Who's winning?

First arrival?

First on the water?

Who bought the first beer?

is the wind as wacky as the previous two regattas?

I just checked today and tomorrow's ATL weather. Looks like a high of 71 today, low of 39 tonight, cold front coming through, high of 61 tomorrow. Winds today, NNW at 10-20 today, NW at 10-15 tomorrow. Should be a great weekend for the F18's and F16's. But it is an inland lake in the hills, the gusts will be big with many changes in wind direction I'm sure. Should be quite a work out!

A little chilly for camping out tonight, for me anyway, but I have really got thin blood from being in Florida for 11 years now. Maybe the people coming in from up north won't think 39 and 10 knots wind chill is cold at night... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Even in the Northern reaches of Europe, we would find 4 degrees above freezing, a little cool for camping - actually that's what it is at this minute here - I would not like to be out there tonight.

If history is any guide, there will be a really big party tonight at Nigel's house, they won't feel a thing after all the anti freeze is consumed! Ask Wouter, he's seen it live, in person! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

And we had a cold and wet night that year, I was unlucky enough to get swamped in my tent.

But the party is truly great !

Wouter

Maybe the F16's didn't race because the winds were less than 20 knots?

They were scoring the F16s and F17s together. I had to leave last night, but I think it was Bill G. on top in his F17 and then Olson/Lienti in their F16 after the first two days. Don't quote me on this.

Nice,
what are the winds like?

I only raced on Saturday and I don't know the actual wind speeds. They got in four races (all start A C A C finish). The wind speed and gusts increased over the course of the day. Not much to start with, but by the 3rd and 4th races boats were flipping in some of the gusts. On the last downwind leg of the 4th race, we flipped while jibing (our helm response became really sensitive as the wind came up, which made jibing difficult).

I think this is a recurring theme. I know my boat is like that downwind - I describe it as squirrely (very sensitve to small movements). It is easy to get caught in an increasing amplitude oscillation back and forth if you aren't careful. I sometimes wonder whether de-tuning (less rake maybe?) the rudders would help by generating a little bit of lee helm. This of course gets complicated as it will affect windward feel as well.

When you guys are driving downwind, what are you holding on to, the tiller extension, or the cross bar, or the tiller straight off the rudder head? I have not had any "squirly" steering issues downwind. Quick steering, yes, but not what I would call squirly, which to me implies it's doing things you are not telling it to.

I alway flip the tiller extension over the back and let it drag behind in big wind, steering with the crossbar or rudder tiller. I also hook my feet under the tramp hiking straps to keep from throwing myself off the back if I have to make a quick bear-away for a gust. I have my crew put their forward foot up against the back of the raised daggerboard to keep him in back and prevent the types of injuries described in that other thread.

We'll give your technique a try next time. I have seen a lot of the hotshots in pictures doing it your way. It was just remarkable how quickly the boat turned!

Well it is shorter than an 18 or 20, so it will turn quicker.

I usually only do this when there is someone on the wire behind me so I don't jab them with the tiller- or not be able to turn down in a puff. Sometimes I hold the tiller ext on top of the crossbar and steer that way. I do see the benefit of driving by holding onto the crossbar

Time way is the way I do it as well.

Wouter

I find it really helps during the Jibes because I don't have to flip the extension around the mainsheet blocks, just turn and go, I can steer all the way through the jibe without losing control for the split second it takes to flip the stick around to the other side, and it takes a little slop out of the system if you are not holding onto the extension but directly to the cross bar or tiller.

Racing was fun, fun, fun (except for the "floater" Sunday (Race 2 -- and last).

I've got to admit, even though the drive was long ... the racing was worth it and so was the PARTY. Thanks Nigel and volunteers!

Friday had two races with light breezes shifting 180 degrees between race 1 and two. Some trapeezing on race 2 but mostly light winds with shifts all around.

Saturday had 4 races with winds building through the day to 14-15 knots and modest gusts.

Sunday racing started at 10 AM with 10-12 knots for race 1, but instantly the winds died for race 2. 0-1 knots. The race was abandoned.

F16/F17 Results:

1. Bill ? F17
2. Team Oley/Joanna
3. tback
4. ? F17
5. Team Stater F16
6. Team Randy F16 (Didn't Race Sunday)
7. neville F16 (Didn't Race Sunday)


For me, I was pleased with my results. Friday in light air I finished 5th in both races. On Saturday as the winds picked up I did better recording 2-2's, 3, 4. And Sunday while the wind was up I finished 3.

This is a great regatta ... so many boats on the course at the same time made for interesting tactics as we raced....oh yea, there were visible obstructions in the lake .... exposed shallows (ie land). I think JC/JW can vouch for that ... as they went aground while double trapping. Neither claimed to see the orange buoy marking the shoal (even though this happened on Sunday...the buoy had been there all weekend!) Yikes. They're both okay.

No they're not! They are both extremely "sick" individuals!

Thanks for the report Terry and congrats on the 3rd. How many F16's were Uni vs. Sloop?

Me and Neville were the only uni-F16's...Neville had a commitment on Easter Sunday so he left (of course after the party Saturday night!).