Number 8 Reaching

On board Sun Cat Number 8, Mike had set the sail reefed back at the boat ramp. Being singlehanded and having a few equipment issues in the borrowed boat, he decided not to attempt to shake out his reef before the start of race three, so he was racing with a pretty serious handicap. Two handicaps, if you count the age and condition of the sail. I think he said there was some damage to the foot of the sail that was protected by keeping it reefed.

We did not see too much of old Number 8 during the race.

CJ Driving Hard

Though the wind was down, there were still a few gusts around. Charlie J did a great job on the tiller of Wily Conch but this picture should not be taken as a guide on Sun Cat sailing. Chances are, if your Sun Cat is heeling this much, you are doing something wrong.

Suitsus Leading Race 3

Scott got off to a good start and was so far ahead by the time he got to the windward mark that no other boats appeared in this picture, even before I cropped it. It looked like he was racing all by himself.

Second Around Windward Mark

Despite occasionally heeling like a sloop sailor, Charlie J got us around the windward mark in second position. In this picture, Catnip is closest behind us, followed by the Sunday Cat. Frisky is just coming around the mark, this time with guest helmsman Steve J driving. In the distance, Good Juju and Sea Bird are approaching, with Odd Duck between them.

Leaders Rounding Windward Mark

This picture was taken at about the same moment by Sonja on board the mark set boat. She was quite a ways away, so foreshortening in the picture makes it appear that Scott is not all that far ahead of the rest of us. He is quite a ways ahead, the rest of us are in a pretty tight pack. I’m not sure what Number 8 is doing there. Barely visible in the left part of the photo are Good Juju just passing Odd Duck

Random Daysailer

As we were heading down to the reach mark, I noticed this random daysailer crossing the harbor next to our course. I had been having so much fun with my fellow catboaters that I had not really noticed that we had the entire harbor to ourselves. This is inexplicable. It was a perfect Saturday to be out in a sailboat or a powerboat, yet we had seen neither. It was as if we had rented the entire harbor for our little event. Later on, we did see the small fleet of Precision 15′s from Isles Yacht Club and a few powerboats went by in the channel, but almost no one else was out enjoying the perfect sailing conditions. Oh well!

Orange Jib on Frisky

Back on the race course, we were holding off the other Sun Cats on the leg out to the reach mark. The wind was down enough that Don’s home made orange jib appeared on Frisky for the first time this day. He is trying to pass between the Sunday Cat and Catnip.

Suitsus Long Gone

As we were rounding the reach mark, I grabbed my camera to catch this image of Suitsus already well on the way to the downwind mark. He was long gone, no way to catch him with his big sail. This is the kind of information I hoped to learn with the very loose class racing rule that says only that you must sail a boat that is arguably a Sun Cat hull. I think one of the old Sun Cats can be turned into a much faster boat, and this is how we will find out!

Sun Cat Pack

After we got around, I turned back toward the pack approaching the reach mark. They are closer to one another and maybe a bit closer to us than they were at the windward mark. In the distance, Indy Anna and Odd Duck are fighting for next-to-last position and Number 8 has not quite made it around the windward mark.

Three Sun Cats Round Mark

At about the same moment, Isy took this picture from Good Juju showing Catnip around the mark with the Sunday Cat just rounding and Frisky coming right behind. If you look closely, Don is being his own jib trimmer for this maneuver as Steve J is driving. I can’t wait to see what kind of sail he puts on that long bow sprit.

Near Downwind Mark

We held them off for the second reaching leg and this was the scene looking back up the course as CJ and I prepared to round the downwind mark and head upwind. Or maybe I should say, as we approached the downwind mark…

Sun Cats Turning Upwind

We got to the mark and Charlie J turned upwind. At first, I was still having fun with the camera, taking this shot of the pack of three Sun Cats turning upwind behind us. Charlie had a puzzled look on his face and was looking up at the sail. I looked around and realized we were really not pointing very well, even by Sun Cat standards. We both focused our attention on the sail, but could not see anything wrong. Something was wrong. The other boats were starting to outpoint us, and not just by a little bit.

Tacking Away

Operating on the theory that we had to change something, we tacked. This did not help. In the background, the other three are trimmed up and pointing upwind. We were still just not sailing well upwind at all, and the more CJ and I looked at the sail, the less sense it made. Then I looked down at the cockpit sole and happened to notice all the centerboard line piled up around our feet. Ooops! I quickly dropped the board and apologetically explained to Charlie that it should do a bit better now. Catnip managed to overtake us before I realized what was going on, but we still took third in the race. Once again I think it is fair to guess that Charlie would have done better if unencumbered by my assistance.

I’m not sure why Number 8 is in this picture. I think perhaps he got lost.

Sonja Retrieves Marks

The efficient race committee and mark set crew were cleaning up the marks as the last boats came around. Running a regatta sure is easy! I mostly just rode around in my boat taking pictures the whole time!

(I’m probably going to pay for that comment, but what the heck, it amuses me and that is the whole purpose of the Sun Cat Nationals.)

Wily Conch and Frisky

Isy got this great shot of Wily Conch and Frisky sailing toward home after the race. I have lots of pictures taken from our boat, and one of the things I like most about the Sun Cat Nationals is getting a bunch of pictures taken of our boat!

Odd Duck's Hiking Railing

Odd Duck’s jib trimmer demonstrates the hiking backrest potential of the stainless railing in this picture taken through the boom gallows of Good Juju. In the background, the mark set boat has just delivered another mark to Whimsy.

Sea Bird Under Full Sail

Catboat Willy seems to have waited until racing was over to fly his full sail and tilt his outboard engine out of the water on Sea Bird. That’s exactly the kind of behavior that makes him welcome at the Sun Cat Nationals!

Congratulatory Kiss Reaction

We put the boats away and gathered back at our place for the awards dinner. Everyone wanted to congratulate our new Sun Cat National Champion, Scott, and he mostly appreciated it. He got a huge congratulatory kiss from Charlie M. The picture captures his reaction pretty well!

CJ and MJ with Scott W

Most of us chose the more traditional handshakes and applause, like Charlie J in the foreground and Mike J in the background.

Scott Looking Happy

It was kind of hard to see in the earlier sailing pictures, but this closeup has pretty much the exact same look that Scott gets on his face when he sails above you and steals you wind. Sort of a cat and canary thing going on here.

Dog Chase

This is not really the best picture of any of the people involved, but it cracks me up because Dennis appears to be drinking skim milk, Tom has his grape soda, and in the background, Luke the Cowdog is leaning hard into a turn in pursuit of Libby. Watching those two chase each other is always funny.

Joking around with Isy

I do not remember what I said when joking around with Isy as she was reading one of the results printouts that Race Committee Chairman Tom Scott brought.

Isy Reacts

Whatever I said, saying it with a stick within her reach was probably not a great idea!

Sailors Talk

There was much merriment and sailor talk. Paul had a rough ride the day before in his Com-Pac 25 and did not make it out to watch the races, but at least was able to join us for dinner. They’re probably talking about jibs or something.

Scott S. Grilling Steaks

There might have been a bit too much merriment, as some of the pictures started to come out fuzzy. Here guest chef Scott S. has quite a flare up going on the party grill, but he turned out some good steaks!

Blurry Party Scene

It was not just the fire messing with the autofocus on the camera in the shot above. This one is not much better, but pretty amusing all the same. Primary purpose achieved!

Tom S Grin

It may be hard to believe looking at the picture, but this might have been the only completely sober person present!

A New National Champion

And the Sun Cat Class officially has a new National Champion! Com-Pac Yachts generously provided us with hats and shirts as prizes and here I am officially awarding Scott his prize. He has that same look again!

Larry Questions Award

Com-Pac Yachts sent down six prizes, but as I worked my way down the final standings of the Sun Cat fleet it hardly made sense to give one of the shirts back to Tyler Hutchins. He brought them to give to everyone else! That meant that seventh place boat Indy Anna won a prize. When I tried to award it, Larry assured me that there must be some mistake, and that his performance could not possibly have earned a prize. I think I ended up saying, “Oh just have a shirt anyway!”

Sun Cat Nationals Cake

After the awards presentation, we all enjoyed some of the 2011 Sun Cat Nationals cake that Butch brought. What a great idea!

Butch Gets Bumper

Charlie M. gave Butch a soft bumper to hang on his engine in future races, just in case he happens to stop in front of a speeding Horizon Cat again. I know, they’re called fenders, but this one is a bumper.

Sunday Fun Sail

The following day, Wily Conch was the only Sun Cat to participate in the harbor cruising portion of the Sun Cat Nationals. I might have to start feeding them after this part of the event to get more to stick around! The Horizon Cat class came out to play, along with our committee boat Whimsy and his neighbor Tim in his Tartan 3100. Sailboat magnetism attracted the Morris 29 over to our little group. It was another great day to be out on Charlotte Harbor!

That’s it for the 2011 Sun Cat Nationals. Next update will be whenever we get around to having another Sun Cat Regionals, or when I set the date for the 2012 Sun Cat Nationals.

Horizon Cat Reaching

Between the first and second races, Sonja got quite a few good pictures in the catboat parking area. Here comes Good Juju reaching into the pack as Catboat Willy approaches in Sea Bird out beyond committee boat Whimsy.

Click any picture to enlarge.

Catboat Willy Waves

Catboat Willy’s Sanderling Sea Bird makes a fine picture as he waves to Sonja on the mark set boat.

The new Sunday Cat heels under a full sail.

I got a nice shot of the new Sunday Cat going by, moving along well under full sail. Hmmm… perhaps I should have noted that fact at the time. We still had a reef in our sail.

Sun Cats Prepare To Start

As the start of the race approached, the Sun Cat fleet started our tactical maneuvering and timed runs to make the start line on time and with good speed. Well, we mostly just sailed around off the stern of the committee boat. The Horizon Cat class did not participate in this charade.

The Horizon Cat class needs a rest from the demanding work of managing the strings.

The crew of Horizon Cat Good Juju take a break between races from the demanding work of paying attention to the string that controls the catboat sail.

Wily Conch Reefed

Meanwhile, I evidently had snacktician duties requiring my attention down in the cabin and failed to notice that the wind had died down a bit. Enough to shake the reef out of our sail, it turns out.

Sun Cat Fleet Starts Race Two

By the time the Sun Cat fleet started, I was looking under the baggy reef in my sail at a whole bunch of unreefed Sun Cats! The only one who still has a reefed sail is Scott in Suitsus, but his big sail reefs down to the size of our full sails. I had a feeling we might be in trouble, even though the wind still felt pretty strong.

Passing Above Catnip

We were moving pretty well with the fleet despite our reduced sail area on the upwind leg. We crossed above Catnip the first time our paths crossed, but Butch had closed some distance since the start and was coming on strong.

Suitsus Takes Our Bow

We were unable to close on Suitsus at all on the upwind leg, but he did not cross all that far in front of us so we were not losing much ground either.

Leaders At Weather Mark

Suitsus got around the windward mark ahead of the pack, but Catnip was not too far behind and looked to be in good position to take an easy second place in the race. Fortune (or something) was about to intervene to make things a bit harder for Catnip.

Rubbing At The Mark

It is not clear exactly what happened next up at the windward mark. Catnip was trying to get around when Horizon Cat Good Juju managed to rub against her outboard engine, putting a couple of two foot long scratches in Good Juju’s gelcoat. The ordinary Racing Rules of Sailing are supplemented by the admonition from the Head Jib Trimmer In Charge that no boats shall be scratched for any reason during the course of the Sun Cat Nationals, but my edicts only apply to the Sun Cat Class. If the Horizon Cat Class allows a bit of bumper boats, that’s OK just as long as they don’t hurt a Sun Cat or, God forbid, either race committee volunteer boat. Catnip’s engine and mount sustained no damage and Butch probably got a little speed out of the event, so no harm, no foul! (But we might slip a sea anchor on Charlie M’s stern cleat next year, just in case.)

Weather Mark Parade

They had moved on by the time we got there and Wily Conch made it around the weather mark ahead of Indy Anna and Sea Bird, but just barely. We were in third place with our reefed sail sailing against an unreefed fleet.

Boats at Windward Mark

Sonja ran the mark boat over to catch this shot of most of the fleet coming around the windward mark. Suitsus was too far ahead by this point to be in this picture. From left to right, that is Catnip in second place, a slightly scratched Good Juju just behind, then Wily Conch, Indy Anna, Sea Bird and the Sunday Cat just coming around the mark. The sail just behind Wily Conch belongs to Frisky, and Odd Duck was far enough back to be out of the shot.

Indy Anna Passes Us By

Our good position in the race quickly slipped away once we turned downwind. We had enough power in the reefed sail to sail upwind with the pack, but sailing downwind we were underpowered. Charlie J. and I discussed shaking out the reef right then, which would have been a good move but seemed like a lot of work just to get a better position in the Sun Cat Nationals.

Sea Bird Passes Us By

Next the Sanderling Sea Bird passed us by. We were expecting that to happen, as it is a faster boat.

Sunday Cat Slips By

With our wind disrupted by the passage of two boats above us, it was not long before the Sunday Cat was passing us by. This was starting to get annoying. It’s just the Sun Cat Nationals, not any reason to get worked up, but it is hard to watch other boats sailing by even if you are not in a real race. Charlie J. and I talked a bit more about unreefing our sail, but still took no action.

Fleet Approaching Reach Mark

Sonja ran the mark boat over to the reach mark, getting there just before class leader Suitsus rounded the mark. She got the entire race two fleet in one photo. From left to right, that is Odd Duck in the distance, still trying to round the windward mark, then Frisky, Sunday Cat, Indy Anna, Suitsus, Wily Conch, Sea Bird, Catnip and Good Juju.

Pausing to reef Wily Conch

Charlie J. and I decided that when we got around the reach mark, we would swing the boat up into the wind and quickly shake out our reef. My two line reefing system, detailed with other Sun Cat rig modifications here, showed a couple of weaknesses and the operation was not so quick. Putting the reefing lines on the boom works fine if you can reach the boom, but without the engine, we could not bring the boat far enough into the wind to put the boom over the boat. I had trouble reaching the clew reef line, which was on the horn cleat that came with the boat. That one needs to be replaced with a jam cleat.

I got the clew reef undone, jerked the tack reef out of the jam cleat, and started hauling the sail on up. I expected it to be a bit difficult since we were beam to the wind, but just could not get it to go all the way up at all. I looked around trying to figure out what was stopping my sail from going up, and noticed that the gaff boom downhaul line had worked its way around the front of the mast and hung up on the bow navigation light fixture. I quickly let off the halyard pressure, ran forward to clear it, then got back into the cockpit and finished raising the sail. The picture shows our sail luffing as the fleet goes on by. With the amount of time we lost trying to unreef, we would have done just as well to sail on with the reefed sail.

Sun Cats at Downwind Mark

By the time I got things sorted out and Charlie J. got back on course for the downwind mark, the pack we had been chasing was going around the mark. Suitsus, Catnip and Good Juju were already well on their way to the upwind finish and we found ourselves looking down the course toward Sea Bird just rounding the mark as Frisky and Indy Anna start to head upwind, both several boat lengths behind the Sunday Cat. In the end, we were able to pass Indy Anna on the upwind leg, but could not catch the rest and took a fifth place finish. Once again, I suspect Charlie J. would have done a bit better if not encumbered by my assistance.

Suitsus Wins Race Two of 2011 Sun Cat Nationals

Sonja moved over to the end of the start/finish line to get this nice shot of Scott winning race two in Suitsus. Congratulations on getting in ahead of Catnip even after he got a helpful shove from Good Juju!

Vintage Sun Cat Number 8 Arrives

While we were hanging around in the catboat parking area after race two, Mike showed up in Sun Cat number 8. I had been worried that he might be having some trouble and be unable to make it out to race. This vintage Sun Cat has a Marconi rig with a 160 sq ft sail, ten feet more than the modern Com-Pac Sun Cats.

Catboat Generations

This photo has several generations of catboat designs represented. On the left is Odd Duck, a Sun Cat of the modern Com-Pac type, but with an added stainless steel railing around the boat. To the right in the background is Suitsus, another Com-Pac but with a larger sail off another boat. Next is Sun Cat number 8, with Horizon Cat Good Juju in the background. The Horizon Cat is based on the Herreshoff America catboat. On the far right is Catboat Willy in his Marshall Sanderling Sea Bird. It was really quite a good show for a regatta that started out as a joke on the internet, and we still had one more race to go!

Race Marks Up Mast

Tom Scott had prepared the day before by inflating race marks that we borrowed from West Marine, courtesy of the Charlotte Harbor Community Sailing Center. He secured them aboard his old Morgan 30 in a creative way.

CJ Helms Wily Conch

I managed to bring in a ringer to sail the Wily Conch for me – Charlie Jones, who was passing through the area on the Meridian 25 Tehani and decided to stay for the Sun Cat Nationals.

Tom Officiating

By the time we sailed out to the race area, Tom already had all the marks out. In this picture, he’s gesticulating with his notepad and giving some kind of official instructions. We could see the course marks, and given the relatively short course and the strong wind, we knew we would be doing two lap races, so we did not really care that we could not hear all of what Tom said. We were just having fun sailing around in the starting area!

Sunday Cat

I was glad to see the white Sunday Cat out at the starting line. It looked like we would not have a Sunday Cat at the Nationals this year, but when I contacted Com-Pac Yachts to ask about participation in the event, I heard back from Gerry Hutchins that his son and daughter in law would be able to bring a Sunday Cat! They had one prepared for a demo ride for a dealership, but that was canceled due to weather. No reason to let the preparation go to waste!

Sun Cat BlueCat

Also prowling the starting area, I got this picture of the Sun Cat BlueCat. The lazy jacks with stack-pack sail cover and the decision to race with the Bimini top up made Dick’s boat easy to pick out from a distance.

Sun Cat Catnip

I caught Butch plowing up a nice bow wave as he reached along in Catnip prior to the start of racing.

Sun Cat Racing Fleet

Sonja took this picture of the Sun Cat racing fleet just prior to the start of race one. Notably absent from the picture is Wily Conch. We were nowhere near the start line when the race began because I had used one of the horn signals to carefully calculate that my watch was “about two minutes” slow by GPS time. Charlie got us across the line with good speed right when I told him to, which was about one minute late.

Sun Cat Racers Sailing Upwind

Despite our late start, were in a mid-fleet position by the time this photo was taken. The fleet was on our first starboard tack toward the upwind mark, and from left to right are BlueCat, Indy Anna, Sunday Cat, Odd Duck, Suitsus, Wily Conch, and Frisky. Foreshortening in the photograph makes it hard to tell actual positions in the race, but we were pointing high and closing on the fleet. Hey, bringing in a ringer was a good idea!

Frisky Takes Our Bow

As we were preparing to tack toward the windward mark, Frisky came splashing across our bow.

Suitsus Ahead

Scott was also ahead of us on the way to the windward mark, but he had a little trouble with the sailing instructions. We did not know when to start, he did not know which way to go around.

Rounding First Mark

By the time Suitsus backtracked and went around the mark in the correct direction, the Wily Conch had slipped by to round ahead. In the background, Odd Duck is making it around and in the distance on the left are the Sunday Cat and Horizon Cat Class leader Good Juju.

Sun Cat Fleet

Still trying to get the whole fleet in one picture! I could not get Frisky in this one, as they were out in the lead, nor could I get Suitsus, who was busily plotting to steal our wind. From left to right are BlueCat, Catnip, Good Juju, Sunday Cat, Indy Anna and Odd Duck.

First Reaching Leg

This picture was taken at about the same moment from the mark boat. Frisky is far enough ahead to be out of the shot, but Suitsus is chasing Wily Conch as Odd Duck enters the frame.

Suitsus Steals Our Wind

Note the smug look on Scott’s face as Suitsus passed by us upwind, momentarily blanketing our sail. Charlie and I discussed pushing him upwind all the way to the bridge, but decided it was not the kind of thing one does at the Sun Cat Nationals. Besides, it would have helped the rest of the fleet more than it helped us!

He managed to pass us before the reach mark, but not far enough before it to prevent us from squeezing around ahead. There may have been a little “room at the mark” confusion, but in keeping with Sun Cat Class rules and tradition, no boats were scratched. We’re hoping the Horizon Cat Class adopts this tradition, but more on that later…

Suitsus Passing Again

Here he goes again, and with that same smug look. Maybe he just smiles like that when he sails? Nah, he was enjoying going by us!

Baggy Reefs

Sonja captured the scene from a distance as Scott went by us. He may be a bit faster with his larger sail, but I think it’s pretty obvious who was winning the “ugly bag of cloth hanging out of a reefed sail” competition. At least until Catboat Willy showed up, but let’s not skip ahead…

Approaching Leeward Mark

Frisky had rounded the leeward mark and was beating back upwind as Suitsus and Wily Conch approached the mark.

Catboat Willy Arrives

One of the duties of the jib trimmer on a Sun Cat is to perform the function of “snacktician” during races. For non-racers, this is a person who is always first to the best snacks aboard, and who occasionally makes comments regarding tactics and sail trim to those actually paying attention and sailing the boat. In that capacity, I suggested that our best approach for the second lap of the race would be to take a long starboard tack out until we could lay the windward mark in a single tack. Coincidentally, this strategic choice was also the least work. Charlie agreed.

Our plan took us out toward the Port Charlotte Beach Park, where we encountered Catboat Willy coming out in his Sanderling to join the fun. It was immediately clear that the “baggy stuff hanging from reefed sails” competition was over. We had the same general technique, but he had us beat on square footage.

Leaders Beating Upwind

Sonja caught some good shots of the rest of the fleet beating upwind. This one shows Scott hiking out and burying the rail on Suitsusu in an effort to catch Frisky. In the background is Odd Duck.

Odd Duck Beating Upwind

A better shot of Odd Duck sailing to windward, this one showing a good profile view of the custom stainless railing Dennis put on the boat.

First Race Near Finish

This picture of the catboat fleet making their way upwind to the finish line shows Frisky beating Suitsus over the line. (They had been paying attention, and knew there was no second lap to this race.) If I had noticed them crossing the finish line, I would have thought nothing of it. Tom Scott had told us that the start/finish line would be an open gate, meaning we could cross it during the race if we wanted. I did not notice them finishing and we were too far away to hear anything.

After the Finish

This picture was taken a few minutes later, and shows Whimsy and the red start/finish line buoy, Wily Conch still sailing a non-existent second lap of the race in company with Sea Bird, Suitsus sailing over to clue us in, and Frisky heading back around to the catboat parking area to await the next race.

Scott Tells Us To Go Finish

Meanwhile, over on the left side of the course, Charlie and I were enjoying our second lap of the race and having a nice time sailing along with Catboat Willy. I looked up and noticed that Suitsus was not pointing all that high, and appeared barely able to cross our bow, though moving along very well. Right about then Scott ruined our second lap of the race entirely by yelling, “Hey! You guys need to go finish!”

That might not be an exact quote, but the message was clear. We had sailed past the finish line because I thought it was a two lap race. I remembered Tom saying something the night before about doing two lap races if we had enough wind and a short course. Actually checking the designated course on the race committee boat prior to the race would have been a good idea. We ducked back down to go around the finish buoy, managing to take 4th place. I think Charlie would have done better in that race if he had been unencumbered by my assistance. Starting a minute late and missing the finish line are not known to be his style of racing.

Just for the record, Don in Frisky had the correct reaction to my error: let it continue! If someone is doing something stupid, let it go on as long as it is not dangerous. This is especially true if I am the one doing something stupid, because then I don’t have to check with anyone before writing about it. While I thank Scott for preventing further embarrassment, it would have been funnier if he had let us sail all the way to the upwind mark before realizing that everyone else had finished.

Good Juju Racing with Fender

Sonja caught a picture of Good Juju heading for a victory in the Horizon Cat Class. Something to do with Horizon Cat Class traditions makes it prudent for racers to sail with fenders deployed.

Mark Boat Anchored

I got no pictures from the first race from Charlie and Isy because they had left the camera at the welcoming party the night before and did not arrive in time to get it prior to the first race. They got it from Sonja and took this “dueling photographers” shot between race one and race two.

Sun Cat with Jib

Pulling our Sun Cat across the US 41 bridge to launch over at the Port Charlotte Beach Complex for a downwind run to Punta Gorda Isles, I spotted a familiar orange triangle flying in the Laishley Park Marina basin. Catboat hijinks were already under way, and Don was test-flying his nylon jib on Frisky. I did not know at the time that he was showing off for Isy while Charlie took pictures.

Morris 29 sailing Punta Gorda Isles channel

Coming into the PGI canal system, we encountered the Morris 29 named Grace sailing out the channel. I have hundreds of pictures of this boat, but always feel compelled to take another. A few days later, I offered to share some of my pictures with the owner, but he politely declined, explaining that he already has thousands of them.

Sun Cat Hull Number 8

Meanwhile, other participants were rolling into town. Mike showed up with his friend Randy’s boat, which is Sun Cat hull number 8. It was great to see a classic Sun Cat make an appearance at the Nationals, and fun to see Mike’s pictures of the original prototype built by Clark Mills.

Sun Cat Suitsus and Camper Van

Scott also showed up in his camper van with the future National Champion Sun Cat Suitsus in tow.

Welcoming Party Tent

We set up the Welcoming Party/Skipper’s Meeting under the big party tent and guest house, and as daylight started to fade the rest of the regatta participants began to show up.

Charlie and Scott

Specifically, Charlie and Isy showed up, and revelry ensued…

Isy and Mike

…and more revelry ensued!

Sun Cat History

After a while, Mike brought out some material on the history of Sun Cats and an effort by the Pinellas County Historical Society and Clearwater Yacht Club to construct a boatbuilding museum. The museum will feature the original Sun Cat built by Clark Mills along with one of his most famous boats, the Optimist Prams. Mike had pictures of the prototype Sun Cat under sail as well as 1960s drawings by Clark Mills that were done when he adapted the design for the first run of fiberglass production boats. We learned all kinds of interesting facts about the history of Sun Cats, much of which Mike witnessed firsthand.

Sun Cat Design Drawing

Here is one of the drawings Mike brought, showing the Sun Cat as it was designed back when hull number 8 was made. Notable differences from the modern Com-Pac version: the original carries 165 square feet of sail, 15 sq ft more than our modern boats, and it has no shoal keel with centerboard. It has bilge boards and a round bottom.

Skippers Race Briefing

After our lesson on the storied history of the Sun Cat Class, Race Committee Chairman Tom Scott held a brief skippers’ meeting, explaining the likely courses to be used, the starting sequence, etc. As the picture showed, I politely pretended to pay attention. As the first race the next day showed, I was not really paying attention, but let’s not get ahead…

Yet More Revelry

I’m pretty sure some more revelry ensued after the race briefing. I found this picture of Charlie and Mike looking slightly intoxicated, and I have a dim memory of ordering a bunch of chicken wings.

Race Two

Race Three

Final Standings

The winner in all three races of the Horizon Cat Nationals was the sole participant, Skipper Charlie M with jib trimmer Isy in Good Juju. I’m not sure how to report the Sanderling Class results, since I am not a jib trimmer for that class of boats, but special thanks to Catboat Willy for making an appearance in Sea Bird!

The biggest thanks of all go to Race Committee Chairman Tom Scott in Whimsy and Head Mark Puller Sonja in Flying Shingle, which actually says Sea Ya on the sides, but we don’t care for that name and it’s a flying shingle.

My apologies to Larry and Cathy of the Sun Cat Indy Anna, who were somehow left off the previous roster! We also got a late entry from the Com Pac factory: Tyler Hutchins is bringing a Sunday Cat to race!

Dennis M asked whether there is a group dinner plan for Friday night, but we do not have one. Dinner will occur spontaneously. This is what happens when a catboat jib trimmer is in charge of planning. I’m pretty sure the drinks are taken care of.

We will have 9 Sun Cats competing in the regatta, along with one participant in the Horizon Cat Nationals and a distinguished Sun Cat Class veteran sailing a Com-Pac 25. This is gonna be FUN!

Racing in the Sun Cat Class:

Dennis M (2 people)
Michael J (2)
Scott W (1)
Steve J (2)
Butch E (2)
Craig D (2)
Don N (1)
Dick K (2)
Jib T (1)

Honored Sun Cat Class Alumni Auditing the Race:

Paul S (1)
Charlie M (2)

We look forward to seeing you all this weekend! That makes 15 people racing on 8 boats in the Sun Cat Class, since Steve J is not bringing his boat this year and plans to trim the jib for someone instead. I am working to round up another Sun Cat or two by this weekend, but we are already one of the largest racing classes on Charlotte Harbor, so the Regatta is already achieving the primary goal of amusing me!

Notice of Race
Sun Cat National Championship Regatta

November 5-6, 2011

On Charlotte Harbor

Sponsored By: Com-Pac Yachts, Gulf Island Sails, and Tropical Boating

This is a competition to decide the National Champion in the Sun Cat Class. As Head Jib Trimmer In Charge, I have decided that the Sun Cat Class will be an unlimited development class – you just have to have a hull that is arguably a Sun Cat hull to qualify. Choice of rig, sails and number of crew is entirely up to each skipper.

Rules: The 2011 SCNC Regatta will be governed by the current Racing Rules of Sailing as best the participants can remember them, as altered by future Sailing Instructions to be made up before (and possibly during) the races. The only really important rule is: do NOT hit Whimsy under any circumstances.

Fees: The Regatta fee is $20 per adult participant, and includes a steak dinner to be cooked by Scott, this time using both arms.

Sailing Instructions: Have fun! There will be others, but that’s the prime directive for now.

Regatta Site: On Charlotte Harbor wherever Tom anchors Whimsy.

Skipper’s Meeting: 5 pm Friday at the residence of the Head Jib Trimmer In Charge. Attendance is optional, as this is more about drinking and munching, but Tom S. will probably insist on passing along some instructions of some kind anyway.

Trophies: Last year, sponsors Com-Pac Yachts and Gulf Island Sails gave us some nice hats!

Schedule of Races

Sun Cat Frisky in the distance

Soon I spotted a small gaff-rigged sail over by the northern edge of the harbor, and when I looked over again I could see a tiny spot of orange beside the sail. That could only be Don in Frisky flying his new jib. The picture at right is zoomed in quite a bit, and we could not see the boat this clearly, but if you click to enlarge the picture it’s a pretty good view.

Alerion Catboat

I noticed another catboat sail in that general area, and it started coming toward us. “That looks like an Alerion catboat sail,” I said. Who could it be? Then I remembered hearing that Paul was getting one of those, and this must be it! Looking very sharp with the blue hull, which we all now know is the fastest hull color. He sailed on by, then turned around to join Whimsy in overtaking us.

Frisky heeling under jib

It was “Overtake Wily Conch Day” at the Sun Cat Regionals, and here comes Don with his jib. Showing quite a bit of hull in the air for a Sun Cat!

Shutterbug Tom

Tom Scott is not one to let that kind of activity go undocumented. A picture of Shutterbug Tom taking pictures of Don as Whimsy sails herself.

Frisky Catching Conch

The jib definitely added some speed to the Sun Cat, and soon Frisky was on our stern.

About that time, I heard a somewhat familiar voice on the radio calling the Charlotte Harbor Sun Cat sailors. I answered the call and was surprised that it really was Charlie and Isy, and they were coming out to join us in their Horizon Cat, Good Juju!

Whimsy Chasing Good Juju

This picture turned out to be the last one of Good Juju under sail for this trip. Shortly after I took that picture, the bobstay on the Horizon Cat broke! They were lucky the mast did not fall down, but there would be no more sailing until some repairs are made. Charlie and Isy drove all the way from South Carolina and only got in less than a half hour of sailing! Bad Juju!

Alerion Catboat Full Sail

I had sailed off upwind of the herd a bit, in part to get a good angle for sunlight on all the boats and to try to get them all in one shot. It’s like herding cats! If I could get them in one frame, it was going to be too distant, so I turned back toward them and started taking pictures. Got this nice one of Paul’s Alerion catboat under full sail, shortly before he exhibited the good sense to reef a bit. The gusts were probably a bit over 15 knots, which is managable if a bit sporting in a Sun Cat, but is too much for many other catboats to use the full sail.

Morgan 30 Heeling

Tom Scott was up to his usual tricks, showing us half the bottom of Whimsy as she sailed along under reefed main and jib. I was starting to think about reefing, and my wife, clearly having the same thought, asked me if I had not told her that when you start to think about reefing, it’s time to reef. I explained that I was having too much fun with the full sail, but I did notice the sail fully eased on Good Juju and thought to myself that Charlie was prudent to tuck in a reef at this point.

Good Juju Stalled

Charlie seemed to be having trouble reefing the sail on Good Juju as I turned to take this picture. They had been stalled there for a couple of minutes, and though the picture was taken with 3x zoom, I could see that Charlie was up on the bow. I figured something got fouled or jammed, and he was up there to work it out and they would soon be on their way under reefed sail.

Good Juju Broken Bobstay

Zooming in a bit closer on the picture reveals what really happened: the bobstay on the Horizon Cat had broken and the bowsprit cracked and lifted a bit. Charlie was not up there untangling a mess, he was assessing the damage. Moments later when I looked back, the sail was down, and we soon learned from Tom Scott that Charlie and Isy were heading back to the dock. The fleet escorted them as far as the US 41 bridge.

Sun Cat Jib Launch

Whimsy took off for home to go and assist Charlie and Isy. We had spotted Paul’s tanbark sail on Sanura heading south out of the Beach Complex, and the herd went over to pick him up. Don took the opportunity to play with his jib some more. Here is a shot of Frisky off our stern just as the jib was launched and (almost) filled.

Sun Cat Jib Working

Yes, the jib seems to be working… that’s the transom of Frisky all right.

Alerion Catboat Reefed

Paul came alongside and was matching our speed, probably around 4 knots, in the Alerion catboat under reefed sail. He hollered over to us, “Do you have a GPS?”

“Yes!” I replied.

“How fast are we going?” he asked.

I asked Sonja to have a look at the GPS, and she said, “It is turned off.”

“WE DON’T CARE!” I yelled back at Paul.

Frisky and Sanura

We collected the other Paul in Sanura into the herd around marker 3, and for a bit Don was sailing along with him using Frisky’s orange jib. Tanbark mainsail meets orange jib!

Catboat Group

With Sanura in the fold, we all sailed around the upper harbor in a group for a while. I could not stop grinning. I do not know why a herd of Sun Cats (plus an Alerion) sailing around together is funny to me, but it is.

Sun Cat Frisky

I got this shot of Frisky on a close pass for those who want to check out all of Don’s custom sail handling modifications and his jib.

Sun Cat Sanura

That tanbark sail looks awesome on Sanura with the green hull. Makes me wonder how it would look with our blue hull…

Sun Cat Regionals Final Standings

This was the last shot I took at this round of the Sun Cat Regionals, and Wily Conch is plainly in the lead, so I declared victory and told Gerry Hutchins at Com-Pac Yachts that he owes me another hat. He’s a good sport and promised to send one, but I was just kidding and am still enjoying my green one that I won at the Sun Cat Nationals. I’ll make sure the new one gets into the hands of a deserving Com-Pac sailor in our local fleet!

With the wind dying out, the fleet headed for home, and soon we were all under power as the wind got too light for Sun Cat sailing. About that time we got a call on the radio from Whimsy just to inform me that Charlie was at the helm and steering the boat straight and true. I figured Charlie looks like the kind of guy who might have some experience handling fully loaded dumptrucks on ice, and this confirms it. At least they got in some more sailing! The Horizon Cat is going back to the Com-Pac factory for repairs.