The information I have says RTI is at Leeside park - is this the same place as last year? My map says otherwise.

Same place it has always been ever since it was first sailed. Leeside Park - The state park between Destin and Ft. Walton, North side of the road (on the left as you leave Ft. Walton).



See you there!



Don

I will be there for my first RTI Race.



About what time will the registration begin?



Will it be too crowded for launching on Friday and should I consider launching on Thursday and leave the boat on the beach?



Dean Hubbard

Rave #143

Orlando, FL

I forgot to ask: Is it possible to get registration and other info ahead of registration day?

Dean,



I always set up Friday and have never had any problems. There is a registration form in the back of the July Catsailor Magazine with all the info. The registration goes up after Sept. 16th by $10. You can mail it in ahead of time, and be done with it. Late registration is Friday, Sept. 27th 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, Skipper's Meeting is that night at 7:00 PM. First start is Saturday, 7:30 AM.



Contact the Smyth Team for info 850-243-WIND



See you on the water.



Don

Muchas Thankos for the race info.



I may be up there to embarass myself but I don't care. I'm really looking forward to this race. Besides, where else are you going to have a ringside seat to see Monsieur Smyth perform a multihull water ballet at a race start? That's gotta be worth the trip.

Dean - good to see that you are coming to the race. If anything, you will be making history as the first Rave to sail in the race.



Looks like I'm selling the P19 next weekend, but I was able to talk Dave into letting me use is H20 for the race so I will see you there. BTW, I set up Friday morning which gives time to get everything together and go for a test sail in the afternoon. By about 3 PM beach space becomes a premium. The best spots right near the Leeside Inn dock are usually gone around noon though.



See you in two weeks.

Steve A.

Place to stay. www.leesideinn.com

Or try this. www.destin-fwb.com

Thanks for the motel suggestions. Actually, I will be staying at the best motel in greater Mary Esther: my mother-in-law's!



I married a girl from Ft. Walton. I'm a graduate of UWF (BA '71). Back in the late '70's I would drive from our apartment in New Orleans and spend the night on the tramp of my Sol Cat 18 in Leeside Park. That was back before the cops ran everyone out at night. I could have run over to my mother-in-laws but she didn't have the pine breezes, stars, lapping water and warm beer. It's home.



I tried to interest my fellow Rave pilots into the race but they simply think I'm crazy. Also, the Rave owners are a surprisingly older demographic and they may not be up to the task of withstanding the discomfort of the race length. One fellow may make it from California but he's been watching the wind (via internet) at Hurlburt and it doesn't move much there. The on and offshore breeze can be a lot stronger on the water off the beaches than it is at the tower at Hurlburt. I'll bet it's even more still at Eglin. There are a couple of reasons the Rave pilots would be trepidacious.



The first is that the Rave does not capsize but it will pitchpole while hullborne if a big gust catches you unaware. Pitchpoling is very uncommon, though. Foilborne pitchpoling is unheard of but it's possible. One reason for the lack of pitchpole stories is that the Rave guys are usually veteran beach cat sailors and are only too aware of the predicament. A pitchpole is a slow elevator ride up to almost vertical. Unlike capsizing in a cat, recovering from a Rave pitchpole is almost impossible by a lone pilot; even a very heavy pilot and passenger. I have a submersible VHF if I get in dire straights. I've also stuffed foam noodles in the mast, sealed the mast rivets and caps, noodles in the amas (outer hulls), and noodles strapped right under the deck of the central hull and crossbeam. Keeping the mast up is the key to recovery. Turning this 17' wide boat into the wind is practically out of the question.



The second reason is that the hulls are very durable high density polyurethane which is tough stuff but the Rave is not a surf puncher. A really big wave hitting hard abeam at the bow could bend an ama. Not pretty and also not common at all but possible. The only rare ama bends that we know of have resulted from the boat flying completely out of the water and landing hard to lee with a heavy passenger and pilot. The boat is remarkably durable and bullet proof. Designed by Dr. Sam Bradfield in Melbourne. FL.



The Rave is a Dr. Jeckyl-Mr. Hyde thing. Althought the Rave has about the same Portsmouth as a Hobie 16, in light air a H-16 will sail circles around it but once a 150 lb. pilot is up to 10mph, the boat rears back, hops out of the water and, in seconds, can accelerate to 30+mph depending on the wind. Some foilborne flying is a leisurely 20mph. Honking is around 35. Rig design max. is 35mph but some guys have held 40+ for a few miles before backing off. If I can get it up out in the Gulf I will be waving at Randy on the way to Ft. Pickens. By the time we pass Juana's, though, everyone will probably have a good chance of catching up and passing me. If it's light air all the way, I'll be the guy finishing during the awards ceremony (if I'm still awake).



At any rate, I will be looking forward to sailing in my favorite water with what I consider the best beachcat sailors this side of the left coast.



Dean in Orlando

What was I thinking?! The Rave hulls are high density rotomolded polyethylene not polyurethane.