1972 - Texas

May have not been an official MNC.  It was won by Bubba Miller

1973 - Orchard Lake, MI, September 8-9

A total of 18 boats competed in 4 races.  It was won by John Strawbridge of Brooklyn, MI.

1974 - Wamplers Lake, MI, September 7-8

No record of the number of boats.  There were 6 races.  Won by Ron Blair (of Vector Sails!) and Jim McCreary.  John Strawbridge and his wife were the regatta organizers, and John and his son took 2nd place.  Al Smith was elected Commodore for 1975, and Vern Umstead, Sec/Tres. First MCA Board?

1975 - Cass Lake, MI, September 5-6-7

A total 21 boats competed in 6 races.  Won by Hal Adams and Dave Schoene.  Al Smith, Class Commodore, took 2nd place.  Rob Tanick won the Best Junior Trophy and was 3rd place overall.

1976 - Lake Carlyle, IL

A total x boats competed in x races.  First place went to Ernie French, in second was x and in third was x.

1977 - Lake Carlyle, IL

A total x boats competed in x races.  First place went to Ernie French, in second was x and in third was x.

1978 - Sherman Reservoir, Loup City, NE

A total x boats competed in x races.  First place went to Ernie French, in second was x and in third was x.

1979 -

A total x boats competed in x races.  First place went to Ernie French, in second was x and in third was x.

1980 - North Shore Yacht Club, Highland Park, IL. July

A total of  15 boats from 4 states competed in 6 races.  Won by Doane “Beetle” Bailey of Sharpsville, PA with Mike VonGodanyi crew.  The Race committee PRO was Jim McCreary who was the winning crew at the 1974 MNC.  He was then a TMI representative.

1981 - North Shore Yacht Club, Highland Park, IL

A total 17 boats competed in 8 races.  First place went to Ernie French, in second was x and in third was x.

2002 - North Shore Yacht Club, Highland Park, IL

A total of 5 boats from 5 states competed in 8 races.  First place went to Gib Charles, in second was Michael Connolly and third was Rey Garza.  2002 was the first Mutineer Nationals since 1981.  Interestingly, in 2002 we were back at the North Shore Yacht Club on Lake Michigan, north of Chicago, the site of the 1980 and 1981 Mutineer Nationals.  21 years later the scene was very much the same with Mutts in the parking lot being rigged, sailors inspecting each other’s boats and talking about the weather.  This was also the Buccaneer Nationals.  They had organized the event and invited the Mutineers to come join them, using the same race course but with separate starts.  It was largely from the Bucc’s initiative and inclusion that the “modern” era of Mutineer Nationals got back on track.

Memoirs of an Unlikely Champion
By Gib Charles

To grossly paraphrase Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz: "Oh s**t! We're not on Long Pond anymore, Ken!"

That's how I felt staring at the "ocean" someone had misnamed "Lake" Michigan when Ken Miller and I arrived at the North Shore Yacht Club for the "North American Championship” regatta. The wind was 15-20 knots, the swells were 3-4 feet and dark clouds were coming from the west … but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Hi. My name is Gib Charles and, I confess, I sail a Mutineer. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado. A friend gave me my first Mutineer, it came with his house in 1995. I liked the basics of the boat: it's size; comfort; the fact that it had a main, jib and spinnaker; that it could be launched in very shallow water (a necessity on my pond) and that young kids felt comfortable IN it. My kid's were 3 and 8 and didn't want to go out in my M-Scow because they felt insecure sitting ON the boat. I gave away the Scow and started working on the ‘74 Mutt. Two years later I saw an ‘83 Mutineer for sale with all of the upgrades I had read about (spinnaker launcher, wire furling jib, Harken hardware, inboard jib tracks, new style rudder head, etc.). I bought it, swapped the parts I wanted to keep from the old boat, and sold Mud Puppy for close to what I had paid for the newer one.

Last year I began racing my new Mutt in regional regattas. I loved the combination of mental, physical and technical intensity and teamwork. I even won a one day Portsmouth regatta in 20 knot winds – I was hooked!

I soon set my sights on Highland Park. I ordered new sails from North Sails through Greg Fisher; faired my hull, centerboard and rudder; read Rig Your Dinghy Right and did everything my time and budget would allow.

This spring I began looking for crew willing to travel 1000 miles and spend a week with me. I was lucky that Ken Miller, 74, who lives on the lake I sailed, was both available and willing! Ken has sailed for 55 years and has owned 20 different boats and he has no fear. We sailed a warm-up regatta two weeks before Highland Park in a mixed Portsmouth fleet that included two Buccaneers who were also going to BNAC. On day 1 the winds went from 0 mph for the first two hours while we drifted under postponement to a 52 mph blast followed by 25-30 mph sustained. Between races Ken and I went over to windward in a lull, then went turtle. But we also won the Portsmouth fleet that day beating the two Bucc sailors who would probably prefer to not be named (D.S. took 2nd in the A Fleet and G.T. took 3rd in the B Fleet at BNAC). A mixed confidence builder.

Fast forward to NSYC, Saturday of race week. I don't have to weigh my Mutt, but I'm curious how over weight she is. 506 pounds! She should be a Bucc at that weight! 96 Pounds too heavy for a Mutt. A blow to my confidence.

Ken and I decide to go out on the lake to see what big wind with big swells feel like. Our home lake, Long Pond, is 1 mile long and 1/4 mile wide and we launch from a very shallow sand/silt beach. I decided to launch from the NSYC dock for a rare treat and botched it, hitting the metal pier and crunching the nose of my carefully tuned racing machine. My confidence drops two more notches. When we get out in the 15-20 knot winds and 3 foot swells I have memories of capsizing 2 weeks ago. We sail ugly, clumsy, but we don't go over. Would we be racing in higher winds? What am I doing here? As we settle in for the night, my confidence is hanging by a thread.

Sunday is the practice race. There are so many elements for both Ken and me that we have A LOT to practice and learn: offset windward mark, leeward gate, a finish line that would be set after we are racing, the compass, new sails, 180 degrees of water horizon, swells, etc! The Buccs say it's a bad omen to win the practice race, but I dismiss it. If I have a chance I'm going to take it. It may be my only chance to win a race! The winds are light, my nemesis in races past (does 96 pounds make a difference?). Ken and I work well together. We're constantly thinking, talking and adjusting. We move much better in the light winds with the new North sails than I had in the past. We figure out the compass, sort of, catch some good wind shifts and win it by a good margin. Finally a confidence boost. I can relax a bit and enjoy myself.

Monday, Race Day 1: The winds stay light and we win all 3. Is it going to be this easy? No way. Enter the villain, complete with a black Pirate flag flying from the leach of his main, Michael Connolly. Michael is a Buccaneer racer who had just started renovating a Chrysler Bucc and knew he wouldn't have it ready for BNAC, so he borrowed a very nice Mutineer from a friend. He and his crew Marty put over 200 man-hours into the boat to make it competitive. They took a third followed by two second place finishes on the first day, which was only the second day either of them had ever been on the water in a Mutineer! They both had their sights set on winning, so they spent many more hours changing and refining the boat. I knew I had a great big bulls eye on my mainsail as far as they and the other Mutts were concerned.

Tuesday, Race Day 2: We only got 1 race in on day 2, a real drifter. Ken and I learned something new with every race, sometimes something important on the first leg to use to our advantage on the same leg later in the same race. In the very light wind it was much more a mental/tactical game than it was a physical one. Even with a heavy boat, the new sails seemed to have enough power to more than compensate and we won race four. Michael took another second and Rey Garza from Texas finished third. Back on shore Michael and Marty make more adjustments to their boat, we all give suggestions to each other, even offering spare parts and tools to each other. The friendly competition was wonderful. By encouraging each other to do better we were raising the bar for all of us.

Wednesday, Race Day 3: We had some wind! We got 2 races in. Winds around 10 - 15 mph with 3 foot swells. The wind I loved, the rough water was a real challenge. On the first beat Ken and I were taking waves over the bow. It's very easy to get weight too far back in the butt of a Mutt, this was the first time I experienced having our weight too far forward, driving the bow down into the troughs. I had Ken slide back and studied how Michael was sailing.

I was fighting the waves with the tiller, trying to sail a straight course according to the jib telltales. It appeared he was letting each wave lift him slightly. When I tried it, my jib would luff on each lift, killing our power to drive forward. I learned to steer down gently on the flat before the wave to slightly overpower the jib so that it would be trimmed properly when it was lifted by the wave. We were able to sail a higher course, and faster, but we followed Michael and Marty on every leg of both races that day, except the last legs.

On a one mile beat from the leeward gate to the finish line, with a horizon that is just the water line, I found it was nearly impossible to read wind shifts. We split tacks with Michael right after the leeward gate, picked up two major wind shifts with the help of the compass, and stole two more victories. Two excellent races requiring focus, study and drive. The compass gets credit for races five and six. Marty was furious, in a friendly sort of way. He could taste the victory he had worked so hard for, just for us to snatch it away in the end - twice.

I'm thrilled to be learning so much, so Ken and I look forward to the last day as a chance to learn more. Since we were following Michael and Marty for most of day 3, watching them sail higher on the upwind legs repeatedly, we decide to make some changes to the boat. Primarily to set the jib leads further inboard. It proves to be a great improvement, especially in the BIG winds of day 4.

Thursday, Race Day 4: The first race is in 15-20 mph wind. At the start of the second race the committee measures 22 knots (about 25 mph) and it increased during the race. After four days of learning in light to moderate conditions, this was the Real Deal. Ken and I have our confidence back, we're eager to learn more, to keep the boat upright and to feel the speed.

We had two more excellent races, Michael and Marty beating us by mere seconds both times. That was thrilling. Three miles around a racecourse and to finish separated by seconds. The competition was fantastic. The new skills allowed us to sail in 25+ mph winds and 3-4 foot seas under control in a 15 foot dinghy. It was worth the whole week!

If I never race again, MNAC 2002 has made me a much better sailor. I learned as much in that week as I did all last season.
Thanks to Jim Faller, Eric Frisvold, Rey Garza, Michael Connolly and your crews for five great days. I certainly enjoyed your competition and camaraderie, and look forward to 2003.

2003 - Ware River Yacht Club, Gloucester, VA

A total of 8 boats from 6 states competed in 7 races.  First place went to
Gib Charles, in second was Bob DeRoeck and in third was Ian Wells.

MNAC 2003
By Gib Charles

MNAC 2003 has to be characterized trust, adventure, and revival.

There were 8 Mutineer boats in the races, and 10 Mutineer owners and 1 Bucc owner involved as skippers or crew - which more than doubled our involvement from last year. Over 350 Mutineer owners monitored the event through our Yahoo elist. Of the 10 Mutineer owners, probably none had met more than 2 of the others in person. Add to that the fact that less than half of the fleet would consider themselves “racers”, and it becomes a small miracle that 10 Mutineer owners traveled to Virginia to race each other.

Except that isn’t why we came. We came to meet each other. We came to see other Mutineers, to study the repairs and changes others had made to their boats, and to show off the repairs and innovations we had made. We came in the trust that the spirit and character of the person we had been reading notes from on the internet would be the same in person. We came because of the enthusiasm of the 5 who had a blast in Highland Park last year, and we trusted the same would happen this year. We trusted that our Bucc brothers and sisters would be as welcoming in person as they had been on-line. None of us were disappointed. We all had a great time and are already looking forward to Texas next year.

Each of us has a story to tell. Mine is simple. Get the boat as race-ready as time allowed, find great crew, sail focused, keep learning. It worked and I happen to win. I think a much more interesting story is that of the revival of the Mutineer Class. Representative of that larger story, read the experience of my neighbor, Ian Wells.

I really enjoyed meeting the Mutineer families who, like Ian, trusted and came. Experienced or not, excited or nervous, updated boats or 1970 classics, we came. Connected by the internet, but bonded by a passion for sailing a fun little boat and sharing a common respect for the spirit of community, helpfulness, friendly competition, adventure and trust. I loved testing skills on the water, seeing spinnakers fly on 6 Mutineers at the same time, watching the Bucc A fleet battle from a front row seat, living and breathing the Mutt/Bucc culture for a week. It was great.

The Mutineer community is growing, bonding, and it is full of classy, talented people. 5 days wasn’t enough time to get much past sailing discussions and into more in depth personal and professional discussions. For me, that is the news of MNAC. Not that there were 8 boats in the water and I happened to win. The real news is that this band of Mutineers are finding each other, enjoying each other, and are enjoying racing as a means to interact with each other.

Look for 20 Mutineers in Texas. We are defying our original Mutinous tendency, and banding together.

2004 - Fort Walton, FL

A total of 7 boats from x states competed in 9 races.  First place went to
Gib Charles, in second was Ernie French and in third was Gordon Brookfield.

2005 - Lincoln, NE

A total of 10 boats from x states competed in 8 races.  First place went to
Gib Charles, in second was Bill Swearingen and in third was Pete Dix.

2006 - Kenosha, WI, August 12-15

A total of 11 boats from x states competed in 12 races.  First place went to
Ernie French, in second was Bob DeRoeck and in third was Gib Charles.

2007 - Lake Carlyle, IL

A total of 8 boats from 7 states competed in 7 races.  First place went to
Ernie French, in second was Gib Charles and in third was Rey Garza. 

Recap by Rey Garza:  This year's participants started arriving on Tuesday, and most of us decided to campout this time because the sailing club is right in Eldon Hazlet State Park and they had some great sites.  All of the campers were within the same area so we were able to visit whenever we found some time.  There was a great camp breakfast on Thursday morning, and the First Annual MCA Campers Pot Luck on Friday evening.  The image below is of the southern edge of "Camp Mutineer".  Those are Brad, Vince, and Rey's tents on a little area right at the edge of the lake.  It was great!!  On Thursday we spent the morning and early afternoon rigging and working on the boats.  This is one of my favorite parts of these events because of all of the sharing that goes on. People share tools, parts, and lots of information.  Later in the afternoon we launched the boats and headed out for a couple of practice races to tune the boats a bit.  After the races we headed in and held our annual "Cheeseburgers in Pradise" dinner, and once again a good time was had by all that attended.  On Friday it was game-on as we headed out and held our first real races.  The winds were up a bit, probably in the 15 mph range, and we were able to get 4 races in.  Even with the winds as they were we only had two capsizes, and only one of those was while we were racing.  Brad and I went over when I got over confident and deployed the spinnaker on a reach only to get caught by a gust that we could not handle. We did get the boat back up but we were unable to complete that race. Luckily we were able to throw that one out.  David and Vince went over while heading in at the end of the day, after the final race.  They had relaxed and got caught off guard by a gust and went swimming.  Saturday dawned with much lighter winds.  We were only able to get one race in, and that was a bit of a drifter.  That evening was the Whale of a Sail dinner and dance, so we all joined in and had a great time. On Sunday we also had light winds but at least they were a little more steady. This made for some really interesting races, I like to call it puff management, you have to find the puffs and make the best of them.  

Fun Awards:

Flash in the Pan - Gib Charles

Tail Dragger - Jim Davis

Farthest Traveled - Sandy Morrison

Worst Breakdown - Mike "Gramps" Kerper

Best Restoration - Vince Bobrosky

Garza Award - David Zale (with the help of Vince Bobrosky)

Oldest Team - Gordon Brookfield & Tim Roraback

Youngest Team - Nate Burger & Jef Alback

Oldest Sailor - Gordon Brookfield

Youngest Sailor - Nate Burger

Top Junior - Nate Burger

Top Female - Carol French

2008 - Union Lake, CO, June 26-29

A total of 8 boats from 6 states competed in 6 races.  First place went to
Ryan Flack, in second was Ernie French and in third was Bob DeRoeck. When we had wind, we had too much.  When we tried to race, the conditions were more typical for July in Colorado, very still, srractic thermals coming from any direction.  It was the first MNC with a Nickels Mutineer.  Two competed, Gib Charles and Ryan and Jen Flack.  Ryan and Jen were a factory team from Nickels Boat Works.  Jen is the daughter of Hugh Armbruster, the owner of Nickels Boat Works.

2009 - Lake Guntersville, AL, October

A total of 18 boats from 10 states competed in 11 races.  First nationals with two scored fleets:  A Fleet - First place went to Gib Charles, in second was Hunter Riddle and in third was Ernie French.  B Fleet - First place went to Martin Casanova, in second was Jerry Thompson and in third was Bea Picou.

There were a few firsts this year; the biggest one was the number of boats on the water.  There were eighteen boats on the water for the first race of the regatta and fourteen for the last race.  The boats that were not on the water at the end were not out due to breakdowns, but rather because they did not feel comfortable with the heavy winds on the last day of racing.  Another first was the two fleets.  This is the first year that we had the boats divided into A and B fleets, which I think we can credit for some of the turnout.  This year the skippers were allowed to choose which fleet they wanted to sail in.  We ended up with 7 boats in A fleet and 11 in B fleet.  When the dust had finally settled Gib Charles with Mike Ruwitch as crew had won the the A fleet and is therefore our new national champion, and Martin Casanova with Marvin Jensen as crew had won the B fleet.  With his win in B Fleet Martin is now banished from B Fleet and must compete in A Fleet in future MNC events.

There are lots of stories from the event and I would never be able to do them justice, so what I have done is added links to a few stories from others below.

Commodore's Report:
Ernie French's report on how it all went down.

Gib's Story:
Our current champion's story on the racing.

MNC Tips and Revival:
A great report with tips from our B fleet champion Martin Casanova.

Pictures of the event:
Over 700 pictures from the event.

MNC 2009
By Martin Casanova

After Gib and I won first place in Fleet A and B respectively during 2009 Nationals in Alabama, Jerry Thompson asked us to share our experiences on our road to the first place.

Acknowledgment:

I live in the Northeast (Stamford, CT) where sailing is normally limited to summer and maybe late spring and early fall. This makes it difficult to practice during most of the year or even prepare your boat unless you have enough room for it indoors. My boat was in very poor conditions and the trip was long so I posted my intention to race with someone else in our website. From this point forward many people worked hard to make it happen.  Bea Picou, James Carr and Tate Beckham worked their magic and Bea put me in contact with someone that I had not yet met but that during the event became a good friend, Marvin Jansen. Marvin was kind enough to offer his boat and to crew for me. Susan Wilson from fleet 34 picked me up at Huntsville airport. The entire behind the scene logistics and generosity were the main ingredients that made our participation possible and furthermore be able to obtain first place in B Fleet with Marvin. (Thank you)

Some background:

I started to sail in Argentina when I was about thirteen, living in a boarding school from the Argentinean Navy. For five years I used to sail almost every day in Grumetes, Balleneras and Penguins. My first big regatta was representing the school in the South American Cup for the Penguin’s class. With a less than brilliant performance I ended fourteenth among seventy five boats participating in the event but this was enough to hook me for life. I was about fifteen years old at this time and sailing continued to be my favorite sport from then on.  Later, having the chance to participate in the 2006 and 2008 Nationals, I finished in fifth place in both cases in the only fleet we had at this time.

Now, In the same way that others did it to me I intend to share with you in a few paragraphs the most important concepts I learned not only from the National but from my experience over the years.  I hope you find this useful or at least entertaining.

Preparation:

The first concept I want to share with you is the importance of preparing your boat to be as failure proof as possible.  Even before you start the sanding and fairing and many other good things you should be as sure as possible that your boat will not break. Often races are lost before the start due to things that will break and could be avoided with a simple but thorough inspection. This is even more important if the race will be in a high wind area.

I experienced the importance of this during the 2006 National in Kenosha, when racing with high winds and seas my mast almost passed through the deck because the wood underneath was pulverized because of age. There were two more regattas this day that I couldn’t race.  Fortunately, with Bob Deroeck’s help, we fixed it during the evening and I was ready to go the next morning. Many other boats had to DNF after breaking something during this National. 

A costly last minute pi:

It was about 8:30 AM. This race was critical in securing first place. The start would be in about thirty minutes and we had just finished the last few details before launching.

Marvin and I were ready to go towards the ramp when “nature called” and we decided to make a last minute “technical stop” before the big day. With the boat ready for the win and the spirits high we rushed in the car to get to the nearby restroom with the boat behind.  Suddenly, A LOUD BOOM BEHIND US!  When we looked back, Marvin’s nice Mutt didn’t have a mast anymore.  We had driven under a group of trees and the mast had fallen off when hitting the branches.  The tune up, the plans and the excitement fell in an instant.

But not so fast! Showing the classical “Mutineer” spirit many people rushed to the scene to help. Knowing we were up for the first place, we even received an offer to use someone else boat despite the fact that this meant she would no longer be able to race.  We didn’t accept the offer but this shows the spirit.

After a quick damage assessment we found that amazingly the only part that was really damaged was the head of the boom that broke in the impact. The reason for the minimal damage (besides luck) was that under the pressure the jib’s halyard gave up before anything else, saving us a lot of damage and trouble. Bottom line, we replaced the broken halyard, put back the boom on place applying some constant pressure with the boom bang (Laser style) and headed to the water just in time to start.

Since I don’t remember all the races in detail, I will describe the few things I try to pay attention to and that seem to work for me.

The start:

Having a good start is not the most important part of the race but gives you a good advantage. Of course it is nice to be the first to cross the line every time but since this is seldom possible, I focus on consistently starting reasonably well, with clear air and as close as possible to the favored side (in this order).

The emphasis I put on starting at the favored side depends on how off square the starting line is with respect to the wind.  The more off square it is, the more I struggle for a favored side start. 

There are many ways to find the favored side.  I am not looking for an accurate measurement so I sail to the outside of the pin and stop heading to the wind. At this point the boat will be either perpendicular to the starting line or pointing more towards the committee boat or towards the pin side. The favored side is the side your boat is pointing to and you should try to start as close to this side as possible while keeping clean air. The less your boat points to one side or the other showing you the favored side, the less important this factor is and you can focus more in other things.

If despite my efforts I find myself in the middle of a crowd struggling for clean air, I get out of there as soon as possible, even if it means spending an extra short tack to get away.

The first leg: 

During the first part of the first leg my immediate priorities are to keep clear air and point as high as possible.  Since our boat didn’t have internal rails for the jib, Marvin prepared a simple barberhauler with a line and two hooks that worked well enough for us.

Once I know where I am respect to everyone else, the next step is to get or keep on synch with the wind shifts. Taking good advantage of the shifts is critical to being in the front line. If you don’t know why, play with a pen and piece of paper drawing two boats sailing at the same time to reach a buoy up wind. Draw one of them following the right shifts (the shift that takes you closer up wind) and the other just reaching the lay line and tacking to the buoy and you will see the difference.  It is not only the five or more degrees  closer up wind you are sailing if you are in phase but  also the extra  five or more degrees lower the boats who are out of phase are sailing.

The up wind buoy:

Once I get close enough to the first buoy I try to see which boats may be competing with me for the inside turn and do my best to position myself to turn as close to the buoy as possible. If another boat gets inside first, I try to position my boat to disturb its air and pass it if I can. Just be careful not to lose sight of the overall picture and end up losing positions just to pass this particular boat (Pick your battles).

The downwind leg:

We didn’t have a spinnaker but we had a jib and a nice long whisker pole handmade in "Marvinsland". This was part of the list of important things we put together with Marvin while coordinating via email, who will bring what to the race and what the boat should have. Other important items in the list were telltales for jib and main, barber hauler, bubble level, boom vang and compass if possible.

The jib with a good whisker pole could be as or more effective than the spinnaker depending on the weather conditions and skills. For instance during some of the races we had during the National the wind was not strong enough to consistently fly the spinnaker. Furthermore, in some cases the rain made the spinnaker heavier needing even more wind to fly. In these kind of conditions a well deployed jib will take advantage of all the available blows all the time while the spinnaker will be hanging from the mast and flying time to time. Something similar happen if the wind is stronger than your skills can handle. In the other hand with enough wind AND if you fly it properly the advantage of the spinnaker is noticeable even in the Mutt. I say “if you fly it properly” because occasionally we found ourselves passing boats flying spinnakers due to poor handling. So if you plan to use a spinnaker practice until you feel comfortable before racing with it.

Once I am on my way to the final line the only strategy I use is to get there as fast as possible getting as much speed as I can. A very important factor is to have the boat leveled in the bow-stern direction, as this will greatly reduce dragging. In light wind you can slowly pass many boats doing this, presenting as much surface to the wind as you can and keeping you movements to the minimum.  To know if you are leveled during the race it is best to install a bubble level calibrated on land.

In addition, (some people may disagree), I prefer to retract the centerboard all the way up unless there is too much wind, in which case I only do it partially. With light winds I sail a bit higher of the shortest course to keep the boat moving, in which case I lower the centerboard a bit.

When there are waves, (usually in the same or similar direction as the wind), I try to take advantage of them.  Since they travel faster than the boat, riding them as long as you can gives you extra speed.  This may make a big difference. I experienced this during the 2006 National in Lake Michigan at Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The finish:

Once heading to the finish line I just try to keep good speed avoiding taking unnecessary risks that may compromise my current position.  Consistency arriving among the first boats every time will put you in a better position at the end than wining for a mile in one regatta and getting last in the next.

 Many of you are already experienced sailors so I hope these few lines will at least help those who are starting to race to be better positioned during our next National championship.

Thank you and favorable winds.

Ricardo Martin Casanova

2010 - Lake Carlyle, IL, September 16-19

A total of 11 boats from 8 states competed in 5 races.  First place went to
Dave Chadwick, in second was Ernie French and in third was Gib Charles.

We have a new Mutineer Champ! Congrats to Dave Chadwick and Kathy Pegion for a great regatta!

We managed to get in one more race today, although the day did not start out promising.  Rain, ugly red and yellow blobs on the radar, just sitting on top of Lake Carlyle.  The postponement flag was a flyin' (or, lying limply on its flagpole) again.  I don't think I've ever seen that flag so much before in all the regattas I've been to!   At any rate, it started clearing up, and just as we were resigned to not sailing (we knew that a third mutiny sail just wouldn't work today, with lightning around), we heard that they were ready to get a course ready for us.  The boats were already in the water in a show of pure optimism, so once again we trooped to the boats and sailed out to the start line.   This time there was enough wind and other boats to actually do three starts on that course.  The wind was great getting out to the race course; as we sailed around, though, it started dropping off. The first fleet (Melges 24 & E-scows) were able to start; the second fleet of Flying Scots, Lightnings, MC-scows, and miscellaneous monohulls got started - or, well, the flag came down - and they bobbed gently in place pretty much right on the line.   We had kept the start area clear and all of us turned toward the line, but none of us made it over before the horn went off.   Ernie told me he'd timed it and one whole minute after the horn blew, he was still sitting only a few feet from the committee boat! It was one of those races where the wind was up, down, and all around.  At times there was NO wind at all.   The upwind leg turned into a reach, the downwind leg was a reach until about half way, keeping the spinnakers flying was a challenge, especially since we were sharing the course with so many other boats, all competing for that small breath of air!   But we finished and the 2010 Mutineer National Championship was completed!

It was a frustrating weekend for sailing but a great weekend for the camaraderie typical of Mutineer gatherings.  Jim Davis and Dave Rowe had done a great job getting sponsors and there was quite a bit of swag handed out, including a new spinnaker pole from Nickels.  Thanks to Harken, SailCare, SailRite, APS, Kent Sails, Schurr Sails and Nickels for all the really cool stuff.   The trophies were beautiful, thanks Jim Davis for the design and follow up!  Thanks to Gib Charles for working so hard behind the scenes to make this regatta happen.  Gib the matchmaker put together three skippers with crew just in the last two weeks before the regatta: Kathy Pegion with Dave Chadwick, me with Pete Dix, and Brent Mueller with Brad Osborne.  We are already looking forward to next year!

2011 - Grapevine, Texas, June 28 - July 1
Bring em' Back to Texas

The 2011 Mutineer National Championships is in the books.   This year’s event was held in Grapevine, Texas.   Thirteen teams from 10 states participated.  Five teams competed in the Gold Fleet with eight teams in the Silver Fleet.  The Mutineer Class Association celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Mutineer at this event.  The theme was “Bring em’ Home to Texas”.

Participants started arriving on Monday, June 27^th.  Things started moving rapidly Tuesday with measuring/weighing and afternoon practice races.  The Skipper’s Meeting was held Tuesday night followed by the traditional Cheeseburgers in Paradise cookout.  Rey Garza was the Grill Sergeant.

Wednesday was the first day of racing.  The PRO got off five races.  The winds started mild but built into a fantastic sailing breeze as the day went on.  The temperature was hot hovering around 100 degrees, but so was the racing.  After a full day on the water the teams returned to shore for a Texas BBQ.  Again Rey ruled the grill preparing Texas Style BBQ Brisket, BBQ Chicken, Beans, Slaw and the list went on and on.  All participants shared a great meal and fellowship.

Thursday’s conditions were a repeat of Wednesday’s – hot and breezy.  The PRO got off six races.  The teams were tired but very satisfied after this fine day of competition.  No official social events were planned for Thursday evening and some participants (me) called it a very early night.

Friday the teams were refreshed and back out on the race course early.  Unfortunately the fine sailing conditions that had been enjoyed all week were gone.  The flags fell limp as the teams bobbed searching for wind.  Finally at 12:30 P.M. the PRO abandoned racing and the teams were towed in.

The teams spent Friday afternoon packing up their boats and trading stories. 

The awards ceremony kicked off Friday evening with a traditional Tex-Mex meal which was delicious.  Then it was time for the awards.  First were the special awards:

Rear Admiral – Dave Rowe

Farthest Travelled – Dave Rowe

Oldest Sailor – Fred “Silly Boy” Madden

Youngest Sailor – Garrett Bell

Most improved – Charles Bell

Best Restoration – Jim Davis for Radio Flyer

The Garza Award – Chad Harris – you must to MNC to learn about this award

Sportsmanship – Lisa Adams and Helena McDonald – Lisa and Helena abandoned a race to lend assistance to a capsized boat

And now the official results:

Gold – 1^st Ernie and Carol French, 2^nd Gib Charles and Michael RuWitch,  3^rd Bob DeRoeck and  John Allison.

Silver – 1^st Brent Mueller and Scott Queen, 2^nd Brad and Cameron Osborne, 3^rd Chad Harris and Martin Casanova.

Congratulations to all of the sailors who participated.  

All agreed it was a great week of learning, racing and socializing.  The folks of the Grapevine Yacht Club did an outstanding job and we heartily thank them.  And a special thanks to the PRO Mark Smith.