Letter to the Editor...

Dear Mr. Bounds,

The JAN-FEB issue hit my mailbox today, and as always I carefully cut the masking tape closure to sit down after dinner and read every page. Call me old school, but I cringe when you announce and post the new issues here on the website and avoid reading posts referencing the articles I haven't read while letting those freshly-opened, magazine ink vapors permeate my surroundings.

Thanks for the picture of the 1983 Division 7 championships. I strained to see if I could read my sail number and ran to the closet only to discover my t-shirt was from the 1982 Div Champs, also at Clear Lake only the year prior. I sat down to reflect on what a memorable experience that first "big" regatta was. It was thirteen months to the day after we bought a brand new 16 that we had raced in a few regattas, always with PLENTY of wind. Well...this event introduced us to a new word, "floater".

There were a little more than 30 boats in our fleet (16C) and we weren't doing so well, finishing consistently in the back of the pack (I not sure we'd ever been on the boat before then in less than 10mph wind) as the lake barely had any ripples and maybe 6mph wind. As the day progressed it was obvious we were struggling. The A and B fleeters, as they were passing us by, started talking to us??? "Let that main breathe"..."What?", "You're over sheeted, the leech is hooked, loosen the main sheet"..."Thanks". Another boat "Your sterns are dragging"..."What?", "Scoot yourself up towards the front"..."Thanks!". And yet another "Move your crew move to the leeward side"..."What?", "Even out your weight to keep the boat flat"..."Thanks". I think we got enough mid-pack finishes to end up like 31 out of 33, or something like that. The point being, the extra effort of all the competitors to make sure WE were having a good time AND learning something that would keep us coming back.

I'm extremely excited that the Nationals are coming to Iowa and Clear Lake. The hospitality of the sailors in their area is unsurpassed. I sincerely hope there's someone reading this that decides if they could host 143 boats in 1983 that there's room for them to come and learn from the best in 2008. These days, half that 143 would be a tremendous turnout so there's room for you.

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

John - Mr. Bounds was my father (actually even his employees called him "Mr. Dave").

The photo in the HOTLINE is actually from the 1982 regatta. Because of the reporting delay (sound familiar?), the Jan/Feb 1983 HOTLINE has results from the summer of 1982 - and the Fleet 10 report from Clear Lake.

My wife (and chief copy editor) is always giving me crap about "Hobie History" - she says it's boring, it's all the same stuff, it's time to do something different. Letters like yours have consistently proved that it's the most popular part of the magazine.

I encourage people to download the on-line version, since it's done in full color. It's unfortunate that it's just too expensive to print that way.

I'm looking forward to Clear Lake's events this year, too. I'll be there on the 14 and the 16. The town will never be the same.

Dang...just maybe that Carumba 16 waaaaay down there on the right is us. Would make sense, we sure as heck were never one of the first ones to the beach

Thanks Matt

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

Jeez, John, how the hell old ARE you anyway?? You've been sailing since I was a sophmore in HS?? No wonder you're so damn good!!! I started sailing, along with Xander and Jordon, in 2001 and have had the best fun every summer since.
143 boats is ambitious, but 100 is my goal for the 16s. I am on track with the 14 goal of 50 (unofficially at 42 right now), hope to do 10 each in the women's and youth.
Hobie history is the 2nd best part of the Hotline (Hobie's profile being the best!! hahahaha)

Hey, hey, easy on that "damn good" stuff, my head's hurting and you're baiting me (20 NAC's!)...we won't give in! You guys are 4 years ahead of us. Started racing with Paul in '05, after an extended hiatus (since '85) to raise him and his two younger brothers. Paul has MADE me a better sailor, he's the best.

I've never seen anybody attract the boats like you do. Keep it up man, it's going to be a helluva Nationals.

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

John I like you was also looking at the sails as I was at the 1983 Div.7 championships on Clear Lake.Actually if you have a copy of the 1984 Jan/feb issue of the Hotline they have a picture of my boat Keoke 33943 finishing in 2nd place in the last race.In 1983 we had so many 16,s the A fleet raced on one side of the lake and the B & C fleets raced on the other side.

its stories like these that inspire me to keep pushing Hobie sailing on everyone I run into. I was 1 in 1983 when there were a hundred plus boats at regattas.......We will return to that point again history does repeat itself!

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

Wessels is the "Mambo King of Hype"

My thinking is this: Its going to take more than just posting an NOR on the net somewhere to get people to go to a regatta. I don't mind contacting everyone individually to invite (put the screws to...) people to our event, especially the 14s, for four reasons: 1. Everyone appreciates it (as far as I can tell) 2. Its the only way I can see, to restore the numbers and the glory to the sport I hear so many stories about 3. I get to meet every single sailor before they ever get to Clear Lake and EVERYONE is really great and I love to meet new people 4. WE have the best regattas and it would be a shame not to share........