2007 Swift Solo North Americans and MPS Invitational

[WCB]

Ron,Let's talk about this in Canada with the other guys. I'll try to get a shipping price but I'd guess it will be around $1300 per boat--round trip. It may be cheaper by rail? Does anybody have experience with this?

Bram

I can tell you the 505 Class avoids the rail like the plague. It makes sense, lots of shaking of the train cars back and forth and no Air Ride suspension. I guess the 505 class (before my time) had shipped a container by rail and all of the boats were pretty well beat in the container when they showed up on the other coast. They shipped by truck for the 2004 Worlds from the East Coast to West and the boats showed up just fine.

The company that Vanguard uses to ship their new boats and that the 505 class used for the 2004 Worlds is called Sports Associated. They have horizontal racks in the trailers so you can stack three or four boats high. Well worth a call to them if you're planning ahead.

WCB

 

[bdal]

I can tell you the 505 Class avoids the rail like the plague. It makes sense, lots of shaking of the train cars back and forth and no Air Ride suspension. I guess the 505 class (before my time) had shipped a container by rail and all of the boats were pretty well beat in the container when they showed up on the other coast. They shipped by truck for the 2004 Worlds from the East Coast to West and the boats showed up just fine.
The company that Vanguard uses to ship their new boats and that the 505 class used for the 2004 Worlds is called Sports Associated. They have horizontal racks in the trailers so you can stack three or four boats high. Well worth a call to them if you're planning ahead.

WCB

WCB,

That was excellant information. I've been in touch with these guys and am impressed.

For those wondering: if we ship 10 boats round trip from Seattle to Fort Desoto, it will cost $1200 for each boat. Clearly, we should be able to put this together for late March--early April and get enough Swifts and Mustos to fill this truck. I can feel that clear, warm water splashing in my face already.

 

[TeamFugu]

WCB

Here's the new toy hauler. All packed and waiting to blast off.



Even a little boat porn inside the door for inspiration. :lol:

 

[bdal]

WCBHere's the new toy hauler. All packed and waiting to blast off.

View attachment 47524

Even a little boat porn inside the door for inspiration. :lol:

Looks pretty darn nice Fugu. You'll really like it for storing your boat this winter as well. See you in a couple of days.

Bram

 

[junta]

My guess is it will be in the midwest or back in Florida. I think that part of the reason that we moved out west, at least for me, is that most of the support was from the west and a third trip to Florida or similar distance was a little much. I'd like to see the NA's switch coasts and maybe a midwest venue every year. Maybe when we get enough boats to have a US, Canadian's, and NA championships, we could do a three year rotation where one of the events would be in one of the three regions each year. We still have some growing to do to get there though.
Oh and for those who are saying "Why would you go to all that trouble to build a boat that only a handful of people sail?", I have to say that it would have been a crime not to. I would have missed out on some of the most exciting sailing of my life and one of the most rewarding projects as well. The closest thing to OD we have out here is six U20's and though fun, they aren't neer as fun to sail as my Swift. OD is great but I'd rather sail what I love to sail than be stuck in a 4kt shit box just because that is what the crowd is in.

4kt shit box huh? I seem to remember all 5 U20's going by Fugu when we were out tuning last summer!! Anyway, Have a safe drive and good luck in the NA's!

J

 

[TeamFugu]

4kt shit box huh? I seem to remember all 5 U20's going by Fugu when we were out tuning last summer!! Anyway, Have a safe drive and good luck in the NA's!
J

Don't get me wrong. I don't feel a U20 is a 4kt shit box. There are a lot of other boats that people would say I should get because they have large fleets. I also passed some of thos U20's later in the day when I figured out how to get down wind in light air. We should try it again is something more around 15kts and see how it goes. 5kts with wind way off the water and I felt good how I was doing. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd trade my O30 in for a U20 if I could but I doubt that could happen soon. I like your U20 and thanks for letting WCB and I sail her while you were out of town. I'd still rather sail the Swift but a U20 will do in a pinch. Who knows, maybe I'll go completely lead free soon. I'm sill trying to figure that one out.

I was referring more to the Flying Scotts, Lasers, and some of the other boats people like to sail because they have large fleets.

 

[WCB]

WCBHere's the new toy hauler. All packed and waiting to blast off.

View attachment 47524

Even a little boat porn inside the door for inspiration. :lol:

Nice wheels Fugu! Good luck at the races...

 

[TeamFugu]

Well here I am up early on arrival day. The forecast is rain, sometiimes heavy. It rained most of the day yesterday. It was a good day to take the family to Victoria and spend a day at the museum.

Two more boats arrived late last night. Bram with "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and Mark White with "Dances With Wind".

 

[m.h.valentine]

Well here I am up early on arrival day. The forecast is rain, sometiimes heavy. It rained most of the day yesterday. It was a good day to take the family to Victoria and spend a day at the museum.
Two more boats arrived late last night. Bram with "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and Mark White with "Dances With Wind".

Welcome Fugu and friends! Sorry the weather sucks... last week was perfect, of course.

I'm doing my best to get 877 down there today... hopefully see you soon!

M

 

[TeamFugu]

Welcome Fugu and friends! Sorry the weather sucks... last week was perfect, of course.
I'm doing my best to get 877 down there today... hopefully see you soon!

M

I'll look for you. Bram has to fix a spreader and I think Mike and Roger were going sailing. I've had a few CF's that I've had to straighten out. Things can only get better from here on.... I hope.

 

[roblynn]

Will the results be posted? Have a good regatta and I am praying the weather will cooperate.

Robert B.

 

[m.h.valentine]

I'll look for you. Bram has to fix a spreader and I think Mike and Roger were going sailing. I've had a few CF's that I've had to straighten out. Things can only get better from here on.... I hope.

Saturday fell apart. Sunday morning, I'm there... I'll be the guy with the FD behind the blue Pathfinder.

PM me if you need anything brought in...

M

 

[TeamFugu]

Saturday fell apart. Sunday morning, I'm there... I'll be the guy with the FD behind the blue Pathfinder.
PM me if you need anything brought in...

M

I looked for you all day. Four of us got out for a little sail and the RC was on the water with the para sailors and juniors. They gave us a race so we had a short once around. Here is what you missed.



Misty rain almost all day and sometimes a little more. Wind was maybe 8kts. It is frustrating watching Mark lay right out flat while I am stuck crouched on the rail.

Oh bring dancing girls. Something along the lines of what we had last year in Florida.

Oh and Rob. I'll try to post results here and on the class site if I can get them. I'll also post some picks if my daughter gets good ones and I'll see if I can get some interesting rigging shots when I can.

 

[yachtie2k4]

are there any of the solo swifts on the west coast? any chance one could grab a look see (maybe test sail) somewhere after 15th sept?

cheers

rob

 

[TeamFugu]

Most of the Swifts are in the PNW. There is one maybe two in the Bay area but I'm not sure exactly where they are. One of the Bay area boats was supposed to be here but they have not arrived yet. I'll get some info when they do.

Rigging madness on the grass for the newly arrived boats. More rain and little sun forecast but it looks like it is clearing a bit. The forecast has been way off with predictions of small craft warning winds but so far, maybe 10 kts max.

 

[ballywho]

Welcome Fugu and friends! Sorry the weather sucks... last week was perfect, of course.
I'm doing my best to get 877 down there today... hopefully see you soon!

M

On that note, does anyone know what regatta is gonna be in Southern NY next week? We've had 75, sunny and with 12-20 knots all week here. This never happens, so who's regatta is gonna suck?

 

[m.h.valentine]

Fugu and the gang,

Great to meet you... a pity the FD gods were angry today (877 had a halyard tantrum, coupled with operator error, so no sailing for this guy... ). I spent 2 hrs sifting through the "old stuff" buckets at the dinghy store, trying to find vintage mast sheaves... we'll see how that turns out.

Very cool little boats you have there. Best of luck with the rest of the week. Weather's supposed to improve Wednesday.

Cheers,

M

 

[TeamFugu]

OK some have asked about how we connect the main sheet to the harness. Here is a shot if it in action and also a shot of the MPS and Swift side by side.

 

[bistros]

OK some have asked about how we connect the main sheet to the harness.

Thanks Fugu, that was me!

 

[WCB]

Most of the Swifts are in the PNW. There is one maybe two in the Bay area but I'm not sure exactly where they are. One of the Bay area boats was supposed to be here but they have not arrived yet. I'll get some info when they do.
Rigging madness on the grass for the newly arrived boats. More rain and little sun forecast but it looks like it is clearing a bit. The forecast has been way off with predictions of small craft warning winds but so far, maybe 10 kts max.

Fugu

You should have stayed home! It's very sunny, 82deg and blowing 15-20 here...

WCB