Waxed?
Ever wonder how badly you might get waxed by an Olympic Sailor? Or maybe by a guy who was born when Franklin D. Roosevelt was President, who just happens to be sailing with a woman who may be older than your grandma. Or a couple kids who are the defending USF-16 Champions, but still not out of high school? Well, if you’re coming to the F16 Worlds in Newport, RI in June, you’re soon to find out.
We’ve got a great fleet of 23 boats signed up already, stacked with talent…
Sailors currently engaged in Olympic Campaigns for Rio in 2015 include: Robbie Daniel, Catherine Shannahan and Katie Flood. We’ve also heard from others who are expecting to make it, but still working on schedule details.
76 year-old, Bob Johnson, and his 65 year-old wife, Cheryl (sorry Cheryl, I shouldn’t be talking about a lady’s age, but damn, you guys are awesome!). His email is address is Hobiebob. Something tells me he knew Hobie Alter, may he rest in peace. Can’t wait to meet Bob and Cheryl, they must be really cool!
18 year-olds, Ravi Parent and Sam Armington will be back to defend their US Champions title. They put the hurt on a talented fleet last Summer up in Racine, Wisconsin. And from what I’ve seen since then, they certainly haven’t gotten any slower. Really great stuff going on there at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Great leadership from Jim Zellmer and Dalton Tebo.
And just yesterday, I saw Ken Marshack’s name show up on the list. Ken is another long-time cat sailor. He’s from the state of Washington, and I know he’s represented that area at multiple US Sailing Alter Cup events. He is also an active F18 and A-Cat racer. You can expect him to be tough on the F16, as well.
Need Another Gear?
Well then, get it in gear, and get to the event early for the Red Gear Racing Training Clinic. Led, of course, by former Olympian, Robbie Daniel, who is actively pursuing another Olympic bid. Right now he’s racing the Olympic 17 somewhere in Europe. I can tell you from personal experience, that he’s an outstanding coach. He’s got the unique ability to connect with weekend warriors and world-class sailors alike, and help them both improve. For details on the training packages that can even include food and lodging, contact Jill atfuninthesunweb@gmail.com.
Big Pimpin’
As the USF-16 Chairman, it’s important for me to be brand agnostic. We’re fortunate to have several top-notch brands of F16s in the United States, and I’m pleased to see that they will all be represented at our upcoming Worlds.
I’m not the least bit hesitant, however, about pimpin’ Goodall Design/Red Gear Racing for leading the way on sponsorship of the Worlds Event. As the result of their Viper Charter Offer, we are already guaranteed a minimum of $1,700 cash, which is the current high bid for the auction. Simply put, we couldn’t make it work without this type of support. If you can top this $1,700 bid, go herehttp://f16worlds2014.org/auctions/1 RIGHT NOW, jump to the front of the leader board and to help out the class at the same time.
Then in June, please join me in profusely thanking Jill Nickerson and Robbie Daniel for supporting the F16 community in such a big way.
“It Ain’t the Chariot, It’s the Horse”
One of my favorite quotes from triathlon circles. Apropos when a super-human triathlete just crushed the field with their bike split and the only thing the rest of us want to talk about is what type of bike they were riding. News flash: she could crush you on a Schwinn Varsity.
But, since we all seem to love the drama, here’s the current brand boat count for the 2014 Worlds:
Viper 13
Falcon 7
Blade 2
Nacra 0
The Wickford Regatta: A Great Tune-Up for Worlds
Just north of Newport there’s an excellent regatta on June 7-8. Skip Whyte, Head Sailing Coach for the University of Rhode Island is the regatta chair. There’s already a great fleet of cats signed up with 17 F18’s registered. Skip would love to see a bunch of F16’s, as well. The cats will likely have a common start, and mix it up together racing in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay. For more information visit http://wickford.sailspace.net/ or email Skip at mailto: Skip@1stPlaceSailing.com
Best,
Daniel Hearn
USF-16 Chairman
Worlds Contacts:
Richard Feeny, Regatta Chair, richardfeeny@gmail.com
Mark Thomson, Event Registration, nzl216@gmail.com
Daniel Hearn, USF-16 Class Chairman, danielhearn@tds.net