Never been out in a cat or anything that big. I'm very jealous. Most of my sailing days were in my teens in the 70s but I still get out once in a while.

Fast sails in a good breeze are my fave. Have a great time!

Rob Mack

That sounds positively wonderful!!!

Only time I've been on a cat was in the Caribbean, it was a 50-footer but not nearly as fast as the boat you're going out in. We got overtaken by flying fish, was quite surprised to see this for the first time.

Don't you have flying fish off San Diego too? If so, you should be able to pass them easily, especially with the current winds.

Wow! Maybe a helmet cam? Darryl

I did my thesis at MIT (I was a lot smarter when I was younger) on sailboat designs, with particular emphasis on cats and iceboats.

I've always been impressed by big cats, such as "Seasmoke" (a CSK design back in the 60's owned by actor James Arness of 'Gunsmoke' TV fame) and Stars and Stripes. My thesis outlined a method of building a "Hobie Cat"-sized recreational cat on controllable foils that could hit 50kt on smooth water, based on the numbers. Never built it, though. Can you imagine shouting "Starboard!" to a competing sailor as you are closing in on opposing tacks at over 100mph relative to each other?!!! Hmmm... that could be a real problem...

One huge problem with big ocean-going cats is that they are bistable--when they capsize (and given enough time they will, eventually, capsize from a rogue wave) they won't right themselves.

Did some sailing in the 80's on Lake Erie. Haven't done much lately since I sink like a brick even in salt water. So much for all the trouble I went trough to get my SCUBA diving certification. I'm OK with hot tubs though as long as I'm sharing it with a couple of cutie-pies. I suppose a boat would work as a pick-up gimmic wouldn't it?

Just have to say,it was absolutly F*king awesome !
check this; 7 knots of breeze peeked @21 knots, that three times faster than the wind !
Will post some stills I took in a day or two under this post for anyone interested.
Oh and I might become the boats Navigator, too cool...
right now I must go soak in a tub, my arms are gonna fall off from all the sail trimming.

Wow!

Can't wait to see the pictures!

Are you really in San Diego? All my sailing was north of you out of Channel Islands harbor in Oxnard. Last sail was last Summer to Santa Cruz island in a Hunter. The boat had serious troubles-the rudder flexed like a bird's wing and we lost some of the ties on the mainsail (Where it runs up the track on the mast-don't know what the clip hardware is called...). Swells were coming up behind us and the rudder just wasn't controlling the boat as we'd ride up the side uf a swell.

It was a hairy trip home. Happily, my friend has fixed all of this and the boat behaves itself. Fun's over, I guess.

Rob Mack

R-

Go get a copy of "Uncommon Courage". It's an account of the Vendee Globe race and one of the very few books that's ever actually scared me.

There's quite a bit in it about boats that don't right themselves. Brrrr!

Rob Mack

Excellent suggestion and an excellent book.