14's at Juana's Good Time Regatta FL 9/9/16-9/11/16

Heads up, I'm dragging my 14 to Juana's this year. There were a few 14's there year before last, but none in 2015. If you decide to bring your 14 this year, you will not be alone.

This event drew over 100 boats last year and had a very large H16 fleet. 3 boats from our TX group made the trip and had a blast, this will be my first year.

I believe that a few of the local hotels offer event rates for Juana's sailors.

Regatta info: http://www.juanaspagodas.com/regattanews.htm

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85 Hobie 14 "mello yello"

There are still 14s out there.

Now there will be 2.

Lake Buchanan.

72 h14
85 h14t
85 hobie one 14 "OMG"

Cool, perhaps MVD's arm can be twisted and that would give us 3 14's, which is a very good start!

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85 Hobie 14 "mello yello"

Not to dampen anyone's enthusiasm....just want to make sure y'all know what you're getting into....

I believe there were 60 -70 boats doing the "regular" beachcat races last year. If there were 100+ entrants, that must have included the separate windsurfer, Hobie Wave (timed races from the beach), and cruiser races......all running separate courses. I've done this race every year since ~2002, and I've never seen a 14 or 14T race. The distance race on Sat. for the 16s (and maybe other high Portsmouth boats?) is usually to Channel Marker 129.....about 10 miles one way as the crow flies. (It's even longer for the bigger/faster beachcats.) If it's light air and/or a beat/broad reach and/or you're fighting current either way, it will be a very long day on a H14T. A lot of times the sea breeze doesn't fill until after noon. You might even want to check with the organizers to make sure a 14 will be allowed.

All that said, it is a super fun party regatta, and I hope to see y'all there. If you can get a group together to share a condo, it can be even cheaper than a hotel room that time of year. The ones on the sound (north) side of the island (as opposed to gulf front) are particularly reasonable.

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

All valid points, we should check with the organizers to see if we are allowed to enter.

Last year there was a wave fleet (guessing that these were timed races from the beach) and one wave plus few wetas in the "X" fleet of high Portsmouth boats with Nacra 5.0, Prindle 16's, etc. In 2013 there were two Hobie 14's on the "non-spin" score sheet, so I made the assumption that we were good to go.

I'll email the regatta just to make sure.

If not, we could find a southern/southeastern regatta this fall and make it a 14 destination.

I wouldn't mind spending an entire day on my 14, I do it every weekend at our 10+ mile club races in light, shifty Lake Travis air Guess it would also be possible to skip the distance race at Juana's on sat and race buoys on sun.

I'll post the official response from the regatta and possibly reasses the venture.

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85 Hobie 14 "mello yello"

I would expect they will let you enter.....just wanted to make sure you were aware of the distance race parameters. And I forgot about the WETAs.....they hang pretty good with the H16s until the wind gets up. If it looks like the distance race day will get too long, you can always just turn around and come back. Another good thing to know is that both shores have sand beach pretty much the whole way, so you can bail almost anywhere if the weather gets bad. It's just a great place to sail.

Hope to meet you there in September!

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

Well, my job is shipping me to the west coast in mid-September and I will miss the 2016 edition of Juana's. Sad face. I've been wanting to sail the area for years, looks like I'll have to wait until next year's regatta or find another panhandle FL event.

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85 Hobie 14 "mello yello"

Bummer! I hope to meet you at another event down the road somewhere....maybe even try to get over to a TCD event next year. They seem like a great group of folks. Besides, I haven't had a decent Chile Relleno since I was last over that way!

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

Heads up, I'm dragging my 14 to Juana's this year. There were a few 14's there year before last, but none in 2015. If you decide to bring your 14 this year, you will not be alone.

Yeh right. The old man (me) with his Grandpa Pa boat (H14t) will be there. (period)

I was going to drag my Wife along but She thought it would be fun anyway.

So. Bring your 14 to Juana or be a little GIRL!

I'm sooo going to get my butt kicked.