I need to get my trailer modified so we can stack and go...

Can I enter even if I haven't physically taken possesion of the boat? I think that would make a total of 10 boats?

If I am not mistaken, even if the F16 Class DOES hold a national championship, the winner would not be invited to represent the F16 Class at the Alter Cup.

I think there first has to be a United States F16 Class Association (which there is not), and that the Class Association has to be a paid-up member of US Sailing.

It is unfortunate that a class association has not yet been formed here in the U.S. and that the class has not held a Nationals this year and, therefore, will not be represented (as a class) at the Alter Cup next year when it is held on the Blade F16.

Until there is a class association that is a paid member of US Sailing, the winner of the national championship cannot be considered for participation in US Sailing's Multihull Championship or the Championship of Champions.

If I am wrong, I'm sure somebody will correct me.

It is SO cheap and easy to incorporate a class association and to pay the nominal dues to belong to US Sailing, so I do not understand why it has not yet been done.

You have enough people in the class now to be able to officially form a class association and have officers and hold a Nationals so the class can grow and have credibility within the sailing community. And then when all the country's best sailors are sailing the Blades in the Alter Cup, if new people are interested in joining your class, there will at least be a class to join.

P.S. Obviously, anybody has the possibility of getting into the U.S. Multihull Championship by submitting a petition. And even if the F16's do not have a class association and/or do not hold a Nationals, I would hope the Alter Cup Committee would accept a petition from a Formula 16 sailor for next year's Alter Cup.

Because everybody is waiting on somebody else to start doing the work.

Listen up guys. This is one thing the international class body or active volunteers like Phill will NOT do for you. So if no US sailors will step up to the plate then we can continue waiting for a long time.

Good point on the petition though; that may just work.

Wouter

Except that's really a long-shot because there are only a couple of petition spots for the event, and those usually go to people with a VERY impressive racing history.

or you could win your qualifier....

I vote Lake Tahoe for US/North American F16 Championships.

Let's start the Classs association first. A quick tour of the US Sailing site doesn't show an obvious protocol. Anyone know where to start?

How about a quick impromptu vote? Everyone interested in forming the U.S. F16 class association post a "yes I would like to form the U.S. F16 class association ."

Will anyone second this motion?

Pete,
To get a National Association off the ground you need two essential ingredience:- A constitution which expalins how the Association is going to operate and enable the association to be incorporated.
And a group of up to 5 people that are wiling to share the workload of getting the thing off the ground and forming the first committee.
The work isn't all that much at all when shared out. So if you can find 5 people it is a piece of cake.
These people would incorporate the association, set up a fee structure so the association can offord to pay the fees to join groups like US Sailing etc and hold the occassional meeting (in person or over the internet)to plan the way forward.
I was working on a project whereby people would have the opportunity to join a National Association in each country
that in turn belongs to an International Association.

I have had lengthy discussins with others but I have been way laid in this by some other things that demanded my imediate attention.
I will be getting back to this now to finish it off.
It will still be up to people to come forward to make it happen.
So if you can find 5 people that are willing to put in a bit of their time to get this off the ground it can happen.

Anyone interested in helping with this project can contact me via my private email. phillbrander@bigpond.com

Regards,
Phill

yes I would like to form the U.S. F16 class association
AYE!!

Phil:

Thank you. I'm like a kid at Christmas waiting for my boat!

Let's change it to North American F16 Class Association, just to be more inclusive. Phill is right, constitution/bylaws first, officers next and then divisional reps. US Sailing will recognize such a class association for $100 a year - see their one design class section on thier website. The F18 class is recognized in this group. Other benefits are listed there, as well.

Pete, are you drafting the constitution from Phill's template?

Not until we have a 5 member committee. Are you number three? (hint)

I have no problem with N.A. rather than U.S.

Count me in. See my PM, too. Same stuff.

Oh....forgot this:

8 days.

Fred Metcaf And Michael Coffman might not be sailing in the Gulfport Regatta after all. They were out practicing today for the event next weekend on a borrowed Taipan 4.9 and had a few breakages. The biggest one is a broken boom. We'll have to wait and see if they make it or not.

Jennifer

How did they break the boom?

The Gulfport Invitational is coming quickly.
Looks like we are going to have a great turnout.
Hans will have his new G-Cat F16 at the event and is looking for a good team to sail his new boat in the event.
He is looking for someone with spinnaker experience.
Please email back if you are interested.
Looks like we are going to have around 8 to 10 teams, possibly more. Forecast are showing for perfect weather with winds from 10-15 mph.

I look forward to seeing everyone.

Seth

Call Ding, Alex, JC or BK, they might be able to do it. Or put the request on the www.1desing.net forum where more of the locals reside.

LOL
This silly canuck found himself working in Broussard LA and has the weekend off. So he says to himself that he may drive to Gulfport for the regatta.
Doh, not the Gulfport in Mississippi. Kind of glad I reread the thread.