Saving One Design

Hey All,

So today I got some really good news. I am for sure going J-22 sailing this coming season. I will be teamed up with Roger Gamache a good friend of mine and Ned Goodman a good friend of Roger's.

Ned is one of the people that has a Ultimate 20 on order with Bill Abbott, but since the Abbott site is still in a bit of limbo after a serious fire, Ned has decided to buy a J-22 in the interem and go sailing. We have found a great boat, in fact it is Scott Nixon's personal boat, (it's the one in the picture!) and we will have no excuses on the hardware front! It will be up the three of us to get our shit together and make this work.

I titled this Saving One Design after a short posting by my buddy Wally Cross of www.destinationonedesign.com. Wally was talking about finding old OD boats and re-announcing them to his clientel. When it became apparten the Ned, Roger and I would not be sailing a brand new U-20 this season I started looking around for a boat that the three of could sail, that Ned could easily sail at home and also a boat that has good regatta participation and with good fun people!

Well Ned nears lives near Cleveland and there is an excellent J-22 fleet there that he can play in during week with some of his other sailing buddies, he can take the family sailing anytime he wants and it gives us a chance to sail in what will be a 60+ boat J-22 North American regatta that is in Cleveland this season.

We get the added bonus that by buying a good boat like 1464 it will hold its resail value for when and if the U-20 comes to fruition. For me personally the deal allows me to drive some of the events! Which is key, that is one thing that I truly miss in sailing. I do not get to drive much anymore. With the rules in the MUMM 30 class or the Farr 40 it keeps me from driving and has taken some of the fun out of sailing that I used to have.

So we will take possesion of 1464 next weekend after a trip to Annapolis to meet with Scott, pick up the boat and bring her back to Cleveland. I cannot wait for the Annapolis NOOD regatta which will be our debut in the class. Just hoping that the begining of April is warm in Cleveland so that we can sail some before we go!

Anyway that is all for today. Have a good one!
Peacefrog!