I suppose I'm not the only one sitting on the couch pouting about the RTI. There's a pile of "boat stuff" in one corner of my bedroom that may be sitting there for quite some time. My boat could not be more pristine or prepared. I haven't paid this much attention to my physical condition in years.



If all the entrants had voodoo dolls named "Isidore", and a big pin ... I dunno. It's just a thought. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but they're already cramping and it's only Sunday.



Think "West". Way far west.

This could be your year Dean! If it comes up to the TX / LA line, then we could have S-SW winds from 15 - 25 and your Rave could set new records. That could also mean some big surf and a run in the intercoastal both ways at break neck speed. Think positive!! We will race next weekend!



Steve.

I don't think it's going to affect us too much. The computer models keep pushing it west and south although they did show a little more northerly trend this morning....that red one has been WAY off since the beginning....

If the wind is up don't be surprised to see me starting with a reef in the sound until I can determine that I can handle whatever is in the Gulf. Once this little hydrofoil comes out of the water it doesn't need all that rag to keep it up.



The biggest concern I have are the waves. The polyethylene hulls were not designed to punch the surf. I will have to pay attention.

Less than 7ft seas,



offshore is my vote!



Anyone remember the TX Two Step 3 years ago?

At this point, looks good for a Saturday morning launch from Destin. Hey locals, is the wind NE now?

Dean - if it's an inside run - please don't run over me on your way back!



Steve

P19 +spi 969

I've hesitated to make this post but here goes...



You all will have to wait 'til next year for me to run over you. For the Rave, there is a limit to the wind you can handle simply because after about 15mph worth of wind the boat is ungodly fast and difficult for me to control. The experience differs from a beach cat in that respect. A beach cat can be held in control in 20-25mph wind. The Rave with the one and only reef is still too much to control at 20-25mph wind. Singlehanding in the Rave with a 145 lb pilot can slingshot the whole mess down the sound at twice the windspeed. In the Rave, 35mph is an exhilirating ride. 40 is a little scary and 5mph past the recommended redline. The rig comes down after three or four miles at 45mph. (The mast bends but the rest of the boat is OK.)



Not wanting to wuss-out but not wanting to lose myself or my boat or harm any competitors I called my good bud Eric Arens this morning and ask him what he thought about a Rave in this race on Saturday. His thoughts were the same as mine. With 20mph wind and gusts to ?, it is doubtful there will be any control over the boat. Even with wind at 15mph I will be all over too many people in a narrow sound and worse, when I'm off the foils, I will be the slowest boat out there in everybody's way. In short, I'm the one yahoo you don't want out there in a breeze with a lot of zippy boats around.



I am disappointed having waited for this race since this past May. I was looking forward to sailing with some of the country's best in the best water ANYWHERE. Then, there's Randy's clinic on Friday. (Hand me another Kleenex, please) ...and the BEER! (Honk, honk, sniffle).



I wish you all the best flying ever. I'll wait for the pix.



Love,



Your Crawfish (Dean Hubbard)

Orlando

Rave #143 (All dressed up in the garage)

WHAT?!? Dean - get up there for the race. You can't make that call until Saturday morning. Heck, last year I drove THROUGH a hurricane on Thursday night to race and the wind on Saturday was VERY light once the sun went down. Everyone is talking big wind, but you do NOT know what will happen. This storm could accelrate out of the area and suck out all the wind. Don't make the decision until you are about to push off the beach. At least come up and drink beer and be merry!



Steve.

P19+spi 969

Steve's got a point....you prepared so much stuff for this event....

Dean - check out Jake's really cool wind page on his web site. Friday 00 shows only 6 knots of wind. Of course the forecasts can change - which is why you need to come up to race.



Steve.

P19+spi 969/162



http://webpages.charter.net/jakekohl/wind_forcast.htm

I may have been the most frequent visitor to Jake's site, today. I should have a "NOAA" key on my keyboard at work.



I will keep my eyes on all the NOAA site info, my brother-in-law, my mother-in-law (a very, very little ways from the sound in Mary Esther; a sincere but not very accurate observer) and make a decision at the last minute. It's an eight hour trip from Orlando. I will probably make the call Thursday night at the latest.

I'm still planning to put my motorhome in the wind for a 11 hour drive from Greenville, SC (I'm more worried about the motorhome towing the boat in the reminants/traffic of Isadore than the actual race).



Hope to see you there!

I am coming from Wilmington NC towing the HT class trailer with three 18 HT's and a super cat 22. Two years ago I was not going to go because of a Tropical storm, but decided to go anyway and the storm went through the night before and it was great weather both days.



See everyone there

Dean...the local forecast for saturday is 15 to 20 out of the north so sailing inside due to the swells in the Gulf ....well it will be REALLY flat water and perfect for foiling. The breeze too much?stay in the lee of the shore if need be....it will be a blast sailing in flat waters and believe me there is plenty of room to manuever where ever you want to go. Thsi sound is so protected its like sailing on a lake....you need to be here to pick up your trophy!!!



Mike Kelley

I agree with Jake, I'm more worried about the 10-11hour drive thru the tail of the storm on I-10 from Houston/Galveston. The traffic, winds, etc, leaving thursday after work. At this point, still plan to make it though.



Todd Bouton

N6.0na + spin.

There's always a pregnant pause in any good movie when the protaganist says, "I got a bad feeling about this."



Mike sez I need to be there to pick up my trophy! Boy, you guys have much more confidence in my sailing abilities than I do in my wildest dreams! Like I said, I would be in the way most of the time. Just scoot past me while I'm bobbing around and trying to look inconspicuous.



It's kinda like that song from the Clash back in the '80's: "Should I stay or should I go..." Then again, Jeez, what am I thinking?! I have a chance to skip work and I'm trying to talk myself out of having some fun with people whose eyes don't glaze over when I start talking about sailing.



My wife sanded the car yesterday (paint prep) thinking we wuzn't going anywhere this weekend. I'll be the guy in the dull red car, confused but willing wife, and bright yeller plastic boat. I won't even care if the beer is warm. I'll have to put the tail lights back on the car.



You guys are a bad influence.



A fellow Rave skipper from San Diego may be on the way. He may be in mid-Texas by now. I don't know. I can't raise him on the phone. So, there could be two of us Rave dudes there to crash the party. He's accustomed to sailing in rougher conditions than I. He's also very crazy but he may be docile if we toss him some meat while he's on his choke chain.



See you Friday. I'll take a reef and see if I can handle it. Like the carnival barker says, "You cannot win if you do not play."

All Right Dean!! When are you driving up? I'm probably going to leave Gatorville between 6 -7 PM depending on how quickly I can get out of work.



Mike is righ about the passage of the storms and the flat water in the sound. I grew up in the "narrows" and love sailing the ICW in high wind. In fact it was the only time I would sail.



See you Friday,

Steve.

P19+spi 969/162 (still for sale/sail)

folks, that storm is screaming northward! hurray! They're predicting that it will be over Kentucky in 48 hours (friday) and I wouldn't be surprised if the sun is out for us! See you there!

Well if the storm is going to be out of here, I hope we get to do the outside.



Mike