Last year we had " 9 " Boats. I wonder how many Inter17R's / NACRA F17's have actually been made. 14 plus boats at NATIONALS is probably going to be a rather large percentage when compared to actual boats produced and sold. I'd say that's a really good thing!!
Can anyone tell me where this picture was taken and who the sailor is? I think it's a really nice picture both of the boat and the background!
Tom Turlington
NACRA F17 #124
Another nice NACRA F17 picture. Only thing wrong with it is that the wrong boat is in front!
Tom
The sailor is Eric Kennedy and the location is Lake Fenton, Michigan. This was the first weekend that any of the Michigan I-17R fleet got to sail their boats, April 2000.
F17 guy rounds " A " mark; boat set on cruise control!
Tom
Tom,
Well, I can tell you the location definately is not the Caribbean. 
nice pics!
Bruce
St. Croix
Thanks Les,
Looks like a nice place to sail. Bet it is nice there at those lake houses when the leaves come back on the trees.
Have you guys heard anything from the Canadians that were at Nationals last year..........Philippe and company? Sure would be nice if they came again. That would make 16 boats.
And if you come on an F17 that would be 17! Good number ......
Tom
Tom,
I haven't heard anything about the Canadians, but there is a rumor that at least 2 more 17s from the East Coast (New Jersey?) have said they will be there. 16 is almost as good as 17! ...and the biggest F17 Fleet ever (I think). Good luck to all that are going to PRW!
Here are the front runners that have signed up!
Mark Batchelor...won NA Championships (on 17s) each time he has sailed them.
Chris Sawyer...defending Champ
Bill Gillespie...a point away from beating Sawyer last year and has lost significant weight
and everybody's favorite...Bob Curry...first year on the boat but beating Sawyer in Florida all year.
Should be GREAT FUN for everyone!
Les,
I'm glad you brought up the point about the front runners that will be at the Nationals on the F17. It may be one of the reasons so many others are signing up. We all want to compare ourselves to the best sailors sailing one design. It's the only way to see where you really stand and what you need to work on. Also, I have found that most of these top sailors will help you get faster and answer any questions you have about setup, tactics, etc. So, if nothing else, we that attend the Nationals will be picking up a lot of information.
For example, I have been getting beat up most every weekend for the past few months by the local Weatherman. It can be frustrating, but if you stay at it long enough you begin to start to see things. Also, helpful hints from a guy that has been sailing unirigs for 30 years doesn't hurt either!
Also, the rest of us F17 sailors not considered among the leaders will really be eyeing the starting line and course for a break that might give us an opportunity to take a race or two. I expect a few of the races to be very close.
Tom Turlington
Tom,
I also expect some really close racing this year. Sawyer has pushed Batchelor (2002 NA Championships) until knocked out with broken mast. Gillespie and Batchelor have raced very close to each other at times this year (though Batchelor and Gillespie started the year on F-18s). It seems the Weatherman has been successful on his new boat in your area. I think the wind strength will be a significant factor in the results. I also believe that we will see others in the fleet come out on top in some of the races. I agree with you that the racing will be very close. 
I have experienced the same thing you have, that the faster racers are very willing to share their rig settings and techniques with others in the fleet. It is one of the things that I always liked about racing beach catamarans! I remember talking to Jon Lindahl when I was first sailing my 18 Square, and Jon said he wanted the whole fleet to get faster, to push each other to make everyone faster. Jon dominated our 18 Sq. fleet back in the 80s and I will never forget the Nationals in Traverse City when Wild Turkey came (Wing Boat that Stars and Stipes catamaran was modelled after) and Jon won the event in head-to-head racing against Craig Riley. It was really exciting to see the soft rig beat the hard wing rig! The point is that we had a strong fleet and we all worked to keep getting faster. In the end, Jon beat Craig, and I think the fleet working together (as opposed to against each other) made all of us faster.