Sun Cat National Championship Regatta - November 2010

[Tom Ray]

For any Sun Cat sailors who are interested in a serious one design regatta: please go away, sell your Sun Cat, and buy an appropriate boat!

OK, the rest of you want to have some fun? Carrying a silly joke too far, we are planning to host the first annual Sun Cat National Championship Regatta on the weekend of November 13-14, 2010.

We're going to call it the Sun Cat Nationals because no one can really stop us. We hope that a lot of Sun Cat sailors show up, but we are willing to sail unopposed and claim the National Championship if the joke really needs to be carried that far.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions on this fun race, and hope to see you here!

Sailors who are not blessed with a Sun Cat may participate in any boat they desire, but will not be eligible for the soon-to-be-coveted Sun Cat Nationals Cup. Also, most will have a problem getting under the two low bridges on Sunday...

[jamato323]

I've already cleared a space on my book case for the "SCNR" cup.

[Aldog]

   Wish I could be there. ....but if someone wants to be there and has no boat.....I still have one for sale.  I'm just sayin......sorry for the hijack. You guys sound like you'll have a good time.  I wish you fine weather. Al

[Tom Ray]

That's great, Paul!

And Aldog, I hope your boat makes it even if you can't! Wouldn't it make you proud to see her go on to become a National Champion?

[Suncat a Lula]

November 12, 13, and 14.   Marked on my calendar, as if I have anything better to do!  This sounds like a great time to be had by all!!!  Your sailing instructions are awesome!  Are water cannons allowed?  I will contact fellow Suncatters that I know.  Will have to go to work to earn the entry fee, which I will send to you soon.

[cavie]

   Wish I could be there. ....but if someone wants to be there and has no boat.....I still have one for sale.  I'm just sayin......sorry for the hijack. You guys sound like you'll have a good time.  I wish you fine weather. Al

That's  fine how do you do. I'm here with no boat. You got the boat but your not here.

[Tom Ray]

November 12, 13, and 14.   Marked on my calendar, as if I have anything better to do!  This sounds like a great time to be had by all!!!  Your sailing instructions are awesome!  Are water cannons allowed?  I will contact fellow Suncatters that I know.  Will have to go to work to earn the entry fee, which I will send to you soon.

We're counting on you to bring fellow Sun Cat owners! Should be a lot of fun!

Water cannons are only funny when the water temperature is above 80, so we'll probably be out of luck by mid November.

[Salty19]

Tom-You are the man for setting this up fun event.  Being a CP19 owner and 1,000 miles away, I won't be there.

We tried a race at the Midwest rendezvous earlier this month.  Didn't quite work out.

It morphed from a 3 tack organized race to a scavenger hunt to an informal sail to a raft up with plenty of rum and beer (and yes the water cannons were cocked, locked and loaded!).   I'm still trying to figure out who won the race or drank the most beer, which would claim the "prize".

But we had a blast so that's what really matters in the end.

[Tom Ray]

We tried a race at the Midwest rendezvous earlier this month.  Didn't quite work out.

It morphed from a 3 tack organized race to a scavenger hunt to an informal sail to a raft up with plenty of rum and beer (and yes the water cannons were cocked, locked and loaded!).   I'm still trying to figure out who won the race or drank the most beer, which would claim the "prize".

But we had a blast so that's what really matters in the end.

I think you have the right stuff to become the Fleet Captain for this race. That's just the kind of competition we're looking for! If you can't make it, just keep a cellphone and some rum handy, in case you are needed to sort out any problems.

Momentum is building! Today Com-Pac Yachts featured our little event on their news page, and Gerry Hutchins told me he would try to bring a boat down to race, and would at least come to the BBQ on Saturday night. I also dropped by my former workplace, Gulf Island Sails, and they have a black Sunday Cat on order, and plan to race that boat in the regatta.

We're still working on the special rules that will govern these races, and the courses we will run, but I'm really entertained by the idea of running a sailboat race under two low bridges so the masts have to come down twice during the race, so we'll almost certainly be doing that one!

So far we have Joe, Craig, Paul, SunCat a Lula, and me. Craig's boat may not arrive in time, so really only 4 boats for sure, but if the factory brings a boat and gisails brings a boat and Craig's boat gets here, we already have 7! I hope it gets really out of hand and we wind up with a couple of dozen!

[Tom Ray]

We held the Sun Cat Nationals time trials last weekend here on Charlotte Harbor. Great fun!

[brackish]

We held the Sun Cat Nationals time trials last weekend here on Charlotte Harbor. Great fun!

Great article!  Of course it gives credence to what I've always believed.  You catboat people ain't quite right.

However, I get more tired of that Jib every trip.  Maybe I should join you.........

[Tom Ray]

It's nice when "ready about" means "look to see if anyone is where you are about to turn" and doesn't involve preparing jib sheets (probably stuck under dogs) for a tack, but the really great part of Sun Cat sailing is when we get back to the ramp. I drop the rig while she straps the boat to the trailer and plugs the lights back in, and we're gone before the powerboat who pulled out of the water in front of us.

[Suncat a Lula]

I hope we didn't have to attend the "time trials" to qualify for the Suncat National Championships.  Oh well, what do I care.  We're coming anyway!!

[Tom Ray]

I hope we didn't have to attend the "time trials" to qualify for the Suncat National Championships.  Oh well, what do I care.  We're coming anyway!!

Nah, because then somebody would have to keep track of who came and all that stuff. I'm sure not going to do that!

[Tom Ray]

In a trial of the special racing rules established to race Sun Cats down Shell Creek at the Nationals, we gave it a shot on Sunday. Almost stayed within the rules too!

Sailing Shell Creek to Punta Gorda