[MR.CLEAN]

The Florida Keys are more like the Aleutian Islands at the moment, with a bitter North wind leading the assembled A-Cat sailors in Islamorada to don their entire traveling wardrobes to drive to the Whisle Stop for a beer or six. But they'll be racing tomorrow in 20+ knots and flat water, and god help them if all they have is a shorty.

We'll be recording video and stills of the racing from an open boat and posting it on SA in the afternoon, and if we're not taking solid sheets of spray on our heads, we'll update you with text and twitter shots from the course. This is our first time covering A-Cats, and we're definitely excited - there's something undeniably exciting about these sculpted and dangerous looking weapongs, even more so now that they have so much in common with the America's Cup monsters we've been studying so hard for months.

Below you'll see US A-Cat President Bob Hodges rigging his boat in the cold and dark and listen to Ben Hall and Ben Moon talk about the new designs and their similarity to the Cup boats. "We call it 'trickle-up' technology," they said. We'll post out updates, pictures, videos, and scores here on the On-The-Water Anarchy forum, brought to you by the US A-Class Catamaran Association and Coconut Grove Sails and Canvas. And while we're talking beach cats, have a look at this previously lost footage that we just posted to YouTube from the 2009 Tybee 500 - this is some Leg 1 finish carnage and a cool Leg 2 Le Mans start, shot from 40 feet off the beach.

And here are the A-Cat interviews.

[bgulari]

Are you sure that it is coconut grove?

[MR.CLEAN]

Well, it certainly hasn't calmed down at all!

Currently it is blowing cats off trailers, err....dogs off chains out my window. Easily 30 knots. Back to coffee...

[AUS]

clean, i hope you have some rum in that coffee! breeze seems to be backing off a little. should be great by 1pm race time...

[AUS]

BTW that first video seems to have been pulled from youtube bc of its length

[MR.CLEAN]

bgulari, on Jan 11 2010, 08:10 AM, said:

Are you sure that it is coconut grove?

It's called that for the sponsor - Coconut Grove Sail & Canvas.

And Ben, the video is fine, it's probably just the hotel's slow connection. Here:



Oh shit, now I see what you mean.

[MR.CLEAN]

calming down a bit, still butt ass cold but wind down below 20, at least for a few minutes.

[MR.CLEAN]

Fixed!


Bob Hodges, Ben Hall, and Ben Moon on new A-Cats, the America's Cup, and cold weather racing.

Full screen link: http://drop.io/1hb7m...-boats-comp-mp4

[MR.CLEAN]

Some pics coming up from the boatyard. This resort is awesome, if I was running a beach cat class I would add an event here immediately.

Start postponed until 2 PM. Pics and vid from skipper's meeting coming up.

[Surf City Racing]

MR.CLEAN, on Jan 11 2010, 04:43 PM, said:

Some pics coming up from the boatyard. This resort is awesome, if I was running a beach cat class I would add an event here immediately.

Start postponed until 2 PM. Pics and vid from skipper's meeting coming up.

Bring it, Clean! Your *style* fits more in line with the Cat sailors anyway!

[MER]

Set-up slideshow...

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

[MR.CLEAN]

Breeze is down to 15-18 right now, packing up the gear.

[MR.CLEAN]

Topical Thread:

Which is quicker, A-Cat or Moth?

[MR.CLEAN]

We're in, Bob Webbon's on his new Martstrom took two bullets in two races. Breeze died out to 10 or so, but a beautiful day if you ignored the thermometer.

Videos and pics trickling in over the next 90 minutes.

[MR.CLEAN]

Ben Moon launches his new Ashby A3 for the first time:





Race 1 Start and Gate:

[MR.CLEAN]

Tybee 500 alumnus and A-Cat virgin Baily White after his first day racing an A-Cat:



Ian Landahl kicked ass today with a 2 and a 4 on his self-built LS-2, which is the funky lookin' one.

[MER]

Day One Racing Slideshow...

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

see all photos from today in my printroom gallery HERE

[MR.CLEAN]

I think the skipper's meeting is pretty damned funny if you watch it all the way through. A good bunch of guys, but they need some women 'round these parts.

[punter]

Good stuff. Great spot to sail. Did the A-Cat worlds there in Nov07.

[Somebody Else]

Nice stills, Mer!

But I got in trouble at work when the old people's music started blaring out of my speakers.

[Africat]

Thanks for brining OTW to the A-cat world, Mer and Clean!!

Clean: One question I would have on new boats is, "Why doesn't anybody build a ruggedized practice-A-cat?" For those who sail from a rougher spot, it would make sense to have a drag-on-the-beach, Hobie-rugged A-cat, which they wouldn't have to baby all the time. Failing that, I'm stuck with vintage -- but tough-as-nails -- Hobie 14s and 16s here in West Africa. I guess this is OK for practice, but I'd still be curious to get an answer about a ruggedized practice-A-cat.

[moondawg]

Africat, on Jan 12 2010, 09:22 AM, said:

Thanks for brining OTW to the A-cat world, Mer and Clean!!

Clean: One question I would have on new boats is, "Why doesn't anybody build a ruggedized practice-A-cat?" For those who sail from a rougher spot, it would make sense to have a drag-on-the-beach, Hobie-rugged A-cat, which they wouldn't have to baby all the time. Failing that, I'm stuck with vintage -- but tough-as-nails -- Hobie 14s and 16s here in West Africa. I guess this is OK for practice, but I'd still be curious to get an answer about a ruggedized practice-A-cat.

Take a look at the Hobie FXone http://www.hobiecat....dels_fxone.html . Folks sail them regularly off the beach here in Holland in surf. I don't know how it compares to an A cat.

[Barb Wire]

I gotta wonder how accurate that start line is when they don't have a bridle run off the catamaran RC boat...

[MR.CLEAN]

Here's all the racing, after uploading to YouTube all night.

Race 1 Start and Gate:




Race 1 Finish:





Race 2 Start:




Race 2 Top Mark:




Race 2 Gate:




Race 2 Final Mark:



Part 2:




Race 2 Finish:





Part 2:

[Deeznutz]

MR.CLEAN, on Jan 12 2010, 04:22 AM, said:

Tybee 500 alumnus and A-Cat virgin Baily White after his first day racing an A-Cat:



Ian Landahl kicked ass today with a 2 and a 4 on his self-built LS-2, which is the funky lookin' one.

Way to go Ian! Nice to see him doing well... and representing WMU

Keep it up brother!