Buying a hobie tiger..maybe

I wonder how many cat sailors have pondered whether they're in the wrong sport when they're the wrong side of forty, the waistline starts to spread and the other boats start gaining on you? Give up beer? Do three times more exercise to keep the pounds off? Become a Yachtie?

Calistow, had some private messages from mickymouse trying to get him over from Germany for the weekend. Forgot to mention, remember to bring a tapeze harness, we want some slick change-overs on the jetty and don't want people fiddling around swapping gear if we can help it.

sounds like your in the wrong fleet

Hi calistow,

yeah, there is a good reason that Topcat are used more then other cats in hotels. There's a range of five they can choose from, there nothing you can damage, or too damage you on the boat, unless you have a collision, spears, well that`s minimal. There robust, quickly to rig, fast and simply to sail and the right price. I should be a sailman.

Yeah, go to gozzza demo at C.S.S.C., you can see the range 1st hand, try them and get more questions answered.

It would help, to loose some weight from the Dart. But that`s not your problem. When you say you are always at the back of the fleet it wount matter what boat you got. You`re always be at the back of the fleet.sorry, but it`s so. Try thinking a bit more positive. Get in there with the 1st ranckers on the startline. If your start is good and you go the right way, then there is no reason why you`re finish, shouldn't be good too. Don`t forget, the next race the wind could favour you, so go for it. How often do you race? How often you go the right way? Hey! I`m no pro, your fellow shipmates should give you some tips. But as for the Topcat, it does seem to take the heavy guys, better then a lot of classes for it`s size. 

We are 180 kg or so and don´t have these problems. It`s poss. in very light winds going down wind. The light boys start crowling over us but the leaward mark is insite. So just keep cool, we know why that's happening and think positive.

The K2 or K1, dependend on your experience sounds about right for you. They very much the same as the Dart, but better, I think so. Try it out for yourself at C.S.S.C. demo.

Your next question, you have to asked the boys at the demo, I have my own thoughts but not really sure. But I will follow that up a little more.

Mickeymouse       

Hi Horatio,

I find it funny now too. But can still remember it well, even after all them years. I`ve seen simular things happening with the newcomers to the cat world. And it always brings a grin to me. Quite a sailor, well, I`ve had my moments for sure and even won a few big regattas. The problem know is that there is a lot of new talent coming to the Topcat regattas and they all want first place. But thats why we go racing.

I don´t get to many chances to go racing these days. Only when my friend with the K1 want to make it so. Normal I go out on the lake, three or so times in the month. Sail around somewhat, take it all in, then navigate to a beer garden. There I look at some new models on two legs, walking around, no trapez, no go fast gagets only a smooth beautiful shape, with beautiful colours. They know how to get me going fast. But I can`t get it going in the right direction. Hm, this is a sailing forum, I will be taking part in the Topcat worlds at lake Gardasee in September. Must get some practice in before them. I sailed on Gardasee four times now, it`s beautiful there, espacielly with there winds. We normaly race in four to five with an heavy chop, you eat three/four surfers, they say on a good day you can walk across the Gardasee, there are so many of them. But in the early hours of the evening, two or three hours befor sunset, you can reach down the east side of Gardasee, twin trapezing, little or no chop, 75 - 100 m from the road then you harden up still twin trapezing, straight into a inner harbour. Hope there is a nice spot for you, great, there is. Straight into it, stop nicely on the pointon, what a pose. (he´s done that before). Have a bite to eat and a wine, sail back, twin trapezing with the sun going down, have a few beers with your sailing collegues on the terrace, than up to the hotel room, hit the sack, what a nice day. This is the other side of Topcat sailing and I wouldn`t give it up for all the tea in England or is it in China?  But it`s the same in England or?

Mickeymouse        & nbsp;         & nbsp;

Hi jmwalker, haven´t heard of your progress. Have you found a cat yet? When not poss. it`s a good idea for you and friends to try catamarans sailing out at the Topcat demo. www.cs-sc.org.uk and why not cost nothing it could be a good day out for you . They have darts and hurricanes there too. Also have a look at www.itca.de  Gallery IIC 2003. There you find pickys of K3 single handed which can be sailed and raced to up with jib. The K2 to up or raced single handed without jib. (you can have a reacher but it´s only for fun not racing). And the K1 two men with reacher but I don`t think at this moment, that is the boat for you. The K2 is, than you have the best of both worlds. But best of all just get a good second hand cat and go catsailing. Make sure it`s with in your  capability and do not believe all that you hear.Take it all  with a pinch of salt.

I can remenber coming from my monohole to a brand new Dart 18. First time out about a F4 gusting F5 it was a fixed line from the beach, a broudreach start against the tide and a big chop.

So I looked at the sea for ten mins., shaking in my wetboots, the Dart class captain come to me and said, come on it´s nothing, you`re be ok, just get over the start line. So we did, straight from the beach over the start line hanging on to the tow straips, for dear life, bouncing about on the tramp. Couldn`t go about at the mark because no one said I must be hard on the wind in these's thing's. So I bore away again, thought about a jibying for 1.10 th of a sec. NO.  So hung on went dead down wind, could not see nothing because of the spray, the main beam digging in, forgot how many times. Straight up the beach, capsize there and I kissed the pebbles on the beach, I`m still alive. So much the help from the class. he only wanted better points. I was ready to give the boat back, but tried again. So the next time was in a F2/3 wind. I was in controll and from that moment on I never looked back to my mono hull What I`m saying is don´t get a cat what has to much power at first and don´t go out in to much wind.

The  time will come , when you can handle  winds, high performance and high tec cats. More importend at first is to have fun cat sailing and be in control

Mickymouse