MacGregor 26X & M National Regatta

[Tony D-26X_SusieQ]

How about starting this thing with a trailer leg. Sort of like a road ralley to a launch ramp followed by a powered lap of the course and finish with a sailed lap of the course. This would encompas all the skills necessary to be a mac sailor. You got to be able to tow, rig, power and sail to manage this boat.

[Billy]

Tony D, I like that idea. Sort of like an old LeMans start. Instead of "Gentlemen, start your engines", it could be "Sailors, rig your vessels". That way a person who has all the fancy rigging, could take longer to get in the water than the person who has kept it simple. I guess it would have to be done in stages and use a combined time so noone would get disgusted in the parking lot and go home. Still an interesting concept.

[Tony D-26X_SusieQ]

I was thinking of a starting line about 50 to 100 miles from the ramp with a staggered start so that everyone doesn't get to the ramp at the same time. Have a minimum tow time so that anyone traveling at unsafe speeds get penalized for arriving at the ramp too soon. (We want to keep this safe.) Then so that no one boat hoggs the ramp, as soon as someone behind you is rigged and ready to launch you must launch within 10 minuites or yeald to the one behind you. Maybe the power leg could be a course from the ramp to the sailing course. Even if we have to stay at no wake speeds so that boats with smaller engines can partcipate too. The real trick with these boats is slow speed control. Any more suggestions? We can make this totally unique to the Mac's if we put our heads together.

[Tripp Gal]

May I offer a suggestion or two based on steeplechases we have run in the past?

Motor through a slalom on the way to the race course

Perform a MOB recovery of a life jacket (best under sail, but can be fun under power as well).

Sail backwards between two "gates"

Set and recover an anchor, (sail or power), or secure to/sail off a mooring buoy.

[Frank C]

Tripp Gal!
These are Macgregors, now!

Motor through a slalom on the way to the race course

Macs 'slalom' quite naturally!

Sail backwards between two "gates"

. . . which, in some Macs, might be easier than "motoring" backwards.

or secure to/sail off a mooring buoy.

Say WHAT?

Just funnin' a bit ...

Perform a MOB recovery of a life jacket (best under sail, but can be fun under power as well).

This is a seriously important suggestion. It's very tough to self-discipline enough to get this done. With group-power and related chalk-talk, it's a natural for a rendezvous, along w/ sailing tips, anchoring tips, and a show-n-tell of boat mods. Could fill a long, long weekend.

[Tony D-26X_SusieQ]

We're thinkin' now!

I like the MOB drill thrown in. That could be the kind of thing each captain could throw in where they chose as long as they complete one. Lots of negative points for not successfully completing one.

[mgg4]

I like the MOB drill requirement. I would argue that the MOB drill should be the first event, and that completion of the MOB recovery must be successful before the boat is allowed to compete further. We should be mindful that in any organized event such as we are considering, there could be liability involved, and ensuring the crews of the participating boats can be recovered if they accidently leave the boat should be foremost in our planning.

--Mark

[mgg4]

Before GLD signed off, he had mentioned a predicted log event as part of the regatta. With "The Great GLD Purge", this part of the thread seems to have disappeared.

Is there still interest in having a predicted log contest as part of the regatta?

--Mark

[Idle Time]

We had our Mac 26X on Lake Stockton MO for a year or two. Nice lake, not as big as Grand Lake of the Cheerokees in Oklahoma, but NO BOATHOUSES in every cove. There are a few docks for getting to outhouses etc as well as a couple of marinas. We kept our boat at a fishing marina as all the sailboat marinas were full with a waiting list for slips. No fancy facilities but the necessary stuff. The rest of the boats couldnt get under the bridge to it.

[Scott]

The rest of the boats couldnt get under the bridge to it.

When we went to stockton last year the water was down 10'. We sailed right up to the bridge and decided we wouldnt chance going under. It was a light wind day and the only way we would fit is to be heeling heavily.

[Idle Time]

When we were there we motored slowly while we lowered the mast part way...motored under ...and raised it up again. Lake Stockton had 2 bridges we wanted to sail under...that was one of the major factors in deciding on the Mac 26X.

[Scott]

ahhhsoo! I get it.

My kids loved the diving cliffs, we spent 3-5 hour there per day.

[Phil Marriott]

I like the MOB drill requirement. I would argue that the MOB drill should be the first event, and that completion of the MOB recovery must be successful before the boat is allowed to compete further. We should be mindful that in any organized event such as we are considering, there could be liability involved, and ensuring the crews of the participating boats can be recovered if they accidently leave the boat should be foremost in our planning.

--Mark

I think this is why Tripp Gal suggested using a lifejacket - not necessarily putting a person in the lifejacket

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Whatever happened to the Regatta planning?


Anyone up for early November in Florida?

[Jack O'Brien]

Do a regatta in Tampa Bay then on to Biscayne Bay for the Miami Macs Nov 18 - 23 Keys trip.