![Survival - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace · 2007-08-30 · Downloaded By: [Carnegie Endowment for International Peace] At: 15:35 30 August 2007 In the predawn darkness](https://static.fdocuments.us/doc/165x107/5e717bdebb5f5a1fbe248d24/survival-carnegie-endowment-for-international-peace-2007-08-30-downloaded-by.jpg)
JULY 30 – AUGUST 3, 2007 · 2013-06-30 · JULY 30 – AUGUST 3, 2007 VENUE Robert Crown Memorial...
36
Transcript of JULY 30 – AUGUST 3, 2007 · 2013-06-30 · JULY 30 – AUGUST 3, 2007 VENUE Robert Crown Memorial...
NOTICE OF RACE2007 HOBIE 16 AND 20 NORTH AMERICAN
CHAMPIONSHIPSJULY 30 – AUGUST 3, 2007
VENUERobert Crown Memorial Beach, Alameda, CA.
ORGANIZING AUTHORITYHCA Division 3 in conjunction with the Hobie ClassAssociation of North America (HCA-NA) and the IHCA
RULESThe event will be governed by the ISAF Racing Rules ofSailing (RRS), as prescribed by US SAILING, the 2007 IHCAClass Rules and this Notice of Race except as modified bythe Sailing Instructions. RRS 44.1 and 44.2 (AlternativePenalties) will be changed so that only one turn, includingone tack and one jibe, is required.
ELIGIBILITYThe ISAF Competitors’ Eligibility Code applies (ISAFRegulation 19). Both crew members must be paid membersof the Hobie Class Association of North America (or otherNational Hobie Class Association) and their MNA (USSAILING, CYA, Federacion Mexicana de Vela, etc.).
ADVERTISING CATEGORYThis event shall rank as a Category C event in accordancewith ISAF Regulation 20. The boats shall display advertisingof the event sponsor(s) as required by the OrganizingCommittee.
ENTRIESEntries shall be made on the Official Entry Form (available at www.hca-na.org orfrom the address below) only and returned with registration fees and proof ofinsurance to:
2007 Hobie 16/20 NA Championshipc/o Mary Ann Hess262 Monte Vista DriveNapa, CA 94559 USA
ENTRY FEESEarly Registration $350.00 (USD)Received After June 15, 2007 $400.00 (USD)On-Site $425.00 (USD)Registration fees are non-refundable.Make checks payable to 2007 Hobie 16/20 North American Championships. Creditcard payments will not be accepted for this event. Returned checks will be subjectto a $50.00 (USD) processing fee.
EQUIPMENTAll boats will be weighed and inspected prior to competing. It is the responsibilityof each skipper to have their boat weighed and inspected. A limited number ofboats will be available for charter. Contact Paul Hess at (707) 252-8410.
INSURANCEEach Competitor must show proof of Liability Insurance with a minimum coveragein the amount of $100,000.00 (USD) with valid coverage for organized racing inthe United States.
ON SITE REGISTRATION AND BOAT INSPECTIONThe Registration Office and Weigh Station will be open as follows:Saturday, July 28 10:00 AM to 4:00 PMSunday, July 29 10:00 AM to 4:00 PMMonday, July 30 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
SCHEDULE OF RACESJuly 29 TBA Practice RacesJuly 30 9:30 AM Competitor MeetingJuly 30 11:00 AM First SignalJuly 31 – Aug 3 Schedule to be announced
SCORING SYSTEMThe low point scoring system will apply; ISAF RRS Appendix A and IHCA ClassRule 22
SAILING INSTRUCTIONSThe Sailing Instructions will be made available at registration.
PRIZESAwards will be presented to the top five finishers in each class at a minimum. Theoverall winners will be declared the 2007 Hobie 16 and 20 North AmericanChampions.
ACCOMMODATIONSThe host hotel for the event is the Coral Reef Inn and Suites, locatedapproximately 1½ miles from the race site: 400 Park Street, Alameda, CA 94501(800) 533-2330 or (510) 521-2330 , ask for Paul to get special rate of $89 /night.
There will be no overnight RV parking at the race site, but plenty of parking on aday use basis. We are currently arranging a secure site for RVs nearby. Check theweb site or contact the event chair for the latest information
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONWebsite: www.hca-na.orgEvent Chair: Michael Valenta
[email protected] 925-743-0156
JUL – AUG 2007VOLUME 36, NUMBER 4
The Hobie Class Association HOTLINE is the offi-cial publication of the Hobie Class Association ofNorth America (HCANA). Contents © 2007 HCANA.All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or in partwithout permission is prohibited. It is distributed sixtimes a year to HCANA Members. Its goal is to keepthe North American Region informed of the businessof the Class Association. Questions and suggestionsshould be directed to the address below. The HCANAis proud to be a member of the United States SailingAssociation (US SAILING).
The purpose of the Hobie Class Association of NorthAmerica is to establish and promote the higheststandards of Hobie Cat sailing/racing in its geographicboundaries in collaboration with the National andInternational sailing authorities.
HOBIE CLASS ASSOCIATION HOTLINEMatthew P. Bounds, Editor3798 Damas Dr.Commerce Township, MI [email protected]
The name Hobie Cat®, and the “flying H” logo areused by permission and are registered and li-censed trademarks of the Hobie Cat Company,P.O. Box 1008, Oceanside, CA 92051.
The Official Publication of the HobieClass Association of North America
OfficersChairBob Merrick
1st Vice ChairPhil Collins
2nd Vice ChairChris Wessels
Youth Program Dir.Mimi Appel
Membership ChairTara Ames
SecretaryKathy Ward
TreasurerSteve Reese
Race DirectorPaul Ulibarri
HOTLINE StaffEditorMatt Bounds
CoverPhoto byStuart Crabbe
Review CommitteeLaurie BoundsTheresa WhiteCindy PhippsMatt Miller
ContributorsAndrew CampbellTom Ehman, Jr.Paul HessBob LongoShauna McGeeKinneyDoug SkidmoreCaleb TarletonChris WesselsJohn Williams
seeyouonthewater
The HCA Annual General Meeting
The 2007 HCA AGM will be held on Tuesday, July 31st inAlameda, California, during the Hobie 16 and 20 NorthAmerican Championships Hopefully, many of you will
have the opportunity to attend. As a Hobie Class member theAGM is one of your best opportunities for face-to-face commu-nication with members of the HCA Board of Directors. This is a
great opportunity to express your ideas about how to make the Hobie Class Associa-tion better for the sailors. We encourage your participation and welcome your ideas.The Hobie Class belongs the sailors and we want to keep it that way.
Of course, the AGM is not your only chance to communicate with the classleadership. Contact information for all HCA Board members is listed in every issue ofthe HOTLINE and also available on the HCA website. I encourage all of you to getin touch with us whenever you have an idea for improvement or simply a comment ona job well done.
What is the HCA Board of Directors? In a nutshell, the Board is the governingbody of the Hobie Class Association. Voting Board members have the final say on allmajor class decisions such as the awarding of Area and North American Champion-ships, bylaws changes, voting for class officers, deciding on class expenditures andmuch more.
Who are the voting members of the Board? There are seventeen voting HCABoard members consisting of the sixteen Division Chairs and the Women’s represen-tative. The HCA Chair only has a vote in the event of a tie. With the Board com-posed in this fashion each division has a direct influence on the class. Your DivisionChair is your direct line to the class association. Most of you frequently see yourDivision Chairs at regattas during the season. This gives all of you the opportunity toget your ideas across in the informal setting of the beach or boat park.
We always look forward to hearing from you.
See you on the water,
Bob MerrickHCA Chair
2 JUL / AUG 2007
features Pimp My Boat’s Ride Turn Your Hooptie Into a Phat Date Magnet!
Madcatter 007For Your Eyes Only
First Beat BluesStuck in a Rut?
Cultivating CrewsYou Just Need to Know Where to Look
12
16
22
24
july / august 2007
contents
12 16
photo / illustrationcredits Cover – Stuart Crabbe
See You on the Water – Stuart CrabbeContents – Matt Bounds, Stuart Crabbe, Onne Van der Wal, Shauna McGee KinneyHobie History – Hobie Cat USA / Hobie HOTLINEDriver’s Seat – Stuart Crabbe / Mike WalkerPimp My Boat’s Ride – Matt BoundsMadcatter – Stuart Crabbe, Bridget QuatroneFirst Beat Blues – Onne Van der Wal, SAIL Magazine, Dan Nerney/RolexCultivating Crews – Shauna McGee KinneyHobie’s Profiles – Heather Morrison, Mike Madge
HOBIE CLASS
www.hca-na.org 3
resources
Hobie History15, 25 and 35 Years Ago
Just In Off the WireLate Breaking News and Notes
Driver’s SeatMake Fleet Racing More Fun
columns 6
8
10
4
28
30
31
2007 Regatta Schedule
Carlton Tucker Sportsperson of the Year Award
2007 HCA Council Members and Contacts
2007 HCA / US Sailing Membership Applications
22 24
on the cover Sunshine and Smiles at Madcatter – Dave Heroux and Barbara
Powers enjoy the perfect conditions in Syracuse. Photo by Stuart Crabbe
ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA
4 JUL / AUG 2007
World Championships www.hobieworlds.com
Hobie 16 Oct 9–19, 2007 FijiHobie Tiger/Dragoon Mar 3–8, 2008 Langebaan, South Africa
North American Championships www.hca-na.org
H-14, H-16 Women / Youth July 20–22 Geneva, NYHobie 17 / Hobie 18 July 23–27 Geneva, NYHobie 16 / Hobie 20 Jul 30 –Aug 3 Alameda, CA
Area ChampionshipsMid Americas July 7–9 Lake Texoma, TX www.hca-na.orgNorth Central Sept 15–16 Clear Lake, IA www.division7.org
Other EventsISAF Youth Worlds July 12-21 Kingston, CANPan Am Games Hobie 16 July 13-29 Rio de Janerio, BRAF-18 North Americans October 8–12 Galveston, Texas
2007regattaschedule
HCA Sanctioned Division RegattasDivision 2—Southern CA / AZ / NVwww.hobiedivision2.com
Division 3—Northern CAwww.hobie3.org
Division 4—Pacific Northwestwww.div4.hobieclass.com
Division 5—Mountain Stateswww.hobiediv5.org
Division 7—Prairie Stateswww.hobiecatdivision7.org
Division 10—Great Lakes / MidwestContact: Jeff Rabidoux –248•647•3203, [email protected]
The following divisions do not have sanctioned regattas:Division 1—Hawai’iContact: Dan Williams–281•352•1325, [email protected]
Division 6—South TX, Eastern LAContact: Chris Green–281•352•1325, [email protected]
Division 8—South FloridaContact: Bob Johnson –813•960•1937, [email protected]
Division 9—Southern Atlantic www.hobiediv9.org
Contact: Loyd Graves–919•787•0222, [email protected]
www.hca-na.org 5
Division 11—Mid-Atlanticwww.div11.hobieclass.com
Division 14—N. TX, OK, AR, S. KSwww.div14.hobieclass.com
Division 13—Mexico/Caribbean/Central AmericaContact: Alfredo Figueroa–[email protected]
Division 15—FL Panhandle; AL, MS, LAContact: Scott Beach –850•234•5220, [email protected](only sanctioned event is Midwinters East)
Division 16—Upstate NY, Ontariowww.nahca-div16.org
REGAREGAREGAREGAREGATTTTTTTTTTA SCORERS:A SCORERS:A SCORERS:A SCORERS:A SCORERS:
DON’T FORDON’T FORDON’T FORDON’T FORDON’T FORGET GET GET GET GET TTTTTO SEND O SEND O SEND O SEND O SEND YYYYYOUROUROUROUROURRESULRESULRESULRESULRESULTS TS TS TS TS TTTTTO:O:O:O:O:
HOBIESCORES@YHOBIESCORES@YHOBIESCORES@YHOBIESCORES@[email protected]
6 JUL / AUG 2007
15, 25 & 35 Years Agohobiehistory
1972
1982
If you raced sailboats in the 1970’s, you’ll remember theyachting starting watches of the time – bulky, expensive andprone to leak (a Tag-Heuer yachting watch of the period isshown below right)
Hobie branded a Leonidas yachting wristwatch and offered itfor sale in the HOTLINE. For $39.95 (that’s about $200 today),you got a high quality, mechanical watch with a countdowntimer that was water-resistant to 100 ft.
“Iron men and plastic boats” – The original Worrell 1000 was racedvirtually nonstop on Hobie 16s from Ft. Lauderdale to Virginia Beach.The recently completed Tybee 500 is mild by comparison. Half thedistance, bigger boats, overnight stops – have we gotten that soft injust 25 years?
The cover of the July / August 1972HOTLINE featured an iconic sketch by NickNichols of a Hobie 14 and Hobie 16 reaching.
How times have changed – not only aremasts raked further back, but a trapeze hasbeen added to the 14 and the trapezingtechnique is much more effective (laid outflat).
Another iconic image from the past. Over250 Hobie Cats converge for Midwinters East1982. This would be the highest attendanceever for the event. The boats spent most ofthe weekend on the beach due to light air.
www.hca-na.org 7
1992
1982
STEP 1:Buy a bunch of PVCpipe from your localundergroundcontractor supplier.
STEP 2:Put end caps onthem and give it acatchy name.
STEP 3:PROFIT!
The manufacturers of SweetWings were counting on a seriouscase of “wing envy” by 16 sailorswhen they saw their 17, 18SX and 21brethren riding high and dry. Youdon’t see too many of these today.
A HOTLINE feature on Hobie Kids has thiscute little guy working the jib sheet on hisparents boat. The trap harness is bigger thanhe is.
How time flies – or rather, timekeeping. Injust 10 years, mechanical watches had beenreplaced with LCD electronic watches.
The one at top right cost $260 ($560 today)and the stopwatch only version (lower right)was $99.95 ($214 today).
Maybe we hadn’t come so far in 1982 . Today,a simple LCD watch with countdown timercan be had for under $30. Now that’sprogress!
The Hobies returned to VirginiaBeach in late 1992, but it wasn’t the16s this time. 14s and 17s were theorder of the day for the secondrunning of the SinglehandedNational Championships. WallyMyers won the 17s and Val de Kreekwon the 14s.
The Singlehanders return this monthto Geneva, NY. Will Wally reclaim histitle?
Two solutions tothe same problem –How do you carryyour brand-new(and expensive)Sony Walk-Man onthe boat withoutgetting it wet?
OK, so now you’vegot the Walk-Manwaterproofed, wheredo you stash thetapes?
What would theseguys think if a 4GbiPod Nanomaterialized in1982? Talk aboutblown away!
8 JUL / AUG 2007
justinoffthewireLate Breaking News and Notes
Hobie Sailor SavesStranded Pair
If Allen Welle's life were amovie, the drama between the timehis fishing boat started taking onwater and the moment he and hisdeckhand were rescued by a localdentist could have filled reels. Theadventure off the Ventura Countycoast lasted barely 15 minutes.
It started about 12:15 PM.when Welle, owner of theFisherman's Tackle Shop inVentura and a part-time commer-cial fisherman, was off on a weeklyfishing venture with his deckhand,Griffith Berger. Welle's boat, ThePatricia, was about 1.5 milesoffshore Sycamore Canyon Roadsouth of Point Mugu when heheard a worrisome noise.
Berger checked the 25-footboat's engine hatch and found ithalf-full of water. Then he saw thebilge pump wasn't working.Within minutes, the vessel filledwith water, and Welle sent out adistress signal.
Berger was ready to start bailingwater with a bucket when Wellesaid the boat was sinking. Wellewas still sending out a Mayday callwhen the boat tipped over, Bergersaid in a phone interview Monday.
“It just happened in the blink ofan eye,” said Berger, 25, of Oxnard.“We were afloat and three minuteslater we were capsized, bow up, in51-degree water,” said Welle, 61, ofFrazier Park.
Welle and Berger held onto theboat, which Welle had built in1977 and named for his wife. Thenthey began waiting, cold and afraid.
Jeff Petron was fishing with histhree children in his 21-foot boatwhen he heard Welle's distress call.Hearing the Welle’s anxious toneof voice, the Ventura dentist andlifelong boating enthusiast (read:Hobie sailor) raced to the capsizedboat and was able to get Welle andBerger on board. They had been inthe water for about 10 minutes.
Welle said he was shakinguncontrollably from the cold whenhe and Berger climbed aboardPetron's boat, The Barking Spider.
“He's my hero; he's both of ourheroes,” Welle said with a warmlaugh.
After picking up the pair, Petronradioed his position to the CoastGuard. Petron then took thefishermen back to shore, and asalvage company retrieved ThePatricia.
The Patricia's engine is shot,and the cost of repairing it mightkeep Welle from continuing thecommercial fishing he has donepart time for 30 years, he said. Buton the phone from his tackle shopMonday, he was philosophical.
“The boat's a piece of plasticwith a motor attached to it. Atleast my deckhand and I are alive,”he said.
US SAILING Selects Teamto Compete at 2007 PanAmerican Games
US SAILING’s OlympicSailing Committee (OSC) hasselected 16 American sailors tocompete at the 2007 Pan AmericanGames in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilfrom July 13-29, 2007. The sailingcompetition of the 2007 PanAmerican Games will feature nineevents, including three Olympicclasses – Laser (Men), Laser Radial(Women) and RS:X (Men andWomen) – and five non-Olympic,open classes – Hobie 16, J/24,Lightning, Snipe and Sunfish.
The members of the 2007 PanAmerican Games Sailing Team are:• Hobie 16 (Multihull Open) –
Bob Merrick (Branford, CT)/Eliza Cleveland (Branford, CT)
• J/24 (Keelboat Open) – DanielBorrer (St. Augustine Beach,FL)/ Nate Vilardebo (Tampa,FL)/ Patrick Wilson (Savannah,GA)/ Josh Putnam (Augusta,GA)
• Laser (Single-handed DinghyMen) – Andrew Campbell (SanDiego, CA)
• Laser Radial (Single-handedDinghy Women) – Paige Railey(Clearwater, FL)
• Lightning (Multi-crewedDinghy Open) – David Starck(Buffalo, NY)/ Jody Starck(Buffalo, NY)/ Bill Faude(Chicago, IL)
• RS:X Men (Windsurfer Men) –
www.hca-na.org 9
Ben Barger (Tampa, FL)• RS:X Women (Windsurfer
Women) – Nancy Rios (CocoaBeach, FL)
• Snipe (Double-handed DinghyOpen) – Augie Diaz (Miami,FL)/ Tracy Smith (Newport,RI)
• Sunfish (Single-handed DinghyOpen) – Paul Foerster(Rockwall, TX)
These athletes qualified for the2007 Pan American Games SailingTeam after winning a select regattapreviously determined as a qualify-ing event for each class. If a winnerdeclined the opportunity, the spotwas offered to the next placed teamat the qualifying event. The OSCthen nominated the team to theUnited States Olympic Committee(USOC). Athletes must be U.S.citizens to qualify for the team,members of US SAILING and theclasses they sail in.
"We have a talented group ofseasoned athletes who havecompeted at previous Olympic andPan American Games,” said TeamLeader Scott Iklé (Geneva, NY).“They know the stakes. They aregoing to sail hard."
In addition to Iklé, the follow-ing people will join the team in Riode Janerio: Head Coach GeoffBecker (Annapolis, MD) andAssistant Coach Bill Ward (St.Mary’s City, MD), Team Adminis-trator Sarah Hawkins (Newport,RI) and Athletic Trainer ShawnHunt (Hollywood, FL).
Hobie Fleet 276 is BackOn-Line!
After a learning experience withwhat happens when you let your
domain name expire, DetroitHobie Fleet 276 has their web siteback, albeit with a .org top-leveldomain name instead of .com:
www.fleet276.org
Domain name speculators buyup names as soon as they expire,then put them up for auction to thehighest bidder. Let this be a lessonto all fleets with web sites – don’tlet your domain name expire!
Membership ProgramGlitches Corrected
Like any complicated ITproject, the on-line membershipprocess has had it’s share ofproblems. We think that most ofthe issues are behind us now. Ournext project will be to integrate thememberships coming from theInternet directly into the member-ship database – a job that is beingdone manually right now.
A side effect of the on-linememberships is that we can nolonger accept credit cards via amailed membership application.The membership application formhas been updated to reflect this andthose individuals that have sent uscredit card info are being contactedindividually to make other paymentarrangements. The current mem-bership form and member list isavailable at www.hca-na.org.
AlphaTodd and Helen Hitch an-
nounce the birth of the newestHobie Tiger sailor: Lloyd AtwoodHitch, 7 lbs 14 oz. at 7:20AM,May 30, 2007. Everyone is healthyand happy.
OmegaTom Ling, DDS, Division 41943–2007
Friends and family traveledfrom all over the world to remem-ber Tom and share stories of hisfull life. Tom was a long timeHobie 16, 18, and 33 Sailor. Tom'sdaughter Cheryl Ling, NormaHorner Ling ,wife of 19 years, andhis brother David Ling, plus manyof his friends shared memories andstories of Tom's life.
Doug Skidmore, president ofHobie Cat USA wrote, “Tom Lingwas a fierce H-18 sailor. He wascompetitive on the race course andfriendly on shore. I used to dreadbeing in front of him on thedownwind leg as he had perfectedthe ‘snake wake’ technique. Hesailed H-16s, H-18s and Hobie 33when I knew him. We sailed ascompetitors and as team mates onthe various boats. I have many,many happy memories of how helived his life. I am fortunate to havebeen a part of it.”
Fair Winds Tom, from all ofyour many friends.
Jeff Price, Division 9Jeff Price passed peacefully at
home on June 14. Jeff was a bigpart of Hobie Division 9 andcatamaran race management in thesoutheastern United States. SpringFever will never be the same.
Fair winds and a following sea,Mr. Price.
STUART CRABBE
10 JUL / AUG 2007
Make Fleet Racing More FunLeave the hard-core competition for the points regattas
by Matt Bounds, HCA HOTLINE Editor
driver’sseat
In our fleet, we don’t race at anyfleet events (except our pointsregatta). This might sound
strange, but the core members ofthe fleet get enough racing in trav-elling around the division. The fo-cus of our fleet is to bring in newmembers, get them comfortablewith their boats and gradually in-troduce them to the racing scene.The experienced racers act as men-tors to the newbies.
For those fleets that do race, it’simportant to keep things inperspective. The following article,written almost 20 years ago by TomEhman, Jr. (and originally printedin Sailing World) applies just asmuch today as it did then:
“Most important for thoseinterested in improving one-designsailing is to remember that mostpeople race to socialize as well as
compete. They want to have fun &party, party, party. Where sailing issocial and fun, fleets are alive andhealthy. (Or is the converse true? Ithink not.) Here is a string of ideasto make racing more social andfun:• Have a potluck dinner after the
race. Move it around from onefleet member's house to another.BYO drinks and protein. Hosts(or co-hosts) provide salad anddessert. The party is fun forthose who win (they can savortheir victory in public), and asalve for those who don't.
• Every now and then have a fleet“theme party” Hawai’ian luau,M*A*S*H party, toga party–allthe standard stuff. Invite non-sailors (prospects) and thosefrom other “fringe” fleets.
• Do a regular fleet newsletterannouncing results of recentraces and regattas & andannouncing who won theparties. Keep it simple and light,and don’t be afraid to poke somegentle fun. People love therecognition.
• Have lots of short races. Themore races you have, the morelikely it is that the regulars willbeat the rock stars. Starting on areach off the yacht club dock,and finishing back there 25
minutes later IS FUN. Then doit again. Someone else is boundto win. Don’t run the districts ornationals that way; but for clubracing, it’s great.
• Give out crew awards equal tothose given to skippers. Everymember of the crew should berecognized by name andawarded a trophy the same asthe skipper. Recognize crews aswell as skippers and everyonewill have more fun; and it willmake it easier for skippers to getcrews.
• Have oral protests. No forms, noformalities. Require that aprotest flag is flown, and theother party is notified of theincident and the rule. Then havethe hearing immediately, andget it over with like we do atmost college regattas. Thenpeople can get back to socializ-ing.
• Don’t let people cheat (onkinetics, class rules, etc.). If theydo, protest them. If they persist,invite them to leave the fleet.
• Invite novices (skippers andcrews) to sail with the experts inthe fleet. It is still the best wayto help newcomers learn tobecome good sailors quickly.
• Keep it light on the water. Hail“good job” when someone gets
STUART CRABBE
www.hca-na.org 11
you on the race course; make abig deal about a novice doingwell on a leg, or in a race, bygiving them a big cheer on thewater. Encourage the racecommittee to be helpful.
• Don’t race when the weather iscold, rainy, or extremely roughand windy. Have a seminar andparty on shore instead.
• Do race when there isn’t muchwind. This is when the novicesare most likely to do well, andhave fun. So what if it’s acrapshoot? As long as it’s aneven shorter than usual course,and as long as it isn’t broilinghot, it’s fun.
• Keep a good fleet captain on.Don’t change fleet captainsevery year or two just because“you should pass it around.”Most good fleet captains are
good because they like to do it.Most bad ones are bad becausethey don’t want to do it. If youhave a good one who’s willing tostay – keep ‘em! Only changewhen someone wants out, orisn’t very good.
• Find something to do forspouses and kids who don’t liketo race. Lots of spouses love todo race committee work, butdon’t like to sail. Then you’ll beincluding the whole family.
• Get some publicity. Make thenecessary arrangements with thelocal paper for the results to bepublished, if only as a box score,after each race. Recognitionturns everybody on and bringsin new fleet members.
• Do a charity regatta or cruise.It’s amazing how this brings thefleet together! Everyone rallies
around a cause. Collect theentry fees and give them to thelocal heart fund, cancer drive, orwhatever. Gets good ink for thefleet and club, too. Or have apublic sailing day wheremembers of the fleet takeanyone who comes down to thedocks out sailing, in return for asmall donation to a local charity.That’ll get great ink as a dualpublic service, and it is a goodway to interest newcomers. Butmost important, it is social &and fun. That’s what makes one-design sailing fun, and it’s whatwill make any fleet grow.”
(Tom Ehman, Jr. is the head of ExternalAffairs for BMW ORACLE Racing, andserves as chairman of the team’s ExecutiveCommittee. He was the foundingchairman of the Challenger Commission,and continues to edit the CC Blog. Tom isalso an owner of Midwest Sailing, aHobie dealership in Pinckney, Michigan)
12 JUL / AUG 2007
feature
^̂̂̂̂Boat’sBoat’sBoat’sBoat’sBoat’sYo! You want to have the most excellent trailer
for your on-the-water ride; you’ve got tospend some time in the garage. I’m not a rap-
per / car enthusiast with a garage full of homies readyto turn a clunker into a pimped out ride, but here’swhat I did to a thirty-five year old chunk of com-pressed rust to change it into a stealthy high-speedHobie transport!
Day 1 – AssessmentThe beat up, old trailer limped to the driveway
from the storage yard with the right wheel bearingsgrowling. Fortunately, the trip wasn’t long or else theywould have seized up on me. Once the beast wasparked in the driveway, disassembly was the first orderof business. Up close, this old hoop-ride was nasty.Rusty bolts, two sets of broken lights (neitherworked), compressed rust springs – this was going tobe a bigger job than I originally planned.
Liquid Wrench was useless, but rust-frozen boltsare no match for a cutoff wheel. It got a lot of usepulling the major components off the frame. Withinan hour, the old trailer was not much more than aframe and a pile of parts. The crossbars – rectangularsteel tubes – were full of acorns and abandoned mouseand wasp nests. The black rubber hull rollers wereoxidized, hard and chalky. About the only thing thatdidn’t need work were the tires / rims. They had beenreplaced last year.
The preliminary assessment: new lights & wiring,bearings, springs, rollers. Frame / axle / fenders / maststands needed to be stripped down to the bare metal,
primed and painted. Nearly every bolt would have tobe replaced.
A quick Google search turned upTrailerPartsSuperstore.com. They had everything Ineeded and then some. A springs / hubs / bearing kitwould solve two problems with one purchase. LEDlights were the special of the day. No more burned outbulbs or corroded sockets. They look the shiz, too. Atrip to the local big-box home store got me all theother bits I needed: wire wheel for the angle grinder,sanding disks, Rustoleum primer and finish coat, bolts,washers, nuts, grommets, plastic caps, etc. Time to goto work.
Day 2 – Frame StrippingWith the bare frame up on sawhorses, I attacked it
with a 7" coarse sanding disk and various paintstripping devices attached to the angle grinder,including the vicious braided wire wheel. There werethree coats of paint on the steel – the original primerand finish coats plus a layer of sprayed-on paint from aprevious owner. That third layer was softer andclogged up the sanding disks. Nothing could stand upto the wire wheel, though. It would cut throughanything, including the leather gloves I was wearing. Anasty abrasion on my hand (through the gloves) taughtme to respect that tool.
Stripping paint from steel is a tedious, nasty, dirtyjob with the potential for lead poisoning from thepaint dust, especially if the trailer is more than 20 yearsold. You need to wear appropriate breathing protectionand clean your clothes and yourself thoroughly when
By Hobie Master Xziboat
www.hca-na.org 13
you’re done. It’s almost always a bigger job than you imagine.This “Day 2” was actually more like 16 total hours of sandingand grinding. It’s physically demanding, too. You’ll definitelyknow that you’ve been wrestling with power tools.
Day 3 – Smithy WorkWith the frame and all the other bits bright and shiny, it was
time to do some customization. From 1/4" x 1" strip steel, Ifabricated eight small 90 degree angle pieces; four to mount thesail tube with and the others for mast tie-down attachmentpoints. 3/8" holes were drilled near one end for attachmentsbefore the strip was bent. To bend the steel, it was heated orangered with an oxy torch and hammered over while held in a vise.These pieces were welded to the mast supports and front / rearcrossbars and the welds ground smooth.
I needed a way to carry the beach wheels and noticed that thedistance between the front and rear frame members was almostexactly the beach wheel’s axle length. I cold bent two 1/8" x 1 1/8" steel strips around the beach wheels’ axle to form a “U”, andthen welded them to the frame members as supports. Again, thewelds were ground smooth and a weep hole drilled at thebottom of the “U” to prevent water from collecting. Water andsteel don’t play nice together.
The trailer crossbars needed to be sealed up to prevent theformer inhabitants from returning, so I welded more of the 1/8"x 1 1/8" steel to the ends. This was all ground smooth to give afinished look to the crossbars and to disguise my crappy welds.The roller brackets were trimmed off to eliminate sharp corners.They were originally adjustable for different boats, but since thistrailer would be solely for a Hobie 14, I planned to bolt them inplace through the crossbars.
Day 3 – Prime and PaintBare steel will flash rust overnight, especially if left outside,
so I primed the parts as soon they were stripped. The insides ofthe crossbars were coated by taping up the access holes, thenpouring half a can of primer inside. Tilting and rolling the
crossbar spread it around, and then the excess was allowed todrain out one of the holes. Messy, but it’s important to stop therust on the parts that hold up the boat. After drilling holes forthe tail light bolts and wiring, touching up the primer, the entiretrailer was painted with three coats of battleship greyRustoleum. Bright red or yellow would have been sweet, but let’sface it – trailers get dirty and grey hides dirt best. Grey is also astealth color – better than “Give Me a Speeding Ticket Red”.
Day 4 – Measure Twice, Order OnceThe box of goodies showed up from TrailerParts-
Superstore.com, much to the UPS man’s distress (c’mon, man! –the box only weighed 60 pounds!). The original springs were anodd size, so the new ones were the next size up. I knew I’d haveto weld on new rear clips (included in the kit) – another chanceto showcase my less than stellar welding skills. The new clips fitperfectly behind the old ones, so I left on the old ones. (Alsomore contact area to weld since I really didn’t trust my weldingskills on such a structural piece.) A couple coats of blackRustoleum on the springs and axle and I was ready to get theStealth Trailer back on its wheels.
The new hubs and bearings came without grease, so I packedand assembled the bearings into the hubs. When I went toinstall them on the axle, they would only go so far as the axlethreads. There are only two standard axle diameters (1" and 1 1/16"), and I had mis-measured the axle diameter. Not a problem– just get on-line to TrailerPartsSuperstore.com and a couple ofdays later, the new 1 1/16" bearings showed up at the door.Being a little wiser, I tried the new bearings on the axle beforegreasing them. No go. Seems the 35 year-old, freshly paintedaxle was not compliant with 2007 standard sizes. Fortunately, Ihad saved the old bearings. I got out a magnifying glass and readthe number on the side, something I should have done first. Anextensive Internet search proved fruitless. Nobody had theseoddball bearings. Ultimately, I decided that it was better to havea standard size axle, so I made yet another order to TrailerParts-Superstore.com. My UPS man would need a hernia belt by thetime I was done.
KEY KEY KEY KEY KEY TTTTTOOLSOOLSOOLSOOLSOOLS4 1/2” Angle grinder - the best$80 you’ll ever spend.
Full twist wire wheel - willremove paint (and skin)from anything.
Portable 120V MIG Welder - a toy tothe real pros, but it works well for us.
A good, 18V, variable speedcordless drill. Very powerful.
Uni-bit –indispensable fordrilling large holesin sheet metal.
14 JUL / AUG 2007
BEFOREBEFOREBEFOREBEFOREBEFORE
DURINGDURINGDURINGDURINGDURING
AFTERAFTERAFTERAFTERAFTER
Day 5 – Final AssemblyWith everything painted (and the right
size), it was time to bring it all together. Thenew wiring harness was fished through theframe and out to the ends of the crossbars.Rubber grommets protected the wires fromchafe where they went through holes in theframe. Lights were installed with solderedconnections protected with heat-shrinktubing. Everything was bolted together; boltstubs were trimmed off and smoothed withthe cutoff wheel. Plastic caps covered theholes in the frame to keep the critters out. An8" diameter PVC pipe and end cap wereprocured for a sail tube. This was installedwith ¼” threaded rod bent over the tube andsecured into the clips welded on the frameearlier. A scrap piece of plywood on a hingeprovided access from the rear. The rollers wereinstalled with press-on axle nuts (before theyhad cotter pins – lots of sharp edges) and Ibolted the brackets on. 1" vinyl tubing coveredthe mast supports and roller guides.
Day 6 – Test DriveThe “test drive” for the pimped-out Stealth
Trailer was an 860 mile dash to theDaggerless Regatta in Kansas. The only
problem was with the license plate mount.It was an afterthought done with a coupleof zip ties. One of the mounting holes onthe plate wore through about four hoursdown the road. The problem was noticedand fixed before the plate took a vacation ofits own.
The trailer tracked behind the car solidas a rock and was gentle on the gas mileage– even at, um, extended highway speeds. Mycar usually gets about 24 – 25 mpg highwaywithout a trailer, and 14 – 15 mpg with thebig Trailex trailer and the H-16. With theStealth Trailer behind me, I got about 20mpg – a welcome relief with gas costing $3+a gallon.
The total cost of the project was a littlemore than $500. A significant portion ofthat were the LED lights (over $100) andthe PVC pipe / cap for the sailtube ($150).The unexpected new axle cost about $100.Stealth Trailer now sits in the storage yardawaiting its next mission, proving that evenan old clunker can be pimped out into ahighway road warrior with just a little (well,OK, maybe a lot) of elbow grease and somefly new parts.
NONONONONOW W W W W ALL I NEED IS ALL I NEED IS ALL I NEED IS ALL I NEED IS ALL I NEED IS THE PERFECT THE PERFECT THE PERFECT THE PERFECT THE PERFECT TTTTTOOOOOW W W W W VEHICLE .VEHICLE .VEHICLE .VEHICLE .VEHICLE . . . . . . .....
11111 This is what a fried bearingdoes to an axle.
22222 The rusty hooptie trailer, soonto be a pile of parts. Countthe lights.
33333 Springs of compressed rustand rust-frozen U-bolts.
44444 Nice sub-frame and fenders.Can I have some rust withthat, please?
55555 More rusty parts - includingthe “safety” chains.
11111 Already painted, the frame islooking good. New blacksprings and links were hungfrom new hangers welded onto the subframe.
22222 A whole bunch of goodiesarrived from TrailerParts-Superstore.com - spring/hubkit, lights, rollers, U-bolts.
33333 The circle indicates the newcrossbar end caps to keep thecritters out - hole is forwiring the clearance light.
44444 Wiring was run through theframe. Grommets were usedto prevent chafe where itpassed into the crossbars.Note the white primer insidethe crossbar.
11111 Sail tube is on withthreaded rod; circleindicates the clips used forthe mast bungee.
22222 Four-point tie downs usethe trailer crossbar bolts asanchors. Note the rollerbrackets don’t extend belowthe crossbars.
www.hca-na.org 15
11111 22222 33333
4444455555
11111 22222
3333344444
11111 22222
PHOTO BY STUART CRABBESTORY BY BOB LONGO
18 JUL / AUG 2007
Clockwise from below:
The Madcatter 007 Bond Women (and RussGriffo - the stiff in the tux).
Aye Carumba! Puerto Ricans are pirates, notsecret agents.
This group looks suspicious. They claim theywere “running races” with cryptic flag signals
16A winners Francisco Figueroa and JolliamBerrios
Bill Whalen and Vickie Hurt on the brink ofdisaster.
BRIDGET QUATRONESTUART CRABBE
STUART CRABBE
STUART CRABBE STUART CRABBE
www.hca-na.org 19
CCCCC O N F I D E N T I A L O N F I D E N T I A L O N F I D E N T I A L O N F I D E N T I A L O N F I D E N T I A LFOR YOUR EYES ONLYFOR YOUR EYES ONLYFOR YOUR EYES ONLYFOR YOUR EYES ONLYFOR YOUR EYES ONLY
Unless you have pitch-poled a Hobie, read no further.
17 May 2007; 17:52:00 A small group of Cat Sailboats are spot-ted off shore on Oneida Lake, NY, USA bearing 272°; velocity19.7 knots. We are concerned that this could be the beginningof an organized movement.
18 May 2007; 11:52:00 Additional boats are gathering on thebeach at Oneida Shores State Park, NY, USA bearing 352°, ve-locity 7 knots. They appear to be preparing for long distancemaneuvers, possibly a distance race.
18 May 2007; 13:00:00, Hobie Cats are confirmed in distancerace. Embedded operatives verified that John Siau (cover: skip-per and alleged local business owner) and Robbin Mocarski(cover: crew with strong ties to current Hobie Fleet 204 leader-ship) were 1st to shore on a 16. Tactics and techniques are beingreviewed but apparently these two could decode the map andknew enough to round the green channel marker after the start.An obvious information leak exists! Tim Donigan and MarkSpinks (alias Cheech and Chong, currently under investigationfor a laundry list of behavioral “inconsistencies”) were 1st toshore on a Tiger.
18 May 2007; 18:30:00 Friday night our best operatives wereable to infiltrate the event by carrying trays of food and wearingoutfits that were, well, designed to make people talk, Bond Girlstyle. And talk they did, reports indicate the welcome party,attended by all the usual suspects, lasted until late into the earlymorning hours. As usual food and drink flowed and the officialwelcome was put forth. Thank you ladies!! Steve Oad providedtunes using enough electronic equipment to outfit her majesty’sfinest submarine.
19 May 2007; 09:00:00 Our suspicions were confirmed whenthe points event for the 31st running of the MadCatter com-menced with a skippers meeting and confirmed 60 total craft, 7-17s, 13-Tigers, 1-20 (Stuart Crabbe, man of mystery, was en-tered in the event but somehow managed to capture extensivesurveillance photos.), 1-FX1, 29-16A’s 8-16B’s and 1-16C (un-der the guidance of Marcy Lake who apparently “only sailed a
Hobie a few times” but did surprisingly well. She required 3 sep-arate crew changes for yet unexplained reasons).
19 May 2007; 09:12:27: With expected participation from no-torious Puerto Rican and Canadian subversive groups, the in-volvement of US agencies (specifically Fleet 204) was requiredand it seemed that months of planning and hard work by allpaid off. Noted Canadian operative Pat Lymburner is beingcredited with doing a great job as PRO, with key and appreciat-ed help coming from Mike Levesque. (Follow up note: Mikeand Michele have apparently expanded their operation and werespotted with small but potentially lethal (diaper-wise) baby.Mike and Karen Grisko also were confirmed with a similarsmall and lethal package. Both babies have strong potential ofcontinuing on water operations. No reports of double trappedbabies were received, although some drool on a few trampolineswas spotted.)
19 May 2007; 11:42:52 With winds 10-15 and temps in the low60’s (stop laughing, that’s not bad for May in Central NY) bothdays and was heard mentioned as the “best conditions for Mad-Catter in the last 20 years”. Water temps were somewhere inthe 50’s and anyone going over quickly extricated themselvesfrom the lake. Terms like %#@&’ing cold are still being decod-ed but with input from a few tropical water sailors we think weare close to cracking this one.
A pin favored starting line and big wind took racers to thesouth shore of the lake, “sonar indicated rudders kicked”, thentack to the north shore, tack again and (for the 16s anyway) fol-low the Puerto Ricans. Wind blew solid all day and there wasno let up in the racing.
Results after day one:16A: Pedro Colon/ Martin Roldan (1st), Bob Merrick/ ElizaCleveland (2nd), Francisco Figueroa/ Jolliam Berrios (3rd),Rich McVeigh/ Fluffy White (4th), Michael Siau/ Erin Mc-Neill (5th), Ken Hilk/ Erin Laporta (6th), Kevin Smith/ KeriRomanufa (7th).
British Intelligence reports the following:
20 JUL / AUG 2007
16B: Stephen Hilk/ Kristi Falco (1st), Jeff andSally Slavich (2nd), John Siau/ Robbin Mocarski(3rd), Bruce Krupke/ Kelli Hazard (4th), Bob Lon-go/ Kirk Leister (5th).
Tigers: Bob and Steph O’Connor (1st), Olli andKelly Jason (2nd), Mike and Karen Grisko (3rd),Matt Bounds / Diane Bisesi (4th), Rob and DarcieJerry (5th).
17s: Paul Garlick (1st), Dan Borg (2nd), Kath-ryn Garlick (3rd), Bill Kast/Rory Jeffers (4th), ChrisUfton (5th)
19 May 2007; 18:30:00 The fa-mous Dinosaur Bar-b-que chicken‘n ribs were used to ply top secretinformation from many partici-pants. After a full day of strongwind and moderate waves it wasagain easy to get various suspects totalk. For a second night Steve Oadspun the tunes. Note to all ’00agents, a Hobie hull bar wellstocked with alcohol seems to work
better than previous information gather techniquesand should be considered for all future investigations,also much easier on the knuckles.
20 May 2007; 15:12:18: Results after 7 races, SIXties!: 16A a 3 way for 5th and a 2 way for 13th; 16B tiefor 3rd; 17s tie for 1st; And Tigers tie for 1st and 8th .
Final Results for trophies:16A: Francisco Figueroa/ Jolliam Berrios (1st),
Pedro Colon/ Martin Roldan (2nd) , Bob Merrick/Eliza Cleveland (3rd), Rich McVeigh/ Fluffy White(4th), Ken Hilk/ Erin Laporta (5th Tie), Bill andSandy Jeffers (6th Tie), Wally Myers/ Sharon Kong(7th Tie).
Tiger results: Olli Jason/ Kelly Jason (1st Tie), BobO’Connor/ Steph O’Connor (2nd Tie) , Rob and Dar-cie Jerry (3rd), Mike and Karen Grisko (4th), MattBounds/ Diane Bisesi (5th).
17s : Dan Borg (1st Tie), Paul Garlick (2nd Tie) ,Bill Kast/Rory Jeffers (3rd), Kathryn Garlick (4th),Clive Warwick (5th)
16B proved that age and treachery doesn’t alwayswin out over youth and enthusiasm as Stephen Hilk/Kristi Falco took 1st over John Siau/Robbin Mocarski.
John Anderson/Dan Rodrieguez tied Bruce Krupke/Kelly Hazard for 3rd.
Final 16B: Stephen Hilk/ Kristi Falco (1st), JohnSiau/ Robin Mocarski (2nd) , John Anderson/ DanRodrieguez (3rd Tie), Bruce Krupke/ Kelli Hazard (4th
Tie), Jeff and Sally Slavich (5th)
Two days of strong wind produced intense sailingpunctuated by a great Dinosaur Bar-b-que dinner andparty on Saturday night, Friday GEP, distance raceand welcome party, and a final cookout Sunday after-noon.
Thank you to all for three days of Hobie living!Great Wind (every day), Great People, Great Food,Great Parties!!! Thanks to all the sailors who partici-pated and braved the cold waters in Central NewYork. Thanks to our sponsors: Boatworks, ACCTechnical Services, Hobie Class Association, Ononda-ga County Parks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Hobie Cat Com-pany, Johnston Paper, Magic Marine, Got Milk, Hei-neken and Simply Surgicals and a whole host of oth-ers. Thanks to Matt Bounds (GEP) who gave a greattalk on sailing technique and later brought a previousHOTLINE article on Lines (ropes for the uneducat-ed) to life with a full compliment of samples. Thanksto everyone in 204 and friends, who pitched in whole-heartedly with time, effort and equipment on and offwater. Hobie sailing is a great adventure and the en-thusiasm of the people who participate make this a lifeexperience!
Follow up note:Our agency will continue to follow movement andevents on Oneida Lake as reliable sources are confirm-ing that this will happen again next year. The weekendbefore Memorial Day 2008 is certain to produce simi-lar long term effects. Stay tuned.
Full results can be found on the Hobie Fleet 204 website:
www.fleet204.comwww.fleet204.comwww.fleet204.comwww.fleet204.comwww.fleet204.com
www.hca-na.org 21
22 JUL / AUG 2007
feature
First Beat BluesStuck in a Rut?by Andrew Campbell, www.campbellsailing.com
Here we are, charging upwind, full-speed; boweven above, bow even below, twenty boatson either side. We have a marginal lane.
With a little lift, we can hold here and maybe boatspeed our way out of harm’s way. With a little header,we are likely to fall into the boat to leeward and beforced into decision-making mode. We’re not entirelysure which side of the course is going to be better. Thesea breeze is oscillating, but only slightly and in regu-lar and short intervals. Small cumulus clouds are mak-ing little impact on the racecourse and the currentseems pretty marginal across the racing area. What dowe do? The answer may be simpler than you think.
We find ourselves in situations like this often
enough. Once we have gone through our startingroutines and come off the line with full speed and withbreathing room, it becomes difficult to execute theperfect plan of attack. It usually goes without saying,on skewed race courses, there are important strategiesto follow. If the current or geography demands we goright in order to win, then we will do our best to startin the boat-third of the line, and get going right assoon as possible after the gun. Likewise, if the left hasbeen working all day, then starting at or near the pin inclear air will give us a higher percentage of possibilityto win. The rest, after the start, shakes itself out withproper traffic-handling skills and integration betweenshifts and strategy. A good start improves our percent-age, whereas a bad start sends us praying to thecomeback deities that they may be merciful.
During last week’s Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma,before a race was about to start in similar conditions tothose described above, a buddy of mine sailed past andasked the seemingly innocent question: “Which wayyou going this beat?” I had done a split to check thebreeze and finished a race on the same racecourse nottwenty minutes before, and yet I had no stronginclinations. Realizing that the Laser class cansometimes be a grunt-fest, and catamaran sailing cansimilarly seem a drag race, where the fleet races withridiculous amounts of effort towards the port-tacklayline whereupon any decent tactical awareness setsin, I replied “If I have a good lane, I’ll go left. If I havea bad start, I’ll go right.” As I said it I thought tomyself, “Boy, there’s an understatement in sailing.” Whenin reality, it is a fairly decent strategy.
Sailboat racing often breaks down to this verysimple idea: lane management. Without proper admin-istration of your angles, holes, and positioning in thefirst few minutes of the first leg away from the startingline, you will undoubtedly lower your likelihood of
ONNE VAN DER WAL
www.hca-na.org 23
success. Especially in one-design racing, anytimewhere boats are essentially going the same speed offthe line, a pattern emerges. We’ll call it the “First Beat
Blues.” Time after time, the pattern reemerges and alevel of predictability arises within the fleet dynamic.
Regardless of fleet size, the pattern on coursessquare to the breeze is usually the same. Boats that getoff the starting line with good lanes generally stay onstarboard as long as those lanes are still available. Acertain percentage of boats that get poked out in frontmay be inclined to tack and cross. This is definitelyrecommended if you have the chance, but is usually anoption limited to about 5% of the fleet who had thebest starts. The part of the fleet that made it off withusable lanes from the middle and pin thirds of the linelargely continue on starboard tack. This percentage ofthe herd is usually near 50% of the group. The use ofherd will now be replace fleet as the predictability of thepattern of their action increases in stable racingconditions. Any stragglers from the front row of thatherd traveling towards the left side of the grazing areaare forced to make a decision: sit in bad air, or tack.More than often, the intelligent move is to tack andclear as soon as possible in the search for clear air -greener pastures, if you will. These unfortunate soulsmake up about 10% of the pack. Often times, boatsstarting in the boat-third of the starting line get goingright as soon as they see that it is not reasonable togradually sail into the hips of the boats to leeward ofthem. A substantial group, conscious of their intent togo right will tack off as soon as a lane opens towardsthe right, making up for another 25% of the largerherd of racers. The final 10% of the herd is made up ofboats that simply cannot make up their minds where
the best options could be. These boats are comingfrom positions in the second row, late at the boat-end,or failed approaches too late in the mêlée of the start.This breakdown of the pattern of the fleet is what youwould see in a large percentage of most one-designracing on square racecourses. Freak wind shifts andskewed starting lines alter the numbers, but thepatterns primarily remain alike.
What do we do with this? Whether we know it ornot, our dependence on this pattern greatly impactsour understanding of tactics and strategy. When weget off the line in clear air, it is highly unlikely that wewould quickly tack and duck a large number of boats,even though the other side of the racecourse has just ashigh a likelihood of better conditions. When we getoff the line in clear air, we go straight until that clearair is compromised, a beneficial shift falls into our lapsor we trip over the port-tack layline.
Monday Morning Tactician Says: The observationsof first-beat patterns in boat races do not necessarilyteach us new information as much as they bring forthunderstanding of the big picture. Without a fullunderstanding of fleet/herd dynamics throughoutdifferent legs and mark-rounding situations, it isdifficult to anticipate and improve our position on theresults board. However, learning to see the fleet as agroup of generally docile creatures that crave clear air,and dislike unnecessary maneuvers, we can then takeadvantage of that dynamic by sometimes breakingfrom the normal dynamic and other times going withthe flow. Knowing when to use the two differenttheories is the hard part of sailing. Reading the fleetdoes not have to be.
Andrew Campbellis currently one of the top-ranked Laser sail-ors in the USA. He has been sailing from anearly age (6) and won numerous US SAIL-ING, high school and college champion-ships. He was recently featured on the coverof Sail Magazine (left) and is poised to repre-sent the USA in the Laser class at the PanAm games this summer. Contact Andrew at:
www.campbellsailing.comDAN NERNEY / ROLEX
24 JUL / AUG 2007
feature
HHHHHobie sailors have a great opportunity to buildfaster, stronger, athletic and competitive regatta circuit by recruiting new crews. To-
day’s new Hobie crew is tomorrow’s new Hobie skip-per. In Division 2, we have had much success withintroducing college students to the racing circuit. Tofind interested potential crews, check college recre-ation sailing programs, follow up on referrals madefrom fellow sailors and look in campus newspapers.Students are young, athletic and looking for activitiesthat they can afford. Most students have some flexibil-ity in their schedule and plenty of independence.
RecruitingSuccessful steps for recruiting include: (1) provide a
phone contact for the crew (2) advertise in the collegecenters and classifieds (3) publish a brochure with theseason schedule and (4) maintain a news group and/orwebsite. Each fleet or division should consider havinga dedicated “crew coordinator” - someone who willreceive and make phone calls and e-mail to potentialcrew. It is important that the first contact be a phone
call. After that first phone call,most of the coordination can bedone by e-mail and only a fewphone calls.
Since most of the skippers inHCA Division 2 asking for Hobie16 crews, we needed to recruit lightcrew - usually women. The collegegals are most comfortable takingphone calls from another woman,therefore we recommend having alady contact them. The crewcoordinator can share the phonecalls, too. Several crews that arenow regulars take turns makingphone calls to new crew.
Many women are concerned about having theircontact information given out or on the web. Thecoordinators should keep the crew list private andmake the first calls to both the crew and skipper. Oncethe team for the race is confirmed, the coordinator canshare crew and skipper contact information if the teammembers agree.
The best time of year to place a classified ad in auniversity paper is March through May. Students arethinking about spring break and summer activities.Potential crews are more likely to respond before finalsand packing up for the summer. The season scheduleshould be available as a brochure in multiple formats -paper, e-mail and on the web. In our brochure we listsailing schools with catamaran classes, contacts andweb sites. We also give tips and a description of crews’responsibilities and expectations. Copies of thebrochure can be sent to the sailing schools, outdooradventure programs, intramural sports centers andsailing retailers.
News groups and web sites help participants keepup with updates. We have found the news group isespecially useful for coordinating car pools and sharedcampsites. We have also sold used gear and organizeddonations for college sailing programs.
ExpectationsThe coordinator and skipper should prepare to
have:• The team set at least 2 weeks prior to the race• Transportation: help connect crew with a car pool
or find out if crew wants to drive themselves• Safe place to spend the night: arrange a shared
campsite, space in a motor home or space in a localperson’s home
• Gear: arrange for harness, life jacket, wet suit,gloves and booties can be borrowed from any of theskippers in the fleet.
New Crews Need Nurturingby Shauna McGee Kinney
Kristina and Sharyl came from the UCLAsailing program. They have enjoyed racingagainst each other at regattas. LakeMohave, NV March 2007
ELEANOR MARTIN
www.hca-na.org 25
• Skipper pays for registration: skipper’s camping,skipper’s boat, skipper’s gas should be paid for bythe skipper, not the crew
• Meals: snacks and water - let the crew know whichmeals are provided
Crew has the right to decline to sailing if he or sheis not comfortable with the conditions. Coordinator,skipper and crew should discuss surf, water tempera-ture, wind speed, skipper’s ability and team attitudes.
From our experience, it’s beneficial if the skipper:• Introduce crew to wife/husband, girlfriend/
boyfriend, family and other sailors right away• Provides the crew with Saturday night dinner,
potluck meal or fast food
We recommend that each new crew race one tothree regattas the first season. Sailing with a differentskipper each time, the crew can find the best fit andgain the most experience. We encourage crew to bringfriends, even non-sailors, and make racing a social
Referrals bring new crew into racing. Nikki and James rigging for Leukemia Cup, Las Vegas LakeMead, NV
ELEANOR MARTIN
event. Crews will return for more races when they feelpart of the group, develop new competitive skills, andenjoy the adventure.
Shauna McGee Kinney is living in Perth, Australia andraced for six years in Division 2 prior to moving from LongBeach, CA. She is a member of Hobie Fleet 51 Las Vegas,continues to promote Division 2 racing and actively supports newcrew in AZ, CA and NV. Please contact Shauna with questions orfor samples of brochures. [email protected], Skype:shaunamcgee2000 or 760-208-4663 (San Diego area code)
26 JUL / AUG 2007
www.hca-na.org 27
28 JUL / AUG 2007
resources
History of the AwardEarly in 1994, Gigi Moore (NAHCA Chairperson
at the time) enlisted Ted Lindley’s help in exploring away to honor a Hobie person for their contribution tothe Hobie Way of Life. Ted was the chairman of acommittee of Gail Force (Division 12), Ron andShirley Palmer (Division 2), and John Hauser (Divi-sion 2). The committee developed the nominationguidelines and how the award is governed. Theycreated the concept of a perpetual trophy in the formof a commemorative book. Within the book the storyof each year’s honoree is chronicled. This prestigious
Nomination GuidelinesEach year the Hobie Class Association accepts
nominations from its divisions and members for theSportsperson of the Year Award. Those to be consid-ered for this award should be sailors or crews whoexhibit commendable behavior demonstrating “TheHobie Way of Life,” either on or off the water.
During the year, keep this honor award program inmind. Be aware of the different people among us whohave unselfishly contributed to our sport and activi-ties. Be aware of the person who, while out on thewater, helped someone who might have been in a life-threatening situation. Look for that person whomyou consider to be the mainstay of the local fleet orDivision, or the person who represents sportsmanshipand character on the racecourse. Perhaps the honoree
is someone who hasdevoted countless hoursor years to running yourfleet regattas, or hasquietly kept the fleet’sspirit alive duringdifficult times. Considerthe person who is helping to develop or contribute toyouth sailing programs.
Fill out the form on the following page, andinclude additional pages as needed. Detail thespecifics and anecdotes that describe the sailor whorepresents to you the Hobie Class Association’s mostoutstanding member for this year.
Carlton Tucker
The Carlton Tucker Award
book is displayed in a specially designed box. Eachrecipient receives a framed certificate as a keepsake.
Each year since 1995, the HCA has honored aHobie sailor who by his or her unselfish attitude andcommitment to our sport has set an example for all toenjoy “The Hobie Way of Life.”
In 1998, posthumously honoring a great Hobiesailor who exemplified the spirit of the award, thename of the trophy was changed to the Carlton TuckerSportsperson of the Year Award.
www.hca-na.org 29
This form must be received by August 15, 2007
Nominee:_______________________________________________ Hobie Class:________________
Address:________________________________________________ Division:___________________
City / State / Zip:_________________________________________ Fleet:______________________
Home Telephone:_________________________________________ E-mail:____________________
Submitted by:____________________________________________ HCA Member No:___________
Address:________________________________________________ Division:___________________
City / State / Zip:_________________________________________ Fleet:______________________
Home Telephone:_________________________________________ E-mail:____________________
Please provide a narrative describing characteristics, attributes, and other information about your nominee. The selection isbased on the information provided in your description. Some guidelines for writing your narrative follow.
· What has the nominee done to promote Hobie sailing and sailing in general?· How has the nominee practiced exemplary sportsmanship?· What has the nominee done to recruit sailors, particularly youth?· What training has the nominee supported to increase the skill and fun of sailing?· How has the nominee supported the HCA and IHCA?· Why is the nominee admired by fellow Hobie sailors?· Do others enjoy Hobie sailing more because of this person?· Why is their outlook and attitude an inspiration?· How has the nominee enhanced the quality of their local fleets and division?
Mail this nomination form, along with your narrative, to:Kathy Ward, HCA Secretary1018 Harrington WayCarmichael, CA 95608-6168
Or E-mail all the information to [email protected].
Again, the due date for nominations is August 15, 2007
Nomination FormCarlton Tucker Sportsperson of the Year Award
30 JUL / AUG 2007
Chair
Bob Merrick
141 Short Beach Rd.
Branford, CT 06405
203•488•7820
1st Vice Chair
Phil Collins
8500 North West 118th St.
Oklahoma City OK 73162
405•721•0737
2nd Vice Chair
Chris Wessels
5600 Lakeview Dr.
Clear Lake, IA 50428
641•357•4577 / 641•423•7638
electedofficers
2007hcaboardofdirectors
voting members
DIVISION 1Dan Williams
45-155 Unahe PlaceKaneohe, HI 96744
808•864•[email protected]
DIVISION 2Dave Dixon
16831 Orchard Bend RoadPoway, CA 82064
DIVISION 3Jason Moore
8360 N. PoplarFresno, CA 93711
DIVISION 4Dave Wilder
2525 Minor Ave E. #103Seattle, WA 98102
DIVISION 5Stephen Cooley
10952 W Hampden PlaceLakewood, CO 80227
303•619•0572 [email protected]
DIVISION 6Chris Green
2220 Brae LaneLeague City, TX 77586
DIVISION 7Andy Larson1021 N. Mae
Storm Lake, IA 50588712•732•1532
DIVISION 8Bob Johnson
906 Woodcliff AvenueTampa, Florida 33613
DIVISION 9Loyd Graves
4709 Glen Forest DriveRaleigh, NC 27612
DIVISION 10Jeff Rabidoux
5705 Lake St., P.O. Box 524Glen Arbor, MI 49636
248•361•[email protected]
DIVISION 11Ron LaPorta
120 Netherwood Dr.Coatesville, PA 19320-1467
DIVISION 12Dave Heroux
27 Foster Center Rd.Foster, RI 02825-1326
DIVISION 13Alfredo Figueroa
921 Verdi St., Reparto SevillaSan Juan, PR 00924
(787)[email protected]
DIVISION 14Bev Collins
8500 North West 118th St.Oklahoma City OK 73162
405•721•[email protected]
DIVISION 15Scott Beach
8221 Grand Bay Blvd.Panama City Beach, FL 32408
DIVISION 16Kevin Wilson
8442 Transit LaneBaldwinsville, NY 13027
on the web
International Hobie Class
Association
www.hobieclass.com
Hobie Cat Company USA
www.hobiecat.com
Hobie Product Support
www.hobiecat.com/support
Hobie Community Forums
www.hobiecat.com/community
appointedofficers
Women’sRepresentative
Danielle Burns4601 Shisler Rd
Clarence, NY 14031716.759.1908
1 HAWAII
resources
Membership Chair
Tara Ames
2825 L Jolla Dr.
Antioch, CA 94531
774•286•9586
Secretary
Kathy Ward
1331 Robertson Way
Sacramento, CA 95818
916.715.3133
Treasurer
Steve Reese
131 Skowhegan Ct.
San Jose, CA. 95139
408•362•0991
Youth Program Director
Mimi Appel
3357 Collins Road
Marcellus, NY 13108-9647
Race Director
Paul Ulibarri
3334 Fulton
Victoria, BC V9C 2T9
Canada
250.474.7580
Championships Coordinator
Lori Mohney
2812 E Shore Drive
Portage, MI 49002-6581
269.327.4565
Guest Expert Program
Coordinator
Kim Edmonds
13323 Eagle View Land
Roland, AR 72135
501.868.8801
HOTLINE Editor
Matt Bounds
3798 Damas Dr.
Commerce Twp, MI 48382
248.980.7931 (cell)
248.360.7926
Scorekeeper
Bill Jeffers
Hobie Feet 204
Syracuse, NY
585.370-9160
For Local andCountry contacts:
hca-na.org
Hobie Class Association
of North America
www.hca-na.org
Women’s Hobie Cat Racing
www.hca-na.org
Guest Expert Program
www.hc-na.org
Web Master
Rich McVeigh
14813 Fireside Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20905
301.384.3695
additional resources
www.hca-na.org 31
32 JUL / AUG 2007
US SAILING is the national governing body for the sport of sailing and merits support through direct membership. USSA’s missionis to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailing and racing in the United States. Here’s what you get:
• A $10 discount on annual membership dues.• Discounted entry at every regatta that is hosted by a member club or organization that uses the USSA insurance
program.• A $20 West Marine coupon with each renewal.• A free Racing Rules of Sailing book.• Eligibility for USSA’s outstanding one-design insurance for Hobie Cat-manufactured catamarans.• Member discounts on USSA gear, clothing and accessories.
Your membership identifies you to US SAILING as a multihull sailor, ensuring your voice is heard at the national level.Participation in your individual class and in the National Governing Body keeps you in touch and on top of the sport.Thanks for supporting US SAILING with your membership – John Williams, Program Administrator
NAME: Stu MorrisonHOME FLEET: Hobie Fleet 27, Wichita, KSAGE: 39PROFESSION: Seed/Field Technician for Monsantoand husband to Heather MorrisonHOBBIES: hunting, fishing, sailing, golf, anythingoutdoorsLAST BOOK READ: Storming Heaven by Dale BrownLATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Coming in 7th at the2006 Hobie 20 Nationals at Lake Texoma, Texas withHeather.WHY I DO WHAT I DO: Because I want to letHeather feel like she's in charge of something, so I “let”her skipper (plus, I get to hang with all the femalecrews!). We really enjoy competing with all our Hobiefriends.QUOTE: “A bad day of fishing is better than a good dayof work.”HIS BOAT: Hobie 20 - but it’s really Heather’s boat.
NAME: Mike MadgeHOME FLEET: Hobie Fleet 444, Minnesota /Western Ontario. Living in Thunder Bay, ON.PROFESSION: Math teacher and I also teach ahockey specialty course. Father to two great kids,Matt and Carly, and husband to my lovely wifePamelaHOBBIES: Hockey, lacrosse and sailing - playingand watchingLast book read: First You Have To Learn To Row:Reflections on Life and Living by Richard Bode (agreat book on how sailing relates to life)LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Chosen to coachThunder Bays Rep Lacrosse team to try for theProvincial Championship in AugustWHY I DO WHAT I DO: When I am sailing orplaying Lacrosse or hockey, I feel like I am in myelement. It feels like this is what I should be doing. When the wind is blowing or the outdoorice is smooth and the sun is on it, I feel like I should be out thereQUOTE: “If you don't have goals, then you just end up skating up and down the ice withoutscoring,” and that in itself is not all that bad HIS BOAT : The Hobie 16 since 1978 (though I do sneak out on my Laser every so often). I amnow working on my third 16.
