Do I have to have a keel boat to participate in the Rum Race?

[Flying D]

Wow, thanks for all the responses and support! It's nice to be a member of such an active and engaged club.

If the water is somewhat flat, FD's fly (no pun intended). If there is a 1 to 2 foot chop they can't get up enough speed to generate the apparent wind that will enable them to point at all. I think that the average between the two conditions is how they come up with the 150 rating.  In looking at some of the FD forums throughout the world, a rating of 130 seems to make the most sense and appears to be the most common. That said, I tend to agree with Bee in that the 150 or even 130, though nice to have, seems a little high to me. I also like Kevin's perspective that if you give a new guy with a fast boat a high rating, you tend to upset a lot of people and make one guy happy. If the new guy has a low rating and the club is willing to make him competitive over time, I think that everyone wins. I am going to go with the later. I just wanted a way to participate in the race on my own boat. I'll plan on starting with the J/105's and race in the spin class. Anyone is the spin class can object and I will start later. If it looks like the bay is going to be real choppy I am will abandon ship (at least my FD) and try to bum a ride with someone.

I'm looking forward to getting my boat out there! Thanks for allowing me to race!!!

Steve

[Bee]

Steve:

Did not mean to be negative.  Something I seem to be able to do without thinking. 

Some 40 years ago I sailed on a FD in OK on Keystone lake. We pretty much stunk up the place, but as I recall the boat was a lot of fun.  Only did it a handful of  times before the owner bought a Flying Scot (I think he liked the word flying).  He had me doing bow.  Nothing like having 236# (what I weighed then) on the nose of a boat that small.  Adds new meaning to the phrase "put the bow down."  My only gripe with these boats was that there was not enough space for a sufficient amount of cold beer.

When you do the Rum Race spin you will not be competing against the 105's you will be competing against non-sprit things like the 1D35 Revolution (33), the 36.7 Picante (78) at the top end (low numbers) of the PHRF scale and Silver Bullet at the bottom (171). These guys are really good sailors so your work will be cut out for you.

If the FD had a sprit you would be competing mostly against the GP26 Pingo and the two Melges 24's, both of which, in my opinion, have very nice PHRF numbers.  Again, boats sailed by really good sailors.  There is also a J70 or two that are sailed superbly so you would have to be on your toes.

Good Luck out there and don't forget to take enough beer to keep the crew happy. If Stinger should ever get close yell loudly.  We have been known to supply dry sailors on other boats from our beer overstock.

[Kevin Box]

OK, we have everything from this 30,000lb Leviathan to a 300lb mayfly.  In the true spirit of the GBCA Cruising Class, how ?bout we let the Chicken parse this pickle. You will get a three digit rating. Like Wheel of Fortune, we?ll give you the first number as a ?1?. Then the Chicken will determine the next two with its delicious sacrifice. 

I say we settle this like Men. Gambling Men, who may or may not dabble in Santeria. That?s nobody else?s business.

[edthemainsailguy]

Beer Overstock?...Stinger?....

[Bee]

It has happened once or twice Ed.  At the moment I am allowed only one per race so.  You know what my share used to be so go figure.

[Charles]

It has happened once or twice Ed.  At the moment I am allowed only one per race so.  You know what my share used to be so go figure.

He fails to mention his rum rations!

[Bee]

And I did not say who my bartender was either.