News
January 4th, 2011 - 2011 Season Wrap Up
Another season down: This sailing schedule flew by way too quickly. The final tally was thirteen different events, winning eight of them on the new, fully tricked out, Team Ronstan Nacra Mk2. Huge thanks to Jack at Nacra and Scot at Ronstan for helping to make this happen for the team. With their help, we were able to race hard enough to earn first place rankings both regionally and nationally. It’s comforting to know that we will have the best resources available for the 2012 F18 World Championships in Long Beach.
Some highlights of this past season included bringing 7 teams up to speed at our 2nd annual F18 training clinic, competing in Texel Sail Week (Nacra World Championship, Dutch Open Championship, and Round Texel Race), and organizing/competing in the F18 North Americans. Taking the approach of using each race and each regatta as practice for the next has really helped us continue to improve our sailing and stay one step ahead. Full event reports from this past season can be found below.
Aside from our racing results, it’s been another successful year for us as fleet leaders. By taking the Sakonnet regatta off to host a performance clinic and run RC, we’ve hopefully enhanced the racing level of our local fleet. From both an organizational and racing stand-point, our major goal for this season was to establish an outstanding North American Championship. Hosted in Hyannis (with the support of our team sponsors), the F18 fleet was proud to announce the best attended championship to date, and the first US event to feature event photography, video updates, and fleet live tracking. As competitors, we were excited by the prospect of a home-field event. Once clear of the organizational challenges, we improved our standings throughout the event to finish with a strong second place title. With this as a pilot event for the 2012 Worlds, we’ve set the bar high.
The upcoming schedule for 2012 fully revolves around the US Worlds. Our fleet has organized an exceptional schedule, with a possibility of even tying in the America’s Cup World Series event in Newport, RI (June 23-June 30). With the strongest local fleet, the New England sailors are poised to train well and post some excellent results in Long Beach. The Team Ronstan F18 will again be at the top of the pile, shooting for a top 10 finish.
Full area schedule at:
http://www.naf18.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=categoryevents&id=4&Itemid=109
Again, many thanks for all of your support this season. We hope the winter treats you well. Looking forward to 2012!
-Mike & Tripp
October 7th, 2011 - Siemasko+Verbridge North American F18 Championship
After months of preparation and meetings to organize the 2011 Siemasko+Verbridge F18 North American Championship, the time had final come for the event to take place. 54 boats descended on Hyannis Yacht Club in Hyannis, Massachusetts to race in the biggest F18 and more competitive regatta in the Americas to date . The event took place from September 19th – 24th, which includes a set up/measurement day and then 5 days of racing. Competitors came from all over the US and Canada, with a team even making the journey from Argentina.
Hyannis welcomed the sailors on Tuesday with its standard blustery southwesterly wind and steep chop conditions to begin racing. By the end of the 3rd race only 33 out of the 54 boats finished the race. As the week progressed the winds lightened off culminating in no racing on Friday. Breeze ratcheted up again on Saturday for the final day of racing, allowing world class PRO Tom Duggan and his Race Committee to get in 13 excellent races. Robbie Daniels and Hunter Stunzi on an AHPC C2 took an early lead with 5 straight bullets and never looked back. We started to pull it together at the end of the regatta with 3 straight bullets, but it wasn’t enough to catch Robbie and Hunter. John Casey and Dalton Tebo rounded out the top 3 also racing on their new (right out of the box) Nacra Infusion MKII. The advantages of the long boards definitely showed their strength at the event, with all the boats in the top 10 sporting the modifications.
The after race scene was as good if not better than the racing. Free food and beer, daily photos by Photoboat and Kattack GPS replays of the day’s racing greeted the sailors as they came in off the water. Daily debriefs / Q&As sessions,and a boat handling clinic were held to help all sailors improve their skill level and find out what’s making the top sailors in the fleet go fast.
Thanks to Hyannis Yacht Club and the army of volunteers they put together to make the event run smoothly.
Full event website, including results, photos, video, and kattack race replays can be found here: www.f18northamericans.com
Sept 7th, 2011 - Canadian National Championship
Over Labor Day weekend we traveled to the Venice au Quebec for the 2011 Canadian National Championship. 3 teams from the Northeast made the trip, Sandra/Trevor, Brooks/Jeff, and us. The overall turnout was great, with 25 boats competing with teams from all over Canada and the US.
The practice day on Friday showed us the best conditions of the weekend with breeze in the mid to lower teens and flat water. Having just survived the hurricane that passed over the area, which turned up the lake there was lakeweed everywhere. It became blatantly apparent how important it would be for everyone to keep their boats weed free.
Winds on Saturday and Sunday were light and variable. We put our new longer boards to work with good starts and smart sailing to win 7 of the 8 races over the two days. Monday’s conditions were just terrible – cold heavy rain killed most of the breeze which kept everyone postponed on shore for a while. Once the wind looked promising again the Race Committee went out and banged off another two races, one of which experienced at least a 120 degree wind shift. With the regatta locked up, we decided to forgo racing and conserve our boat for the North American Championship in 2 weeks.
A big thanks to Sextant Marine and the Race Committee for putting on an awesome regatta and congrats to Sandra and Trevor for taking 3rd place to have 2 infusions and 2 boats from the New England area in the top 3.
August 16th, 2011 - New England 100
The 2011 New England was held in conjunction with Hobie Fleet’s Narragansett Bay Island Hop. Those arriving Friday to the Compass Rose Beach race site at Quonset Point were treated to a picture perfect evening with stunning views looking down the West Passage of Narragansett Bay and huge full moon rising as the sun set. Thanks to Chris Titcomb and Sam Adelman, Tripp and Mike split up for this regatta to get more people involved and get more boats out on the water. To make competition between us as fair as possible we decided to each spend one day racing the Ronstan boat and one day racing Lil’ Evil. That way the difference in boats/sails becomes a nonissue and bagging rights are valid.
After an hour delay waiting for breeze to fill in, on Saturday Mother Nature couldn’t have served up a better summer day for the first day of racing - blue skies, temps forecasted for low 80’s. 16 boats (11 F18s and 5 Open Class), including some new faces, started the race in a light easterly breeze. The course for the day would be a grand tour of Narragansett Bay - from Quonset Point, we’d race south through the West Passage, round Beavertail, continue up the East Passage to buoy C1 at the southwest corner of Goat Island/entrance to Newport Harbor, through the center span of the Newport Bridge, continue up the Bay to the Mt Hope Bridge, then northwest to the mouth of the Providence River (R16/Conimincut Point) and finally south back to Quonset Pt.
In the light breeze, the Guilliano brothers quickly shot out in front, rounding Beavertail with a several minute lead. Mike/Tyler rounded 2nd followed closely by Sandra/Sam.All competitors were able to hoist their spinnakers as they rounded the buoy. The 10-15kt sea breeze finally caught up with the leaders just south of Prudence Island bringing much of the fleet along with it. Loving the sea breeze, Tripp/Trevor, sailing on the new MKII ‘Ronstan’ really started to motor, built a decent lead by the time they arrived to Mt Hope bridge, and continued to stretch this to the finish. Jim/Nick smartly played the western shoreline en route from the Providence River back to Quonset Pt, passing several boats to finish 3rd to Mike/Tyler’s 2nd for the day. At end of Day 1, in the F18 Class, Tripp/Trevor had a 12min lead over Mike/Tyler and 4 ½mins separated 2nd through 6th. Total distance sailed that day was approx 60 miles with elapsed times from 5 ½ to 6 ¾ hours. That evening tired sailors were treated to steak kabobs, pulled pork, numerous salads, cake and brownies. Huge thanks to Barbara, Joy, and others from Hobie Fleet 443 who put on the spread. Of course, Narragansett Beer was flowing to keep pace with the stories of the day’s adventures.
For Day 2, forecasts were south winds 5-10 with showers off and on, possible T-storms, and heavy downpours later in the day. Day 2’s course took us south to Beavertail, then to R2 at the north end of Conanicut Island where the RC waited to shorten the course if weather necessitated. Mother Nature treated us kindly again – great breeze/no rain. We continued on north rounding Prudence Island to starboard then onto finish at Quonset. We started racing in southerly 5-10 that built to 12-15 SE at Beavertail. Mike/Tyler, now racing on ‘Ronstan’, followed by the Guilliano brothers and Tripp/Trevor, were first to round Beavertail, continued to stretch their lead, finished first for the day, wiping out the lead Tripp/Trevor had the day prior to beat Tripp by 2 minutes and get the bragging rights until next year. Jim/Nick once again went to the western shoreline making gainers. Day 2 had teams completing the 40 miles in 4-5hours.
All toll, we sailed approximately 100 miles, total elapsed times from 9 ½ to 11 ½ hours.
While we were both sailing on the same infusion hull shape, the speed difference between the Ronstan boat and Lil Evil boat were very interesting. Upwind speed differences were minimal (maybe 1 or 2%), while downwind the speed difference was huge (5-10%). I think the main difference is due to the condition of the spinnaker and the new MKII foils which are just weapons, as we previously discussed.
August 12th, 2011 - Eastern Area F18 Championship / BBR Regatta Summary
Our winning streak continued through the past two weekends with Eastern Area F18 Championship and the Buzzards Bay Regatta.
The Eastern Area F18 Championship, held in conjunction with the Hyannis Yacht Club Regatta was a highlight of the summer with 24 boats decended on the event from as far away as Georgia. The event was treated by Hyannis and the sailors as a test or warm up event for the F18 North American Championship which will be held there this September 19-24. Sailors got a glimpse at all possible conditions from no wind and shark siting in Hyannis Harbor to a typical SW 15-20+ with steep choppy waves. Racing was tight all over the course but we were able to prevail with our new Ronstan - Nacra MK II. Bob Merrick and Jonathan Farrar were consistent claiming 2nd place in all 10 races. John and Pete Giuliano rounded out the top 3. For a full summary of the event please visit naf18.com
Being the second 3 day event in a row, attendance was a little lower at the Buzzards Bay Regatta with 14 F18 and 1 F16 registering. Saturday's winds started light but thankfully gave way to a sea breeze in the afternoon. Saturday the wind gods blessed the event as we got a steady 15-20 with good chop. The first race we realized how much we needed to installed foot straps on the boat as we dove the boat into a wave on the first downwind run, sending Tripp around the front of the boat. Unfortunately, he wasn't as graceful as he was during his trip in Texel so we weren't able to save the pitchpole. We ultimately ground back to 3rd in that race, but weren't able to catch Bob/John or Sandra/Nate who were sailing super fast. The rest of the day we experienced course 4s with 2 nm long upwind grinds which took a toll on the crews. We were able to keep a level head and pulled of 3 bullets to end the day. Sunday was just nasty with strong winds and driving rain caused racing to be abandoned for the day. We went out anyway and experimented sailing without a jib. There's definitely plenty of power in the main, with tacking is quite a bit harder without the jib. For a full regatta report please check HERE
Next up New England 100 - a 100 nm distance race around Narragansett Bay out of Quonset Pt., RI. Tripp and I are splitting up for this one so it should be a battle.
July 19th, 2011 - RONSTAN Mainsheet System Review
If the new graphics on the Mk 2 haven’t told you, we’re working with Ronstan this season – testing their gear hard and developing new applications for Ronstan hardware on high performance catamarans. Ordinarily opposed to breaking from what’s tried and proven, we’ve been surprised with the benefits seen from swapping out “just another block.” During upcoming events, we’ll be posting feedback on several of the new systems we’re trying. One caveat, we’re tough on our equipment and expect it to work right every time – if something fails you can learn from our misfortune.
Mainsheet:
RF56331B – 55mm triple ratchet with cleat, RF4520 – 40mm double, RF55410 – 55mm quad
Only a 9:1 purchase, so was a little hesitant to test out after a season of 10:1 power. Turns out, this block combination runs more smoothly than our previous systems, making the drop in purchase a non-issue. An added bonus is that you need 10% less extra sheet length flapping around while sailing. Right now we’re running 10mm FSE Robline Racing Sheet, tapered into 5mm dyneema. If I were to make another, I’d probably go to 4mm core, but it’s not really an issue. To help with the range of sheeting angles, we took the delrin risers made for Nacra and swapped them over to the Ronstan setup.
Pros: Lighter weight than other systems, almost no metal (potential corrosion). Single screw adjustable cleating height system. Very smooth sheeting (lower friction) and the best functioning autoratchet system we’ve used.
Cons: Shackle fittings are slightly small; we’ll have to drill it out to fit our Wichard quick release. Like any mainsheet system, the line might jump the sheaves if it’s unloaded during the pre-start.
June 26th, 2011 - Round Texel / Zwisterleven Sailweek Wrap Up
Wow - what a fun and hard week of sailing. We had a blast getting back on the water and remembering how to sail in breeze (it’s just like riding a bike only wetter). Our boat speed, handling, and starts all improved significantly throughout the week, so we feel like the trip was a success. Results weren't too bad either; 8th out of 30 or so boats in the Nacra Infusion World Championship and 7th out of 88 boats in the Dutch Open. Unfortunately, we don't have any result for the Round Texel Race as we had to drop out 5 nm into it as our traveler exploded in the rough conditions.
Before everything went to hell, we were having a blast leading the fleet downwind in huge waves and 25+ kts of breeze. The 30 minute start between two Dutch frigates was a long waiting game as we didn't want to do any maneuvers that could cause us to capsize, giving us plenty of time to take in the amazing scene around us. There were over 400 boats on the water and hundreds of people lining the shore waiting for the start. It felt like sailing as an actual sport, having so many people watch us launch through the surf. Due to the Black Flag rule, at the end of the 30 minute start sequence there was a huge line sag in the middle of the line (it was a downwind start), so we took advantage and got a good jump on the fleet and lead everyone towards the lighthouse on the north end of the island. In the end it didn't matter, but we were clocking 21.0 kts on the GPS. Given the conditions, we weren't the only ones who had a breakdown out there. We limped back to weather while dozens of boats littered the shoreline with broken masts, rudders, and ripped sails. Some racers were not as lucky, breaking down miles away from the start in the shallow water and big breeze ahead. Of the 400+ boats the started the race, only 147 finished.
A small consolation for hitting the beach early was that we were able to watch the first finishers cross the line and the celebration that ensued. Mitch Booth sailing with his son Taylor took line honors on a new Nacra Carbon 20 (C20). With the next 3 finishers were also sailing C20s it was definitely a good showing for the newest Nacra boat. Watching the celebrations for the arrival of the winners, I’ve got to say that the Europeans really know how celebrate - they do it right with a full Champaign shower and everything. The first F18 to finish was Mischa and Bastiaan on their Cirrus R, followed very closely by Coen and Thijs on their Infusion MK2. After that there was just a parade of Infusions, clear that no other boat can compare to the Infusion in big breeze and big waves.
The final part to the experience was the prize giving and closing party at the regatta tent. There were tons of groupies raging the night away with European techno and heaps of Heineken. Not quite as cool as a Dirty Deeds show, but still pretty awesome. Definitely an event that should be on everyone’s to-do list, and one we’ll be back for. Our boat treated us well, but the final breakdown leaves some unfinished business.
June 24th, 2011 - Dutch Open Wrap Up
Another day of racing and another regatta in the books. This time, we've completed the Dutch Open and finished 7th - tied with the 6th place team Aussies team Mick Guinea and Vincent Haydon. The results would probably have been different if we hadn't had a breakdown on our 7th race when the spin tack block pulled out of the spin pole. Full results can be found here: http://rotserver.mondriaanict.nl/IIS/finishlists/tdo2011/tdo-class-1.html
Now we're resting up to prepare ourselves for the highlight of the trip the Round Texel Race, which will begin tomorrow, sometime between 12:30 and 13:30 CET. Highlights and live race updates can be found here: http://www.roundtexel.com/en/Default.asp?
June 21th, 2011 - Nacra Infusion Worlds - Wrap Up / Dutch Open Start
With day 4 coming to an end we are finally beginning to get a feel for this big breeze combo. With waves reaching 6-8ft high with chop on top and winds averaging around 20 kts, we find ourselves launching off of waves going upwind. The photo boats out here had a hell of time catching all the action around them. Downwinds are equally challenging as we are constantly pushing the boat but are continually slowed down as we crash into the backsides of the next wave. Today one of these instances sent Tripp around the forstay (yes, he landed it nicely and we didn't pitchpole). On two other ocassions this caused us to pitchpole and loose a few boats. The waves also have caused a problem of Mike as he has gotten swept off a couple of times causing him to hang from the back of the boat helplessly until he reeled himself back in.
All in all, two days of racing left and we're in shambles. Not quite Tybee bad, but these 6 days straight of racing are taking a toll. So far we've managed to avoid major catastrophy, but many other F18 teams haven't been so lucky. Can't wait to see what happens when the really high tech racers push off the beach for the main event. Forecast for the next few days is for more breeze, so it's looking like we'll get what we came for...just need to keep our OPB together and afloat for a few more races -stay tuned.
June 19th, 2011 - Nacra Infusion Worlds - Prelude
After 13 hours of traveling we finally arrived in Texel on the 9:30 am ferry. Compared to our last experience in Europe, I've got to say getting to Texel, Netherlands is far easier than getting to Erquy, France. Just a couple trains, a walk through Den Herden, a ferry and then you're there. Upon arrival, the weather was wicked, blowing a steady 35+ kt with rain showers that blinded you. We had a traditional dutch breakfast and then headedoutside to help set up the Nacra tents and now we have Nacra City (see pictures). Sundaysweather wasn't much better - though we were able to get the boat off the trailer, rig up and then start to sort out and check through the boat tuning. A short midday nap later, it was time for the opening ceremony sponsored by Heineken.
June 6th, 2011 - The Nacra Infusion MK II is HERE
Today we received a the final pieces of our new F18 Nacra Infusion MKII. I took the liberty of unpacking all the pieces and screwing the beams on. Our first impressing is that Nacra has really stepped up their game. This boat came packed from the factory in a way that makes sure that it survived anything the shipping companies could throw at it. The finish on the boat is fantiastic. The gelcoat is fair and the inside seams of the boat are very clean...the boat just looks stiffer.
Talking about being stiff...the new longer daggerboards are an incredible sight. At 6' 6" long you have to be careful carrying these things around the regatta sites, but like the rest of the boat, the build quality is great. I dont expect to have any problems with these weapons, and can't wait to get out on the water.
We plan to rig up the boat during the week of the 27th so we'll have it ready to sail Independence Day Weekend.
For a full set of pictures while the boat was being put together please check out:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.215892688441961.63564.122521614445736
March 31st, 2011 - SOLD: F18 Nacra Infusion 1042
We are happy to report that our superfast platform has found a new home in South Carolina, where she will enjoy much warmer temperatures and fun racing in the Southern Area F18 circuit. We are excitied to recieve our new boat (Nacra Infusion MK2) in three weeks at the Spring Fever Regatta - Lake Hartwell, GA
October 24th, 2010 - FOR SALE: F18 Nacra Infusion 1042
Raced for two years. Highly Competitive boat in excellent condition. Multiple regatta winner. Rigged and ready to race with all parts are measured and legal.
Included:
• Nacra F18 Race Package (Adjustable Traps, Chicken Lines, Quick Release mast rotator, Stay Master Shrouds, 16:1 downhaul, 10:1 mainsheet)
• Custom Black non skid
• 2009 Performance Main (Smoke)
• 2009 Performance Jib (Smoke)
• 2009 Performance Kite (Red)
• Upgraded snuffer pole with Performance Sails Race Spin Bag (White Sailcloth)
• Seated Beams
• Upgraded mainsheet (tapered), spinsheet, cunningham, spin halyard (tapered)
• Upgraded 2” Boom Section
• Dakine footstraps
• Port daggerboard uphaul
Extras:
• Stock shrouds and chainplates
• Stock rotator arm
• Nacra Spin Sock (black mesh)
Optional:
• 2010 Performance Main (Smoke) Used 3 times
• 2010 Performance Jib (Smoke) Used 3 times
• 2010 Performance Kite (White) Used 3 times
• Top Gun Travel Covers
• Cat-trax
• Extra boom
New Value: $20,000
Asking: $13,750 OBO
Contact Us
If you have any questions or would like additional photos
of the platform, please contact us.
October 11th, 2010 - 2010 High Performance Dinghy Open
American YC (Rye, NY) - The final event of the year turned out to be a great one as we enjoyed the best breeze of the season for a local F18 Narragansett Beer Summer Series event. This year’s High Performance Dinghy Open was the largest yet with over 150 sailors attending in a whole variety of boats including, Vipers, RSK6s, 505s, Moths, International Canoes, and 49ers. Racing was split between 2 courses on Long Island Sound. Saturday morning started out with a light and very shifty northerly. Race one was shortened due to a lack of breeze, which wasn’t fun for anyone. After waiting for about 30 min the breeze finally began to fill and we got in 4 solid races. By the end of the day we had a solid 15-20 with flat water which made for some fast, exciting racing. We finished the day with a 1,1,3,2,1 to give us a slight lead over Bob Merrick and Jon Farrar on their C2 and Olivier Pilon and Max on their Wildcat.
After a enjoying the great hospitality showed by American Yacht Club and the beer supplied by Heineken, we woke to a freezing cold morning with a weak westerly breeze and a strong incoming tide. With the breeze filling the race committee decided to switch up our course and have the F18s sail a Gold Cup (Start-Triangle-Windward-Leeward-Upwind Finish). The reach legs brought us back to our experience at Worlds, but having a little more breeze this time around made for some awesome two sail blast reaching. Throughout the day the wind shifted from the NW to the SW. On one occasion we tried to port tack the fleet to no avail, as Jim Zelmer and Joe Valente shut the door on us and caused us to duck the entire fleet. Bob and John got their boat in the groove today and were able to capture 2 bullets and close the points 
spread causing the event to come down tothe last race. We won the start at the pin and protected our lead around the triangle part of the course. By the end of the second upwind Bob and Jon were right on our stern as we split two Fireballs that were rounding the top mark at the same time. Bob was able to get the inside and take the lead while we are were pinned out by the Fireball. We stayed on their stern during the last downwind andwere able to slam the final jibe before the mark right on them to take back the lead back and hold onto it until the finish.
A special shout out to the race committee who did a great job running 9 races in very shifty conditions with many different kinds of boats all on the same race course.
Full results are here: http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=369
Plenty of photos here:http://www.photoboat.com
September 26th, 2010 - 2010 F18 Canadian Nationals Recap
Toronto, Canada - After sailing a whole season without any decent breeze, our prayers were finally answered during the first two days of the Canadian F18 Championship. On Friday the wind started out light but before long it had increased to a steady 20 with higher gusts. We cranked on our diamond wires and with the big grins, flew around the course. After a good start we were a close second behind Chris Prentice/Pat LaRoche rounding the windward mark. It wasn’t long after we hoisted our new Performance Sails kite that we rolled over Chris and Pat to take the lead and never look back. This was our first time sailing with this Performance Kite in breeze and it did not disappoint. Tripp said it was by far the most powered up kite we’ve sailed with and trimmed like a dream.
By race two the waves on Lake Ontario had kicked up to about 6-8ft, which caused some sailors to be washed off the back of the boat and others to stuff the bows and pitchpole downwind. We managed to remain unscathed until the final top mark rounding where we stuffed hard into a wave while the spinnaker was going up, which caused the pole to snap and the spin to drag in the water under the boat. By the time we sorted out the problem our couple hundred yard lead had evaporated. We limped downwind under main and jib only, being passed by a couple more boats to finished the race in 7th. PRO, Matt Bounds, called racing for the day after the 2nd race since the wind was gusting well over 30kts, with monster waves, many breakdowns, and a safety boat sinking after being swamped.
Day two had slightly less wind, but was much more shifty than the first day and the wave state had died down significantly. The other teams had tuned up perfectly for the conditions, so we didn’t have the speed advantage that we had on day one. It made for some great tight racing all the way around the course. Mischa had a great day and with a drop he had pulled ahead of us and into the lead.
Day three saw very light winds with a long postponement prior to racing until we got the 5kt minimum. We only had time for 1 race, in which the top three boats (Mischa, us, and Robbie Daniels) were mixing it up at the front of the fleet but the point differences weren’t enough to change the results.
Overall we were psyched to finally race in awesome breeze, but bummed that we lost the regatta due to our spin pole breaking. The hospitality at EYC was (as always) fantastic with hot showers and gourmet dinners every night of the regatta. We look forward to having some more breeze at the HPDO in two weeks and ending our season on an awesome note.
Full results are here: http://www.cat-alist.com
Plenty of photos here:http://www.eye4photos.ca/2010f18store
August 16th, 2010 - 2010 F18 North Americans Recap
Racine, WI - Fresh off the 160 boat F18 Worlds (31st) and our Eastern Area Championship (1st place), we felt ready to rock as we saddled up for the road trip. 20-odd hours later, we were welcomed to the Racine Yacht Club by an excellent group of volunteers. Measurement and weigh in was a breeze, which says a lot given that the F18 class officials measured and certified 50 boats before anyone hit the race course on Monday.
No matter how we prepared, we were not ready for the conditions Lake Michigan cooked up for us that week. 35 knots, hail, lightning - we could make it work. With a few hours of exception, we spent the week on the beach, postponed under a heavy marine fog layer and light, shifty breeze. After a delayed start, the first race of the series fired off, the fleet poking through the fog searching for shifts, breeze, and more importantly, the weather mark. Maybe abandonment flags were lost in the fog as well, but the first race in the books had us deep in the fleet. Fast forward to Wednesday, a small breeze had filled, enough for 4 more races. Light and shifty land breezes interrupted with 20 knot blasts near the top mark made for some dramatic lead changes and huge losses. While we were able to dig ourselves back from our thirtieth on Monday, we still had trouble syncing with the shifts. No excuses really, a few gambles and only 5 (marginal) races over the week didn't enable us to hit our stride. Looking back at it, this was our worst regatta in both results and conditions. No fault to the race committee and yacht club volunteers though, the post sailing dinners, parties, and hospitality were top notch. Us in the Northeast fleet were taking notes for 2011 North Americans...Hyannis, MA! Get ready America, the F18 champs are going to be breeze on next year.
Full results are here: http://crawsailing.net/Racine2010/F18_results
Plenty of photos here:http://moving-target-photos.com/2010RCC/
July 15th, 2010 - 2010 F18 Worlds Recap
After a week of amazing competition and 15 races we finished up in 31st place in the 160 boat fleet. Mixing in several top 10 finishes and a 15th place ranking after three days, we are very exited by our first World's results. Divided into Gold and Silver fleets, 80 of the best teams in the world on one line was a fantastic learning experience for us. In our 5 years sailing F18s together, we have never competed in a fleet that
fast and unforgiving. As such, we experienced a pretty steep learning curve at the beginning of the regatta as we learned new starting and fleet management tactics.Trapezoid courses added an unexpected element to the racing strategy. Twin wiring under spinnaker while in close quarters was fantastic, but it took us a while to learn to keep the boat high and fast while not stalling out or breaking the mast. For such a small part of the racecourse, the losses we took here were the most obvious...still lots to learn.
Off the water, even more learning to do. English was hard to find in the shops in town; severalsurprise meals and bumbling around grocery stores kept us on our toes. Buying food and drinks was a challenge,but we figured most out. Beers come in tiny, half-size bottles, and snacks are packaged for children. Nowonder people are thinner 
in France, the only full size food you can buy is Baguettes. As Erquy is a very small town with no night life, our regatta house became the hangout of choice. Teaming up with two of the Nacra Europe boats, we were set up a few miles from the venue. Huge thanks to Nacra and Macca for helping us out. Surprisingly, not much was planned in the regatta village, so large groups of racers were tough to find. The 2012 Worlds organizers for Long Beach, CA have taken notes, and we all can expect the best social and race management for that event.
After the regatta ended, the two young US teams tooka weekend to tour up the Bretagne / Normandy coast, then to Paris to explore a bit and to see all
the touristy sites. Overall, it was a great trip and we were really glad to have had to opportunity to sail against the world’s best. It’s definitely addicting and in the future we would like to be able to do more regattas on theEuropean circuit. More immediately, we are focusing on taking what we learned and applying it to our sailing for the rest of the season to achieve some great results. Sail fast!
A full gallery of pictures from the trip can be found here
July 1st 2010 - F18 Worlds Prelude
Today was a tourist day, in which we finally settled in after an adventurous journey from America (Fuck Yeah!) to the French country de crepes, via planes, trains, buses, and automobiles. Luckily the bus drivers found entertainment in helping two poor Americans get to the regatta site. Unfortunately, we didn’t know how to say “stop here and let us off!” in French so we got driven to the other side of town before the bus finally stopped.
The regatta site is awesome and the tide here is something else. I believe it is about a 10m (33ft) tide difference, which means a very long walk (500m?) to return beach wheels to the beach after launching the boat (see pictures).Breeze is light, but so far the weather is surprisingly warm and s
unny. Sunset here is 10:30 at night, which is pretty awesome. In the next few days, the rest of the teams should arrive, and we should be able to get some final practice in before racing. It’ll be nice to be back to something familiar, despite all the communication and travel dilemmas, we are still here for a sailboat race. We can handle that much.
As the regatta really kicks off for us, we need to thank the people involved in getting us here. We would have had a very tough time without the generous boat help from Nacra US, and Volkswind with travel assistance. Ronstan and FSE Robline have made sure we are fully equipped, and family, friends, and the Southport Sailing Foundation cannot be forgotten either. Sail fast, more updates to follow!
May 12th, 2010 - 2010 Season Preview
Team Microwind is back at it and gearing up for the 2010 season! There have been a lot of cool developments since last year and we're ready to hit the water at full speed. In two weeks we head to Houston, TX for the US Sailing Multihull Championship, to be raced on the new AHPC C2 F18. After a disappointing end to our last Alter Cup, we hope to finish strong among the highly competitive fleet. The next major event for Microwind Racing will be the F18 World Championships in Erquy, France. This regatta represents the next step in our racing campaign, as our team has never raced in an event of this scale. 190 teams will be representing their countries with hopes for a World title.All these aspirations wouldn't be possible without the contributions of our sponsors for the 2010 season. Most significantly, Nacra has stepped up to help us train and compete in Worlds as part of the factory team. This relationship should develop equally as we learn more about our Infusion and the factory advances new modifications. To further help equip our platform, Scot at Ronstan and FSE Robline has jumped on board with great F18 enthusiasm. They offer a bunch of slick products needed to really fit out the team boat. Right now we are testing a new mainsheet system that is showing a lot of promise - more to come on that after we be-bug a bit. We'll be out practicing for the Alter Cup next week - we'll have updates posted in the days before the event.
November 21st, 2009 - New Website Released
MicroWind Racing welcomes you to our new website. We appreciate your support and comments. If you have any suggestions or comment about how to make the site better, please email Mike EastonOctober 1st, 2009 - U.S. Multihull Championship Wrap UP
The regatta that almost was. Overall a great regatta and a teriffic experience. The race management was excellent and the weather was perfect.Read More