[quote=coastrat]i started sailing lessons at 7 yrs old, the year after we moved to pascagoula. joined the singing river yact club the same year. we stayed active in racing hobie, flying scotts, sunfish, and the bigger boats the whole time. by age 13 my dad trusted me with the family san juan 21'(great boat!) and my friends dad let us use his catalina 22'...about the time we discovered girls and beer soon after. my older brother sold hobies for a guy named warren ford(local cult hero killed in a car crash) and he was an extremely gifted stunt sailor- he could sail backwards, from under the boat, fly a hull as long as he wanted(he weighed 100lbs). in the summer, we used to rig the boat and wait for the afternoon squalls to launch...crazy stuff...it was the seventies, man.
now days, at 225lbs, it has to blow at least 15-18mpr to fly a hull for me, more if i'm in the trap. i have mellowd with age, believe me, and i enjoy every chance to get out no matter what the winds are, BUT, i LOVE IT when it's whistleing and your catching air in some huge swells with the spray in your face!!!....i don't like to race on calm days, i only have a chance if it's blowin'. right now i'm bummin' because i couldn't sail today...it's killin' me! i would much rather be on a cat in big seas than a mono...way more stable. next april, i,m racing my boat in the dauphin island race...the past 4 years i was on my buddies hunter 25 getting beat to death. i'm over that. i love my p-16 because it's a great platform for extreme sailing...i try to break it!!![/quote]
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