I will pick the Sach's for the win.
Thay and the other Capricorn teams are having a training camp Tue-Friday.
My US pick is Robbie and Hunter.

Matt

JC and Kenny (2nd at North Americans) will probably be up there too but I think they would agree that this experience is going to be an "eye-opener".

Heemskerk/Rashley get my vote

I change it to Bundock and Ashby,because,

Helges Sach, who was already in Australia, had to fly back to Germany because of a family illness and he and his brother Christian will now not be defending their title.

Bundock and Ashby

but keeping my eyes/ears out for Steve Brewin.
Surprise packet picking Medwell/Vaughan quiet achievers if others having a rough trot

Kenbeek/Brouwer will be top 5 material as well.

But Bundy and Gashby are on a roll this season.

Wouter

IMHO B & G unless the Infusion is a truely faster boat. They are not on a roll, they are the best.

Ollie jason , OF COURSE

Olli says that the winds start are starting around 10 knots in the AM, and build to a solid 20 in the afternoon - along with some confused seas... possible remnants of the storm that passed to the north a few days ago?

It's good that several F18 events had bigger air this year - Carlyle, Area D South, and Tradewinds all saw breeze in the 20's. Awfully good practice for North American teams that don't always get the chance to race in more than 10-15 knots. I hope that the tougher season here has better prepared them to contend with Euro and Aussie teams that frequently deal with those conditions. I remember at Tiger Worlds in California that many of the teams from overseas were baffled by the RC decision to not race when the solid 25-knots was howling through the course.

Yeah, yeah, yeah - I know Dan. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> In Long Beach, you get 18-20, every day at the same time from the same direction... except when I'm there. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> The rest of NA gets an annual average of 8 knots, I think - doesn't really prepare you to thrive in big wind and waves. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Olli sent pics of the new Capricorn rudders:
Old -

New -


ps - you'll note that Olli's finally wised up and gotten himself onto a blue boat. Red is slow. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thank you John for the input on the color. Because blue is way faster, I told Olli that at Tradewinds. new rudders look pretty cool. It will be cool to hear what Robbie and Olli think about them, because the old ones feel and work great.

Matt Johnson

John:

When you come to Long Beach I will be sure to put my boat away as I am sure it will never blow when you are here. Wait a minute you were here for the Alter Cup when we had absolutely every wind condition you could think of. Making it a great event to see who came out on top. That's not the kind of wind that I usually talk about though, is it?

I did not know that the RED boats (Cap's) were slow and the BLUE boats fast? Is Ollie only bringing back a set of rudders or a whole boat?

By the way the sailing on Sunday was 16 to 18, in Long Beach. A bit on the chilly side according to Eileen, she would have liked about 10 degrees more. While we were out we saw one of the new 570 monohulls out. It is a 20 foot long 8 1/2 foot wide twin rudder boat. It uses a Hobie Tiger Mast and Boom. The boom is the old square style. Went okay for a mono, but only about 1/2 as fast as our boat.

Later,
Dan

heh? I sailed that alter cup and it was the most predictable 10 - 12 knots with a gradual right shift everyday. That is, except for the couple of days in the morning when the fog blew in and the wind died (that was erie!).

Post deleted by John Williams

d'oh!

Down Low? was this supposed to be a PM? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

MEMO

Attn: John Williams
Re: moving

John Williams, by order and decree of Poseidon, you are not allowed to leave the Southeastern United States for any period longer than 1 week. Failure to adhere to these terms will result in something very terrible like tofu veggie cake, unsalted pretzels, or 1 month old, warm, flat beer for your remaining 23.4 days.
Feel free to contact our office if you have any questions. We will deny your claim, and you will not pass go or collect $200. You will, in fact, pay us $200 x infinity.

I hope this is crystal clear for you!

TB

Well, John definitely knows how to keep things on the "down low," as all leprechauns do!