I took a trip to St. Armond's Circle (Valentine's Day, wife's favorite place...) and was able to sneak over to the Sailing Squadron for a quick look, seemed to be about 5-6 Corsairs there now. Are they all locals or just passsing through? Looked like 2 F-24's (one was an older Mach 1) and the rest looked like F28's from a distance. A few Stilettos too. Lots of cats that looked like they hadn't seen water in years. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

So is there a steady fleet of F boats racing over there yet?

I went back yesterday and saw a brand new Sprint 750, as well as a faily new looking F24 MII. Do these things ever go in the water? It was a beautiful Sunday with perfect wind (10-15) sunny and 85 degrees, and all these boats sitting on trailors... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I did see a Nacra 5.2 rig up and going out, but there were very few sailboats on the bay, odd for a perfect Sunday.

I think next time I go I'll trailor my Blade and go for a sail while the wife does the Circle thing... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Actually, they are fairly active normally. They don't do a lot of racing but they are out sailing often. I, however have not been to the Sailing Squadron for at least three weeks and still do not have my boat back there yet. It is in for repairs and maybe another week or so and then I am racing it in Punta Gorda so it may be a month before I get back there.

Kathryn

Let me know if you are planing to take the
Blade. Also, if you find out any more about the Sprint 750, drop me a PM.

After a long hiatus, I am back on the water with my 28R. Repairs to the boat have been finished, life is back under control and, after Monday, Paul and I are retired!
Friday night racing is to start at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron this weekend. I don't expect a big crowd of multihulls, but its PHRF beercan racing anyway so who cares what shows up!
The Sprint 750 is owned by a couple that used to own a 31, I think. After an illnes, they decided to downsize to the 750. They don't race but are reasonably active sailing it.

I know that Tim was intersted in sailing on a Corsair. Paul and I will be out on the weekend at the Sailing Squadron. If any of you are interested in joining us, Sat. or Sun. send me an email.

Sorry I missed yet another opportunity! I was up in Cold, Wet, New Hampshire over the weekend for my Brother's 50th birthday party. I hadn't been "back home" in about 3 years so it was good to see them all again. Then I return to Florida thinking I'm going to warm up and it's Wet and Cold! Hey, who ordered this stuff?? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I'm home for a week of vacation now though so if you are going out next Friday night and need crew...I might be available, kitchen pass permitting of course. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

This Friday, I do need crew. There is usually just one race and it starts at 6:30 pm. We launch the boat early and leave the dock about 5:30pm. Let me know if you are interested. We also sail on Saturday and Sunday although there is not always a race on these days.

Let me run that by the boss (Friday night racing) and I'll get back to you, ASAP, today hopefully. Thanks! Tim

Kathryn, I sent you a Private message. Thanks. Tim

I always need crew! Especially one who knows how to sail!

If you get the itch to get on a small cat again, you're always welcome on my Blade. Particularly if you wouldn't mind doing some on water coaching!

BTW- I heard the next Alter Cup is on H16s with spinaker. The youth team at the last AC told me the spin doesn't make the boat appreciably faster, but it does yield a better downwind angle.

Sorry for the hijack. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I am on my way to Sarasota today but only to visit my wife's 98 yr. old Grandmother who is quite ill in the hospital over there. No sailing for me...

Too bad, today was awesome wind. We hit 18 knots on a liesurely cruise with Main, jib and screacher up. Wednesday we leave Sarasota for the Key West Rendezvous. Hoping for some good wind.

My fourth regular crew member has informed me he is no longer able to race competitively because of spinal issues, and I will need to search for another crew member to replace him for some of the major events we might sail in. I am not expecting any major events for us until possibly July. So I do have some time. Looking for someone with spinnaker and racing experience.

[/quote]

I always need crew! Especially one who knows how to sail!

If you get the itch to get on a small cat again, you're always welcome on my Blade. Particularly if you wouldn't mind doing some on water coaching!

BTW- I heard the next Alter Cup is on H16s with spinaker. The youth team at the last AC told me the spin doesn't make the boat appreciably faster, but it does yield a better downwind angle.

Sorry for the hijack. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> [/quote]
You are really forcing me to expose my ignorance here. I race a Hobie 17 in Ontario and New York State in the summer and since Hobie events switched to be exclusive to Hobies only, I am not very familiar with other types of Beach cats, however, if you were to venture to Sarasota Sailing Squadron on days that I was home, Paul and I could take you on the Corsair or if you preferred, you could educate us regarding your Blade.

I'll need to give your comment about a Hobie 16 "not being faster downwind with a spinnaker, but yeilding a better downwind angle", some thought, as initially it doesn't make sense to me. i.e. If you just point a Hobie 16 deeper downwind, it goes slower. So how is the downwind angle better with a spinnaker. What is better about it if its not any faster? The only spinnaker experience I have ever had is with the Corsair and it is certainly faster with the spinnaker.

(I think Pete was quoting a comment made by a teenager who competed in US Sailing's Youth Multihull National Championship on Hobie 16's with spinnakers.)

Kathryn, thank you for saying that it doesn't make sense, because it didn't make sense to me, either, because I didn't understand what they meant by "BETTER angle." Higher angle or lower angle? And what did they mean by "FASTER"? Did they mean faster in terms of actual speed or faster getting to the leeward mark? (Those are rhetorical questions, by the way, since we don't have the teen here to interrogate in person.)

Many years ago we did a Corsair seminar, and some of the boats had symmetrical spinnakers and sailed straight downwind. Some of them had asymmetrical spinnakers and tacked downwind. It seemed to average out pretty even at the leeward mark, depending on the wind. But the boats that tacked downwind had more fun because they were going faster, even though they didn't always get to their destination faster.

You'd have to ask the "kids"! They were the youth qualifiers at Alter Cup, so I just took the statement at face value. Having been on the Blade for two years, it makes sense to me. Imagine the H16s reaching speed at a deeper angle? Not faster, much better VMG.

There is a guy at GYC who has a H16 with spin. Why don't you come up and try it out!? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Or try my Blade.

I thought he meant the speed would be about the same but a "better angle" meaning a deeper angle with the spinnaker. If you want to make a non-spin cat go fast downwind, you have to go much higher and gybe a lot more, covering more distance. The spin cats can go "the same speed" ie. fast, but deep, ie. "a better angle" to C mark.

Now, you could just turn dead downwind with a Hobie 16, non-spin, and cruise straight to the C mark, much less distance to cover, but you will be going slowly. Usually it pays to head it up, get it going faster, bear off in the gusts, gybe, repeat. It depends on how much wind you have, etc.