[quote=turbohobo]So here we are in Daytona Beach and everything worked out great, the hotel next to Marine Terrace is closed for renovation and allowed me to park my boat and trailer there. Arrived Friday PM checked in, next morning drove down to Perry's Ocean Edge Resort for Gilligan's Run, Parked on the beach and setup boat. There were more cats and sailors in that stretch of beach than I've seen in all my years of sailing, F16's, F18's, something called a Marstrom, H18's, H16's. So we launch through the surf, intimidating, but my years of surfing come in handy, mill around at the start not too sure what to do so just hang out at the back and watch the other boats, siren sounds 2 or 3 times, some sort of flag, and we're off, wind is only about 8mph so there is no spinning of wheels.
Well I'm on my way upwind to the bouy and this stupid Marstrom boat passes me on the downwind leg, going faster than there is wind, ridiculous. We gybe around the bouy with no hassle and set off down wind, the sea has 6-8 ft swells running and after 1/2 hr my daughter whispers in my ear "Dad I feel really sick", so we break off from the "race" and head back to beach. But from the ocean the myriads of hotels all look the same, takes us about 1/2 hr of tacking up the beach to find our spot. I'm really weary of running in onto the beach through the waves but select a large wave and run in behind it, make it to the beach and pull the G-Cat up the beach. We sit there catching our breath and that stupid Marstrom boat pulls up just outside the breakers, 1st boat back, I just shake my head, I dont think they were even flying a jib.
So all-in-all, a great experience, got to sail in a "regatta" 1st time in my life, met Steve Caron, commodore of Hobie Fleet 80, also bumped into "SuperCat Craig", he took me sailing when I was down on Singer Island last year. Although we did not complete the race I had the satisfaction of knowing I was not the last boat before we pulled out of the race, made it both out and back in through some strong surf without flipping the cat, now if I could just get my hands on one of those stupid Marstroms for around $2000 instead of $20 000.......... :ficktmich2:[/quote]
