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Forum Index: DISCUSSION: Dock Talk:
International 420 or 29er skiff? 		Team McLube

 
 


The Publisher
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Feb 9, 2009, 5:22 PM

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The story in Scuttlebutt 2777 about the selection of the U.S. youth team for the International 420 World Championship Regatta prompted Max Bulger to provide a youth perspective:

Great news about the youth athletes headed to Garda to rep the USA in International 420s, and congratulations... but I don't care. I'm an 18 year old sailor (and trust me we are in short supply) and I'm not alone when I say I'm tired of hearing about the I-420. I'm sure it's a great boat and all, but why is everyone dropping to their knees and hailing the resurgence of this class like it was the second coming of Jesus? It's an antiquated boat, and, while I'm sure my dad enjoyed racing his, it's barely different than the Club 420 (and GOD knows we see enough of that boat... most of us have seen the inside of it more than the back of our eyelids). But, wait- isn't the I-420 lighter, faster, more fun, easier to pop on a plane and more technical when it comes to boat speed??

No. Anyone who thinks that has never sailed a 29er and probably never seen a skiff. The two-nine is new. It's sexy. It's a skiff. It's growing. It appeals to youth and has unlimited to potential to update the identity of sailing for the 21st century and maybe, just MAYBE, revive it in the minds of youth. It's technical. It's tactical. It teaches kids how to care for their equipment more than any other youth class. The growing class is competitive, friendly and FAR more Corinthian than any collection of C420 sailors- I've sailed in both classes extensively, and I don't think many 420 sailors even know /how/ to spin.

What I'm saying here, basically, besides that skiffs are the actual nautical second coming of Jesus, is: why is the sailing community so AFRAID of 9ers? Of skiffs and new, faster, more fun and more athletic classes in general?

This is the future of our sport right here. Yet all I hear from parents (read: sponsors of 99% of youth campaigns) is that these boats aren't serious enough and you'll learn less. Sorry, Mom and Dad- you're wrong! The downwind tactics of a 29er are FAR more complicated than any displacement dinghy. I could go on for hundreds of pages- the point is the boat offers more, teaches more and hosts a very competitive, yet friendly and open group of enthusiastic sailors.

It's more fun, faster, more rewarding and more instructive, and offers a better social environment. And, if none of that sells you, all boats are looking more and more like a-sym skiffs every year (Swan 42 anyone?) - so you might as well help your kid get a leg up now.

I'm hardly a skiffy- I sailed C420s and displacement boats until the end of Summer 07. But since then, I've learned more, made better friends, had more fun, and won't step into a C420 in the summer season unless I'm at at gunpoint. Leave the displacement boats for school team racing. The future is now, sailing community, and you're not getting anywhere by pulling down your old-school 420 blinders and pretending skiffs aren't the next step- how about saying "yes" instead of "PROTEST!" this time? Skiff sailors are.






nispeter
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Feb 9, 2009, 7:20 PM

Post #2 of 20 (10552 views)
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Max Bulger is right. I think many of us sailing parents can admit that we reflect our own sailing ambitions on to our children. Left to their own devises they would probably not even go sailing, and instead play computer games or hang out in the mall with their pals. What Max is rightly saying is that we should do everything in our power to make sailing attractive in the eyes of the youth. The goal is to get the youth into sailing - not to dictate the boat classes or sailing format.

When our son, Maxi, saw that his school had a fleet of damaged old Lasers dumped by the muddy lakeshore, he refused to join the school sailing team.
Fortunately he discovered that Geneva Yacht Club (SNG) had a very enthusiastic junior Laser team with superb club facilities, professional coaches, and the America’s Cup trophy sitting imposingly in a glass vault at the clubhouse entrance.

The Laser is not a 29er, but it is not only about the boat itself, but the entire environment which must be attractive to the youth. It is the school Laser overgrown with grass, versus the new Laser and a team of motivated youth in a superb yacht club.

The 420 and the Laser have the advantage of large globally established fleets.

The 29er is a relatively new class fighting to grow. Most 29ers are on the West Coast. Many new trends and technologies start on the West Coast. The new and innovative classes always attract pioneers. By the time the 29er becomes a large class, there is probably something new and more exciting than the 29er, and Max Bulger, or more likely his children, have moved on to the next new class…………

Good luck to Max and the 29er.


sailorgirl1000
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Feb 9, 2009, 8:37 PM

Post #3 of 20 (10490 views)
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First off, I will let you know that yes, I am a 420 sailor, and yes, I have sailed 29ers as well. Yet I have come away with a completely different experience. Although 29ers are "boats," they are by no means the "actual nautical second coming of Jesus". There is a reason that ISAF switched back to I420s as their double handed boat of choice for Youth Worlds. And a reason that there are only about 15 29er teams in the entire US, compared to more than 100 420 teams. So, sorry in advance for the insight that you clearly do not have that I hope will let you see the light:

You really cannot compare 29ers to Club 420s. I agree that clubs are not the best boats, not at all. I am not a major fan either, yet I would probably still pick it over the 29er for boat of choice (as I have done many times already). Do you think there's a reason you're hearing more about 420s than 29ers? I think so. Also, for women's sailing, 470s are the only double handed boat in the olympics - basically a souped-up I420. You stated that "it's barely different than the Club 420," yet you are completely wrong in that statement. The boat is completely different. It's as big of a difference as the transfer from an opti to a laser (I know, I've done this too).

I will agree with you on some points - like the flawed following of rules at C420 events. How difficult is it to spin? I mean guys, this isn't optis anymore!!!
But the sailing community is not "afraid" of 29ers. We just don't like them for racing, that simple. They're a great boat to go fool around in, but when it comes time for racing, displacement boats are where it's at. I would not call them more fun at all. I would actually probably have to call them miserable from the racing standpoint.

Downwind tactics in 29ers ARE different, yet "far more complicated"?? I won't give you that, even in the least bit. There are so many different angles you can sail at downwind in displacement boats, yet 29ers are basically sweet, we'll just reach back and forth and try to go fast. No sneaky maneuvers that make up 10 boats at a time that only the masters can pull off. No sailing below the lee (yes, it is possible) for a short time to get that extra distance down. No, no, no. It's just a list of things you cannot do in 29ers that can be done in 420s and 470s.

and by the way, when you get results like this, you don't have the right to say one class is harder than another
http://www.club420.org/results/08UL08midwin.htm
Peace out.




29ersailor
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Feb 9, 2009, 8:46 PM

Post #4 of 20 (10477 views)
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Yo dude,
I've sailed 29ers for the last 4 years, C420s for the last 3, and I 420s for the last 2. After the FJ, the 29er was my first class, and I learned a lot of stuff from sailing them especially (as you said) how to take care of my equipment, how to make innovative systems and how to feel the boat. My first major regatta was in the 29er, and since then I've learned a lot in a lot of other boats as well.

One observation that I've made, is that people who say that one boat is better than another, generally aren't at the top of the fleet. For the last two years, there have really only been 2 guys youth teams and one women's team in the US competitive enough to sail at the top of the fleet. All three teams sailed extensively in 420s and 29ers, and all three rock(ed) both fleets pretty hard.

As a crew, I'd say that 29ers certainly teach you a lot of skills that C420 can't but the best sailors sail both. Although the bendy 29er mast teaches you a lot about the most common controls, the I420 teaches you a lot more about altering sail shape. The people who post and say that 420 sailing teaches you to be way better don't deserve to hate on the 29er since they probably don't know how to splice, repair sails, sail on reaches(hahaha...) or control a tippy boat in over 15 knots, but until you've learned all that you can from the 420 (which your regatta results show you haven't), then shut up - it's been a year or two since I've heard anyone say that 29ers aren't tactical. They've gotten over it - time for you to do the same. When was the last time you beat Judge and Hans or Oliver in the 29er...

In terms of getting kids excited about sailing, I think the 29er has an important space to fill, but until you've sailed an I420, maybe you shouldn't talk so much crap... In my opinion, O-flag, I420 sailing in 25 knots is the most fun I've ever had in a youth/trainer class.

Skipping the 113 boat Orange bowl for a 5 boat 29er clinic is a horrible idea, the same as skipping the 29er nats for a small 420 regatta is no bueno. CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?!! Both boats are totally sick once you've learned to sail them. So learn.


sailorboy24
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Feb 9, 2009, 8:52 PM

Post #5 of 20 (10471 views)
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Re: [The Publisher] International 420 or 29er skiff? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply
  
First of all, the I-420 is in no way a C420. They are COMPLETELY different. The mast actually responds to changes in controls, the rig is tuneable, and the sails are not shaped and cut like bedsheets (there is actually depth and shape to it). The boat is actually a good trainer for the 470, succeeding in all the ways that C420's cannot.
Secondly, the 29er is a DYING CLASS. Why do you think the Youth World doublehanded boat was shifted back to the 420? Because everyone sails 29ers? No. Because everyone has realized that the boat requires little more than a rudimentary knowledge of starting and a heaping amount about making the boat go fast. I can take any world-class sailor, stick him/her in an I420, and watch them do well, with little knowledge about the specifics of the boat. Put that person in a 29er, and it will take that person YEARS to succeed and learn how to race competitively in such a quirky, unstable and unforgiving environment.
The only reason there are not many protests or exonerating circles in the 29er fleet is because there are rarely COLLISIONS in the incredibly small fleet. How exactly do you spin 720 in a skiff? Not efficiently. Not quickly. When are you EVER that close to anyone, except on the start line?
So 420's are not competitive enough huh? Apparently your recent successes in the class greatly attest to that. Next time I see you on the podium at the national or international level, I will grant your rant some legitimacy.
We are not "afraid" to sail in the class, we have decided that a certain type of sailing is not for us and thus are focusing on succeeding in one that is. If you are sour because the vast majority of America, Europe, Asia and other continents view it this way, perhaps you should "jump on the bandwagon" yourself!
You have not EVER sailed an I420 or 470 have you? If so, you would realize the strain of pumping two sails in sync, repeatedly, for two legs of a course. I can stand on a trapeze wire and hold a spin-sheet too, does that make me athletic? 420s and 470s actually require leech-popping and some kinetic knowledge to win in breeze. They also require a skipper of some legitimate caliber to be successful. What does the 29er have except for a bendy mast and ridiculous amount of sail-area?
Gybing repeatedly due to downwind inefficiency hardly warrants a more tactically advanced downwind leg. Try choosing between planing and surfing waves to heading a more direct angle in puffy/borderline conditions. If you had any sense at all, you would get oof your computer and actually practice in your beloved 29er instead of bitching to the world about how no one wants to sail your boat. Forgive me if i continue to compete in events with more than 10 competitors on the line...
Anonymous




sailorgirl1000
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Feb 9, 2009, 8:58 PM

Post #6 of 20 (10451 views)
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Re: [sailorboy24] International 420 or 29er skiff? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply
Nicely put.


Orangeman9332
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Feb 9, 2009, 9:04 PM

Post #7 of 20 (10429 views)
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To the Curmudgeon,

Next time you have "A Youth's Perspective" I suggest checking to see if he is one of the guys or if he is some pissed off wanker. Having been around top level youth sailing events for 4 years I have never met or heard of Max.


Why are 29er punks that have no game that just hate on the 420 sailors? The real 29er sailors are the ones that don't talk crap on 420s and go out and compete in both classes. Prime example here would be my buddies Judge Ryan and Oliver Toole, who both jump between the top of the I420, C420, and 29er classes on a national and international level. Maybe Max has never seen these guys because they are derigged before he's done racing for the day. To whine about how old and slow a C420 is and how outdated an I420 is completely missing a point. A C420 teaches you the basics of doublehanded dinghy sailing and an I420 is a very technical boat that trains the top-level kids for representing their nation abroad in I420s and 470s. Those that have made the US I420 Team are obviously at the top level in their class and being good friends with many of them I know they are going to represent their country well. I don't know where Max sails, but as a 19 year old sailor I have spent 4 years in the C420 class and for the biggest regattas of the year there are typically around 100+ boats. Plus, college and high school sailing is almost entirely sailed in doublehanded boats. I am not discounting the "funness" of racing a 29er, which is a blast, but seriously, stop hating on 420s there are thousands of kids in the class that have fun sailing C420s. I know I do.


PS I know the fast game too...I've sailed US Youth Cat Champs twice and been to a Youth Worlds in cats. An SL 16 even rolls over a 29er anyday of the week. Ya its a different game on and off the wind, but for good sailors, fun people, lots of boats, the C420 can't be in the states.



sailorboy24
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Feb 9, 2009, 9:06 PM

Post #8 of 20 (10421 views)
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back atcha :]
ridiculous that we as a junior sailing community fight over whose boat is "better" on the internet.


Orangeman9332
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Feb 9, 2009, 9:35 PM

Post #9 of 20 (10345 views)
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In Reply To
back atcha :]
ridiculous that we as a junior sailing community fight over whose boat is "better" on the internet.
Too true, arguing whose dick is bigger on the internet is for old farts... I got my two cents in, I'm good. Now let's just all go sailing and leave it all out on the water. I could care less what you sail, just go sailing and have fun.


sailorboy24
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Feb 9, 2009, 9:42 PM

Post #10 of 20 (10340 views)
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hahahah amen.
we should settle this sort of thing where it counts!-on the water! Wink


atefooterz
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Feb 10, 2009, 4:08 AM

Post #11 of 20 (10228 views)
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It is marvellous to read how our youngsters are all being versed in how to succeed in trainers for "Olympic Sailing Craft" + Dragons, J24 & IOR Mks 1- IIIc style of sailing.
Hopefully their folks still drive without seatbelts in cars with sidevalve engines & drum brakes, as thankfully the IOC have had nothing to do with "suitable car racing equipment", over the last 70odd years ! Cool




twitter @8footerz


cabinboy6969
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Feb 10, 2009, 10:37 AM

Post #12 of 20 (10010 views)
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Dear Captain Bulger,

You have a really fresh perspective on youth sailing that may revolutionize the sport. I too think that 420's are stupid, old, slow and don't look very cool. I don't care about the youth athletes headed to Garda in the I420 because I think anything affiliated with 420's should be wiped off the face of this planet (which will happen anyways with the second coming). Throughout my youth sailing career I have raced may different boats at highly competitive levels, mostly Cal 22's and West Wight Potter 19's, so it can be said that I'm pretty familiar with high performance boats. No? After proving I'm a competent sailor I can now safely say, I420's and 420's are not as good as 29ers. Not only are 29ers faster and more fun they are the perfect boat for teaching children how to sail and yacht clubs to own. First, they are very economical for yacht clubs to purchase in large numbers (great resale value!!). Second, they require almost no maintenance. Third, The hulls are extremely durable and will endure more than 10 years of abuse. Fourth, the sails are not expensive. Fifth, they are perfect for short course high school and college races. Lastly, they are amazing boats in light wind.

The I420 is by no means a high performance boat, it's only 10 lbs lighter than the 420 and only planes in 25+ knots. Unlike the 29er that can get up on a plane in 4.75 knots on wind. I'm on your side Max, the 29er should completely replace the 420. You make a strong argument but I think you failed address other possible replacements such as the MIT's Tech Dinghy. Not only is the Tech Dinghy as fast as some of the West Wight Potters I used to sail it is extremely tactical too. Right now I'm building a boat that could trump the Club and International 420, the 29er and the Tech Dinghy, when it goes into full scale production it will be a force to be recconed with. Maybe you could test the "Harrison Dragon" when It's done since you seem to be the expert on youth dinghies.

Max, please look at my creation in the attached photo and give me your honest opinion.



Attachments: Harrison Dragon (21.0 KB)


sailorboy24
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Feb 10, 2009, 1:51 PM

Post #13 of 20 (9944 views)
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hahaha very amusing. i think you're kidding?
Cal 22's high peformance HA!
and your pic of that dragon thing doesn't work...


The Publisher
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Feb 10, 2009, 5:49 PM

Post #14 of 20 (9873 views)
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Max definitely stuck his neck out on this one, so it is inevitable that he is going to get some whacks. However, I think it would be more productive to focus on the boats, the type of racing, the future growth of the classes, etc. rather than the individuals.
Personally, I am eager to see both the I420 and the 29er grow, as a steady diet of Club 420 seems to be a road to nowhere. Great for youth sailing, great for college, as it is a basic boat to allow for the transition into doublehanded sailing. But then what? If all you sail is a Club 420, and never learn the lessons taught in a more technical boat, or never create relationships with any type of racing that might occur post-college, continuing in the sport becomes harder in my opinion. Even the I420 and 29er are merely steps, as everyone ages out of those boats too.

There are many regions in the U.S. where the current set-up for youth sailing models all other youth sports... do it as a kid and then get on with your life as a young adult. However, unlike youth sports such as soccer/baseball/football/basketball/etc., sailing as a sport doesn't stop. Trying to come up with ways to keep youth sailors engaged in the sport as young adults is the conversation we should be having.

Anyone got any ideas?




MarkG
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Feb 11, 2009, 1:38 AM

Post #15 of 20 (9765 views)
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Interesting discussion regarding youth sailing. In Oz we are constantly challenged to keep youths in sailing and being a skiff sailor having the continuity for them to advace to a 16ft Skiff is very important in making quality skiff sailors. Noting that there was a gap in high performance skiff sailing between classes or lack of high performance classes we introduced the Australian 13ft Skiff which is a youth class designed to bring 15-16 year olds into a youth class for unitl 21 for males and 26 for females with a view to them having sufficient skills to sail a 16ft Skiff. If you want to check out the 13ft Skiff go to www.13ftskiff.org.au
We have plenty of kids coming out of junior classes like Flying 11's that now have a next step up high performance skiff to sail backed by the well organised and strong NSW 16ft Skiff Association. The social aspect of the youths mixing with the older sailors and getting tips on tweaking their boats, rigs and performance allows the youths to upskill quite quickly. We are getting some really good results for youths stepping up out of this class.


excollegesailor
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Feb 12, 2009, 10:14 AM

Post #16 of 20 (9595 views)
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Re: [The Publisher] International 420 or 29er skiff? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply
I think that it is ridiculous to assume that what boat you sail limits what type of sailing you do. There is team racing and fleet racing in pretty much every youth boat being sailed right now. If I understand your point, our children are missing the "joys" of rated racing and big boat racing by putting around in a "less technical" boat. I don't know any kid that wants to finish, stop his boat, count seconds, and then try to figure out if his rating beat the other boats rating, and if that is accurate, or what. PHRF, IRC, and pretty much every rated sailing system is flawed - i'm glad kids would prefer to stay in one design

The difference is, the club 420 still is very technical. You can adjust the shrouds (pins), tension of all the parts of the sails (vang, cunningham, outhaul, Jib Halyard Tensions), change the jib lead position (windward sheeting), change your mast step setting, Trapeze, fly a kite, etc. While some people may not understand, try, or succeed at learning how these adjustments affect speed, it isn't fair to blame the boat for the failure of kids to learn to sail their boats better.

In the good old days - if you wanted to learn how to sail a new boat - you'd hang around after sailing class on beer can nights or dinghy nights and ask if anyone needed crew, then you sucked it up and learned whatever position you were put in until you were good enough around a boat to start helping elsewhere - that's how i ended up specializing in the bow.

It's not boat's fault that kids don't learn new things - if they are smart enough to figure out how to sail, they should be smart enough to figure out that if they want to try match racing, they can search the internet, find the nearest match racing forum, and go out sailing. If they want to sail a fast newer boat, then sail it. But you can't be upset when the best sailors are staying where the best competition is.

Furthermore, to get back to the boats, I definitely agree that people that tend to bag on the "older slower" boats really don't understand the finer points of what it takes to make the boats go fast. The reason the club 420 is so successful is that it provides a simple platform for beginner sailors to learn, while giving sailors who are progressing in their skills the ability to learn about mast rake, sail shape, rig tension, and how to adjust all the controls that you have available to be able to be the fastest boat on the water. If anything, the 420 is forgiving. The thing is - if you sail a Melges 24 or a club 420 with a rig that isn't properly tuned, you aren't going to go fast. It doesn't matter if it's carbon, aluminum, tapered, or convex, if you don't know how to do it, you're going to be slow. In addition, it is these slower, older boats that allow kids to stay closer together on the race course - allowing more strategic and tactical racing to happen - which facilitates the learning of rules, crowded boat handling, and how to deal with collisions, in a platform that was built to handle that type of abuse. If you have 15 boat pile up a mark in 29ers - there is going to be more carnage than a few bruised egos, colorful commentary, and maybe a scuffed rub rail.

That being said, you can complain about the club 420 being a road to nowhere - but surely the Storck family, or Charlie Enright, who just won the Melges 32 match racing in Miami, or any number of 100's of sailors who used it as a platform to learn would disagree that it leads to no where. What leads to no where is people who complain about the boat they do or don't sail.

People fresh out of college don't sail because it is expensive and time consuming to sail. Take me for example, 3 years removed now, and I only sail at a college sailing center where boats (Technical dinghies, by the way) are provided because I can't afford to own a boat. This is some of the most tactical, strategic racing there is. I've learned more about balancing the boat and sail shape sailing a tub then I have in a 29er, because in slow boats, they make more of a difference. But therein lies the difference. If people TRULY want to sail, they will find a way how. Otherwise, they whine, complain about what boats suck more than others, and proceed to bitch about it on the internet. They don't understand the the old adage always rings true in sailing.

It is a poor workman who blames his tools...


The Publisher
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Feb 12, 2009, 10:35 AM

Post #17 of 20 (9591 views)
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Re: [excollegesailor] International 420 or 29er skiff? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply
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I think that it is ridiculous to assume that what boat you sail limits what type of sailing you do. There is team racing and fleet racing in pretty much every youth boat being sailed right now.

Can you name a Club 420 or Flying Junior fleet race event that attracts people who are post college? There are probably some team race events, but those boats are provided.

In Reply To
People fresh out of college don't sail because it is expensive and time consuming to sail. Take me for example, 3 years removed now, and I only sail at a college sailing center where boats (Technical dinghies, by the way) are provided because I can't afford to own a boat.

You are making my point. During my era of youth sailing - 70's and 80's - there were no official youth boats other than prams and Lasers. In Southern California, for a doublehanded boat, the Snipe was sailed by most of my peers. You know what we continued to sail after college? The Snipe. Why? Because we already had the boat.

Also, I never inferred that youth should look forward to handicap racing, however, that might be their only immediate option if they don't own or have access to a one design dinghy. Also, also, there are lots of sailing areas that do not have organized youth sailing. Kids maybe learn in prams, and then the next step might be to crew for people in the local Thistle, Lightening, etc. fleets. Eventually, if they enjoy it, they get their own boat (bribe their parents with good grades).

I am just wondering if, for the future of the sport, if people are more likely to stay in the sport if they get attached earlier to the type of sailing that occurs beyond the youth bubble.




The Publisher
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Mar 4, 2009, 7:57 PM

Post #18 of 20 (9222 views)
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From Scuttlebutt 2779:

* From Steve Brown, Newport Beach CA: (re, Max Bulger’s comments in Issue
2778) Max’s letter is right on. I too have watched organized sailing milk
toast along, pathetically trying to keep junior sailors coming back to such
low performance boats. Our club also suffers from a lack of eighteen year old
sailors. Our solution is to build a fleet of older 505s that fit larger
juniors, and return the challenge of teamwork and excitement to sailing. We
also host an annual Green Star regatta where juniors are encouraged to skipper
a Star for a weekend, with an owner crewing. Introducing these larger serious
boats has sparked excitement in an empty segment of our junior program. --


sailorboy24
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Mar 25, 2009, 6:24 PM

Post #19 of 20 (8978 views)
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i hate to revive an old topic but really?
WOW. yes what a magnificent idea! why dont you revive an old and out of date class in an area that has NO wind! that is exactly the way to bring sailors into the sport. try 470's and you may actually help someone worthwhile... the Star idea, however, is a good one. allowing juniors to experience the thrill of sailing an Olympic class boat, and deciding if it is right for them is a very good idea and needs to be employed more often.

we want to be attracting future champions to our sport, not punks with some time to kill! we need to correctly advertise our Olympic classes and generate excitement in that aspect of sailing. juniors need to decide early on how far they want to take the sport and also what class best suits their size and sailing style. if you sail skiffs, sail the 29er, then transition to the 49er. if you are a high-performance dinghy sailor who likes the trapeze, jump in the 420 then go to the 470. we need a concrete program that allows juniors to maximize their potential in the boat that they choose. not this wishy-washy sailing of C420s in the US then scrambling to learn how to sail I420s abroad. the real reason Olympic campaigns are unatractive is due to the very awkward and difficult transition from trainers to Olympic classes. you go from sailing the C420 against high school kids to competing against 25 year old professionals at their peak. it is an instant turn-off and very difficult to overcome

because Olympic sailing is barely supported, there is an extraordinary amount of work involved in campaigning and logistics. it's just too hard to cope with all at once. you see Europeans with payrolls flying into the regatta first class, while the American team barely can afford to stay the whole thing. it's ridiculous there is no support for the best in our sport when instead, US sailing is endorsing meaningless Club 420 events! and if you notice, those who have been sailing the Olympic boat since their high school days excel internationally. because there is a strong support and competition system in place!
this is not particularly pertinent to the 420/29er battle but lets focus on the real problem here!


Max Bulger
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Jul 31, 2009, 11:02 AM

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Re: [The Publisher] International 420 or 29er skiff? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply
Just wanted to check back in with all the avid displacement sailors out there who were left foaming at the mouth after my last letter (What? Fun, fast sailing?!! In well-designed, cost effective, TACTICAL boats?!?! NOOOO!). Hi guys.

After a long, rainy couple months of work and beer-can team racing, it's time to start up on the 29er circuit again. With Worlds just over in Garda, some very talented sailors (including Max Fraser and David Liebenberg, 9th out of 183 boats) flew straight back from Europe to the East Coast for the month of August.

This weekend marks the fourth annual East Coast Championships. Sail Newport is hosting us this year (Thanks! Sorry Max and Dave have been creeping in the boat park and sleeping in your parking lot in an unmarked white van), and we're expecting boats from all over the continent.

Next weekend we're joined by a few more competitors for our second year at BBR. We're looking for some more breeze and less downwind finishes in the middle of 50+ V15s, but everyone had a great time last year and we're stoked to be at it again.

After that it's time to see the Canucks up north; Quebec Skiff Champs and then North Americans at CORK in Kingston, with a 70 or 80 boat fleet.

I appreciate everyone's passionate defense of the I420, and your personal attacks. Thanks for keeping me on my toes! I know there isn't as much material here that could generate hours behind the keyboard, and I'm sorry about that. I do think your poor attitudes prove you don't go skiff sailing enough, though. You'd love life a little more.

So, until the next update, I'll be on the water in good company with a carbon tiller extension behind me, a giant asymmetrical spinnaker in front of me, and a smile on my face.

Cheers.
Max Bulger
29er East Coast Fleet Captain

PS- Feel free to PM if you want a ride.


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