at the gate going upwind the final day for all the marbles with them tacking too close and us squeeking through their lee to clear wind and backwinding them .
There were also on course referees which did not call them on tacking too close though could have , it made for TV drama however showing the ref boat speeding up at the ready near the center gate .

Rog and I rounded the final A mark about 10 lengths ahead on the final spin run to C and the finish line . On the first spin run Rog had left the boards down ,so we tryed raising them up on the final leg and sailed a lower line with less reaching and more leeway on the heavy 21s with their big full spins . We passed through the center gate about 6 lengths ahead and in what seemed at the time like an eternity we held on in a steady increasing lead in confused seas with lots of spectator chop to win a close finish and the winners purse.

The center gate added an interesting tactical element and navigational aspect to the event and did make the event more interesting .

I hope we see events and courses like this again in the not too distant future and for the new generation of catsailors .

Hope that is at least a little entertanining ,-informative and helpfull ,-
Thanks as always Mary for Catsailor and all you do ,-and similar memories of the great racing we had also and you partisipated in here in the midwest in that decade timeframe .
all the best --Carl