Boy, was I surprised to find that we were the first of about 35 boats to finish the annual SoCal overnight 4th of July race from Marina del Rey to San Diego. 'Racing' is a bit of a misnomer since we were in cruising class. OTOH, that class is what has saved quite a few races from extinction. Anyhow, there were more Hunters this year than in others, and I believe a nice 340 finished second on handicap. ( I was fifth, but I figured I would be about 35th given the rating penalty.) Had figured this would be strictly for-fun, so I had a six person crew. Got Bio's from everyone and sent them around before meeting, since only a few knew each other. Had everyone have one hour on the helm after the start for fun and experience and then assigned three-hour watches for two people through the finish. Also sent the duty schedule in advance and included contact information, travel info, food and berth assignments. Gave a general orientation to radar and plotter to everyone. Rotated food prep and clean up. Bar-B-Q for dinner. It worked really well, everyone knew what to expect and I think it would be hard to improve upon. Next year, I'll try to encourage more SoCal Hunter owners to participate. Maybe I can wrestle a trophy or two from Hunter? It is a great way to test your gear and find out what works and doesn't. For example, after last year, I added a reaching pole and preventer. Huge difference. On the way back, I found that my main reefed looks like a shopping bag. And, there is a multi-port week-long return cruise that gives a chance to anchor, raft and visit new places with experienced people. (Good partying, too) Anyhow, the point of this is to encourage HOW readers to join in on some of the cruiser racer classes in your local area if they have them. They are not at all intimidating and it is a good way to get some further enjoyment out of the boating experience. Rick D.