08 07-08 Hotline Color - Hobie · 4 JUL / AUG 2008 North American Championships Hobie 17 / Hobie 18...
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Transcript of 08 07-08 Hotline Color - Hobie · 4 JUL / AUG 2008 North American Championships Hobie 17 / Hobie 18...
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JUL – AUG 2008VOLUME 37, NUMBER 4
The Hobie Class Association HOTLINE is the offi-cial publication of the Hobie Class Association ofNorth America (HCANA). Contents © 2008 HCANA.All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or in partwithout permission is prohibited. It is distributed sixtimes a year to HCANA Members. Its goal is to keepthe North American Region informed of the businessof the Class Association. Questions and suggestionsshould be directed to the address below. The HCANAis proud to be a member of the United States SailingAssociation (US SAILING).
The purpose of the Hobie Class Association of NorthAmerica is to establish and promote the higheststandards of Hobie Cat sailing/racing in its geographicboundaries in collaboration with the National andInternational sailing authorities.
HOBIE CLASS ASSOCIATION HOTLINEMatthew P. Bounds, Editor3798 Damas Dr.Commerce Township, MI [email protected]
The name Hobie Cat®, and the “flying H” logo areused by permission and are registered and li-censed trademarks of the Hobie Cat Company,P.O. Box 1008, Oceanside, CA 92051.
The Official Publication of the HobieClass Association of North America
OfficersChairBob Merrick
1st Vice ChairJohn Mork
2nd Vice ChairChris Wessels
Youth Program Dir.Mimi Appel
Membership ChairMike Levesque
SecretaryKathy Ward
TreasurerSteve Reese
Race DirectorPaul Ulibarri
HOTLINE StaffEditorMatt Bounds
CoverPhoto by StuartCrabbe
Review CommitteeLaurie BoundsTheresa WhiteCindy PhippsMatt Miller
ContributorsMark AmicoRick BuchananShauna KinneySue KorzeniewskiMike LevesqueDonna McIntoshPat PorterBridget QuatroneDave RiceMark SantorelliDan WardChris WesselsTodd Wilson
seeyouonthewater
Thanks
It was about five years ago that Rich McVeigh first convinced me to serve on the HCA Board of Directors. Since then, I have spent two years as HCA Vice Chair and two as the
Chair. It’s been fun but it’s time for me to take a little break andjust sail for a while.
Fortunately, Chris Wessels has agreed to step up and benominated for the job of Chairman. Chris has been a fantastic Vice Chair and theclass is very fortunate to have him as a nominee for Chairman. I would like to thankChris and all the individuals who have volunteered to be nominated for variouspositions of the HCA Board of Directors. You can read more about all of them in thisissue and on the HCA website, www.hca-na.org.
I would also particularly like to thank all of the North American Division Chairsover the last few years. We have asked a lot of all of you over the past few years andyou have been up to the task. Thank you all and keep up the good work.
Running the North American Hobie class is a big team effort and everyone playsan important role in keeping that momentum going. Thanks to all of you for makingthe Hobie class the most fun class in the world! I’m looking forward to many moredecades of fun, friends and Hobie sailing in the future thanks to all of you.
So hook in, step out, sheet in and bear off into the future and don’t worry if you geta little wet on the way.
See you on the water,
Bob MerrickHCA Chair
STUART CRABBE
2 JUL / AUG 2008
features This Old HobieSpraying Gelcoat
South Dakota ThunderThe 20’s Rock Lewis & Clark Lake
Meet the CandidatesNew HCA Leadership for 2009
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contents
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photo / illustrationcredits Cover – Stuart Crabbe
See You on the Water – Stuart CrabbeContents – Rick Buchanan, Dave Clark, Stuart Crabbe, Sue KorzeniewskiSchedule - Dave ClarkHobie History – Hobie Cat USA / Hobie HOTLINEMembership Matters - Michelle Levesque, Stuart CrabbeThis Old Boat – Rick BuchananHobie 20 North Americans – Dave Clark, Katie Blaalid, Dave Doty, Rod HaglundCandidates - Chris Wessels, Brian Allston, Teri McKenna, Dave Doty, John Mork, Dorine Taha,Stuart CrabbeGetting Started - Matt BoundsGEP - Patricia Hale, Sue KorzeniewskiHobie’s Profiles – Stuart Crabbe, Dan Williams
HOBIE CLASS
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resources
Hobie History15, 25 and 35 Years Ago
Just In Off the WireNews and Notes
Membership MattersA Quick Update
Getting StartedFirst Gear
Guest Expert ProgramSt. George Island, Florida
columns
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2008 Regatta Schedule
Carlton Tucker Sportsperson of the Year NominationForm
2008 HCA Council Members and Contacts
2008 HCA Membership Application
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on the cover Room at the Mark! – Neil McNeil at MadCatter 32. Photo by Stuart Crabbe
ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA
4 JUL / AUG 2008
North American Championships www.hca-na.org
Hobie 17 / Hobie 18 / Tiger August 25–29 Harrison, BCH-14, H-16 Women / Youth September 5–7 Clear Lake, IA
Hobie 16 September 8–12 Clear Lake, IA
2009 North AmericansHobie 14 August 21–23 Toronto, ONT
Area ChampionshipsROHR/NorthEasterns Aug 1-3 Rochester, NY www.fleet295.comNorth Central AC Aug 8-9 Saylorville Lk, IA www.hca-na.org
Other EventsF-18 North Americans Oct 13–17 Pensacola Bch, FL keysailing.comWave Youth NAs Nov 28–30 Islamorada, FL [email protected]
2008 regattaschedule
Division 1—Hawai’iContact: Dan Williams–808•864•6067,[email protected]
Round The Buoys, the first Saturday of each monthKaneohe Bay, Oahu (non-points)
Kokokahi Sailing Club's 12th Annual Regatta August 16-17(course racing on Saturday, hull flying and pitchpole competitionon Sunday) (non-points)
Division 2—Southern CA / AZ / NVwww.hobiedivision2.com
Division 3—Northern CAwww.div3.hobieclass.com
Division 4—Pacific Northwestwww.div4.hobieclass.com
Division 5—Mountain Stateswww.hobiediv5.org
Division 6—South Texas, Louisianawww.div6.com
HCA Division Regattas (shaded dates are tentative, shaded events are non-points)
REGAREGAREGAREGAREGATTTTTTTTTTA SCORERS:A SCORERS:A SCORERS:A SCORERS:A SCORERS:DON’T FORDON’T FORDON’T FORDON’T FORDON’T FORGET GET GET GET GET TTTTTO SEND O SEND O SEND O SEND O SEND YYYYYOUROUROUROUROUR
RESULRESULRESULRESULRESULTS TS TS TS TS TTTTTO:O:O:O:O:HOBIESCORES@YHOBIESCORES@YHOBIESCORES@YHOBIESCORES@[email protected]
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Division 7—Prairie Stateswww.hobiecatdivision7.org
Division 8—South FloridaContact: Bob Johnson –813•960•1937, [email protected]
Division 9—Southern AtlanticContact: Loyd Graves–919•787•0222, [email protected]
Division 10—Great Lakes / Midwestwww.HCADivision10.com
Division 11—Mid-Atlanticwww.div11.hobieclass.com
Division 13—Mexico/Caribbean/Central AmericaContact: Alfredo Figueroa–[email protected]
Division 14—N. TX, OK, AR, S. KSContact: Tom Page –918•232•2598, [email protected]
Division 16—Upstate NY, Ontariowww.nahca-div16.org
Criteria for Schedule Inclusion• HCA Sanctioned Events• Alter Cup Qualifiers• Youth Catamaran Events of any kind• Women's Catamaran Events of any kind• Major F-18 Championships• Major regattas that run Hobie One-Design starts (using IHCA Rules), but may have other brands of catamarans in attendance. No strictly "open" events (classes determined by Portsmouth numbers).
DAVE CLARK
6 JUL / AUG 2008
15, 25 & 35 Years Agohobiehistory
1973 Featuring a
revolutionarymanufacturingprocess, the Hobie12 Mono-Cat wasmade from foamfilled ABS plastic. Thecurrent Hobie Bravois its directdescendant.
While notrecognized today,“Old #36” was wellknown on the racingcircuit in the 70’s.
The skipper? HobieAlter.
The photo at the right shows theevolution of Hobie 14 sails from very early(#50) to the standard five-batten pattern(#7678). The double class insignia on theolder sail is offset, while the newer onesmatch (mirrors of each other).
Check out the old-school mark, too. Why arethey rounding marks to starboard?
Dave’s Cat Rack solved the problem of no trailer (or bringing more than one boat to anevent). Getting the boat up there might be a challenge, though!
The Division Map from 1973 looked a little different than today’s.Where are Divisions 14, 15 and 16?
The firstdevelopment intrapeze harnessesaway from theoriginal Hobie“diaper” – diapers indifferent sizes withlimited padding.
They still hurt.
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1993
1983
The strength ofthe catamaran is inthe 80’s is reflectedin a growing marketfor productsexclusively made forcat sailors
Hobie PolarizedSunglasses are born.
A hint of thingsto come is shown inthese two diagramsfrom the NAHCANews – the death ofreaching legs andthe introduction ofgates. Windwardgates are still beingexperimented withfor large fleets.
There’s nothinglike 80’s colors tomake a cool photo.
A stealthyalternative to theHobie Bob is theMFD. These are stillavailable todayfrom MidwestAquatics.
Hobie sailorshave always been arowdy bunch.Maybe these are theguys that used theDave’s Cat Rack?
Ten years afterthe Linbar diapers,not much progresshas been made.Straps havereplaced lacing lines,and there are colorsthat match yoursails, but they arestill flat diaper-styleharnesses.
8 JUL / AUG 2008
justinoffthewireNews and Notes
US SAILING Board ofDirectors WithdrawsMandatory MembershipProposal
Bowing to considerable pres-sure, the US SAILING Board ofDirectors has withdrawn theproposal to require US SAILINGmembership of all racing helms-men. “We have heard from ourmembers and we thank everyonefor their input,” said US SAILINGPresident Jim Capron. “Manysailors and sailing organizationshave told us that racing sailorsshould be members, but that theirmembership should be voluntary.We also appreciate that many ofthese sailing organizations haveindicated their willingness to helpgrow our membership. We lookforward to working with all of youto strengthen both our organiza-tion and our sport.”
The Hobie Class Associationtook the lead among one-designclasses by drafting a letter to USSAILING against the proposal. Inthe letter, HCA Chairman BobMerrick stated, “It is our belief thatmandatory membership wouldraise an unnecessary barrier toentry at our events with a cost thatdoes not legitimize the return.
‘The HCA-NA has alwaysencouraged its US members to joinUS SAILING. We will continue todo so as long as we believe that theHCA and US SAILING haveshared goals.”
Tips for Saving Fuel whenTraveling to Regattas thisSummer
Some of you may be a littlereluctant to travel to regattasbecause of the price of gasoline.Even though sailing is an energy-efficient sport, driving to racingevents can be pricey with gasolineover $4.00 per gallon. You may betempted to skip an event becauseof the cost. Why miss out on thefun?! Here are some hints to helpyou save some cash:
Choose a smaller vehicleYour Hobie is light! If yourtrailer is light, you may be ableto get by with a car as opposedto an SUV. Most passenger carscan tow up to 1000 lbs withoutspecial equipment. A Hobie Catand trailer weighs less than that.
Slow downThe nation enacted a 55 mphspeed limit during the last fuelcrisis to make a gallon of gaslast longer. A vehicle burnsmore gasoline when it travelsfaster. Everyone wants to reduceour travel time, but every mileper hour over 60 could cost youas much as 10 cents per gallon.
Maintain Your CarKeeping the tires properlyinflated and moving compo-nents lubricated will help tomaintain fuel economy andmake your vehicle last longer.
Infrequent tune-ups could meanup to 4% more fuel use. Usingthe recommended “energy-conserving” oil for your car canalso help you save money.
Only take what you needLightening the load will reducethe weight that your vehicle hasto move. Since a heavier vehicleuses more gasoline, you can savelots by going through yourregatta gear and taking out theunnecessary items. An extra 50pounds in the trunk reducesyour fuel economy by 1%.
Share the rideCarpooling to regattas is fun,and a good way to split the costof fuel. So, bring your crewwith you! By double-stacking(or more!) boats and sharing thecosts, you may be able to saveeven more.
Enjoy the season – and don’tmiss out!
ISAF Rejects CatamaransAgain for 2012 Olympics
In an expected move, theInternational Sailing Federationdeclined to reconsider the choice ofdisciplines for the 2012 Olympics.While the majority voted toreopen, there were insufficientvotes for the two-thirds majorityrequired to reopen the unpopularNovember decision to eliminatethe catamaran class in 2012.
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Support a Good Cause -Win a Hobie 16!
A raffle will be held at the H-16NAs which will benefit the CLYCSailing School Program, the CampTanglefoot Girls Scouts SailingProgram and the ParkersburgDisaster Relief Fund (the towndestroyed by a tornado, about 50miles from Clear Lake).
Tickets are $20 (maximum of1000 sold) and may be purchasedonline via a link from the eventwebsite. The drawing will beconducted at the awards banqueton Friday, September 12. You donot need to be present to win.
GRAND PRIZE: A 2008 Hobie16 Sailed by the 2007 NorthAmerican Champion ArmandoNoriega Jr. The boat hasCoronado Sails with event
decals. If you don't want a 2008Hobie 16, you can choose twobrand new Hobie Waves.
SECOND PRIZE: A new HobieKayak with the spectacularHobie Mirage Pedal DriveSystem.
THIRD PRIZE: A LimitedEdition water color print byWilliam Gardner. You can seethe print at www.bcpl.net/
~wgardner/
To buy your raffle tickets on-line via the event website, you willneed to create a Google account ifyou do not have one already.Alternatively, you can purchaseraffle tickets on eBay. The listingnumber is: 190233623584.
The winners will need to make
arrangements to pick up the prizesin Clear Lake following thedrawing or arrange for a “quicksale” to someone local.
www.hobiecatdivision7.org/
Hobie16NAC2008/
onlineregistration/raffledoc.htm
Request for RedressA printer error in the last
HOTLINE issue caused somemagazines to have paginationproblems. If you received one ofthese and would like a replacement,please send your request to:
Penalty TurnsThe photo of Mike and Hunter
Levesque on page 14 of the May /June HOTLINE was incorrectlyattributed to Stuart Crabbe.Michelle Levesque took the photo.
10 JUL / AUG 2008
Mike Levesque, HCA Membership Chair
A Quick UpdateThe New Membership System is Up and Running!
membershipmatters
No, it’s not your imagination; we haven’t producedmembership cards for
2008. All regatta hosts have accessto the online membership lists, sowe are debating whether the cardsare necessary. I personally like thecards, but I would really like thefeedback from all of you. Please letme know your thoughts on wheth-er to continue with the cards or letthem go the way of slide rules…
The new online membershipsystem is chugging along nicely.Thanks to all of you who joined
early and assisted us with workingout the bugs! Thanks to yourinput, many improvements havebeen initiated. At the time of thisprinting, about 60% of the mem-bership have renewed online.That’s a HUGE accomplishmenton the first rollout! Needless tosay, the system is working verywell.
For those of you still havingissues, keep the emails coming.Most of the problems now are veryisolated. Many are due to limita-tions of browsers, cookie settings,
and other random issues. If you’rehaving problems, email me andsend me a paper form with a check.I’ll make sure you’re all set for anyregatta you need to attend.
On that subject, there still seemsto be a common misconceptionthat membership in our class issomehow optional. I can assureyou that it is not. Please reviewIHCA Class Rule 26. Essentially,it states that a minimum of oneperson per boat must be a memberto compete in a points regatta. Notto be scored for national points, butto compete, period. Anotherreminder, there are no weekendmemberships.
We strive to provide realbenefits to our members. Withoutmembership, we’d simply cease toexist. The Hobie Class rules andpolicies have been voted on andaccepted by the class.
Again, if you haven’t alreadydone so, please renew your mem-bership today (memberships runfor the calendar year, so yours hasexpired if you haven’t paid in2008). Put down this issue ofHotline for a few minutes, go toyour computer and sign up. If youmust, mail it in, but just take careof it before you forget!
www.hcanamembers.comSTUART CRABBE
Regatta registration goes smoothly when you’ve got the latest printout from the new membership system.(From MadCatter 32 – that’s why everyone is dressed in their winter clothes!)
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BRIAN ALLSTON
12 JUL / AUG 2008
resources
History of the AwardEarly in 1994, Gigi Moore (NAHCA Chairperson
at the time) enlisted Ted Lindley’s help in exploring away to honor a Hobie person for their contribution tothe Hobie Way of Life. Ted was the chairman of acommittee of Gail Force (Division 12), Ron andShirley Palmer (Division 2), and John Hauser (Divi-sion 2). The committee developed the nominationguidelines and how the award is governed. Theycreated the concept of a perpetual trophy in the formof a commemorative book. Within the book the storyof each year’s honoree is chronicled. This prestigious
Nomination GuidelinesEach year the Hobie Class Association accepts
nominations from its divisions and members for theSportsperson of the Year Award. Those to be consid-ered for this award should be sailors or crews whoexhibit commendable behavior demonstrating “TheHobie Way of Life,” either on or off the water.
During the year, keep this honor award program inmind. Be aware of the different people among us whohave unselfishly contributed to our sport and activi-ties. Be aware of the person who, while out on thewater, helped someone who might have been in a life-threatening situation. Look for that person whomyou consider to be the mainstay of the local fleet orDivision, or the person who represents sportsmanshipand character on the racecourse. Perhaps the honoree
is someone who hasdevoted countless hoursor years to running yourfleet regattas, or hasquietly kept the fleet’sspirit alive duringdifficult times. Considerthe person who is helpingto develop or contribute to youth sailing programs.
Fill out the form on the following page, andinclude additional pages as needed. Detail thespecifics and anecdotes that describe the sailor whorepresents to you the Hobie Class Association’s mostoutstanding member for this year.
Carlton Tucker
The Carlton Tucker Award
book is displayed in a specially designed box. Eachrecipient receives a framed certificate as a keepsake.
Each year since 1995, the HCA has honored aHobie sailor who by his or her unselfish attitude andcommitment to our sport has set an example for all toenjoy “The Hobie Way of Life.”
In 1998, posthumously honoring a great Hobiesailor who exemplified the spirit of the award, thename of the trophy was changed to the Carlton TuckerSportsperson of the Year Award.
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This form must be received by August 15, 2008
Nominee:_______________________________________________ Hobie Class:________________
Address:________________________________________________ Division:___________________
City / State / Zip:_________________________________________ Fleet:______________________
Home Telephone:_________________________________________ E-mail:____________________
Submitted by:____________________________________________ HCA Member No:___________
Address:________________________________________________ Division:___________________
City / State / Zip:_________________________________________ Fleet:______________________
Home Telephone:_________________________________________ E-mail:____________________
Please provide a narrative describing characteristics, attributes, and other information about your nominee. The selection isbased on the information provided in your description. Some guidelines for writing your narrative follow.
· What has the nominee done to promote Hobie sailing and sailing in general?· How has the nominee practiced exemplary sportsmanship?· What has the nominee done to recruit sailors, particularly youth?· What training has the nominee supported to increase the skill and fun of sailing?· How has the nominee supported the HCA and IHCA?· Why is the nominee admired by fellow Hobie sailors?· Do others enjoy Hobie sailing more because of this person?· Why is their outlook and attitude an inspiration?· How has the nominee enhanced the quality of their local fleets and division?
Send your nominations to Stephen Cooley, 10952 W. Hampden Place, Lakewood, CO 80227or e-mail all the information to [email protected].
Again, the due date for nominations is August 15, 2008
Nomination FormCarlton Tucker Sportsperson of the Year Award
14 JUL / AUG 2008
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16 JUL / AUG 2008
feature
Spraying GelcoatBy Rick Buchanan
Whether you’re repairing a chip in thelip, deck, or a gouge in the bottom ofthe hull, the job isn’t done until the
color goes on. Gelcoat is what gives your boat its color.It is basically a heavily pigmented resin. The bestgelcoat finishes are usually sprayed. The goal of thisarticle is to help get you ready to take on that next re-pair with some insight into the art of spraying gelcoat.So, let’s begin...
Step 1 – SuppliesGelcoat is too thick to spray right from the can and
needs to be thinned. Like resin, it needs to be cata-lyzed. There are several products you can add to or usewith gelcoat for various applications. Photo 11111 showssome of these products. The items listed here shouldbe found at any quality fiberglass & resin supplyretailer. Some are not cheap, and most are carcino-genic. Numbers 8 & 9 below are an absolute must have
before you open the first can. Your shopping list willmost likely include:1) Gelcoat – whatever color you decide on. Like paint,
you can mix colors, creating custom colors.2) Catalyst – “MEKP” (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide)
Same type used to harden polyester resins.3) Styrene Monomer – a very thin, watery-like product
is used to thin gelcoat.4) Duratec High Gloss Additive – it’s extremely sticky,
and is a medium-thin running product, used to givea smoother “gloss like” finish. It has a surfacingagent in it to help the gelcoat cure with a tack-freefinish. Use a plastic syringe to pull the Duratec outof the can and dispense it into the gelcoat. Avoidpouring the Duratec. You’ll regret it.
5) Surfacing Agent – sometimes called wax, is a watery
type liquid used to insure a tack-free finish. Thisproduct can change a laminating resin or gelcoatinto a finish coat (tacky vs. tack-free cure).
6) Acetone – is used to clean up tools and spills youmight have. Its vapor is toxic to breathe and youshould not get it on your skin. I wouldn’t recom-mend using acetone to thin the gelcoat as it makesfor a soft finish with an orange peel texture.
7) Sprayer – you can use just about any quality sprayerfrom a turbine powered HVLP (high volume lowpressure), to a Preval®. If you use a compressor-driven sprayer, keep in mind pressurized air is hot,which can cause your gelcoat to kick-off quickerthan you want. Preval® sprayers are good for smalljobs and they don’t cost very much. Buy onecomplete setup which includes the glass jar and thepower unit. After you have one complete set, youonly need to buy the power units. Once you use apower unit and are finished spraying, discard it.
8) Filter mask – 3M’s 6000 series is a good choice.9) Latex exam gloves – it’s best to have a full box.10) Paper towels – a full roll is recommended.11) Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) – is a mold release agent.
It is used to seal freshly sprayed gelcoat from theambient air. This allows the gelcoat to cure tack-free and much harder than without.
Step 2 - PreparationPrep your repair area by taping off the surrounding
areas and attaching plastic drop-cloths to prevent overspray as needed (photos 22222, 33333, & 44444). To blend thenew repair to the surrounding surfaces, try masking offseveral inches beyond the repair area and taper yoursanding into this area. Doing this allows new gelcoatto be feathered in.
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11111
22222
33333
44444
55555
66666
77777
88888
99999
blblblblbl
bmbmbmbmbm
bnbnbnbnbn
bobobobobo
bpbpbpbpbp
Using a small piece of cardboardto block wind & over spray oftenhelps (photos 55555 & 66666). You canuse the cardboard to test spray, too.
Step 3 - Mix the BatchIf you want to color an area on
your hull which equals about onefoot square (photo 44444), you mightuse 1½ oz. of gelcoat. Add to thisabout 1 oz. of stirred Duratec. Ifthe gelcoat you are using is thick,you may want to add about ¼ oz.styrene monomer. Next, add about8-10 drops of the surfacing agent.Put the cap on the jar and shake themixture to blend. After mixing, it’stime to catalyze it. To the combinedmixture given so far in this example,adding about 30–35 drops ofcatalyst should be adequate (with anambient air temp around 65°–75°).Once catalyst is added, make surethe cap is securely closed and shaketo mix for a minute or two.
Step 4 - SprayWith the mixture ready to spray,
replace the cap on the jar with thePreval® power unit making sure thesiphon tube is firmly attached.Using a Preval® sprayer is almostidentical to using a can of spraypaint (photos 55555 & 66666). As youspray, be sure to keep moving toavoid excessive buildup of liquid.Don’t try to lay down a full coat ofcolor all at once, but rather movearound the area you’re working inseveral passes. Gelcoat is usuallyapplied in a thickness ranging from15 to 22 mils. This can be checkedusing a Mil Thickness Gauge(photo 77777). To feather the newgelcoat to the surrounding area trypulling the sprayer away from thesurface as you work outwards fromthe repair.
Different gelcoats requiredifferent catalyst amounts toachieve the same cure times.Curing times will vary, but shouldstart gelling in about 15–20minutes depending on the tem-perature, and should cure hard in4–5 hours. Darker colors tend torequire more catalyst. Whitegelcoat with a consistency of latexhouse paint takes about 15–20drops of catalyst per oz. Whenworking with a new can of gel, mixup a small test batch and time howlong it takes to harden. Adding toomuch catalyst can cause gelcoat tosmoke and crack.
Placing a shop light (photo 88888)near the curing gelcoat can speedup the curing process. Check theheat output of the light (photo 99999),opting for a warm summer day feel.
If the area you are sprayinggelcoat on is a vertical surface(photos blblblblbl & bmbmbmbmbm), spray severalthin “laminating” coats without asurfacing agent to prevent sags.Make sure the final coat includesDuratec and Surfacing agent for atack free finish.
Step 5 - Clean UpPour off the excess gel into a
plastic container and set aside tocure. Clean the glass Preval® jarwith acetone for future use. Oncethe gel has begun to cure (roughly½–1½ hrs.), carefully remove thetape (photos bnbnbnbnbn & bobobobobo). Thiseliminates chipping the newgelcoat along the tape line.
After gelcoat has begun toharden a light mist spray of PVA(photo bpbpbpbpbp) will help get the hardestcure. Let the it cure overnight andconfirm it has cured the next day tothe point the PVA may now bewashed off (water) prior to buffing.
18 JUL / AUG 2008
SOUTHDAKOTATHUNDERSTORY BY DAVID RICEPHOTO BY DAVE CLARK
Thunder. Lightning. Hail. Forty knot winds. The South Dakota had all of this and more. After twbeen run. The race committee pulled out the shours to complete the regatta. In the end, a neatreatment chemical salesman sealed his second H
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Hobie 20 North Americans in Yankton,wo and a half days, only three races hadstops and ran nine races in less than 24ar-perfect score by an Oklahoma water
Hobie 20 North American Championship.
20 JUL / AUG 2008
photo montagepage
Counter clockwise, from right:
With this kind of intensity, it’s no wonder they won 11 of12 races - Phil and Bev Collins
Bob Davidson seeks shelter from the storm on theNebraska shore. Despite the ugly damage, the sail wasrepaired and they sailed the next day.
The thrill of victory (or at least second place) – Al Leonardand Steve Lawler celebrate.
The agony of defeat - the youngest skipper, Jake Larson
The signal boat heads to the dock for the last time with allflags flying
KATIE BLAALID
DAVE DOTY
DAVE DOTY ROD HAGLUND
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Point blank, the Hobie 20 North Americansrocked! Seeing sailors come in from across
the country rocked. Having a beach bar andhost hotel within walking distance from the venuerocked. On a couple of occasions the winds rocked thesailboats, which also rocked the signal boat. Thankgoodness nobody wound up on the rocks, but somecame close.
The best way to sum up the Hobie 20 NAC’s is tosay that we had it all. During the weigh-in we had nowind and sunshine. Day 1 gave us light winds andcloudy skies. Day 2 brought heavy winds and thunder-storms. Day 3 was clear and windy, until around 3:30pm when racing commenced and winds decreased tolight conditions. Day 4 began with partly cloudy skiesand light winds and ended with full sunshine andgreat wind for double-trap racing–what a scream!
The various sailing conditions provided a true testof everyone’s sailing ability. This is perfect for a NAC
that is intended to find the best of the best. We’ve allheard the beach talk; that some people sail better inlight winds and some people sail better in heavywinds. Under these conditions, sailors had to adjustwith the weather to consistently perform well.
By now all of you know the results, but you have toread on to know the stories behind the scores.
In the Midwest, we get the typical April showersthat bring May flowers. But this spring our weatherseemed to be about three to six weeks behind. Eventhe local farmers were commenting that they haven’tseen this much rain and cool weather in years.Typically, once Memorial Day comes and goes, so doesthe rain … but not this year. On the bright side, thegrass and everything around was lush and green.
Sailors started arriving in Yankton on Saturday,May 31st. With races not starting until Wednesday,
this gave the early arrivers plenty of time to setup, tuneand check out any quirky areas on the water. Almostevery night storms rolled through giving way toclearing skies in the late morning, which left very littlebreeze in their wake. (So much for practice on thewater.) The early birds were not completely out ofluck. Sailor’s ingenuity kicked in and they easilyfound other fun activities such as golfing, mini-golf,and go-karting. Paul Ulibarri arrived late Sundaynight and was greeted by the Bommersbach familywho also put him up for the night. After a long day’stravel and a busy week ahead they retired early. ComeMonday both Paul B. and Paul U. headed to the eventlocation to double check the committee boats andverify supplies.
Tuesday late afternoon things got cooking withboat weigh-ins and registration. Earlier that day someof the sailors were hoping to get in some practice markroundings, however little wind kept even the mostoptimistic sailors from raising the sails. After weigh-ins and registration were complete, several peopleheaded to the Marina Galley bar for a few night capsand to gear up for the days ahead.
Day 1 - The Party Gets StartedWe awoke to rain and very little wind. It was
looking like a soggy day on the water. However, by thetime we held the skippers meeting (9:30 am) the rainhad stopped and the skies were beginning to showsigns of clearing. At the skipper’s meeting the mayorof Yankton Dan Specht welcomed everyone and PUexplained the logistics for the day. It was also anappropriate time to recognize all the people whotraveled great distances to be here. Especially (byland) Al Leonard and Steve Lawlor from California,and (by air) Matt Derrego, Dan Williams and KevinWilson from Hawaii.
Following the skippers meeting was a ceremonythat recognized an amazing contribution to the localSea Scout Ship 791 that will leave an everlastingimpression on young sailors of and around the city ofYankton for many years to come. On behalf of theHCA-NA, Bobby Ray Edmonds provided the localscout troupe with two brand new Hobie 16’s. Thiscontribution comes at a time when the local troop wasstruggling to get their youth sailing program off theground. The scout masters and leaders of the sailingprogram attempted to work with older “donated” boats
DAVE CLARK
22 JUL / AUG 2008
and a tired Hobie 16 that neededlots of TLC. This was not reallyan ideal way to encourage youngadults between 13-18 to get intosailing. Now they really havesomething to look forwardto. Bobby Ray worked directlywith one of the Scout masters(Kevin Kuhl) to make thisdonation. They spoke in greatdetail about the youth sailingprogram, and when things werefinalized, a very enthusiastic KevinKuhl called up to share the news. Ican still hear the excitement inKevin’s voice as he started rambling
about all of the possibilities and how this would be agreat way to introduce Hobie sailing to many, manyscouts from across the Midwest. Yankton happens tobe home to a summer scout camp that brings inhundreds of scouts each year for leadership andtraining programs. Now they can add Hobie sailingon their list of things to do. The two boats will be lefton Hobie Beach for the summer which means thatthere will be many experienced people around to getthem started safely.
Anyway, back to the races ...The breezes for the 1st day of racing started at five
knots and grew to 8-10 knots by the later part of theday… light but still good enough for three races.Initially, the start line was a little busy, but not packed.On the race course, the 33 Hobie 20’s quickly spreadout. Mark roundings were rarely congested. However,as racing continued, that would change. It was evidentthat for some sailors, the sailing season was still earlyas many of them were clearly attempting to work outthe bugs and find their groove. Phil and Bev Collinshad no problems finding their groove, scoring threestraight bullets.
That evening a kick-off party was held at the PartyBarn. Yes, it’s a real barn that has been converted intoa great entertainment location that often hosts privateparties, live music on the weekends and has bothoutdoor horseshoes and sand volleyball. Twelve teamsentered our chili cook-off and brought in crock-potsthat contained their secret recipes. Thanks to the helpof local volunteers, the chili had been simmering allafternoon. The judges arrived at 6:00 pm and began
sampling. For approximately a half hour, the judgesdonned looks of intense concentration as they workedthrough all twelve chilies. At 6:30, the line openedand approximately 100 very hungry sailors tore intothe chili, salads, and corn bread.
When it came time to announce the winner of thecontest, I was handed the judging sheet with all thefinal tallies. Mind you, I was still in “race mode”,which is that the low score wins, right? When I lookedat the scores, I realized that I couldn’t announce thewinner. My wife and I had also entered the contest.So I called on one of Division 7’s finest public speak-ers/presenters, Todd Wilson. As Todd read the“winners”, one of the judges quickly sensed a problem.Remember what I said about being in “race mode”? Iwas pulled aside, and reminded that the highest scorewins. So even though this wasn’t really Todd’s error,he was quick on his feet. He mentioned that due to thelibations he had been enjoying that night, he was alittle “confused”. Thanks Todd, good recovery, and Iowe you one. So divine retribution set in as my wifeand I went from top of the list to the bottom. The real
winners of the chili cook off were Kenny and DonnaMacIntosh. Some sailors retired for the evening whileothers were getting their second wind. They were toregret that the next day.
Day 2 - Thunder and LightningWe awoke to clouds, but by now we’re all getting
used to it. It was blowing around 20 knots. YeeeHaaaa! The sailors from Hawaii said this is what theyhad been waiting for. Even PU seemed excited as heset a pretty long race course. All was going well untilfive minutes prior to the start of the race; the condi-tions on the water werebeginning to change forthe worse. Heavy windscame in and sailors weremaking additionaladjustments to de-powertheir boats. At the start,there some sailors werejust happy to cross thestart line without anycarnage; unfortunatelythis was yet tocome. Midway throughthe first race several
KATIE BLAALID
One of the two new Hobie 16’s donated by Bobbyand Kim Edmonds to the local Sea Scout Troop.
The chase boat speeds to help ca
www.hca-na.org 23
people hadcapsized andtwo haddemasted. Acall came intothe racecommittee fromthe SouthDakota GameFish and Parksinforming of anintense stormapproachingrapidly. Theforecast was hailand 60 mphwinds. A smallnumber of
sailors were still trying to finish while others hadalready abandoned and were headed for shelter. Acouple of boats were moments away from crossing thefinish line when the race abandoned. The scramblefor the beach was under way. Some didn’t make it toHobie Beach, however they were able to find refuge atbeaches on other parts of the lake. The chase boats,media boat and signal boat provided assistance to asmany sailors as necessary.
Meanwhile another story was unfolding on HobieBeach. It quickly became evident to MelindaBommersbach and Melodie Rice that more boatsshould be on the beach. They tallied the boats toensure everyone was safe and all of the boats wereaccounted for. It was a tense and frustrating 45minutes checking off the sail numbers coming
in. With some boats notmaking it back we reliedon communications fromthe chase boats. TheGame Fish and Parkspersonnel also helpedlocate and identify thosewho took shelter on otherbeaches around the lake.
The races werepostponed and people sataround to wait this oneout. At 2:45 a lightingstrike hit on the other
side of the lake convinced PU to abandon all races forthe day. About fifteen minutes later, the skies gotlighter and the winds dropped off considerably. Wecould have held races, but by this point the sailors andthe RC had pretty much thrown in the towel.
The rough weather was followed by a BBQ at anearby shelter featuring locally made buffalo burgers,premium smoked sausage, cole slaw and all the fixings.Yum! Once again, a pack of hungry sailors attackedthe food line and were soon satiated.
Just as dinner was ending, Mother Nature gave usone more shot. A wall cloud was rapidly approachingfrom the West. For three minutes, the wind blewstrong and a small amount of rain fell. Howeverbehind the wall cloud were clear skies. Finally, itlooked like this weather was going to be behindus. The recent blast did leave a bit of cleaning up todo. Two sailboats tipped over on shore. Another onewas blown off of a beach up the lake and was nearsome rocks. The horrible thought of having a boatbouncing up against rocks was a concern. By the timewe retrieved the boat, the wind was nil, and the Hobie20 was just calmly sitting in the water as if ready to besaved. And as a bonus … no damage! (Whew!)
Day 3 - Waiting for the Wind . . . To DieIn the wake of the frenzy from the previous day, we
were greeted with clear blue skies, and lots of windfrom the west. The winds blew a steady 20-28 kts,with a gust recorded at 44 kts. Paul Ulibarri post-poned the races. Since the lake mostly runs from westto east, there were some gnarly looking waves being
KATIE BLAALID
KATIE BLAALID ROD HAGLUND
Jim Sohn awaits the return of his crew, who wasseparated from the boat and using thedaggerboard as a life raft.
apsized sailors during the storm
The sky continued to look nasty even after the main part of the storm was over andboats were returned to the Hobie Beach.
24 JUL / AUG 2008
kicked up and cruising past the beach. Just the look ofthe waves conjured up bad thoughts from the previousday.
The winds had been forecasted to die down byaround 3:00. At 3:15 PU got antsy and sent out therace committee. The signal boat slogged crashingthrough the waves, which was both interesting andhumorous. We thought that there was little chancethey would be able to anchor, but sure enough theydid. The signal boat hailed the beach with horn blaststo inform the sailors that it was time to come out andplay. (I think Matt Bounds’ quote sums it up best…“Come on you wussies! It’s really not thatbad.”) When the postponement flag was dropped(moments later) we knew it was time to screw on theskull cap and get our head’s back in the game.
Half of the 33 boats went out. The other half, still
recoiling from a bit of shell-shock, decided to sit thisone out and see how the others fared. Two teams splitthe difference and went out with the jib furled …adecision which would later come back to haunt them.
There was no chaos, no capsizing, and nocarnage. In fact, little did we know that the windswere only blowing around 15-20 knots. PERFECT!
With each successive race, the winds dwindled. Wefinally had clear skies and good breezes. With the sungoing down in the West, the bluffs across the water litup. One of the most amazing sights is to sit andwatch the bluffs to the south glow in the radiance ofthe setting sun across the lake. It’s just something youhave to see.
Since the sailing ended late in the day, we headedoff to dinner at 9:00 pm. Dinner was not planned sosailors were on their own. A local establishment called
the Waterfront Bar and Grill offered up free appetiz-ers and drink specials for the sailors. While we wereat the Waterfront, Dave Clark (a photographer fromOverland Park KS) showed people a short video cliphe had made. It was a huge hit and is now posted onYouTube. It is available through hiswebsite: (www.digitalcreativeads.com) or email Daveat [email protected].
Day 4: Last Day (and a little bit ofeverything)
The day started mostly cloudy, mild temps and asmall breeze from the north. Since Tuesday was abust, we needed to play catch up. We were preparedfor a long day on the water. Everyone went out withsandwiches, power bars, and lots of water.
The winds for the first two races were very light.The signal boat tried to find a good spot on the lake,but the wind kept shifting to the left. The windshiftsfinally caught up to Phil and Bev Collins’ string ofperfect bullets in the third race, when Paul and ErinBommersbach hit the left side of the course, caughtthe big header, then tacked back in to take the win.Phil and Bev were caught on the wrong side of thecourse and had to settle for fourth.
Then the winds from the north suddenly built to
DAVE CLARK
www.hca-na.org 25
15 kts! The fourth and fifth races were screams! Wehad a blast double trapping up wind and screamingdownwind. For the last race, PU ran a Course 6 for anupwind finish right in front of Hobie Beach. Inkeeping with tradition, each boat was saluted with airhorns blasting as they crossed the finish line. Ah yes,this is how to end the event – nine races between 4 pmFriday and 4 pm Saturday.
The awards banquet was held at the Quarry SteakHouse, which is nestled into cliffs that provide apanoramic view of Lewis & Clark Lake and valleybelow. We wanted to get right to the ceremony tohelp some of the sailors get on the road.
In addition to recognizing the sailors, it was also atime to thank all of those who supported theregatta. The main sponsors for the event were Bank ofthe West, Budweiser, Coke-a-Cola, and Truxedo. Weappreciate all of the support they provided to helpmake this an exceptional event.
The biggest round of applause was saved for the30+ volunteers who stepped forward to become part ofthis event. It takes a lot of man-power to pull off anevent of this caliber. At the awards ceremony we hadeach person who contributed in some way, come to thefront of the room to be recognized. Most notably,Chris Wessels for conducting the weigh-ins, Melinda
Bommersbach for registration and beach captain, Paul Bommersbach forgetting all of the supplies organized, Kelvin Tellinghuisen for the food,Jeff Wahl for providing the lodging and the signal boat, Charlie Clemensfor another support boat, Sky Padgett for the pin boat, Jim Hein for amark boat, and Todd and Joni Archambeau for providing the chase boatand two Jet Skis. Todd and Joni also did an exceptional job on the wateras chase crew. They helped many people on the second day when it wasreally blowing. Great job!
I will add one more short tidbit. The people of Yankton arefantastic. This was a big event and required a lot of dedication from manypeople. If something came up for one of the RC volunteers, there weretwo more waiting in the wings to take over. All of the people that werenew to this sport commented about (in spite of the weather) they all had agood time and learned a lot.
Lastly, thanks to all the people who came to Yankton SD. While wedidn’t always have “perfect” conditions, we did have a great time.
Full results and photos can be found at: www.yoyodyne1.com/h20/index.htmDAVE CLARK
KATIE BLAALID
26 JUL / AUG 2008
feature
Meet the CandidatesNew Leadership for the HCA in 2008 – 2009
The Bylaws of the Hobie ClassAssociation restrict elected officers fromholding office more than three consecutiveannual terms. Therefore, every few years,there is a change of leadership within theclass. 2008 is especially important since forthe first time in several years, there aremultiple candidates for positions.
Candidates are elected by the votingmembers of the HCA Board of Directors(the Division Chairs and Women’sRepresentative) at the Annual GeneralMeeting. The AGM will be held onTuesday, September 9 in Clear Lake, IAat the Hobie 16 North Americans. If youhave a candidate preference, contact your
Division Chair and let them know howyou would like them to vote. Nominationsmay also be made from the floor at theAGM.
Therefore, in their own words, here arethe 2008 candidates for office in the HobieClass Association of North America as ofthe HOTLINE press date (7/16/08):
I am a regular contributor to the Hobie Hotline,with my main contribution being the 'Hobie's Profile'located on the back page of the magazine. I havecontributed a number of articles as well as photo-graphs and I occasionally chase content for the editorto help with the production of the magazine.
Previous to being on the Executive Board, I wasChairperson of Division 7 for a number of years andhave been involved in the solicitation and planning offour North American Championships (two this yearalone, where I am serving as Host of the 14/16 NACon my home lake).
My primary interests are in the regattas. While Ithink that the huge Worlds and NAs are reallyimportant, I would argue that the regular pointsregattas across the continent are MORE important.This is where the good times and friendships andmemories are made and that is the basis of myinvolvement in the first place. I think that theseevents are good for people, families and the sport as awhole and they need to be nurtured and encouraged.If elected Chair, this will be my primary focus.
Candidate for ChairmanChris Wessels
My name is Chris Wessels, I am a Hobie sailorfrom Fleet 10 in Clear Lake Iowa and I am a candi-date for the office of Chairperson for the termbeginning in September 2008.
I am currently serving my second term as 2nd ViceChair, mainly dealing with Bylaws as my primaryresponsibility. I also find that I am involved in alot ofwhat goes on within the workings of the ClassAssociation from coast to coast. It still amazes me howsmall the world is thanks to the Internet!
Incumbent Candidates Running Unopposed:Kathy Ward – SecretaryMike Levesque – Membership ChairGuest Expert Program Coordinator – Kim EdmondsJunior Program Coordinator - Mimi Appel
For full candidate statements and resumes, go to www.hca-na.org
CHRIS WESSELS
www.hca-na.org 27
Candidate for 2nd ViceChairmanDonna McIntosh
I, Donna McIntosh, would liketo be considered for the HCA 2ndVice Chairman position. Duringthe past 26 years, I’ve raced HobieCats w/ my husband, Kenny,competing in approximately 250points regattas and 10 NorthAmerican Championships. I’mcurrently serving as commodore ofthe Tulsa Hobie Fleet, and I wouldbe happy to fill this position aswell.
Candidate for 1st or 2nd ViceChairmanDan Ward
I write to offer myself as a candidate for 1st ViceChairman. I have been an active member of HCAsince 1988. In that time I have served as commodoreof Fleet 65, secretary of Division 11 and currentlyserve as commodore of Fleet 416. I have also been veryinvolved in regatta organization over the years and
have been acontributor tothe HobieHOTLINE.
I grew up inBermuda andmoved to the
United States in 1985. My involvement in competi-tive sailing goes all the way back to my childhood.Over the years I have been active in and competed inmany classes including: Sunfish, sailboards, 505,offshore, Tornado, Prindle and Hobie. I presently havea Hobie 16 and a 17.
I am an Architect and operate my own architecturalpractice in Pennington NJ. Thank you for yourconsideration.
Candidate forTreasurerJohn Mork
I would like to offer myself as acandidate for the Hobie ClassAssociation Treasurer. I graduatedfrom the University of CentralOklahoma with a Bachelors ofScience Degree in Accounting andhave experience in preparingFinancial Statements and reconcil-ing cash accounts.
I have been racing since 1995 onthe Hobies 20, 14, 16, 17, and theTiger. I have competed in six North AmericanChampionships for the 20 and the 16. I truly enjoythe “Hobie Way of Life” and the friendships that havedeveloped. If I can help the class association byvolunteering my services, then I would be remiss innot paying back those who have done so much tomake my sailing experiences the wonderful memoriesthat they are.
BRIAN ALLSTON DAVE DOTY
Candidate for 1st or 2nd ViceChairmanPat Porter
I am an active 16sailor who startedsailing Hobies in his20's and proceeded toembrace the “HobieWay of Life.” In myyears of sailing, I havesailed all of the Hobieclasses in National andWorld events, mostrecently at the Hobie16 Worlds in Fiji. I
and my family presently participate in Hobie regattasand events across California. My children also partici-pate in the sailing and love anything to do withHobies. My experiences are very diverse. I haveparticipated in past events such as the Worrell 1000 (2times) and the Hog's Breath 1000 (2 times) and most
TERI MCKENNAof the Hobie Worlds dating back to the early 1980's.
It's not just the racing that I love; it is the wholefamily-involved “way of life” that has made thiscommunity and sport so terrific. It is very importantto me that these ways are continued.
I want to continue to stay active and involved withHobies and hope to help influence their development.
JOHN MORK
28 JUL / AUG 2008
Candidate for Event CoordinatorMark Amico
I have been involved with Hobie Sailing for over 25 years. Initially, I learned the ropesthrough race training events taught by veterans such as Miles Wood, Bob Seaman, RickWhite, and the late Carlton Tucker. Over the majority of my sailing career, I sailed Hobie
16s yet ten years ago, I took up the Hobie 17. Even more recently with the influx of interest in the Hobie 14’s, I secured a 14. I havebeen enjoying this cornerstone boat for the last 5 years along with using this boat to get my kids (6 & 4 yrs. old) involved in sailing.
Candidate for Event CoordinatorBridget Quatrone
I have been sailing Hobie Cats for 23 years and attended nine Nationals as a participant, so I am quitefamiliar with what the sailors expect. I’ve worked closely with both Lori Mohney and PU on several NorthAmerican and World events and have the administrative understanding of what to expect as well. In 1985 thru2008; I worked various committees for the Northeastern Championships held annually in Syracuse NY, I knowwhat goes into making an event successful and how to motivate people to coordinate these events. It’s some-thing I enjoy, and if you’re doing something you like, it’s not work.
Candidate for Event CoordinatorTodd Wilson
The history of our Hobie Class has seen great successes, endured challenges, and survived some dramatic changes. One of themany attributes of our class has been to consistently recognize our best competitors through regional and continental events. Ibelieve these events are critical to ensuring our One-Design class. These events are the ‘true’ competition side of Hobie Sailing. For
our class to continue into the next decade we need to emphasize well organized, well planned, regional &continental events on a competitive level and stress the Hobie Way of Life for our local fleet events.
ExperienceEvent Chairman2007 Hobie 14/16Y/16W/17/18North Americans
Chairman - HCA Division 161990–1991
Commodore - Hobie Fleet 2952006–2007
Youth Coordinator - Division 162007–present
Major Event Attendance:Hobie 14 NAs – 2006, 2005Hobie 16 US Nationals – 1986, 1993, 1995Hobie 17 NAs - 1997, 1999, 2005Hobie MWE - 3 times
ExperienceEvent Chairman2005 Hobie 18/20 NAs2008 Hobie 14/16/16W/16Y NAs
Asst. Event Chairman2006 Hobie 14 NAs
Commodore - Hobie Fleet 102007–present
Past Commodore – Hobie Fleet 84
Vice Commodore – Hobie Fleet 84
Major Event Attendance:Hobie 14 NAs – 2006Hobie 16 NAs – 2002, 2003Hobie 20 NAs - 2006
STUART CRABBE
DORINE TAHA
STUART CRABBE
ExperienceEvent Coordinator2007 Hobie 14/16Y/16W/17/18North Americans2002 Alter Cup Championship1994/1997 Hobie 17 NAs
Commodore / Vice Commodore /Secretary - Hobie Fleet 204
Adminstrative / RC - 2004 Hobie16 Worlds, 2004 Hobie 14/16North Americans, 2006 H-16 W
Major Event Attendance:Hobie 16 Nationals / NAs - 1985,1995, 1997, 1998 (O+W), 2000,2003 (O+W), 2005, 2007 W
www.hca-na.org 29
Candidate for Race DirectorMark Santorelli
Candidate for Race DirectorMatt Bounds
BRIAN ALLSTON
As race director, Paul Ulibarri brought excellence throughstandardization, education and an uncompromising will. I amextremely fortunate to have him as my mentor. However, myvision for the Race Director’s position is slightly different thanPU’s. The Race Director’s primary job is to make sure competi-tors have fair racing and most importantly, a good time. TrainingRace Officers to maintain the high standards of the Hobie ClassRacing Program is also part of the job. Most of our events canno longer afford to fly officials in and put them up in a hotel. It’simportant that we have regionally based, highly qualified raceofficers that can run our Area and North Americans. It would
be my goal to develop this system of regionalPRO’s, thus laying the groundwork for manyyears of high quality events.
A question everyone will ask is, “Whatwill happen to the HOTLINE if you’re RaceDirector?” In the short term, nothing. Mydirect efforts to the magazine are waning asmore people help out and the productionprocess is streamlined. The Race Directorrole will not add that much more. Regardlessof the election outcome, a new editor will
ultimately need to be trained to take over. That is already anobjective of mine, since I can’t do the magazine forever.
Insofar as my experience is concerned, I have attendedupwards of thirty-five Hobie Cat Nationals / NAs and twoHobie 16 Worlds. I’ve raced every type of Hobie Cat beingactively raced today, except the Wave. I don’t know how manyregattas I’ve attended since I started racing in 1973 – thenumber is around 500. It continues to grow today as I activelyrace my 14, 16, 17 and Tiger. You must have the mind set of acompetitor in any race you’re conducting.
In the past year, I have been PU’s Deputy Race Officer at theTornado NAs, the Hobie 17/18 NAs and the Hobie 20 NAs. Iwas the PRO for the 2007 NACRA F17 NAs and I will be thePRO for the 2008 NACRA F17/F18/N20 NAs. I’ve been onthe signal boat for the 2007 Melges 24 Nationals, either markset or signal boat for three high-level match racing events, linejudge for the Detroit NOOD regatta, PRO for the ThistleDistricts and mark set for the Force 5 NAs.
I have been a member of US SAILING since 1977. I amcurrently Chairman of the One-Design Class Council. I willachieve my Regional Race Officer certification this fall and havenearly completed the requirements of a National Race Officer.This level of participation is crucial to being current on the rulesand procedures being adopted around the US and the world.
I am also honored to know a group of my peers think of meas being potentially qualified for this position. Mr. Ulibarri hasleft a pair of shoes that will be challenging to fill, a challenge Ibelieve is within my abilities.
I have been very active in the area of Race Management overthe last seven years. I foresee my activities expanding in thefuture as I pursue my National Certification. My Race Manage-ment experience, although based solely in multihull racing, isrounded out with the humble beginnings of running club racesto being the Gate Leader of the 2004 Hobie 16 Worlds.
A major part of my qualifications is my competitive Hobieracing career. I was an active Hobie competitor starting in 1986.I have won four Hobie 16 National/Continental Titles whilesailing with Wally Myers from 1989 – 2000. Wally and I alsocompeted in numerous Hobie World Championships as well asthe first IYRU/ISAF Worlds in 1994 and the 1999 PanAmerican Games. I believe a well rounded, competitive racingbackground is a key to being able to manage a competitive racecourse. I became interested in being a Race Officer so I couldgive back to the sailing community that which I learned
through the years of on the waterexperience as a competitor.
I have been Co-Chairman ofthree National/ContinentalChampionships; 1993 with RichMcVeigh, 1999 with Bruce Andrews and again with Bruce in2003. I have also worked closely with Paul Ulibarri and LoriMohney in organizing the on the water parts of the Mega in2002. Outside the Hobie Class, I have also helped organize the2005 and 2006 F18 North Americans, working with their EventOrganizers in establishing the on the water needs.
As the Area C Representative for the Multihull Council ofUS SAILING, I have solicited venues for the Alter CupEliminations as well as hosted them myself for as long as I haveheld this position.
My experience on the water continually provides for theopportunities to train and educate up and coming Race Com-mittee members as well as keeping me well versed in the rulesand regulations of the Hobie Class and US SAILING. I believemy ability to lead is evident in the quality of the events I haverun with the many Race Committees I have had the pleasure ofworking with and training.
30 JUL / AUG 2008
Shauna McGee-Kinney
gettingstartedFirst GearEquipment and Apparel Buying Tips for New Crew
When I first started crew-ing, I was unsure ofhow involved I would
become. I was busy with many oth-er activities, like cycling, and con-cerned about how much I wouldspend on this new sport. Here aresome tips I learned from other crewas well as my own experience.
Where and When to BuyBuy your gear over a couple
seasons. This gives you time to findthe right gear for your body typeand to help you pace your expenses.
First Season• Buy or use gear that fits
multiple sports• Buy less expensive gear• Borrow sailing-specific gear• Rent gear• Ask sailors what gear they like
and why
Second Season• Space purchases over the year• Take time to choose the best
gear• Buy warmer (winter) wetsuits in
summer• Buy life jacket and harness
during season
Start by purchasing or usinggear that can be used in multiple
activities. Use baseball hats, canvasshoes and swimsuits that youalready own or that you can use inmany activities.
Borrow sailing-specific gearduring your first season, such asharnesses and life jackets. Mostskippers have a variety of sizes toshare with their crew. Manyskippers will share gear with crewsailing on someone else’s boat. Askother crew as well as your skipper.As crew, I share my gear with othercrew when I can’t make a regatta.
As you start attending regattas,talk to people that have your bodytype and size. You will find tipsabout manufacturers and models ofgear that best fit short people, tallpeople, curvy people and muscularpeople. Fellow crew often let metry on their gear for comparison.
What to WearThe table at right gives some
basic guidance. This the maximumamount of gear you would want towear for those conditions. You canreduce or change your gear, basedon your personal sensitivity to sun,cold and heat.
If you get hot in any of thesesituations, splash water onto yourbody or jump in the water to cooldown. Drink water throughout theday, even in cold weather.
You will want to get your gearoff as soon as you return to thebeach. Wet, salty gear will irritateyour skin, cause chafing or chillyou as it dries. Wearing a swimsuitwill allow you to peel the outerlayers off without finding a privatechanging room. Wear a dry longsleeve shirt and dry sweat pants(cold) or loose fitting cotton pants(hot) over your swimsuit until youhave time to change. A dry hat isalso nice to keep the sun off yourhead and face.
Keep your skin covered, even ifyou have a dark complexion. Toomuch sun exposure drains your
WWWWWhahahahahat to t to t to t to t to WWWWWearearearearear
www.hca-na.org 31
body’s energy, causing you to feeltired and not perform in thefollowing day’s races or even getdrowsy when driving home.
Canvas shoes, booties or watersocks to prevent burning the topsof your feet in bright sun. Footwearalso protects your feet from gettingcut or hurt in the surf or on thebeach.
Buy SmartFor multi-sport gear such as
swimwear, ski/snowboard fleecelayers and winter running apparel,– buy these items on sale at asporting goods store or on-line. Ifyou are a small woman, considerbuying kids sizes. They can be lessexpensive than the women’s sizes.Some sports retailers in otherindustries offer the same equip-ment. Take a look at the kayakingdepartment, especially for comfort-able life jackets and good coldweather gear.
Be cheap with a few items. Buycanvas shoes at the drug store. Buygloves at a garden store. Look forhats that can be adjusted to your
head at sports stores or boatingwarehouses. Most hats grow whenwet and shrink as they dry. Youwant to get a hat that can be tightenough to stay on your head whenyou are sailing at 15 knots upwind.Plastic, brass and stainless bucklesfor adjusting hats often work betterthan Velcro. The Velcro can tanglein your hair while racing.
Find comfortable, polarized,UV protection (non-prescription)sunglasses. I recommend choosinga pair dedicated to sailing at a pricethat you won’t cry when they getscratched or get lost. Whenchoosing sunglasses bring yoursailing hat! Put on the glasses, runyour hands down the back of yourhead towards your neck. Youshould not be able to bump theglasses from the back or knock thepiece behind your ears with yourhand or your hat. Put on the hatand lean forward, look at the floorand shake your head gently fromside to side. The glasses should notfeel heavy, lift away from your eyes,fall off your face or slide down yournose.
My Life Depends on ItYou should try on the model of
life jacket you want before buyingit. Sailing and kayak stores canrecommend lifejackets that allowthe best range of movement andcomfortable placement of flotation.Some life jackets designed forrecreational boating were notdesigned for the range of move-ment you need. Inflatable lifejackets, such as the ones used oncruising sailboats are not appropri-ate for catamaran racing. Only buyUS Coast Guard certified lifejackets - they are the only ones thatare class legal in the US.
Put the life jacket on, adjust thestraps and crouch down – the lifejacket should not ride up. Stand up,put your arms up and lean backslightly – the life jacket should stayclose to the original position. Bringyour arms down and twist as far asyou can to both sides. The lifejacket should not pinch yourarmpits and your head should beable to turn both directionswithout having to move thelifejacket. Finally, check thatzippers and clasps were secure andstayed in the correct positionbefore taking off the life jacket.
If the life jacket doesn’t fit, try adifferent size or different model.Most retailers can help you. Don’tbuy a life jacket that is too bigexpecting that the wetsuit and gearwill “fill out” the jacket.
Work with the RetailersAsk for referrals to a reputable
sailing retailer from other sailors.Some retailers are more responsiveto special orders, carry items instock or have better customerservice than others. Be sure to getthe return and refund policy beforeyou purchase your new gear. Someitems are expensive to restock andyou may not want to order an itemif you cannot return it.
If you have used gear thatdoesn’t fit you, you might considergiving it to new crew or donating itto your fleet. Be wary of used lifejackets. The foam in life jacketsexposed to sun, chlorine ordetergents may be compromised.Don’t buy lifejackets with tornnylon shells, broken buckles orworn web straps and make sure thelife jacket fits correctly.
Enjoy your racing in comfort-able gear and sail fast!
32 JUL / AUG 2008
by Sue Korzeniewski, HCA Guest Expert
St. George Island, FLSue Korz re-visits Scout Troop 22 / Hobie Fleet 934
guestexpertprogram
The sweet smell of burningwood in 85 degree weatherwas a welcome sign we were
back on St. George Island. The 9th
Annual Youth Regatta preceded bya GEP (Guest Expert Program)was about to unfold. Twenty-twokids, mostly scouts, were anxiouslywaiting to hit the water .
The 9th Annual St. GeorgeIsland Youth Event coordinated byLarry & Patricia Hale leaders ofScout Troop 22 / HCA Fleet 934took place May 4th & 5th. TheGEP conducted by SusanKorzeniewski covered safety, flags,starting, race course, markroundings & basic rules. Veteransailors from Troop 22 assistedSusan as she practiced the racesequence with flags. Boat riggingand tuning followed the chalk talk.Young sailors ranging from age 7-20 years old enthusiasticallylistened to the informationpresented. With help from Susan
Korz, Kirk Newkirk and GlenHolmes the Hobie 16’s werechecked and ready to go.
The George Mahr Sea BaseCamp is located on the Bay Side ofApalachicola Peninsula 75 milessouth of Tallahassee. Race drillswere held in the lagoon just insideof the bay due to the heavy wind.A series of race drills kept the kidsmoving for over 2 hours. The windconditions were very gusty andshifty. A couple of teams added athird person for more weight onthe boat. Only one Hobie 16capsized when a brand new sailortook the helm and tried to fly ahull. Many smiles and thumbs upwere displayed as the startsimproved. Short courses allowedfor many starts and markroundings. The scouts handled theboats with ease even though manyof the teams were under 200 lbs.Drills were followed by an onshoredebrief. The kids were excited andready for the next day of racing.
Forecast of a front added to theanticipation of the racers as theyrigged their Hobies early the nextmorning. A few teams addedanother crew member for moreballast. After a six mile sail to thelocation of the race course setoutside the beautiful tip of the St.George Island Plantation, the
scouts beached their boats on themost gorgeous white beach at thecut where the Gulf meets the Bay.Transported by powerboat Prin-cipal Race Officer (PRO) KirkNewkirk from Pensacola Beachheld the skippers meeting on thebeach. Susan offered last minutecoaching for the brand new racers.
There were a total of 14 Hobieson the race course consisting ofboth Youth and Open Fleet. Withboth fleets starting together thefirst start set the stage for the orderof finishers. Local Scouts TimWallace and Carl Ard crossed thefleet on port to win the 1st race.
The wind was shifting left earlyin the day and the sailors whonoticed gained a big advantage.Race 2 started in 5-8 knots but thewinds decreased as the racecontinued. Panama City Team ofTaylor Riess and Evan Miller tookthe next bullet. The fleet wasstarting to tighten up with only 15minutes between first and last placeboat.
This was the first day ofSailboat Racing for many teams.There were five lady skippers onthe race course ranging from age 12to 19 years. As the breeze contin-ued to die Race #3 was shortenedat the second weather mark andboats were sent in for pulled pork
SUE KORZENIEWSKI
www.hca-na.org 33
barbeque sandwiches. Taylor andEvan came in first again followedby local brothers on separate boats.Younger brother Kevin Williams(age 16) crossed the line in front ofolder brother Richard Williams(age 17) to mix up the scores.
After a hardy lunch made by theparents and friends of the troop,the racers returned to the water. InRace #4 Alex Hoffman hit the linewith speed and perfect timing. Thefirst two mark roundings were verytight for the entire fleet. Theteams were successfully using thetechniques that were taught andenjoying themselves. Tim and Carlwere the first boat to go left; theygot lifted and rounded the 2nd A-Mark in first followed closely byTaylor and Evan. Evan gibedinside to pass Tim at C-Mark thenproceeded to do a 360 degree turn.Tim & Carl crossed the finish linefirst. It was a very exciting andclose 4th Race.
The wind shifted left and builtto 8 knots for Race #5. Half of thefleet started on port to follow Timand Carl around the course. Againlocal scouts Tim and Carl got thehorn for the 1st.
PRO Kirk assisted by GlenHolmes did a remarkable jobexecuting 5 races with a lunchbreak in one day. It was a very
SUE KORZENIEWSKI
rewarding moment to watch thenew Hobie racers sail off in afreshening breeze knowing this daymay change the rest of their lives.Another group of young kids haveturned into Hobie Racers!!!!!
The St. George Island YouthRegatta Award Ceremony wasextra special this year. Dressed infull uniform, local scout and Hobieracer Sam Biard was awarded hisEagle Scout status. Larry Hale’sTroop 22 was very proud of Sam .Racing trophies were handed outfollowed by an incredible spread offresh home cooked southernspecialties: grouper, raw oysters,shrimp, hush puppies and salads.A huge thank you to George andPam Mahr for use of their beautifulwaterfront property, on watersupport RC boat. Their continuedsponsorship helps to keep the kidson St. George Island sailing.Thanks to the St. George IslandYacht Club, Coast Guard Auxiliaryas well as the community thatpitched in to help make theRegatta a real success. Manythanks to the Seafood Dealers:Buddy Ward Seafood (shrimp),Water Street Seafood (grouper)and Allen’s Seafood (oysters). Thisis a truly fantastic place in thecountry to go Hobie racing.
RESULTS:Youth Class
1st Taylor Neiss / Evan Miller2ndKevin Williams / Brandon Raymond3rd Richard Williams / Bobbie Robinson
Open Class1st Tim Wallace / Carl Ard2ndSam Biard / Kellie Robinson3rd Alex Hoffman / Liam Capstick
Overall (combined)1st Taylor Neiss / Evan Miller2ndTim Wallace / Carl Ard3rd Kevin Williams / Brandon Raymond
PATRICIA HALE
SUE KORZENIEWSKI
34 JUL / AUG 2008
Chair
Bob Merrick
141 Short Beach Rd.
Branford, CT 06405
203•488•7820
1st Vice Chair
John Mork
8504 NW 88th
Oklahoma City OK 73132
405•621•9826 / 405•229•8817
2nd Vice Chair
Chris Wessels
5600 Lakeview Dr.
Clear Lake, IA 50428
641•357•4577 / 641•423•7638
electedofficers
2008hcaboardofdirectors
voting members
DIVISION 1Dan Williams
45-155 Unahe PlaceKaneohe, HI 96744
808•864•[email protected]
DIVISION 2Dave Martin
138 Sheridan Dr.Henderson, NV 89074
702•914•[email protected]
DIVISION 3Jason Moore
8360 N. PoplarFresno, CA 93711
DIVISION 4Mark Jones
2595 Derbyshire PlaceN. Vancouver, BC V7H-1R4
DIVISION 5Stephen Cooley
10952 W Hampden PlaceLakewood, CO 80227
303•619•0572 [email protected]
DIVISION 6Chris Green
2220 Brae LaneLeague City, TX 77586
DIVISION 7Andy Larson1021 N. Mae
Storm Lake, IA 50588712•732•1532
DIVISION 8Bob Johnson
906 Woodcliff AvenueTampa, Florida 33613
DIVISION 9Loyd Graves
4709 Glen Forest DriveRaleigh, NC 27612
DIVISION 10Jeff Rabidoux
5705 Lake St., P.O. Box 524Glen Arbor, MI 49636
248•361•[email protected]
DIVISION 11Ron LaPorta
120 Netherwood Dr.Coatesville, PA 19320-1467
DIVISION 12Dave Heroux
27 Foster Center Rd.Foster, RI 02825-1326
DIVISION 13Alfredo Figueroa
921 Verdi St., Reparto SevillaSan Juan, PR 00924
(787)[email protected]
DIVISION 14Tom Page
P.O. Box 961Claremore OK 74018-0961
918•232•[email protected]
DIVISION 15Brad Stephens315 N Hwy 79
Panama City Beach, FL 32413850.235.2281
DIVISION 16Theresa White
601 Demong DriveSyracuse, NY 13214
on the web
International Hobie Class
Association
www.hobieclass.com
Hobie Cat Company USA
www.hobiecat.com
Hobie Product Support
www.hobiecat.com/support
Hobie Community Forums
www.hobiecat.com/community
appointedofficers
Women’sRepresentative
Danielle Burns4601 Shisler Rd
Clarence, NY 14031716.759.1908
1 HAWAII
resources
Championships Coordinator
Lori Mohney
2812 E Shore Drive
Portage, MI 49002-6581
269.327.4565
Guest Expert Program
Coordinator
Kim Edmonds
13323 Eagle View Land
Roland, AR 72135
501.868.8801
HOTLINE Editor
Matt Bounds
3798 Damas Dr.
Commerce Twp, MI 48382
248.980.7931 (cell)
248.360.7926
Scorekeeper
Bill Jeffers
Hobie Feet 204
Syracuse, NY
585.370-9160
For Local andCountry contacts:
hca-na.org
Hobie Class Association
of North America
www.hca-na.org
Women’s Hobie Cat Racing
www.hca-na.org
Guest Expert Program
www.hc-na.org
Web Master
Rich McVeigh
14813 Fireside Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20905
301.384.3695
additional resources
Membership Chair
Mike Levesque
45 Patriot Way
Uxbridge, MA 01569 USA
508•278•3887
Secretary
Kathy Ward
1331 Robertson Way
Sacramento, CA 95818
916.715.3133
Treasurer
Steve Reese
131 Skowhegan Ct.
San Jose, CA. 95139
408•362•0991
Youth Program Director
Mimi Appel
3357 Collins Road
Marcellus, NY 13108-9647
Race Director
Paul Ulibarri
3334 Fulton
Victoria, BC V9C 2T9
Canada
250.474.7580
www.hca-na.org 35
36 JUL / AUG 2008
NAME: Dan WilliamsHOME FLEET: Fleet 6, Division 1. Kokokahi Sailing Club, Kaneohe, HIAGE: 45PROFESSION: Chevron Global MarketingLogistics, Terminal EngineerHOBBIES:Travel, Cycling, Karate, Rollerskating(quads not inline), SoccerLAST BOOK READ: Musashi's Book of FiveRings. Actually, who has time for books whenthere’s YouTube?GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Talked mycrew & my wife into flying from Hawaii to SouthDakota just to go sailing.WHY I DO WHAT I DO: Answering this questionfor me is very difficult, I liken it to playing golf.FAVORITE MOVIES: Captain Ron, BlazingSaddles: “Somebody’s got to go back and get as**tload of dimes!”PROFILE: If the weather is right, quite often itis in Hawaii. I’m either doing one of my hobbies,working on the boat or sailing. I don’t have timefor golf.HIS BOAT: The Hobie 20 Miracle
NAME: Bob MerrickHOME FLEET: Hobie Fleet 448 in Rhode Island.AGE: Old enough to know better, but young enough to do it anyway.PROFESSION: EngineerHOBBIES: Dorkin’ out.
LAST BOOK READ: 747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet andOther Adventures from a Life in Aviation, by Joe SutterLATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Winning thee party at MadCatter.Liza carried the team but I was there trying to keep up.WHY DO I DO WHAT I DO: Fear of failure.
QUOTE:(he said he was a dork)PROFILE: I’ve been racing sailboats for almost my entire life butit wasn't until the spring of 2000 that I had my first experience ina Hobie Cat. Liza and I rented a Hobie 18 for the day, and it wasa blast. The irony was that I had been sailing boats for morethan a decade and had only just realized at that moment just howmuch fun sailing could be. A few months after the Olympics, Lizaand I bought our first Hobie 16.HIS BOAT: The Hobie 16, the world’s best one-design
