2014 Madcatter 38
Lake Onieda, Brewterton NY
The eastern area F18 fleet had its first regatta of the ’14 season last weekend in upstate NY on lake Onieda, hosted by Hobie fleet 204.
Four teams from New England made the five hour drive west, superhero sailors T-Burd and B-Reed, the Jr and Sr Madsens, Ricci and BrainScan, as well as yours truly B-Tall and supercrew (and rockstar ladies man) Eric Smiley.
Other F18 sailors came from as far away as Quebec, Toronto and Detroit for the 38th annual Luau themed Madcatter, with 9 F18s total in the race. The largest fleet is typically the Hobie 16s, with 35+ entry’s and teams coming from as far away as Puerto Rico.
Saturday AM greeted the teams with sun, brisk air and great breeze out of the west, making for ideal racing conditions with 15-18 knots and flat water on the lake. Four great 3 lap races were held that day, with some tight racing action. Oscillating winds meant that staying in phase with the shifts and avoiding big holes was crucial to making your way around the course.
He-men sailors and handsome fellows Tripp Burd and Brooks Reed took off with a shot and racked up three bullets in the first three races, with the race for second being the hottest contest. Todd Riccardi and Olivier Pilon traded places several times, while Smily and I did our best to keep nipping at the leaders heels and put some pressure on the front pack. A blown jib tack distracted Brooks and Tripp on the last race of the day, allowing Olivier to grab a single bullet.
Racing done for the day, time to freshen up and get ready for the famous Rum Squall, hosted by Pedro “El Doctor” Colon, all-around awesome guy and world class sailor. Dancing, cocktails, fun and romance (Smiley is one smooth brother!) ensued.
Sunday AM greeted us to lighter winds and heavy heads (rum…) so racing was postponed to see if something would fill in, but alas it never showed up, so racing was called for the day.
After four races, Reed and Burd secured the top podium position, with Pilon in second and Riccardi taking third.
Racing concluded, teams hit the road and headed out after a great first ’14 F18 Eastern Area regatta. Let’s hope the rest of the season is even half as fun as the MadCatter, it will be an amazing year! Thanks again, Fleet 204, it’s always a blast!
B. Toland
