[Public-list] Racing/setting sails

[Patty Johnson]

Allen,
Thanks.  About 45 years ago my mother put my in a sailboat that she and
a friend put together: tiller was an ax handle, boom a piece of bamboo,
mast a long gaff hook with the hook still on it.  She painted the hull
canary yellow and made a red sail so she could see me out there.  It was
an 8' cat boat made from a wooden dinghy that floated up on our beach
here on Mobile bay (eastern shore) during a hurricane.  Anywho, I was
about 7 and she just shoved me out and said "Have fun!"  I've only
recently, the past 5 years gotten into racing even though I used to crew
here at the Fairhope Yacht Club in the juniors back in my teens.  It's
great to come back home and race with all yer old buddies from way back
when.  We mainly raced the rhodes 19 and flying scots, but now that
we're all getting along in age the bigger boats are becoming more
appealing and now I'm getting together some seasoned racers for a steady
crew.  My rating is an unbelievably forgiving 240!  Y'all oughta bring
your Albergs down here and race!  You would clean up!

One of the Tartan 34 (shoal/centerboard to 6 ft!)  owners said I ought
to ditch my 155 genoa and get a 130.  I think it's because I'm creeping
up on him each week!!!   I am going to have my old 155 cut to a 130 and
get a new 155 and see how the 130 does.

Also, I can't remember who on the list gave me info on the Harken
traveler system but it works like a dream!  During the Dauphin Island
regatta the person on the main worked it the whole time keeping the boat
level and I rarely had any weather helm at the wheel.  Yes, someone put
a wheel on this Alberg but I have gotten used to it.

Fair winds!
Patty
Timbuktu #461