With just a couple of days to go, it looks like we will have at least 6 Sun Cats vying for that National Championship cup, as well as a couple of bigger catboats. The list as I know it, and apologies in advance if I forgot anyone or got this wrong. I’m just a jib trimmer!
Confirmed Sun Cats:
Wily Conch – our Sun Cat
Catnip – Butch and crew
Frisky – Don N and crew
Sandpiper – Larry & Bob
Odd Duck – Dennis and crew
Sanura – Paul S
Possible Sun Cats:
KrazyKat – Linda L, still uncertain
Joe’s Sun Cat, if we can find it crew, such as Craig & Betty Ann…
Other boats:
Good Juju – Charlie & Isy’s Horizon Cat
Whimsy – Our race committee Morgan 30
Sea Ya – Our 15′ Whaler
So we could have as many as 8 Sun Cats plus a future National Champion Horizon Cat on Charlotte Harbor this weekend! The weather looks like it will be great! Can’t wait! 😀
Jib Trimmer says
I hope we have more Sun Cats and jib trimmers in years to come. Notable losses this year include Lee R, who was unable to come down from Georgia due to health issues, senior jib trimmer Joe T, who is on injured reserve and uncertain to play on Saturday, Andy W, who bought his Sun Cat out from under me (with my encouragement as broker – long story) and has family visiting this weekend, Craig’s boat Cattitude, and perhaps a few others who may well come in future years.
Reminiscing a bit, every year I have a camp-out party out here, and it has been going on since 1999. The party has gotten pretty sophisticated over the years, with lots of party facilities and upgrades over the years, but that first year was really a disaster. We call it the “pig in a cup” party, among the survivors.
It now takes place over Memorial Day weekend, but that first one was over 4th of July. Here’s a tip: don’t have an outdoor party in central Florida in July. Our meal planning was disorganized, our waste disposal plans non-existent, and we sweltered and swatted bugs between violent, tent-mangling thunderstorms. It was a blast. By the end, we had no food and few utensils, but were still cooking pig in a smoker. We whipped up some BBQ sauce and ate pig in styrofoam cups, using sporks. We’re a lot better at it now, but that first year was legendary.
So here’s to the first annual Sun Cat Nationals, may it have a legacy as great as the “pig in a cup” party!
Jib Trimmer says
Update: Linda says she will likely come up Saturday, so that moves KrazyKat into the confirmed list.
We put Mimica, Joe’s boat, on his lift today, and will put Wily Conch at his dock tomorrow. Joe can’t sail yet, but Gulf Island Sails is helping me look for a crew to sail his boat.