Hey!

It's been a year already since the last fall spectacular! Yesterday, the distance race was held, a 22 mile affair. It was an upwind start on a long port tack fetch down the sound to marker 129 to port then on to marker 131. The Nacra 20s were of course in the lead with the F17 trailing not to far behind. Once the F17 rounded, I brought the new seabreeze with me and was trapped for 90 percent of the time with the weather hull skimming over the waves. The 20s kept getting bigger and bigger by the finish! On corrected time, the F17 finished 1st. I have cleats mounted next to the daggerboards and my "crew" <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> was able to lock in the spin while I trapped and played the main.

Today, we will do 3 or 4 buoy races. The F17 is having a "good time"!

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

Wahoo!!

The F17 wins for the second year in a row!!!
2 buoy races were held in oscillating conditions for the first race because of rainshowers blanketing the fleet. The second race was very straight forward with the showers dissipating and the final return of the seabreeze. In the second race, the F17 won wire-to-wire in 5-8 knot conditions! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Very cool! I hope to see more F17s next year <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />.

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

Nice job <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />



Rich

Nice!

I guess I didn't mention the others in the spin fleet. There were 2 F16s; one didn't make it to the turn mark because of a spreader mishap(I offered advice on how to fix it for Sunday!)and the other one was 2 handed in the footing conditions. While they did get to the turn buoy before me, I seriously passed them downwind for the line honors in the under 18' range boats and the corrected finish.

While I was about halfway down the course, I was thinking how fast it might be with the SL rig. I was so tired from all the training and the nationals I guess I was looking for a little extra leverage! Now you know the rest of the story.

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