Advice for Newbies...Sailing in RI/NE

[Hunt]

Hi all.  

My wife Kris and I are ex dinghy/keelboat sailors (470s/Melges 24s) who have been sitting on shore for a couple years and now want to get back racing and are looking for the rightr high performance cat.  Based on a conversation w/ WF, the 18HT has a lot of appeal - good people sailing; lots of thought about how to build the fleet; high performance boat that's pretty light; tunable to our weight (~290-300#); and I can sail solo if I have too.    

So right now we are planning to get a boat  pretty much as soon as WF can make it happen, but wanted to get any thoughts from you all.

That said, we are new to cat sailing so we will be on a doubly steep learning curve.  Any one have any oppinion that this is the right/wrong boat to start with?

Also, how race-ready are the boats out of the box?  How much additional rigging do people do to their boats?  What about the hulls - do they need work (I saw a posting about needinf to fair a seam)?

What kind of trailers are people using - what is the total towing weight?  Can we tow this rig w/ a car (v6 passat - we sold the truck after we sold the Melges and 470s)?  

Finally, are their any boats in the Northeast.  We are in RI, and would really love to get a chance to sail if anyone wants to take us.  Heck we will sail anything w/ two hulls at this point - we are just jazzed and want to get started.

Also, sorry people are not doing the Newporet regatta this year, but we'll see you all next year.  It is a great one design regatta, and will give a lot of exposure among a great pool of potential 18HT sailors.

[[e-mail]]

   Hi Hunt, and welcome to the world of high speed sailing!  I made the same transition about 4 years ago, from racing mono's (Laser, 505, J-24's) in New England,  to cats, when I moved to Florida.   First, you can trailer it behind just about anything, boat plus stuff (beach wheels/toy box, sailing gear) weigh under 400 and the trailer should be about 300-400? for a total of less than 1,000 lbs.  It comes ready to race, both sails and all lines and hardware.  The trailer is up to you but get a good catamran trailer, don't try and micky-mouse a 470 type trailer.  There is a fleet of different types of cats racing up there in RI and there is Peter Cogan (who put this web board together) who owns a HT and lives in Conn.  You should talk to him about where you can get a good trailer.  You will need to buy some beach wheels, two trap harnesses, two life jackets, booties and perhaps some sort of wet suit/dry suit for New England water!   You will get wet when the wind comes up!   Now, for the best part...you won't believe the speed!  These things are easily 3X-4X faster than any mono you have sailed, including the 505.  This particular boat will out point any monohull out there and easily go over 20 knots on a reach.  It sails very well in light air and goes great in wind too, but the way you depower it is critical and you should get the book "Catamaran Racing for the 90's" by Rick White, available at www.catsailor.com to order it.  He tells you most of what you will need to know to effectivly sail a catamaran...there is a learning curve, but that's the fun part!  Get to a regatta and ask lots of questions.  Get someone with some cat racing experience to go out with you the first couple of times, they can show you some tricks that will keep you from swimming.   I'm glad I made the switch, I think you will be too.  Tim Bohan

[Fred_Glaubke]

Hunt,

I have ordered a Jav 2 and have sailed on W.F.s on a couple of occasions.  The boat is wonderful, fast, light and all I could expect.

I am a small monohull sailor myself, with some catamaran experience.  I found the boat exciting and responsive, yet easily controlled.  I am sure that you will feel the same.

I look forward to meeting you and all the other new F-18HT sailors, when our boats arrive!

Fred E. Glaubke