<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><BR><DIV>Begin forwarded message:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><B>From: </B></FONT><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Chris <<A href="mailto:crisdino@earthlink.net">crisdino@earthlink.net</A>></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><B>Date: </B></FONT><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">August 21, 2007 10:56:57 AM PDT</FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><B>To: </B></FONT><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><A href="mailto:buckingham@sonic.net">buckingham@sonic.net</A>, <A href="mailto:broderic@sonic.net">broderic@sonic.net</A>, <A href="mailto:hydrophilos@earthlink.net">hydrophilos@earthlink.net</A>, <A href="mailto:tedwray@pacbell.net">tedwray@pacbell.net</A></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><B>Subject: </B></FONT><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><B>Tchoupitolas...not a time for levity.....</B></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><B>Reply-To: </B></FONT><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Chris <<A href="mailto:crisdino@earthlink.net">crisdino@earthlink.net</A>></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV> <DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">-----Forwarded Message-----</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">From: Chris <<A href="mailto:crisdino@earthlink.net">crisdino@earthlink.net</A>></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Sent: Aug 19, 2007 12:15 PM</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">To: Stephen Buckingham <<A href="mailto:buckingham@sonic.net">buckingham@sonic.net</A>></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Subject: Tchoupitolas...not a time for levity.....</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">-<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">....We are all still in shock......sad....I am,....at times teary eyed ..... as I recount this story....</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">We got the gun the first race but there were only two boats....anti-climactic after the Nationals....but I didn't expect a big turn out and wanted to hold Tchoups place in the standings.....It was blowing 30, gusting to 35.....Bayview YC had called a series of courses that had us finishing first...needing to killing time, figuring that as normally happens, after all the boats finish...the new sequence would start ....realizing that boats were still finishing, after coming back to the starting area, not wanting to miss it.....we went down toward the leeward mark 31, to get out of harms way and finishing boats......so around # 31 we hear on the radio that the race committee is making a deal with "cloud 9", who has showed up for the second race, (we don't know what happened to the blue tuna who started the first race with us, it looked from a distance that they had jib halyard problems)..... because it's supposedly the only Santana, to start with the Alerons in 5 min.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>(in not so many words)....So...I hail the byc boat and remind them that Chappy is still out<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>and planning to do race 2 also, so the race committee hails back and says, "okay no worries, come on up to the starting area and we will take it from there".....so as the byc requested we came about and headed for the starting area which was typical for the south bay set up.....close hauled and getting knocked down while pinching with cars back, traveler all the way<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>down, and full out haul.....we headed back up planning to make it in two tacks to the committee boat.....after tacking on the lay line onto starboard I figured we'd reach the Byc boat in about 10 -15 minutes and see what the byc had planned for us to do.....I was a little surprised by the protocol change in the first place....so we settled in on starboard tack for a while still getting hit by puffs, pinching, as heavy as we could all get.....little did we know there was a Benetau 37/40? coming up at 7-10 kts. on port tack to the lay line we were on ....still finishing!!!! They were all heavy and not looking....I suppose because for them, as for us, it was difficult to look for traffic, the conditions being what they were..... and not expecting any ........ as healed as we were and as heavy as we were all trying to be...we would<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>yaw and get knocked when I came off the rail, even as I pinched........ All I remember was the bow of the Benetau coming at me in the cockpit....it stopped us cold, took down the mast, tore out the barney post, the port cubby area....with the mainsheet detached.... I was in the water instantly, amongst sails and rigging<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>holding on to chappy....eventually making my way to the transom and climbing in with a hand from Ted. The crew was<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>okay (thank god, no one was bleeding or<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>badly hurt, but we were all shook up) but in a panic, so I took over the<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>cutting and lashing process and we began assessing the damage....were we going down? <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Could chappy make it home? <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Somebody get an ID on that boat! Our rig was all over their bow as well, Ted managed to put the motor on but it was doubtful if we could use it due to the tangle of lines and rigging under the boat... ... eventually we got things lashed and tied down.....the big Benetau was circling<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>and offered us a tow that I stoically accepted, it made the most sense....so I fixed a towline and tossed it .....somebody said the racing had been cancelled.....and we began the long tow home ......luckily it wasn't blowing as bad in the slot.....we all felt sick from what had happened.....I was able to get into some dry clothes and our minds then went on to "what happens next?"<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Conjecture was rampant so I advised calm.....we were on Starboard.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>The skipper Kennedy from the Benetau was a gentleman, towed us back to brickyard and came up with his crew with hands outstretched and apologizing,"I'm so sorry" he said ,"no worries, I am insured etc."... and they invited us for a beer...which we declined to sort things out.... We on chappy realized we we lucky not to have been badly hurt.....But it was slim consolation as I surveyed the damages amongst shredded sails and mayhem of mast and rig.....but ol' Chappy had gotten us home! "It's probably totaled", somebody said. And I'm sure from an insurance perspective it is.....but having resurrected a Santana before....realize she can be fixed and possibly, hopefully , be the better for it......I hang onto that thought.....but the seasons over for chappy.....all this stuff takes a while to sort out.....</DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">.....So I decided to not square her away but to leave her as was, to facilitate insurance assessment etc. .........She's up on the trailed in a heap....and now begins the task of sorting it all out......" the resurrection of Chappy"....I hope.....</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Then ....there is the fact that she's a vintage racing boat....and her worth is less than the individual cost of her parts...(from an insurance point of view)...shredded new sails....mast.....rig....to name a few......I guess old Tchoupitolis was out there representing fleet #1. We have a lot invested in ol' chappy as you all well know yourselves...in regard to your Tunas.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Thanks for all the support we have gotten so far from the fleet......we're going to need it......</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">.....Chris Giovacchini 5044 Tchoup....</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>