<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Joe,<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Welcome to the list. Yes, the Tuna folks do have fun and sail a lot. I think the Fleet qualified 8 boats in this year's YRA Championship Series. In addition boats are active in the SSS, a "Spinnaker Series comprised of some HDA races and some regattas like the Great Pumpkin, other One-of-a-Kind Regattas/Races, and of course yacht club beer can races. There were 4 boats sailing in the Sausalito YC's Tuesday Nite Series this Summer. There were boats sailing in the Estuary Twilight Races, too.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>As you probably know, racing-wise October is a slow month. Mid-Winter racing begins in November and I'm sure we can get you a ride, perhaps even a regular one, on a boat in one of the Mid-Winters. I don't know if the Fleet plans another informal day of racing/training before then. I'll certainly put your name and email address on my potential crew list for the Mid-Winters (SYC, GGYC, CYC). I hope one or more East Bay boats will do the same for the BYC, EYC, and other East Bay Mid-Winter series.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>As you also probably know, buying and maintaining a Santana 22 is pretty inexpensive compared to boats in the 30-foot range. There are usually 1 or 2 pretty good boats on the market for well under $5,000. Sailing with 3 on the boat (including yourself) is not only less crew-list strain, it's downright fun because there are no "specialists." Lots of us even go with 3 in the boat for spinnaker races.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Then there's the idea of keeping the boat on a trailer (I do). It costs me about $135 a month to keep a boat on a trailer in Sausalito. I think dry berths in the Estuary are even less expensive. Dry sailing eliminates the annual haul out/bottom expenses, eliminates bottom cleaning before each race day, and I think it probably easier on the boat since it sits still the 6 days you're not sailing it each week.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Keep coming back to the website and ask any questions you might have. I'm sure you'll get answers (sometimes contradictory, but you will get answers!).</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Pat Broderick</DIV><DIV>"Elaine" Hull #245 (celebrating its 40th Birthday this year)</DIV><DIV>Former Santana 22 Fleet #1 Captain and current YRA Chairman</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On Sep 27, 2007, at 5:04 PM, Joe Ferrie wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV>I started subscribing to this list a couple of weeks ago, and it certainly seems like you tuna folks are having a lot of fun.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I own a J/29 that I raced actively for several years, but gradually burned out on it because of the expense and the difficulty of maintaining a crew of 7-8. I miss racing though, and the idea of sailing one-design with a small crew on a stiff boat with dacron sails is very appealing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If anybody has an open spot in an upcoming race or practice, I'd like to give it a try.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>-- Joe Ferrie</DIV> <DIV>(eve) 510-644-8173</DIV> <DIV>(day) 925-694-3549</DIV><DIV> <BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><HR size="1">Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story.<BR> <A href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48224/*http://sims.yahoo.com/">Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. </A><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">_______________________________________________</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Tuna mailing list</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="mailto:Tuna@myfleet.org">Tuna@myfleet.org</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://myfleet.org/mailman/listinfo/tuna">http://myfleet.org/mailman/listinfo/tuna</A></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>