Hobie Race Management

Dare I ask what in the world are you talking about?

You want to be a little more specific? Particular offending event, specific incidents, etc.

A personal rant without some back-up is just whining.

Also - having this as your first post (seven minutes after registering for the site) is a little suspicious.

If there is something specific you have a problem with, and you are truly looking for a solution, it would be much more effective if you contacted your Division Chair and the Hobie Class Chair. All of the contact information is on the HCA website.

Even an anonymous letter to your Division and the HCA Chair will accomplish more than ranting on this forum.

I concur with Jake and Matt...let's hear what the issue is.

Really? What's the issue? Just an Annon poster trying to start something (again). Don't take the bait.

Rico
Fleet 204
H16

PS - I agree with Matt, Jake, Bob and John.

DEQ, from what I've heard, let's back up to your event a couple of years ago. Didn't he decide to split the fleet at the last minute for a NA's? What was that all about?

Does your fleet even want him back on the property?

First you need to ID yourself.
I ran the 2004 16's in Syracuse and nothing was done without my approval.

Were you even there?
Who are you?
What's with this fishing expedition?
Why an issue with a 2 year old regatta?
Paul is welcome any time he wants to come on over and play.
Hopefully he'll stay at our home and break bread with our family.

So, is he going to be around forever, or is the class going to get rid of him for someone that listens?

Talk to any of the past champions over the past 10 years. Can you find anyone of them that support him? The world class has lost respect for him. He isn't even invited to the world events.

The class is in trouble and there is no one that he has mentored to replace him as his retirement is near.

Pat, from what I heard, it was done with your approval, but there was significant displeasure, and only done with 2 hours notice leaving your fleet to scramble to get more boats and staff. Nice piece of team work that he did. An entire year of planning thrown out the window. Would you want to go through that again?

After thorough analysis of your last statement, you got not one fact correct.

Thank you for playing, we have great parting gifts, including the home version of our fishing game.

I'm done with this thread.

Really. Not one fact. Maybe you missed that morning. Did you sleep in?

Clearly, this guy does not play well with others.

Thanks for your update.

Per the contract that we sign when running a North American Championship with HCA the fleet will be split when there are more than 70 boats entered into gold and silver fleets after a round robin format for 3 days.
We knew this a year in advance and that is what was done.
What happened was we chose to give the silver fleet their own course allowing both fleets more races. We had the man power, boats and a second qualified PRO on site to do this.

There are at least two other PRO's that have been training with Paul for more than 5 years.

I know I didn't run a perfect event and I'm sure there are things that Paul might like to change.
It's easy to be a back seat driver.
Step up and volunteer to head a committe, then you will have a new view on how difficult it is to please everyone.

The class is doing very well and I would bet we will approach the 70 boat mark for this years H16 NAC again.

So, I assumae that he might retire from this in the next 2 years. Who is going to take this over? I would imagine that Mark S. it top on his list.

I guess I'm being a dick for a reason. It clearly sounds like the NE thinks he walks on water and that the class can't do any better. However, that is just one part of the sampling of the entire country.

I don't care if people reply and want to hide their identities. Clearly, it would be political suicide if Matt put him down, although I know that Matt is on his good side.

And, I that is part of the concern. Your either on his very good side, or, you are out and he will go out of his way to slam you or eliminate you.

Paul's way is either his way or the highway. There is alot of lurkers out there that do not want to say anything because they are afraid of any reprocussions.

Can't tell me i'm full of sh*t on that comment.

Mark is certainly one of the qualified people.
Last years H14,H16,H17 NAC's didn't seem to have any RC issues that I'm aware of.

Last weekend in Buffalo the RC was an absolute genius.
7 races 85F 18knots of steady wind on a big body of water.
The same person has been criticized in the past when it was cold , the wind was light and shifty on a lake with a lot of shoals.
Being in charge ain't easy.
When your judged on rumors it becomes that much more difficult.

Exactly

And that PRO is on Paul's sh*t list of race officiers. There are many excellent race officiers out there, however most of them are on his bad list as he is threatened by them.

You tell me which ones are on his good side.

I would say that all of the people that have responded have all been in a leadership position and don't like someone publically bashing someone else that has put in many, many years of volunteer service trying to improve our class association.

I(with our fleet) have worked with Paul at the H14's, H16 womens, H16 Youth, H16 open, H17's along with an Alter Cup.

He can be stubborn, almost as much as me.
We have always been able to put on a great event for the sailors even though there may have been some private spirited discussions behind closed doors.
They should stay there.

I have to agree with Pat.

Paul is a personal friend of mine. He can be stubborn, demanding and a pain in the butt sometimes. However, I attribute the excellence and progressiveness of our class' race management to his unwillingness to compromise the class' standards. How many other classes were running courses with gates ten years ago?

I don't think he feels

threatened

by anybody. I have seen him go out of his way to accomodate sailors at an event - only to have them turn on him when they don't even realize what has been done. He takes a lot of crap for stuff beyond his control.

I don't think anybody would argue (except maybe Sam Evans) that PU runs nearly perfect courses that take exactly the amount of time he intends them to.

I'm looking forward to sailing in the PU run H-17 / Tiger NA's two weeks from now. I'll know that the start line will be appropriately favored, the marks will be where they should be, and each race will last just about 45 minutes - no matter what the wind strength.

In the evenings, I'll enjoy sharing sailing stories and a bottle of excellent wine with my friend, whom I haven't seen in nearly a year.

I've only been fortunate enough to hear stories around the tents, but the one about wooing the olympic committee, by example, to secure the PRO position for the '96 games was incredible. You all are very lucky to be in this mans presence.

Doesn't matter who it is, they'll unfortunately have a target on their back, for some bad apple to shoot at.

John

That is the point that I'm trying to make. PU is able to run amazing courses, however there are others of the same caliber, that PU has trained, that he knows are good, but he will not release his virgin death grip on so that they can gain experience, and it comes without the little power trips he continues to play.

MJ44: Are you working on an event with Paul now?
How many events have you sailed that he has run?

1) no
2) over 20

So What exactly are you complaining about?

FYI, The Tornado Class insists on using Ulibari... They know what they will get... His standards will match the class requirements for world class racing. In fact, they have refused to leave the beach at an international regatta when Ulibari was replaced as PRO by someone who they saw as incompetent.

If your point is that he is uncompromising that may also be true. At a Spring Fever regatta he held to the 5 knot rule when perhaps the situation warranted a slightly looser hand given that it was not a championship level event and people just wanted to go sail boat racing... But.. you knew his standards before you went racing. You choose.

If your point refers to his leadership of the Hobie Class... well that is entirely different and falls in the realm of politics.

The comments about him not allowing anyone else in are interesting.
I actually had complaints as to why he was at our event when he spent so much of the time running around in a skiff while others ran races from the RC boat.
What I found prior to the event was:
He wants the NOR right.
He wants the Sailing instructions right.
He wants to now the marks, flags,horns, white boards etc. are in order.
He wants to know that he has enough mark boats with qualified people on them to properly set a mark.
He needs to know he has the right people on the RC boat to record scores etc..

He wants things done right, imagine that...

If someone like Mark S or Mike Walker or Pat Limburner is at the event he will gladly let them run flags and keep time while he drives around the course with a radio and fishing pole.

(PU spending lots of time in the skiff)

His job is to crown a National Champion on the race course.
My job was to run an event were everyone was treated like champions.
These two things can at times conflict and you have to comprimise.
At the 97 Womens Nationals he was willing to sacrafice some travel expenses to be sure that every women at the event recieved a red rose at the awards banquet.
He is not perfect, but the good he has done far out weighs any negatives.

Well, I have known Paul since 1971. He has done more for Hobie Cat and Catamaran racing than anyone I can name. The remarks by Pat, Matt, Bob and Mark are right on. Paul has earned the highest level of Race Management and International Judge, making him a much sought after PRO for major regattas including the Olympics.

Paul was also our first local Hobie Cat Dealer, and earned the repetition as the person that grew Cat Sailing in the Northwest, and trained the people that continue our success today. Our family bought several Hobie Cats from him, and he was always very supportive in our sailing and racing growth. As a direct sailing competitor, Paul was always very fair, and helpful in training new sailors.

Over the years, I have raced in many local, regional and national races run by PU, and can vouch for his excellent race management. Safety and running a good event are the hallmarks of his regattas.

Last week, Paul ran the U.S.Youth Multihull Championship in Miami. All of the reports indicate he ran an excellent event, getting off eighteen races, with rotating teams under challenging conditions.

When Paul does return to the Northwest for local regattas, he always helps out where required, even if it is only helping to set marks.

Personal attacks by anonymous people such as MJ44 have no place on this or any other Forum.

Caleb Tarleton

Interesting.

Firstly , I have to say I read this forum regularly , but until now have never commented.

I think MJ44 has many valid concerns.
I have raced many regatta's under the Race manag ment of PU and find his skills of course managment quite a reasonable level, however PRO's have a discretionary power and this has to be questioned in many cases with PU. The idea that the Tornado Class insists on him as PRO is pure politicaly motivated as the Tornado class managment and he do each other favours.
You see the point is, PU is one of the most pathetic brown nose politicians I have meet with his highest motivation to created friends in ISAF and International classes so he can be invited ( all expences paid ) to be on a committee or run thier race for them .
The sailing is a far second priority to climbing the political ladder.
Ask any Tornado team from the 96 and 04 Olympics or the Spanish / Cadiz Worlds committee if he would be first choice ????? I very much doubt it.
Sorry to be so blunt on my first post.

Hmm.... I believe at Cadiz... the Tornado fleet INSISTED that PU be put BACK in charge of he Race committe when the powers that be force him out and replaced him with an idiot Race committe which wanted them to race in the dark.. Hardly the actions of a the brown nosing polictical hack that you assert.

In Miami, this year... US Sailing insisted that the Tornado fleet race in the ocean and PU used his discretion to keep the fleet in Biscayne Bay when his saftey criteria were not met. He responded to a petition by the Tornado sailors asking that they not race in the ocean under the circumstances. Hardly the suck up flunky of US Sailing that you claim.

These facts speak to his concern for saftey of the racers... which in my view is the first priority of any PRO running a race that I want to compete in.

Obviously you have no idea what you are talking about...
So, what the hell is your agenda?

Where are you getting your wild butt assertions? I have a name and email address... What's yours? Or are you just a spineless nitwit?

(Oh... and by the way... PU and I have gone several rounds over other issues and I am hardly a personal friend.. but you are just dishing out BS and it pisses me off)