Can't wait it's an awesome event, great for any beachcat sailor from pros to first time regatta sailors. Combination of a distance race in the sheltered waterway on Saturday then traditional buoy races on Sunday.
I am still trying to come up with a stronger tow vehicle to pull my Hobie 21SE to this event and the one following it @ FWYC, the 50/50....Columbus, Indiana to Florida's panhandle is a little to far for my 16 year old little V6 Four Runner....
Just take it slow. I tow my Hobie 16 with my 20 year old Land Cruiser. If I want my mileage to be above 10mpg then I have to keep it 65mph or less and i'm also driving all 4 wheels all the time. It seems like wind drag is the biggest problem when towing the boat because my entire setup only weighs probably 500 pounds.
if you're doing round the island be sure to leave your boat down there so you don't have to tow it back and forth.
Man just realized this will mean I'm doing 3 2-day weekends in a row, the longest race being the last weekend...
I couldn't lift my shoulder for 3 days after my last race which saw us doubled up on the wire for about an hour on one tack. I was really having to work the main and at times was pulling as hard as I could while doing a squat to milk all I could out of the beast. I've been dealing with rotator cuff issues for years thanks to martial arts and now apparently taking a leisurely sail at 20 knots+ blows it out as well.
I have a feeling I'm going to be the most worn out and sun baked of my life after September. As my old Chinese work buddy used to say, awwww ki me nawwww, jus kill me nawwwww
^^^^ Sounds like you need 8:1 or even 10:1 main sheet blocks. 7:1 wears me out in 15+ kts on my 20, went to 8:1 and it helped some. I'm pretty sore all over from this past weekends high wind sailing for a few hours working a 7:1 mainsheet system. Didn't hurt at the time
Yea when I got it it had 6:1 and I added an extra block to the stack to make it 7:1. It's never been a problem before but now that I have an 8:1 downhaul I'm able to sheet the main a lot harder without stalling. I didn't feel anything at the time either but the next day holy cow I would have lost a fight to a child.
I could make it 8:1 without much trouble but more than that I'd need a new longer sheet
I already asked them about camping and they said there isn't any camping allowed on beaches around there but "I could try and see what happens". That probably means it's not policed but I'd rather not be out in the open if that's the case. My crew and another are planning on camping on this open block of land that seems perfect for some rogue camping. If you look north of the bridge there are a bunch of dirt roads leading into the forest without any trespassing notices on them that should suit the camping cause.
Also just looking on google earth again there's a nearby road called Duncan Ridge Dr that dead ends into nothing and is undeveloped(when the photo was taken). If you weren't wanting to go off the grid at all.
Or there is a real camping site charging something like 50 bucks a night for a tent spot, but where's the fun in that.
Best thing to do is go in on a Condo (its off season rates) I usually score a condo for $89 a night with room for 4 guests within 3 miles of Juana's Pagodas. I'll be booking in the next few days.
-- Tim Grover
1996 Hobie Miracle 20
Two Hobie 14's
1983 G-Cat Restored
Memphis TN / North Mississippi --
I've camped on the beach for the race years ago. just off the edge of the parking lot in the highest spot we could find since it rained all night. Woke up with a nice moat around the tent also. Me and dad also put a pop up canopy over the boat and put an air mattress on the tramp. that was a nice setup. If you're going to book a condo I'd be doing it sooner rather than later. The place we got was mostly booked a month ago.
I have still not worked out lodging arrangement for this event and the 50/50....does anyone have room on a camp site for another tent? Or whatever else is available?
It's been a couple years since i've made it to this regatta but I remember seeing a large vacant/sandy/grassy area next to the parking lot and behind the boats on the beach. Perhaps they'll let you camp there? i'd email them. There's showers and everything else at the Pagodas too. The year i went there was a guy camping out in his monohull moored out about 50' off the beach. Camp on the boat! :0)
-- Tim Grover
1996 Hobie Miracle 20
Two Hobie 14's
1983 G-Cat Restored
Memphis TN / North Mississippi --
There is usually a camper in the parking lot for the race. I'm sure you could get away with camping right there off the parking lot close by. The regatta usually has special rates for some of the local hotels.
as for the round the island race me and my crew will be camping out in the roof top tent. I'm sure Friday night will be in the parking lot at the at FWYC and Saturday night will be camping at the Fort. I know they have said camping at round the island is welcomed. So I'm sure there will be places for it.
So I talked with the Juanas people and got them to add a link so you can not only see who is registered but also what boat they are bringing. It's at the top right under the home page and says "Boats Registered as of..."
Some of my guys are talking about just splitting a room now because they want a shower so they can smell good for all the old men at the regatta I guess..? I'll have my big tent though and if there are people that are just going to bootleg a camp site outside the parking lot I may join.
Just FYI the Days Inn just called me and told me about a mix up on the price that they had accidentally listed as double the rate. They said they had 35 rooms available but only 4 people booked which was way less than usual. The rate is 69 bucks a night.
The best western told me like 130. In case yall booked somewhere else or whatever she wanted me to try and pass it on because she said they have been affiliated with the Regatta for years and their automated system had just messed up.
Well we made it out finally. We almost ran out of gas and one of our caravan broke down an hour and a half out and had to drive back in my truck to get the other boat. Crazy start to the weekend
This was my sons first regatta, we discovered some pretty hefty damage to the bottom of our boat Thursday night while we were cleaning it up. No idea how it got damaged but it looked like somebody beat the very bottom of the boat from the front to just behind the dagger wells with a hammer. We spent most of the night Thursday and part of Friday patching it back up so we could make the race. All worth it though as the whole weekend was great. I think he's hooked on racing since he's looking to find a boat himself.
Thanks again Damon for all you do and hopefully we'll see you this weekend at the 50/50.
I didn't get scored in the first buoy race (skipped the second). But I know where I finished so it's ok. First race for me since 93. Learned a lot, didn't wreck anybody, didn't flip it, and I know some areas to work on improving. Good weekend!
-- Tim
Collierville (Memphis), TN
Supercat 15--sold :(
Hobie monocat--given
Vanguard 15--traded for...
Nacra 4.5--sold
Nacra 5.7
Hobie 14–sold to make room for...
Supercat 17–sold --