Already pics up - what a gorgeous day of sailing. http://gulfportyachtclub.com/id63.html

GYC's website has a link to a streaming cam and current conditions. Looked like a picture-perfect sunset. I'll get another one in three hours or so. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Some scuttlebutt:

A stunning six three-lap races run in 10-15 with gusts to 20 and a light chop. Spinnaker crews are groaning - they raced 'till the sun was setting.

Tragic news - Robbie got seperated from his new Flyer before racing. It sailed away from him and into a seawall. He did not race. No details on damage, but it can't be good... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> JC and Brian picked him up and delivered him back aboard.

Some flipping reported - single-hand spin boats had a tough go of it.

More soon. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

John,

Sorry to hear about Robbie, that must hurt !

Any preliminary results ?

Wouter

McDONALDs WIN ... McDONALDs WIN!

My best radio announcer broadcast.

I'm sure the competitors will provide more details of the week. 10 races total...WOW!

Jeez it was brutal! I wouldn't have missed it for the world! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Several different people said it was about as tough as you can get, sailing around the marks.

Matt and Gina were awsome, I was beaten into exhaustion! It's hard for me to believe we were sailing the same boat.

On Saturday, the wind clocked steadily from NE to North and a little West and, I thought, continued to build all day. As the wind went North, the committee (no criticism intended) set the "A" mark in lee of a large group of Condos. The result was what you would expect! Crazy shifts that kept everyone on their toes. Extremely challenging.

Sunday was a little easier, only four races! And the wind did not clock quite so much, though the committee had to reset at least twice! The two morning races were not so rough as Saturday, but around noon the wind built to 15 (I guess) with gusts of Twenty. So it was very much more of the same.

I spoke with some of the F18 guys and the fight among themselves was very competitive. The I-20's were in their glory! But, they will have to tell those stories!

Great party and great food Saturday night. Caribean roast pork and chicken kabobs, citrus rice, broccoli and mushrooms, salad, and relish tray. Fantastic desert tray: baclava(?), cheese cake, choclate cake. Plenty of kids and dogs, plus a special contingent to help celebrate Ben Moon's twenty-fourth birthday!

Attendance was good with twenty boats, I think. Many of the usual A cat sailors did not show, but I'm sure that was in anticipation of the World's.

We have the best support people on the Planet at GYC! They are tireless, selfless and dedicated! The PRO and his crew were absolutely top notch! Many thanks to all of you!!

Matt and Gina did indeed win, followed by Ollie and Kelly Jason on a Cap. F18, folled by Brian Karr and JC on a Nacra F18 (infusion), followed by Dave Ingram and Pastsy Shafer on a Nacra F18 (not an infusion) Not sure about 5th place, 6th was Jennifer and Fred on a Cap F18, followed by me in 7th, on a Uni Blade, using the two up number, which surprises me, since it's not supposed to go into effect until 2008.

It was obvious to everyone, when it's 15 gusting to 20 all day, and you run 6 three lap races (18 upwind and 17 spinnaker legs) having a crew to launch and stow the kite makes a HUGE difference, yet we Uni boys had to use the two up number and we were much slower launching and stowing our kites, no doubt. My arms are so beat, I can't tie my shoes!

Matt and Gina were finishing -boat for boat- in front of many of the bigger boats, including the A cats. They really deserved the win, it was not all on corrected time.

Great regatta, 10 races in only two days mostly great wind, a little light this morning but then it came on later, you got your money's worth!

Great dinner put on by the club as Pete has said above. Thanks to all the hard work put in by the GYC!

I am jelous, our boats are put away for the winter. Congratulations to all.

Congratulations Matt and Gina! You guys are awesome!

E

Yeah, way to go Matt & Gina. Tough crowd! Good go of it.

20 boats at a Qualifier? Geez!!! That had to be fun!

We're not worthy...we're not worthy!! Let's seeee.....we had 7 this year. That's close, isn't it? You guys set the bar for the rest of us! But don't look back...we're gaining!

A few comments on the racing at Gulfport YC from the vantage point of the RC Signal boat....
Starts were quite good. A-Cats generally at boat end for pointing, Inter 20s at pin end for speed, various F16s and 18s in the middle. Most everybody on the line at GO.
It was painful watching the leeward rounding at the gate. The McDonalds and Ben Moon were the only ones who had good roundings and even then not always. MUCH was lost by starting the rounding near the mark, only to end up close-hauled several boat lengths downwind of the mark. Often the assymetrical was left up far too long, causing the boat to go very fast, very far down the course beyond the mark. With boats overlapped so many outside boats could have slowed a bit and turned inside at the mark.
At the top mark on the leg to the offset it seemed to be fastest to just stay on the trap(s) until rounding down, rather than fiddle with outhaul, mast rotation, barber haulers, etc. We could see a boat slow for the adjustments and not make it up with the better off-wind setting.
I did not see anyone stand up in the boat or actually sail up to see which side of the course was the best before a race. (It was the left most of the time due to shore effect.)
Finally, for the boats with aluminum masts that seemed to have leaks in them when capsized, we would watch with binoculars (yes, we WERE watching for people attached to boats) as the sailor used the righting line to start the mast coming up, slowly. Just as progress was being made, they would give up and the mast would re-fill quickly. Keep at it! Should not need a fisherman or kayak passerby to help.
Just observations from a long-time racer.

Don't be shy.

Wouter?

Thanks again for your time and expertise. It was,probably, the best managed regatta I've had the pleasure of participating in.

No, the RC guy is an ex Marstrom A-Cat, Taipan/f-16, Hobie 20 sailor who also happens to be a 7-times monohull national champ, including crew this year in Flying Dutcham. As a long-time sailing and racing instructor I can't help critiquing. Those who can no longer do, teach.

Well, thanks anyway. It was a lot of fun and a little tiring.

Had that tone didn't it. But I like Bob and respect his opinion...

I guess he didn't see me sail upwind prior to the starts or standing up between races, to look upwind for shifts/puffs, and also to stretch out my aching back. But like he said, I also ran too deep into the gate, but only because my lazy butt crew couldn't snuff the spin fast enough for me to go upwind! Damn lazy butt crews. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Sorry if my race comments seemed offensive to some. Just freebee observations from a former pro coach. Thought it might be useful to some.
The puffs (and shifts) were coming down the course and were quite visible in the sunshine. I should have made it clear that we on the RC boat could see an obvious big puff on one side or the other or in the middle coming down the course just before the start, but many boats sailed away from it at the start. One boat started, tacked to port tack, went a ways and tacked again just before getting to a really nice puff. The result of the tack was a big lull and an exasperating parking lot while the fleet sailed on.
Yes, I know that it is easieer to see this stuff while not having to actually race. It is the top sailors who do both.
Dave Ellis
Old guy

At least they don't talk back!

Dave, you guys put on an awesome event, thanks for your efforts. I just wanted to make sure Wouter wasn't sneaking into the States under an assumed name.