It's Not About the Boat

So here's the idea. A singlehanded one design race from Biloxi, MS to Key West, FL. Heavy on Social Media with several marks near land for photo ops using escort boats. The other reason for these mandatory marks is to keep sailors from being enticed by the Gulf Stream loop, which is often a violent place. Also it gives the fleet a varied conditions course with reaching/running leg down the FL coast. Think about it as a Biloxi to Tarpon Springs to Key West type of course. Prize money for the winner based on funds from an event sponsor. I'm targeting $20,000. There's no money for second place.

Those of us who have been privileged enough to race in the Mini 650 class know how much fun this type of racing is. No handicaps, lots of boat to boat offshore situations and great camaraderie. This is the end goal. Fun.

Here's where I may lose interest, but as a delivery skipper one feature stands out that even surprises me: I don't care about the boat, it's all about the voyage. I play the same game delivering a Pacific Sea Craft 27 across the Gulf of Mexico as I do delivering an IMOCA 60 or racing a Class 40. It's all the same. So... I want to use Catalina 22's for this event.

They have build 15,000 Catalina 22's and are for sale everywhere in the USA for around $2,000 to $5,000. Most of us have a background in the sailing industry, either directly or by proxy, and we can do the work we need ourselves to make these unqualified boats seaworthy.

I haven't nailed down the mandatory marks, but I want them to be distanced so the fleet is rounding them during daylight. The start would be in front of a Casino in Biloxi, MS and the finish would be in the Key West Bight Channel.

I'm aiming to have this event in Spring 2022. I want to know who is interested from this group and get an idea of possible entries before pitching it to a sponsor. This is just a way to gauge interest.


-Ryan

No one has commented so I will start the comments rolling. For background, I am currently retired, a less than active racer since I am 300 and some miles from SF area. I have a few races on my mind, such as the R2AK and using the usual SSS races as tuneup races for me and the boat.

The logistics of getting another boat, making it seaworthy, and driving across country / racing / and returning generates little interest. There is little that I would gain from the event. The simple logistic of getting to the race, participating, and returning would entail at least three weeks. If I had a day job with limited time off, the existing sailing activities fill a nice schedule in the spring season.

If the proposed race was a west coast race, fitting it into the existing sailing schedule would still be a challenge.

The SSS has a great sailing community on and off the water.

I will be interested to see if others comment on what it would take to generate interest for west coast sailors.

Good luck. Please excuse me if you think my comments are too frank.

Ants

It sounds like fun, actually. How many fixed-keel Catalina 22's were made, though? Aren't most swing keelers?

Hopefully in 2022 I'll be headed to Scotland in the late summer, so that will eat up resources.

Hi Ryan,

What are the likely conditions? Catalina 22's aren't bad little boats but if there wasn't much wind you'd start to feel like you were earning that twenty grand.

What electronics and weather info would you allow?

That Catalina 22 was offered in a bunch of different configurations over the years, with at least two different mast extrusions.
There's the original 1969 Catalina 22, swing keel.
There's the mid-1970's vintage C22, with a fixed keel, same mast extrusion

In 1976, the mast extrusion changed, and I think the newer extrusion is thought to be faster.

in 1988 they offered a wing keel version, which I think they still do...
In 2004 they made new molds...same hull, different deck

Anyway, I have no idea how the One Design association handles all this, but you should probably be aware of it.

https://whichsailboat.com/2015/08/22...ina-22-review/