For Mike C. re: E-Bay & Racing
Hi, Mike:Re: E-bay info, I'm posting a related link to my favorite source on E-Bay--Bob's Ropes 4U. This guy sells Sta-Set, Sta-Set X, SpectSet, etc. The prices are unbelievable. You'll see. He only gets limited quantities but he is constantly, regularly adding new stuff so it might take a few weeks or months of checking E-Bay, bidding, etc. before you can get everything you might need. Be patient as I believe the savings and quality are worth the wait. I have replaced all of my halyards with 1/4" Sta-set, my light air jib sheets are 1/4" Sta-set X and I actually bought some 7/16" Sta-set X for heavy air sheets (easy on the hands, especially if it's cold). I've been using 1/4" sta set for my main sheet without any real problems but am going to change to 5/16" Sta-set for comfort on hands [in conjunction with my installing new garhauer traveler in cockpit].Re: racing. I have been racing all kinds of sailboats for about 33 years (since my childhood). I regularly race in club PHRF races on a Catalina 380 with Kevlar sails and just took the "Non-Spinnaker Boat of the Regatta" trophy in our local Volvo Leukemia Cup on an old, lumbering Cape Dory 28 with blown out Dacron sails (affectionately known by us as "the pig")--three 1st place finishes. I've also regularly raced Flying Scots and Lightnings in one-design regattas. O.K., enough with the "resume'"--the point, though, is that I have a wide range of sailing and racing experience and believe I can be a fair judge of a boat's sailing aptitude. Based on that, I have found my little O'Day 22 to be surprisingly responsive, well-balanced and challenging to race, given her small size and small keel. I used to own an S-2 6.7 (also c. 22 feet long)which I campaigned hard for about 4 years, winning a 1993 Spinnaker Boat of the Year at my club. Let me tell you, I love this little O'Day 22 a whole lot more.I firmly believe that anyone can win races on an obviously fast boat; the challenge is to do well on a boat which is not supposed to be fast. This past weekend, for example, while I did not place in my club race, out of 12 boats, I finished 5th on corrected time (with a 276 PHRF rating--hence, my boat's name TIME BANDIT, 'cause everybody's giving me time). I just bought a new main, with two top full battens and I was using a used mylar 115% genoa--against everyone else's seemingly gigantic 155% genoas (my new 155% dacron genoa is enroute as I write this). The best part, though, is that I caught and passed a brand new, shiny Hunter 32.6, rating 183, on a broad reach, finishing ahead of her by 45 seconds in REAL time. Man, was her skipper/owner ticked off at his crew for letting that "little tub" beat him. I am having a blast with my "little tub" and believe it will continue to provide me with opportunities not only to race but also to possibly place in and/or win races. This was never my ideal boat before I "adopted" her (the previous owner literally gave her to me) but she has become a labor of love as well as an on-going experiment in creative rigging/racing. Hope you enjoy your boat at least half as much as I love mine.This site is an excellent source of help, advice and information. I highly recommend that you check and post here often.Richs/v TIME BANDIT1975 O'Day 22