Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:14:55 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/ Powered by TheBeachcats.com en-us http://thebeachcats.com/images/logo.gif http://thebeachcats.com/ webmaster@TheBeachcats.com http://thebeachcats.com/Article300.html Last week, Dutch Team Zwitserleven Booth/Nieuwenhuis revealed its revolutionary sail for the Olympic competition in China. Because of the expected light winds in Qingdao, the Tornado duo focused on developing a special gennaker. It is a lot flatter and smaller then the regular gennakers used on the Tornado. That allows the team to use this sail upwind in anything under 12 knots, something which is impossible with the traditional gennaker. Mitch Booth and Pim Nieuwenhuis believe that this will give them a big edge over the other competitors in the predominant light breezes of Qingdao. ”This afternoon, we were able to show its potential for the first time”, said helmsman Mitch Booth on Monday evening. After several days of unusual strong winds, today the conditions were perfect for the new sail, 5-10 knots with plenty of chop and current. These are the normal conditions for Qingdao and Mitch Booth commented: “We sailed laps around the other five boats that joined us on the water and I think they will be scratching their heads tonight. We are fully stretched on the wire in 5-7 knots of breeze, while the other crews are still sitting on the hull.” For months Booth and Nieuwenhuis kept their sail secret while developing it with designer Jay Glaser (USA) and sailmaker Ullman Sails Italy. They worked together with the teams from the USA and Puerto Rico to test and develop. No other competitors where allowed near the training facilities to keep the sail secret as long as possible. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:14:55 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article299.html It looks like a long-time catamaran regatta normally held at the Lake Charles Yacht Club in Lake Charles, LA has folded it's tents. I was told by a club officer that the regatta was cancelled by the yacht club board last week. I had called to get a correct date since there were various reports that the regatta would be held the same weekend as the Hobie Midwinters East at Panama City and I was trying to decide which way to go. Now it seems there is no date conflicts on the gulf coast, so all Hobie sailors are free to head to Panama City for a great event. Gulf Coast catamaran sailors will no doubt miss the Deep South regatta, which was well known for hospitality and a giant crawfish boil on Saturday night. reminisce about past Deep South Regattas in the Event Forum. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:22:52 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article298.html [mg2:38983 class=left]A month prior to the start of the 6th Hobie Tiger and 3rd Hobie Dragoon Worlds in 2008, the South African organization received 74 pre-entries representing fourteen countries. Seventeen youth teams (soon 25 in total) will battle it out on the Hobie Dragoons. The rest of the fleet will line up on Hobie Tiger catamarans (F18). Among them are top ranked sailors, like multiple Tornado World Champion and current F18 World Champion Darren Bundock (AUS) and silver medallist of the 2007 Tornado Worlds Carolijn Brouwer (BEL). The local youth squad is well prepared for an exciting competition in the Langebaan Lagoon on the West Coast of South Africa. The championships will start on Monday March 3rd and finish on Saturday March 9th. For both classes, a maximum of ten races are scheduled. [mg2:38970 class=right]Langebaan is well-known for its strong winds and flat water. These are not only perfect conditions for the performance of Hobie Tigers and Hobie Dragoons, but also a pleasure for the competitors. Heavy weather specialist Mitch Booth (NED), Olympic medallist and Hobie Tiger World Champion 2003, will be eager to win the title again. But the competition will be full on, as current F18 European Champions Mischa Heemskerk and Bastiaan Tentij (NED) returned to the Hobie Tiger class in which also the local Hobie 16 heroes will try their luck. Among them are three past Hobie 16 Worlds Champions: Blaine Dodds (1998 and current Master World Champion), Shaun Ferry (1993, 1998 and 2005) and Colin Whitehead (1978). And South African most adventurous cat sailor Duncan Ross, he crossed the Drake Passage on a 20-foot multihull, grabs the opportunity to race once more on the highest level. Mixed crew Allan Lawrence (past Hobie 14 World Champ and placed 2nd at the inaugural Tiger Worlds in Italy) and Inge Schabort (past ISAF Ladies World Champ) will join forces in their attempt to win the event. Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:32:09 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article297.html March 21-23 2008, Milltown Campground, Hartwell Lake, GA Update from Mr. Ernie This afternoon, I received a call from my friends at the Army Corps of Engineers with a proposal for me to consider. They said they would give me the key to the gate, turn on the water, and the electricity. IF --- I, personally, would take care of everything else: Including, but not limited to, cleaning the entire park before and after the regatta, cleaning and repairing all bath house facilities, removing all trash and garbage, killing another gazillion fire ants, and raising the lake back up a few feet from it's present less than full pool level. Obviously, I agreed to all of it although I sure hope we get a few inches of rain in the next two months. So, in short, Spring Fever is back on for this year and if we take care of the campground, as we always have done in the past, I'm pretty sure we won't have to go through this exercise again in future years - I'm just getting too old for this foolishness. Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:29:56 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article296.html The disapointing news came today that the Spring Fever Regatta, held each year on Lake Hartwell during Easter Weekend, has been cancelled. The main reason for the cancellation is that the Corps of Engineers will not allow the organizers (Nigel Pitt and "Mr. Ernie") to use the Milltown Campground on the dates neeeded due to budget cutbacks. After efforts to convince the Corps to allow the even failed, alternative sites were investigated. The most promising appeared to be a sailing club on the North end of the lake named Western Carolina Sailing Club www.wcsc-sailing.org, but the board of that club refused to allow the catamarans on board. This is a very disapointing development, the Spring Fever Regatta has been a well attended regatta for 10 years and is always a good time. (Spring Fever Regatta Pictures) Read More to see the annoucement and more details from Mr. Ernie. Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:50:24 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article295.html Just in time for "Black Friday" shopping, I am pleased to announce the launch of "Shopping At TheBeachcats.com". The plan for the new store is to offer catamaran sailors unique and usefull items related to our sport that are not available everywhere. In keeping with the gift giving season, the first items available are beautiful watercolor prints of catamarans, lighthouses, and nautical scenes. These have been created by the Maryland Watercolor Artist, William C. Gardner. So if you happen to know any catamaran sailors who have been very very good this year (wink/wink) please let santa know that these are available, you will be sure to make that sailor happy, and support this site at the same time. Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:17:49 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article294.html If you sail catatamarans or ever wanted to, join us.. "Hillbilly Cats" on Summersville and Blueston Lakes. After being an active MHRA member on the west coast for a number of years, I now find myself in the mountains of West Virginia with few if any prospects of local regattas. So, I have decided to start up a cat/mono group here. I have 7 boats, all are Sea spray 15's and one pram., our local lakes and ponds are wonderful and clear and nearly free of high speed boats. Most local lakes are very sail friendly. If you want to learn to sail, I will help. If you have a boat and would like to join us, (now three) we welcome your interest. Tue, 20 Nov 2007 01:37:29 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article293.html [mg2:38073 class=left]Well the racing conditions for the last day of the 2007 Ronstan A-Cat World Championship turned out to be pretty severe. The event that was building up to be a “Clash of Champions” on the final day of racing has been decided by a blow out, the wind that is.  Glenn Ashby, Lars Guck and Pete Melvin all had a shot at taking the title today in a heavy air event, but in the end the wind was too much.  A frontal system passed over the Florida Keys last night and the breeze picked up to over 25 knots just after 0300EST.  This strong breeze refused to abate throughout the morning.  Buoy and land station reports were coming in at 22-29 knots, with gusts in the 30+ range for most of the morning.  The Organizing Authority requested a postponement at around 0900 and the PRO, Billy Richnow, flew the AP.  The RC, International Jury and competitors closely monitored the wind strengths throughout the morning watching the winds with strong hopes of getting racing in today. Winds at water level continued in the 19-22 knot range with gusts to 28.  There was also a fairly severe and square chop setting up with standard waves at 4 feet with frequent sets of 3 waves in the 6 foot range.  In the end the decision was based upon keeping the racers and their boats safe.  Even though this was a real blow to all of the competitors who had raced each other hard all week, keeping themselves in contention throughout the regatta, the OA made and outstanding call putting the safety of the sailors, their boats and all of the officials first and preventing the possible carnage that racing might have incurred. Congratulations to Glenn Ashby, Lars Guck, Pete Melvin, Luc DuBois, Mitch Booth, Charlie Ogletree, Scotty Anderson, Murray Philpott, Andrew Landenberger, and Eugenio Calabria who were the Top 10 finishers in this event.  Congratulations also to Carla Sheifer for her efforts on the course to rescue another competitor in Thursday’s racing. Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:07:43 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article292.html Final day preview - The 2007 Ronstan A-Cat Worlds is shaping up to be the clash of champions that it was built up to be.  The top three competitors in the event have between them won national, continental and World Championships.  Lars has dominated the US A-Class scene, winning the last 2 North American championships with straight bullets.  Pete Melvin has won the 1997 & 2005 A-Cat Worlds along with many other A-class national or continental championships.  Glen Ashby is the defending A-class world champion with many other national and international titles including the 2007 tornado class championship.  Down, but not out are three more championship competitors, Luc du Bois, Mitch Booth and Charlie Ogletree, but to win, these three would need a major stumble of the top three.  This all leads up to a 2 race shown-down on Friday in what is building up to be a real blow.  See hundreds of photos athttp://www.thebeachcats.com/index.php?module=pictures&g2_itemId=36401 The forecast is calling for the winds to build overnight to 20-25 knots, out of the North with gusts to 30 knots.  By 6:00PM tonight, one could see all of the competitors out checking and securing their boats to the ground (A’s weigh 75kg fully rigged and are easily picked up if not secured).  In addition the schedule of racing has been changed to add a second race to make up for Wednesday’s cancellation, pushing the start to 10:30AM EST.  As the “Cat Fight” continues, we will see who makes the starting line in the morning. Day 4 (Thursday) Report - Racing began this morning in 11-13 knots out of the North, steady and solid.  The course was set for six 1.3 nm legs and got off on time.  The course was clear of kelp with a light chop, just a perfect day for sailing.  Glen got away cleanly with Lars close on him through the first leg.  Scott Anderson got in the mix and Pete Melvin had a difficult leg.  After the first leg, Lars faded a little and at the finish it was Ashby, Guck, Hoekstra, Beike and Calabria for the top five. Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:43:07 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article291.html [mg2:36401 class=left]Grass, grass, grass…  Recent storms that have rolled through the Florida Keys have washed a lot of shallow water sea grass up on shore and a change of wind carried the grass out into the Atlantic by way of the channels.  Well, guess what?  The A-Cats are racing both outside of a channel that cuts between a couple of the Key Islands and the racing area is located smack dab in the middle of the main Atlantic inshore channel that runs the length of the Keys.  So what we saw on the course today was a lot of grass drifting downwind through the course.  Oh it’s not as bad as it sounds, we could be sailing off of San Diego where the kelp will stop a boat cold dead in its tracks.  But for a fleet that was expecting beautiful tropical sailing in the Florida Keys in the late Fall, the floating grass was frustrating for everyone.  But, taken in the gestalt of everything, grass was fair and frustrating for everyone equally.  The Race Committee drove around the racing area trying to find the most grass free zone and settled in for the first race.  Before the start of the second race , the RC sent out a scout boat to try and find a different location to move the course.  Unfortunately, the entire area had floating grass in varying thickness – from clear and weed free to floating palm fronds in clumps with entangled weed.  Some competitors had rudder assemblies that enabled them to yank a line to raise one or both to easily clear.  Most though had rudders that had to be raised manually and individually which made clearing the grass more problematic.  There were some boats with “short boards” that could be easily pulled up to clear the weed, and some that had a more difficult time raising daggerboards to clear them.  Overall, the grass was equitably challenging to all competitors.  Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:41:00 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article290.html [mg2:36401 class=left type=randomImage]Monday 12, November 2007 - Today was just a spectacular day to begin racing.  Spirits among the competitors were high, the weather was fantastic and the event organizers had done a wonderful job getting the event under way.  The temperature was in the mid 70’s with winds clocking from 065° at 12014 knots.  The race area is protected inside the reef so the racers do not get that ocean swell, but there definitely was some leftover chop to contend with.  The speed and direction of the wind set up 2-3 foot chop with both left-over ocean influence and a .4 knot current running with the wind. The first race got off, surprisingly with a clean start.  Nobody was OCS and Glen Ashby (AUS1) and Lars Guck (USA 250) had it dialed in from the start.  The course was pretty even and over the 6 legs the fleet had an opportunity to spread out, look for clean air or shifts and get down to racing.  Some went left, some right, but in the end the first race came down to boat speed and Glen Ashby took a large lead with Lars Guck 2nd and Sjoerd Hoekstra (NED 3) 3rd. Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:27:48 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article289.html The first day of the 17th Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta showed tough racing. Not only in terms of sailing conditions, but the competition was also full on. The shifty and gusty wind challenged the 45 competing teams, representing five countries. The Dutchmen Wouter Samama and Sam Frank, sailing a F18 Hobie Tiger, lead the fleet. They are tied on points with their fellow countrymen Eduard Zanen and Mischa Heemskerk on a F18 Nacra Infusion. Gunnar Larsen and Bastiaan Tentij are in third position, also tied on points with James and Gillian Power (GBR). This morning, the sailors were welcomed by a strong trade wind force five. That was exactly what most competitors were hoping for. They enjoyed the tropical conditions and participated in the practise race. Others decided to save their equipment and body. They stayed ashore, which was maybe not a bad idea, as the first damages were a fact. After a lunch break, the official regatta started off with the first race. Meanwhile, the unstable wind had dropped to force three/four. Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:24:25 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article288.html [mg2:36869 class=left show=title]The stage is set and the 2007 Ronstan A-Cat Worlds gets under way today with a field that is deep in talent, experience and are proven winners.  Sitting around the Tiki Bar last night at the Islander Resort, reflecting on the Blue Water classic regatta, the ISAF decision to remove multihulls from the Olympics and the talented pool of competitors at the regatta, Brian Hawboldt began a tally.  He was tallying the Olympic medals, World Championships and National & Continental championships that this class of sailors represents.  Present at the 2007 Ronstan A-Cat Worlds are the winners of 16 Olympic medals and over 50 World championships, not just from multihull classes, but from 505’s, I14, DN class iceboats, Lasers and a diversity of other sailing disciplines including around the world maxi-cat racers (Cam Lewis & Randy Smyth).  While the results from the last day of racing in which Glen Ashby took three bullets to win the event, it would be a folly to predict the outcome of the regatta. It is clear in looking at the final results of the Blue Water classic Regatta that the top sailors in the A-Class all are in competition for the World title.  The final results are Glen Ashby in 1st, fellow Australian Scott Anderson 2nd, Swiss competitor Luc du Bois & Lars guck tied in points for 3rd and Pete Melvin in 5th.  Though this was a tuning regatta, all the competitors sailed hard and the racing was close.  The top thirty boats in the fleet finished within 30 seconds of each other over the course of a 45 minute race.  The real test begins today. Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:54:20 -0500 http://thebeachcats.com/Article287.html The 2007 Ronstan A-Class catamaran Worldsin the Florida Keys, Islamorada, FL, USA November 9-16, 2007. With a record setting 100 boats pre-registered, the 2007 Ronstan A-Class catamaran Worlds sponsored by Ronstan, FSE Robline, Corum, and West Marine is now only weeks away. The regatta will take place at The Islander resort hotel in Islamorada, FL. The Islander has been hosting the US A-Class for its last two midwinter race weeks and was the unanimous choice by the US class as the best venue to host this world championship. The race site is a 9 square mile area of the Atlantic ocean protected by an offshore reef. Sailors will enjoy clear aqua water and hopefully warm and consistent easterly winds of 8-15 knots. The international contingent includes Glenn Ashby from Australia who will be racing to defend his 2006 title. Glenn is a multiple world champion in the class and is regarded as the best A-Class sailor ever. In addition, Glenn is regarded as a favorite to medal in the 2008 Tornado Olympic event in Qingdao, China with his teammate Darren Bundock. In addition to Ashby, other top international sailors racing will include past world champions Scott Anderson and Nils Bunkenberg, Olympic medalists Andrew Landenberger and Goran Marstrom, New Zealand champion Murray Philpott, top Dutch sailors Sjoerd Hoekstra, Pieterjan Dwarshuis, and Piet Saarberg, Alinghi designer Mike Drummond (New Zealand), and top Swiss sailors Dieter Melcher and Luc De Bois. Sat, 29 Sep 2007 21:02:11 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article286.html WE ARE AUCTIONING OFF ROBBIE DANIEL! With the US Tornado Olympic Trials approaching fast, we find ourselves trying to raise the funds needed to pay for the necessary equipment and expenses for Robbie Daniel and Hunter Stunzi to win the trials. At the conclusion of the trials, the winner will be your next Olympic representative at the 2008 games. Currently our goal is to try and cover about $41,000 in expenses that we expect to incur in order to compete in the event, which includes expenses for, travel, living, food, equipment, sails, coach boat, fuel, coaches and their expenses. One of the things we are doing is to auction off Robbie Daniel. Some of you know Robbie from sailing against him and some of you know him from his coaching experiences. Robbie has a wide range of coaching experience on a variety of boats from small catamarans to large monohulls and live a boards Cats. He has been involved in Olympic Campaigns since 1995 and also has a variety of coaching experience. Currently, Robbie is at the Pre-Olympic Games coaching for the Belgium Tornado team who just finished 2nd at the Tornado ISAF World Championships, with Robbie as their coach. Thu, 23 Aug 2007 18:14:15 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article285.html Catamaran classes build confidence for racing, improve sailors' safety on the water and get new sailors ready for racing. Community classes are great for people thinking about crewing, interested in buying their first boat and looking for social activities. Schools not only provide the boats, schools provide lockers, showers, wetsuits, lifejackets and harnesses are part of the class. Two California based sailing schools have been successfully teaching community catamaran sailing for years, the University of California Los Angeles and in Mission Bay the University of California San Diego/San Diego State University. Students, faculty and staff at California State University Long Beach can access classes that are not yet open to the general public. Contact information is provided at the bottom of this article. Classes range in price from $145 per class to $185 per class. An additional one-time fee for membership in the community program may be required. The membership is usually part of the school's insurance requirements. Students, faculty, staff and alumni are often eligible for discounted class fees. Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:11:08 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article284.html [mg2:20216 class=left]In 1928 Raymond "Frenchy" LaDreau arrived on West Anacapa Island and lived a hermit-like existence for the next 28 years. Frenchy's wife had died, it was said, and he'd come to the island in a state of mourning. As the years passed, Frenchy's sorrow over the loss of his wife did not lessen and his drinking increased. Despite this (or because of this), Frenchy LaDreau became the unofficial Park Service representative, reporting on acts of vandalism and island activities. When he was 68, he suffered a fall and the Park Service decided to move him to the mainland. He was put on a bus in Port Hueneme. "His destination was not known," a Park representative says, "and that was the last they ever saw of him." Not a single scrap of wood, a nail, a stone, remains to suggest his curious, long tenancy. He was well-known among fisherman from Monterey to Ensenada; fishermen often stopped in to sample his bouillabaisse from the lobster he trapped, the fish he caught and the abalone he pried from the rocks below. The above is fact, below is legend. Frenchy's Rum Run NOR What else did they come for? Could it be his secret supply of rum? Isolated as he was, Frenchy could have served as a supply depot for rum smugglers during the Prohibition. Therefore, we are having a race in his "honor". Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:56:33 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article283.html De Koog, Texel / Netherlands, June 23 2007 - On Saturday June 23 2007, the Nissan Pro Team Bundock/Ashby won the 30th Zwitserleven Round Texel Race on handicap. The Aussies started with their F18 Hobie Tiger as the furthest boat on the right and grabbed immediately the lead on elapsed time. The experimental Dutch M20’s of Pols/Veenstra and Dercksen/Mcintosh battled for the line honours. Thanks to the bigger sail plan of Performance Sails, Xander Pols and Tjiddo Veenstra had a speed advantage. They were streets ahead when they crossed the finish line after 3 hours, 16 minutes and 34 seconds. The jubilee edition was sailed in favourable conditions with a south-westerly force three and a calm sea. At 13:00 hours local time, the fleet put up a great show with a spinnaker start. It was unexpectedly sunny and thousands of visitors enjoyed the spectacle. “Finally, a dream comes true”, said a happy Xander Pols after hitting the beach. “I finished second twice and now we succeeded.” At the light house in the north of the island, the Repeat M20 of Jean-Louis Flier and Peter van Deventer was leading the pack. Pols: “They started low on the line and could sail straight to the gate at the light house. We had to jibe once, but Jean-Louis missed the second gate and had to sail back. That is where we caught up a little on them.” The front runners reached the Wadden Sea too early. Due to the shallow water, their rudders came up a couple of times. The Zwitserleven VX20 of Dercksen/Mcintosh was sixth at the light house. Mcintosh: “We had a slow start, because of a bad spinnaker hoist. We fought our way to the top and closed the gap with Xander several times.” That happened for the first time at the VC-mark before Oudeschild. At that point, the difference was only eight seconds. In the end, Pols and Veenstra extended their lead to six minutes. Pols: “The wind decreased on the Wadden Sea, so we could extend our lead on Herbert.” After the first celebrations on the Texel beach, Veenstra’s face beamed: “My first Round Texel Race was fifteen years ago. We had a collision and did not finish. This time we took the line honours.” The 20-foot Eagle of Jaap Straakenbroek and Menno Vercouteren finished third. Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:51:53 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article282.html On Friday June 22 2007, the British Fatface-team Styles/Crawford won the Texel Dutch Open after an exciting conclusion. In the end, the gap to Dutchmen Heemskerk and Tentij was only half a point. The British F18 Capricorn duo Gummer/Burke were third. The Open Class I showed new leaders, as both F18 Nacra Infusion teams Huntelman/Van der Kamp and De Koning/Van Leeuwen took a bullet. Thanks to a moderate south-western wind, the course was laid out along the coast, which gave a good view for the people on the Texel beach. They witnessed the battle against the current while beating upwind. The consideration whether to choose for less current or more pressure, made it an exciting game. In the very last race, Hans Primowees was finally beaten once in the Open Class II. He finished second after the British Nacra 500 of Luke and Adam Butler, but he won the overall series. Later in the afternoon, Heemskerk and Tentij won the TNG Short Track Races. Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:35:47 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article281.html De Koog / Texel, June 21 2007 - On the second day of the Texel Dutch Open in the Netherlands, Hugh Styles and Ryan Crawford (UK) consolidated their lead in the Open Class I. They finished third and first on handicap, racing a F18 Nacra Infusion. Mischa Heemskerk and Bastiaan Tentij scored a first and fifth, which left them in second position overall. The Frenchmen Jean-Christophe Mourniac and Frank Citeau climbed on the leader board and are third overall, followed by their Nissan team-mates Jörg and Arne Gosche (GER). Father and son Gosche had a good day with a fourth and a third. Hans Primowees still leads the nine small cats. The participants in the Open Class II have completed only one race this afternoon, since they were not in time at the first upwind mark of the second one. After almost two hours of postponement, the breeze was strong enough to start racing, but later the wind died due to a front that moved across the North Sea. Race 1 - Duel experimental M20’s In the first race, the two experimental M20’s of Pols/Veenstra and Dercksen/Mcintosh battled for the line honours. Herbert Dercksen and Aaron Mcintosh had a good start, while Xander Pols and Tjiddo Veen had more problems in the middle of the line. Pols: “We closed the gap to Herbert and we could pass him in the last downwind.” According to Pols, the speed difference had to do with their custom made rig: “Mischa Heemskerk and Peter Vink made a beast of our M20. They worked together on the development of the sails, made of PBO-cloth, which is also used in the America’s Cup. PBO loses strength due to UV-radiation, but the material is stiff and therefore fast. The cut looks like an A-cat mainsail, but flatter. We added a jib as well. The acceleration is awesome. I have never had this feeling on a boat before.” Mischa Heemskerk and Bastiaan Tentij, sailing a F18 Nacra Infusion, won on handicap. They were even leading at the first top mark, but had to give up that position under spinnaker, as the M20 was the faster cat. Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:56:46 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article280.html 2007 'Round the Island Multihull Sailboat Race Fort Walton Yacht Club June 15- 17 2007 The 'Round the Island Race is a 100 mile circumnavigation of Santa Rosa Island located in Northwest Florida.  Headquartered at the Fort Walton Yacht Club, the race begins off the point, through the East Pass and continues west to the Pensacola Pass where the northern turn is made for the return trip through the inter-coastal waterway.  A light but steady breeze and an early morning start made for a fantastic day to be on the water along the Emerald Coast.  Not half and hour into the race, the fleet, heading east through Choctawhatchee Bay, was clipping along at 15 knots as they approached the East Pass and hit puffy wind and a 5 knot incoming tide.  With more than half of the fleet flying spinnakers, the wind shifted and the made the approach to the Destin Bridge exciting as they maneuvered through the pass and into the Gulf of Mexico. Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:07:06 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article279.html Hugh Styles and Ryan Crawford (UK) scored two bullets on the first day of the Texel Dutch Open 2007 in the Netherlands. The British sailors shined at boat speed with their Nacra Infusion and ‘simple sailing’, as they called it. Mischa Heemskerk and Bastiaan Tentij, also on a Nacra Infusion, finished second twice in a fleet of 46 competitors. The British Spitfire team Chris Sproat and Georgina Burke are in third position overall. Last year’s runner up of the Zwitserleven Round Texel, Hans Primowees on a 27-year old Prindle 15, is leading the nine small cats in the Open Class II. After a few hours of postponement, the conditions were close to perfect with a southwester force 4, waves and clear skies. Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:45:09 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article278.html A week prior to the start of the 30th Zwitserleven Round Texel Race, the organization has received 482 pre-entries. Among them the overall winners of 2006, Remco Kenbeek and Paul Brouwer with their F18 Capricorn (NED). The Swedish M20 duo Marström/Persson that took last year’s line honours after an exciting battle, will be back as well. The golden fleet is at full strength with over two hundred top teams from the Netherlands, Australia, France, Belgium, Germany and the UK. On Saturday June 23rd 2007 at 12:30 hours pm local time, hundreds of catamarans will start their race against the clock. From Wednesday June 20 until Friday June 22, golden fleet competitors have the opportunity to warm up by participating in the Texel Dutch Open, the official Dutch Championship Catamarans Sailing. 98 Teams have registrated so far. A strong representation of home country the Netherlands will line up for world’s biggest catrace. Double former winner Mischa Heemskerk and his new crew Bastiaan Tentij are at full speed this season. Earlier this year, the Yamaha and Boskalis sponsored duo won Eurocat in Carnac (FRA) and the North Sea Regatta in Scheveningen (NED). They are part of the first one season Nacra Master Class ever, in which the 19-year old Tentij is supposed to learn as much as possible from his master Heemskerk. Tentij’s actual skipper Stefan Dubbeldam (19) will be coached and trained by Gunnar Larsen, who won the Round Texel Race in 1999. Team Zwitserleven Booth/Nieuwenhuis will be hard to beat in heavier conditions. At the F18 Worlds in Queensland (AUS) in February 2007, the Dutchmen showed their strength by winning silver with only one point deficit to Gold. Booth won the Zwitserleven Round Texel Race 2004 with crew Herbert Dercksen. Almost a year after their split, the two former mates will compete against each other, but this time both as skipper. Prototype Volvo Extreme 20 Herbert Dercksen takes the helm of the prototype Volvo Extreme 20, with Aaron Mcintosh (NZL) crewing for him. Dercksen about his latest project, enabled by Zwitserleven: “This carbon cat is based on the M20, but has a different sail plan. You can consider it as a possible successor of the Tornado. Is carries a Tornado mast, the jib is smaller and the main a bit bigger. The VX 20 weighs 125 kilograms, which is 45kg less than the Tornado. I have learned a lot over the past years, so it is very exciting to helm by myself now. I look forward to the race.” At the moment, Dercksen is skippering the Extreme 40 in the Swiss Bol d’Or on Lake Geneva. Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:31:07 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article277.html 100 mile distance race, no ground crew needed! Editors note:Ever thought you'd like to do one of the distance races like the Tybee 500 or the Great Texas, but don't have the ground support or resources for such an adventure? The Fort Walton Yacht Club, 'Round the Island is the perfect event to challenge yourself without breaking the bank or scaring your loved ones. Sail a 100 mile round trip race with the start and finish inside the bay, no surf launch to deal with and only takes a weekend. Read on for the race details. Note: This years race start is Saturday, June 16, 2007 The Round the Island Race is a 100 mile circumnavigation around Santa Rosa Island located in Northwest Florida.  Headquartered at the Fort Walton Yacht Club, the race begins off the point, through the East Pass and continues west through the Pensacola pass where the northern turn is made for the return trip. Having one start for all competitors, the initial direction is east in the Choctawhatchee Bay as the boats head for the East Pass from the start.  The wind is usually 4 to 6 knots from the Northeast so the start is a one legged beat.  As the multi-hulls round a turning mark off the shoals of Crab Island, they head for the Destin Bridge and the East Pass.  There they meet the Destin Charter Boat fleet heading out the Pass for a colorful parade of sailors and fishing boats.  Spectators line the Destin Bridge and capture some beautiful sights, as the fleet hoists spinnakers using the NNE breeze to speed them out the Pass. White sandy beaches and glistening emerald water provides for a spectacular run to the Sea Buoy.  Approximately one-half a mile out the Pass leaving to starboard, the fleet will now head due west for 50 miles of beautiful sailing in the Gulf of Mexico.  The fleet is usually favored to stay along the shore to take advantage of the east to west flowing beach current where most of the competitors will stay within 1 to 2 miles of shore.  As the sun rises higher and starts its usual east to west trajectory the wind follows it.  Thus the NNE breeze in the morning will give way to a Southeast veer that will usually turn southerly before going to the Southwest in the late afternoon.  This makes for a lot of spinnaker work and reaching in the Gulf before reaching the Pensacola Pass. The fleet will pass three fishing piers in the Gulf at Fort Walton, Navarre, and Pensacola Beach so the landmarks are easily recognizable as well as great perches for the spectators.  Upon reaching the Pass at Pensacola the competitors will usually hug the shoreline at the Fort Pickens State Park as they round inside the Pass for the run home.  The lead boats, usually RC 30’s and 27’s as well as a sprinkling of Super Cat 22’s will enter the Pass from 1p.m to 3p.m. if the normal wind pattern holds true.  The majority of the fleet will be in the Pass from then on into the late afternoon with everyone required to be in the inter-coastal waterway before sundown. Fri, 01 Jun 2007 16:49:38 -0400 http://thebeachcats.com/Article276.html 's Gravenzande / Netherlands - The Hobie 16 & Hobie Dragoon Europeans 2007 will be sailed off the Dutch coast of ‘s Gravenzande, close the The Hague and Scheveningen. From July 28 until August 4, about 150 teams will face the elements of the North Sea in their battle for European titles in five classes: Hobie 16 with spinnaker youth, master (from the age of 45), women, Hobie Dragoon youth and Hobie 16 Open. So far, the organization has received 33 pre-entries, representing 11 countries in the Open class. For the Dutch Hobie Cat community, it is definitely a revival of the more that thirty years old Hobie 16 competition. Twelve young crews with eight nationalities have registered for the Hobie 16 with spinnaker, the ISAF youth catamaran. This fleet is expected to increase up to thirty until fifty participants. Registration is open until July 1st. It all starts with the two-day Women and Master (from the age of 45) championships on Saturday July 28th. Youth sailors in the Hobie 16 with spinnaker and Hobie Dragoon will race from July 28 until 31. The qualifications for the Open Class will start on July 30 and the finals on August 1st. “If you look at the pre-entries, it is obvious that many former Hobie 16-sailors use the opportunity as a come-back”, says Ute Vrijburg, Event Director on behalf of the European Hobie Cat Association (EHCA). “In that perspective, it is like a revival of the Hobie 16 in the Netherlands.” This most popular catamaran ever, was introduced to the American market in 1969 and it dominated the Dutch catamaran sport for years. The coastal sailing club ‘s Gravenzande (KZVG) and the EHCA may organize the 33rd edition of the Hobie Cat 16 European Championship, under the leadership of Race Director Rob Hoogstra. The challenge for competitors is about fighting the elements, such as current, tides, waves and surf. It is also about competition and socializing with fellow sailors from all over Europe. Fri, 01 Jun 2007 16:29:41 -0400