Whether you like it or not that trim was totally wrong and VWM can thank the original designer of the superwing mast for not getting damaged when subjected to such abuse.

Anybody who blows the mainsheet but keeps the spi trimmed tight in 20 knots of wind is clueless of what to do and what not to do on spinnaker boats.

Wouter

I APOLOGIZE!

This started as good natured ribbing from Karl on the f16 forum. Since you often ask if someone would like a "boot in the nuts" I thought the thread title would be funny. It isn't! My bad! Sorry!

I asked Mary to delete the thread, she won't, there's little more I can do.

Try to keep all this stuff in context: when Karl asked if I was scared to do the Macho, I said,"yup, my macho is kaput!" Some of you guys take this stuff way too seriously.

Cruisers often say, "the time to reef is the first time it occurs to you." I say if you're thinking about abandoning, you should. I've abandoned races for any number of reasons: safety concerns, frustration or when I was so far back I didn't want to hold up the next start.

I don't like distance racing. How would I know if I've never done one? For a year, I kept the Tiki at a mooring 17 miles upriver from the Gulf. Once a month, I would drag out of bed at 5a.m. motor/sail to the race course, another 3-5 miles out into the Gulf, race all day and then sail back up river. Usually, that put me back at the dock around 9p.m. I did this in all conceivable weather conditions. Sometimes, the conditions were extreme. I know exactly how it feels to beat from Naples to Ft. Myers in 20+ knots, wind right on the [censored] nose, single handed. That is not my idea of fun. I like to be on the water noonish, and off well before dark. If that means I have no balls, then you heard it here first.

OK, cool.