Forum member meet ups!

joe c

banned
Met up with @Helme1el yesterday for about a 4hr cruise around the cove..wind was light and the usual shifty. Learned a bunch more about my boats handling etc.. it was cool having 2 of the same weird boat out there but his boat is gorgeous! The rub rail isn't even scratched. Here's a couple of pics from the day. Great meeting you and looking forward to doing it again.
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Nice!!!

I'm on a specfic guitar brand forum and there are a number of informal meet ups and there were factory tours a few years back as well prior to their move to the west coast. Rare to find this kind of camraderie.

I may have to pester a certain someone in my area when I'm ready for the initial shake down cruise.
 
Nice!!!

I'm on a specfic guitar brand forum and there are a number of informal meet ups and there were factory tours a few years back as well prior to their move to the west coast. Rare to find this kind of camraderie.

I may have to pester a certain someone in my area when I'm ready for the initial shake down cruise.

Hmmm....haha....and yeah, it's always cool to see what other people have etc. It's difficult to randomly run into people with the same little boats randomly..and it's way more fun to have the same boats out and a great way to learn new stuff.
 
I thought it would be good if the Class Association promoted recreational regattas, and maybe had a few racers handy to talk about rigging, rules, etc...but mostly have a loosely organized mess about.
 
I thought it would be good if the Class Association promoted recreational regattas, and maybe had a few racers handy to talk about rigging, rules, etc...but mostly have a loosely organized mess about.
In roadracing we have track days that get people interested.. there are usually racers there working on things and it's a great way to get info on setups and prep. The problem there is getting people to.make the jump from.track days to racing..dedicating thier bike to full blown racer..I think here the other problem would be the issue. Finding recreational.reggatas..but you gotta start somewhere..iknow a lot of people who sail who have never considered racing..it was the first thing I started asking about. Yet still haven't managed to grid up with the l2. Finding a consistent crew is way harder than I thought. Haha. But I like the way you think. Im taking the sunfish back out on Thursday and the forecast is good for the Thursday night races. So hoping to say hi to those guys and touch base again. Maybe do some shadowing and get some times too..;-)
 
Before I forget that is a beautiful photo, and it deserves to be duplicated.

The idea I'm trying to formulate is what y'all did the other day, a gathering of boats and Skippers, not to race but to day sail in the same local area. Of course we know that if there are two boats in the same vicinity.... From there some gatherings may develop into two or more days, with planned routes or destinations, and on the extreme end there are small boat raids or challenges. The Drascombe Association calls it a Rally. There is not a focus on "One Design Class sanctioned races" at regional/national/world levels. Cedar Key Festival is an example, and the Mid Atlantic Small Craft Festival in St Michaels is another, although it is a very large event. The Class Association/Manufacturer used to sponsor the Connecticut River Race, and it would be nice if the sponsored a few more events with some parts and swag to promote the Sunfish and reps to answer questions, Ambassadors if you will.

We already know 5+ people in our new stomping grounds who sail or are interested in recreational Sunfish sailing, so we could pick a beach and a day and say see you there, come and go as you please. And for those that get bit by the racing bug, there is a very active group at Grandview Island in Hampton VA, at least a couple of them are out every weekend and they have an annual Round The Lights race with boats of all sizes.

There are close to 500,000 Sunfish out there, yet the Class Association currently focuses on the top few thousand racers in the World. Last I knew there was just over a thousand folks registered in the Class. The Class could make beaucoup dollars by bringing in recreational folks and starting off with Learn To Sail knowledge exchange. Help new Skippers with parts, repair methods, upgrades, good spots to Sunfish, swag, etc... Harley Davidson figured it out, and AMF tried in the 70s by selling Sunfish gear. Our favorite items were the "wind suit" and scuttlebut sailing shorts.

The hardest stage is developing an idea. The idea is to promote inquiry, inspire and inform skippers about the Sunfish, and to get Sunfish out in their natural habitat.

The Forum is a great digital venue. Time to find some Sunfish venues where there is a chance of getting wet.

Thank you joec and Helme1el for provoking this idea.
 
Casual meet-ups are great of course, but the Class does support rather informal affairs as well. Or perhaps it's better to say that there are clubs (or individuals) that run them. For instance, in the Mid-Atlantic area,
International Sunfish Class Association
In the past there used to be two divisions; one for the 'hard core' and one for all others. I haven't seen the Notice of Race, but as I recall, there used to be two divisions, one for the 'hard core' and one for all others (legal or not).

A long-distance race that is casual AFAIK:
International Sunfish Class Association

LaserPerformance used to sponsor the Connecticut River event, but I don't know if it still exists.
 
Wavedancer those words Race and Challenge scare me. Mess About sounds more my speed. I must applaud the Class Association, because without their commitment to the One Design philosophy the Sunfish might have gone away years ago, despite the fact that it is the World's Best Sailboat.
 
More in general, when I go to a regatta, I do hope to do well, of course. But I rarely do. :(
What keeps me coming are the social aspects of it all. Meeting generally nice people with similar interests (at least as far as boating is concerned). Having a 'beverage' after the racing is over and some reasonably nice food.
I also like to attend regattas because the racing teaches you to sail the boat at its best, while using my brain (what's left of it) to work on strategic skills.
 
Wavedancer, 266 was my record, Boeing 777. The scary stuff was helicopter night vision goggle flights off of Navy boats. I used to be mostly fearless and roguishly handsome. That's me way in the back, front right seat.

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I was Marine Corps, interesting that most of my service friends who sailed were Marines, only one Navy guy. Seems they would have known how to sail :) There was nice Sunfish sailing down in Corpus Christi, you could set your clock by the wind, nice breeze at 0845 and built to around 16 knots by noon.

Our new sailing buddy up here is a Coastie.
 
i actually think more of a jamboree. or what they call 'raiding" in other places. lots of similar or the same boats show up. an overnight someplace works. dock, anchor, beach. some cold snacks, bonfires and benchracing as we call it. you get a day of sailing in. maybe some casual racing if someone can setup a course, and some cruising. it would be simple. and youd probably be doing it with the same 4 people the few times before it caught on. but i think people with small boats especially sunfish, snark, even lasers are always looking to co conspire with others. i wouldnt say no to capris, hobies etc. go with a general year designation or an of similar design. you could see some fun stuff.

im looking up the thing in st micheals now. have been down there in 30 years easily.

oh wow...that looks amazing! i wonder how many composite sunfish show up for that though. haha
 
I like Raid, some of the small boat challenges are also called raids.

1) Down in NW Florida there is an annual event, the week after Mother's Day essentially, called the Florida 120. Starting near Pensacola, a 120 mile circuit is laid out and people can try the course, or parts of it, on their own schedule. Most go same day-same way, but a few come and go for bits of the raid. Very few complete the entire course, and the course can change based on weather. It used to be a very small boat raid, focus on sail and oar, but lately is it a cabin cruiser sailboat raid.

One stop that most all boats make is Juana's Bar and Grill on the Santa Rosa Sound side of Navarre Beach. It used to be a sleepy bit of Santa Rosa Island but Hurricane Michael and pandemic sent a flood of people to Navarre (our previous homeport) and Navarre is no longer sleepy. During the off season, if there is one anymore, there is a great parking area and ramp next to Juana's, and a convenience store. There are dolly launch spots on the sound and Gulf for small boats. Used to be lots of beach cottage and condo rentals, and Navarre Beach was steps away on the Gulf of Mexico. Here's Skipper, her Dad Capn Jack and our pirate friend Aubrey recovering ONKAHYE.

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2) The Florida 120 group expanded to add a Mississippi 110 raid in the Fall, raiding the barrier islands off of Biloxi, MS. Our Brit friend Murray was the Mayor of both events, he sailed a variety of his boats, from a sprit canoe up to a Venture 21, bringing his cat some years.

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Our favorite was his Viper 15, that he extensively modified with a laser Radial M sail, velcro loop luff rings, bamboo spars, and a pop up rudder.

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As for the Mid Atlantic Small Craft Festival, the name says it all, open to small craft enthusiasts and builders. A sunfish would do well there.
 
If I'm understanding the gist of this thread, y'all are tossing around ideas of getting boats together in various locales. Here at the NJ Shore, there are a few nice spots, and it would be great to get together with a bunch of fellow sailors/sailers. Summer's moving fast!
 
As with any organization, promotion and growth require several people that are enthusiastic “Pushers,” and a continual influx of new people to replace those that lose interest or “age out.” When the Pushers age out, the organization falls apart.

There was once a very well-organized Texas Sunfish Racing Circuit, that attracted lots of people to lots of events, and spilled over into Louisiana and Oklahoma. I discovered the Blog for that group, and 15 years ago, it was awesome. One of the main organizers quit due to back problems, one of the Yacht Clubs dissolved when the city grabbed their property, and others went by the wayside.

The Texas Circuit still exists, resurrected from the ashes after the Pandemic, but it’s sort of an open secret without a Pusher to update the website/Blog and maintain member lists and contact info. We’re gonna work on that.

Other areas, particularly the Eastern seaboard and the Gulf Coast, have lots of sailing clubs within reasonable driving distance, so there are more choices.

The Sunfish class needs more young blood. We’re not attracting enough young people to our sport and our class. This is a problem in churches, clubs, and civic organizations; because…well, we are not a video game on their cellphones.

Why do most Yacht Club youth programs train in Optimists? Do you realize how much better it would be if the Sunfish was the youth trainer boat of choice? It used to be.

We calculated the average age of competitors in the Southwest Regionals to be 57. That’s too old. NOT too old to be competitve (the winner was 70) but too old for the average Competitor. There were Zero Junior sailors.

SO…Ideas to attract more young people?

LOVE this forum, and the diversity of ideas from thinking people who love the Sunfish.

Scott Shirley
USA 49229
Fort Worth, Texas
 
Met up with @Helme1el yesterday for about a 4hr cruise around the cove..wind was light and the usual shifty. Learned a bunch more about my boats handling etc.. it was cool having 2 of the same weird boat out there but his boat is gorgeous! The rub rail isn't even scratched. Here's a couple of pics from the day. Great meeting you and looking forward to doing it again.View attachment 51793View attachment 51794View attachment 51795View attachment 51793View attachment 51794View attachment 51795View attachment 51795
I don't know why my photos duplicated. Hopefully a mod can fix it.
SO…Not only do you have two hulls identical to my 1973 orange/yellow Sunfoosh…but you have the recessed drink holder! Ya got class.

Scott Shirley
USA 49229 Sunfoosh SV ”No Bozos“
Fort Worth, Texas
 
SO…Not only do you have two hulls identical to my 1973 orange/yellow Sunfoosh…but you have the recessed drink holder! Ya got class.

So mine is a 73 but i believe @joe c Said his was a 74!! so its got to be one of the last ones made of that color combo. which is cool!

Last week were were at Straights Stake Park MI, Right next to the Mackinac bridge. It was awesome, but every year we see less and less small boats out sailing. There used to be a few Lasers a Hobi Cat or some Force 5's out. Now its just My brother in his 60's sunfish (red white and blue) my grandpa in his Windflight (rainbow) and my 73 (Sunrise) Kind of sad. but still fun to sail around the bridge!

I sailed straight across one day and back Apx ~8 miles total, in apx 1:30. It was pretty good sailing in a little boat.

We were there the weekend before the Chicago to Mackinac race. which is always fun to sail out and talk to those guys. and sail with them for a bit.
 

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we were out today. sailed over to dock on the bay for lunch. ben showed and brough his boat out. then ran around the river then over to the island, did a swim then traded boats he flipped mine. haha. ill let you know when we head out next week!!!
 
ill be out wandering around the sailboat show in annapolis on saturday. dont know how much time ill have but if anyone is around drop me a note. maybe we can meet up for a beer or something.
 
Casual meet-ups are great of course, but the Class does support rather informal affairs as well. Or perhaps it's better to say that there are clubs (or individuals) that run them. For instance, in the Mid-Atlantic area,
International Sunfish Class Association
In the past there used to be two divisions; one for the 'hard core' and one for all others. I haven't seen the Notice of Race, but as I recall, there used to be two divisions, one for the 'hard core' and one for all others (legal or not).

A long-distance race that is casual AFAIK:
International Sunfish Class Association

LaserPerformance used to sponsor the Connecticut River event, but I don't know if it still exists.

Here in Michigan, there are at least two events held at Baseline Lake by the Michigan Sailing Club where you can participate in a race without having an official 'class legal boat' and without being a member. They just held an event yesterday. One of the sailors was Derrick Fries, 2-time world champion and author of The Sunfish Bible. What other sport allows you to hobnob with the Michael Jordan's of the sport in such a casual way.
Baseline Lake Regatta.jpg
 
Met up with @Helme1el yesterday for about a 4hr cruise around the cove..wind was light and the usual shifty. Learned a bunch more about my boats handling etc.. it was cool having 2 of the same weird boat out there but his boat is gorgeous! The rub rail isn't even scratched. Here's a couple of pics from the day. Great meeting you and looking forward to doing it again.


It looks like your friend's rig (or is that yours?) is using the AeroSouth Dinghy Bob to prevent turtling. Does he like it? Does it work? Does it impact performance? Just curious...
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Here in Michigan, there are at least two events held at Baseline Lake by the Michigan Sailing Club where you can participate in a race without having an official 'class legal boat' and without being a member. They just held an event yesterday. One of the sailors was Derrick Fries, 2-time world champion and author of The Sunfish Bible. What other sport allows you to hobnob with the Michael Jordan's of the sport in such a casual way. View attachment 53986
motorcycle racing. hey...you asked. :) i race against the only american to win on the isle of man. hes pretty much a legend. and he races in my class most of the time. pros show up for club races all of the time. and usually run at the pointy end. even micheal jordans team used to show up. yep. or its pretty easy to run in a pro race in the u.s.. and a close friend runs the senior tt.
 
It looks like your friend's rig (or is that yours?) is using the AeroSouth Dinghy Bob to prevent turtling. Does he like it? Does it work? Does it impact performance? Just curious...
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its mine. it works great actually. its a little cumbersome to install everytime. always need to remember to bring a screwdriver. dont bonk it on anything. dock, or the ground. mine had the base crack from some undetermined event but kent was super cool and sent me another. the problem with that happening is if it does crack it fills with water and compounds the sinking issue. haha. but it works really well.

we have a pool noodle ziptied on the other boat gaff and that works really well too. and it was like 8 bucks from walmart.

the wind indicator part of the bob works ok. i fond i can tell wind direction pretty well. but i do like having the bob up there when im going out to do something really dumb. my mast seems to fill with water pretty easily. so im guessing it would sink pretty fast without it.
 
ok, so season is getting ready to crank up here in the mid atlantic united states. we have 2 boats here sailing out of just a little north of annaplois and a 3rd is getting put together up near york pa for some lake sailing and some open water adventures. whos around? whats up. any plans for upcoming season?? should we put together a raid at one of the local bars this summer?

just interested and curious.

lets gooo!
jc
 

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