On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 16:47:35 -0700, Frank wrote:


Hi, Vic,

Sorry if my shorthand confused you. There are many tyes of after-work
sailing races. Some are very serious and very competitive with strict
adherence to rules and there are a number of Olympic-class and world-
class racers in the Seattle area. Some of the racing in this area is
mercilessly competitive. For a typical around-the-buoys race, the race
committee sets a course appropriate to the conditions so it'll start
after work and last a reasonable amount of time. This particular
club's race series is sooooo casual, I can't even classify it as
'round-the-buoys, it's pretty much just a "beercan" race. No snarky
captains yelling about obscure rules, no protests, no penalty for
touching the mark, etc. Just a fun night on the water.

This boat has an asymmetrical spinnaker ("cruising chute") which came
with the boat. Think of it as a light-air genoa. Sort of. I don't
think this one was originally made for this boat and it seems to be
badly cut. My friends, the current owners, are trying to get a feel
for how to best use it, as a 40ish couple with three kids. Still
experimenting. I have no previous experience with big cats so I'm
enjoying the learning curve, too. Lots of fun. And roomier than my
first apartment!

Thanks, Frank. Good luck in the next race.

--Vic