You may not have the stones but we know someone else does, there is always at least one.

It's always better to do it by the book. The second you try to do what you think is the right thing you get punished for it.

I had a great time at the race but unfortunately couldn't hang around much because I had to help my crew rescue his own damaged boat (and, had to keep wifey happy too of course).
Regarding my hull issue that Tom accurately described in his great race report-
One thing I have learned sailing these boats for a short time is this: stuff breaks. Oddly enough, I like fixing and working on the boats. That is part of the fun for me. However, no matter whether it is a 400lb monster or an Acat, things break. Remember Hodges pulling the rear beam out of his Acat? I can't tell you how many centerboards and rudders broke during the 2005 Alter Cup (had to overnight new ones from the factory!). A gooseneck broken off the mast because of a fall onto it during a capsize. Almost tearing a bow tang out of the hull when the wind blows it over even when it is tied down. The transoms of some boats have been torn off by running aground. Pete's mast came down once, right? Robi went through his sail once (how many people have done that?). Stater broke his rudder this weekend. Who was it with the 5.2 or 5.8 on the main forum who had his whole hull break off and slam into the other? The list goes on and on and I have only really been in this sport and paying attention for 2.5 years!
My hull had a problem which is being dealt with as we speak. Thanks to TBack for letting me piggy-back my hulls on his trailer on his way home from Midwinters. Forensics to follow.
Am I mad? No, because [censored] breaks in this sport because it can be violent and the loads are huge at times. I am also not mad because the manufacturer is being very responsive. Do you know of anyone at the other manufacturers that would return my (me, as amateur as they come!) call on a saturday night?

Wouter my friend it's that way because it's TRUE! And Wout, make no mistake you pissed in a LOT of cereal.

I'm also a fan of a little less hype and a little more fact.

Nobody is saying that it isn't true or anything to that effect.

Just to have it run its natural course.

I'm also a big fan of facts and I honestly fail to see the acclaimed hype part is in all this.

Surely you are not claiming that after having over 50 VWM Blade F16's produced and sailing for several years that PTP's cracked hull proves anything other then it being the exception to the rule ?

The reasonable thing to do seems to wait for the analysis to be completed and whether either PTP or VWM feels inclined to comment publically on it. From personal communication I gether PTP is very satisfied with the customer service of VWM.

Honestly, I really don't see what the big thing is here.

By the way, do you know how many registered F18 boat there are in the USA ?

Wouter

"By the way, do you know how many registered F18 boat there are in the USA ?"

Who cares? Isn't this the F16 forum?

That was the one on the Hobie Tigers right ?

Wouter

Do I need to reiterate? This is the F16 forum; right? Or am I in the wrong place?

oops... got the year wrong. it was 2006 AC in pensacola

part of the problem sometimes is that this ISN'T just an F16 forum. If it were then people who hate the F16 wouldn't always be trolling through here!

Mary your inbox is full !

And we have always discussed things not stricktly F16's on this forum. From Rugby (recently) to how polynesians navigate by their testicles. Humm, maybe there isn't that much difference between these two examples ! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Wouter

Humm that would be the one on the Nacra Inter-20's then, because Nacra couldn't deliver the promised Infusions.

Mind you the infusions shipped to EU that same year ALL broke their daggerboards within weeks. Nacra had to ship in an emergency batch of new boards to avoid F18 sailors missing any official races because of it. Split open on the seams as well.

All was properly adressed by Nacra however and that was the last we saw of it.

I guess such things even happen to companies with over 30 years of experience in building overweight boats. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Wouter

Hull failures aren't just limited to one manufacture. Sure the Blade has had a few glitches but I also saw a few Infusions split at the seams on the bottoms that were well cared for. I for one am glad to hear that the manufacture returned a phone call on Saturday night. That shows they care and will probably look at what happend closely to see if it is a deficiency and possibly correct it. I do have to point out that Performance Cat returned my phone call on a Sat in the past as well.

Lee Wicklund/Team Chums

I once broke the hull of a H-16 in much the way PTP describes his break. It was the last time my wife ever set foot on a beach cat! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Does anyone have a link for the full results for the Perf. Midwinters last weekend? Thanks. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Well the facts are slowing coming in :




I saw a couple of pics, it is a crack alright but not a broken off hull. I've seen a very similar crack repaired on another boat and that one is still sailing.

Seems VWM is taking full control of the situation but I feel unjustified in publically disclosing details in this matter. That is up to PTP and VWM. However, PTP mentioned in another public post that he is looking for somebody to bring a VWM part back with them to Pensacola from the say the A-cat/F16 invitational and he is refering to sailing soon again. We can all inteprete the situation correctly on those bits of info, I think.







Looking over the race results as given here :

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...umber=137527&page=0&vc=1

It doesn't look like much of a dependable comparison and there is not much support for the claim that the 3 F17's usually finished head of F16's other then due to a DNC or DNF. Basically the racing was a major blow out with less then halve the registered boats racing on average.

Race 1 : 5 out of 14 racing
Race 2 : 10 out of 14 racing
Race 3 : 8 out of 14 racing
Race 4 : 4 out of 14 racing
Race 5 : 5 out of 14 racing

Where of the F16 group only Terry Back has raced 3 out of 5 races; Tom Shannon did 2 races out of 5 and F16 newbies like PTP and Stater doing only 1 out of 5. A F17 sailor like Chad Schwall doing 5 out of 5 and Curry 4 out 5.

That is a pretty stuffed up set of data, my friends.

But even then we have the following line-up, of F16's and F17's that actually started/finished :

Race -1-

-1- Bob Curry Nacra F17 42:09
-2- Chad Schwall Nacra F17 44:08
-3- Mike Teets Nacra F17 45:07
-4- Pat and Mark Blade F16 49:04 (not bad, Pat, for a very first race on the Blade F16 against likes of BC !)


Race -2-

-1- Bob Curry Nacra F17 40:28
-2- Chad Schwall Nacra F17 43:40
-3- Tom Shannon Blade F16 44:16
-4- Terry Back Blade F16 46:50
-5- Mike Teets Nacra F17 50:25


Race -3-

-1- Chad Schwall Nacra F17 38:08
-2- Tom Shannon Blade F16 40:24
-3- Mike Teets Nacra F17 41:24
-4- Terry Back Blade F16 47:35


Race -4-

no F16's started this race; only Chad and Mike started on the F17's


Race -5-

-1- Terry Back Blade F16 0:40:02 ..... But Tshan is disclaiming this result, he says he retired.
-2- Chris Stater Blade F16 43:35
-3- Chad Schwall Nacra F17 44:06
-4- Mike Teets Nacra F17 44:46






No disrespect to Tom, Terry, Patrick, Joe, Chris and Eric, but Curry is a hot shot on the F17 and the F16 hotshots like Joanna/Oley, the Mc's, Timbo and I think also John Laughlin and Constantine Serementis were not at this event. I don't know how to relate Tom and Terry to Mike and Chad.

But I do think that if we can concluded anything from these sparse results then it must be that things appear pretty even. Which handicap systems like Texel and USPN do indeed suggest.


Seems that we've got to keep doing these mixed fleets !

Wouter

Chad and Mike sailed a good regatta and should get the kudos for 1st and 3rd. Someone told me Chad was 4th at the last F17 NAs and Mike could not have been far off that pace. I couldn't verify it, though. Remember that they were knocking off some rust after the winter break, too.

As posted on the Open Forum:

Scoring Corrrection:

In the 5th Race (2nd Race on Sunday) I was scored a "2" ...

... I was actually last. After a capsize late in the 1st race on Sunday, I had to go to shore to lower and raise my main (main sail came out of the lower luff track). I was late to the start and after doing one AC(g) I sailed thru the S-F to inform the RC to score me a last and I'll wait for the next race to start.

This didn't get properly recorded.

------------------------------

In the two races that Tom and I actually started -- ON TIME <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> it was pretty close racing between us and the two F17's (Chad and Mike ... clearly Bob remains atop the field).

The F17's do seem to point better to wind, but as Tom stated, we do seem to converge on the windward mark. Downwind we're about the same ... although an F17 skipper mentioned that we (F16's) looked skittish under spi'. I agreed and suggested that the helm was so neutral that the slightest movement of the tiller caused the boat to react instantly ... and it's more a need for the F16 skipper to have more confidence and not "over react" to the gust and feather the helm .... MUCH EASIER STATED THAN DONE.

Terry you will be missed this weekend man. Thanks for the posts.

Its going to be great sailing and lots of speed comparing is going to be going on.

Hey Wouter,

I think you forgot the heavy F18's <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Yea, feel bad that my .... errrrrrr .... wife planned a 75th Bday party for her mom that weekend and (jeeeeezzzzz I feel like TIMBO) stated that ** I WILL ** be in attendance.

Anyway, I might make it over for the racing and festivities on Sunday.