[C320-list] OFFICEBEARERS AND NEW BOATS

[Tbuilder at aol.com]

Hi guys and girls, an interesting thread re worldwide office bearers. I  have 
often felt that, stuck out in a very remote but very beautiful  part one of 
the very last Colonies - ie Scotland - I get a lot of the  various Catalina 
websites - but give almost nothing back in return - apart  from the odd article 
in Mainsheet about crazy trips to Norway and Fastnet Races.  We do have a very 
small COA in UK but most - but not all - owners are based on  the South Coast 
of England.  I feel that the main leadership impetus must  come from the US - 
like most things in this world of ours!! - but I wonder if a  possible 
solution might be to appoint a Rear Commodore(Overseas) who  would attempt to foster 
a more international image. There are after all Catalina  Owners all over the 
world and I think that Catalina HQ is only slowly wakening  up to the fact 
that the boats can sell like hot cakes anywhere - not only  in North America. I 
read - with considerable envy - in Mainsheet about all  the fantastic sounding 
rallies which are organised in the US. Sometime I will  get there!!!  And of 
course if you fancy a rally in UK......
 
We get a remarkable number of world citizens visiting our Centre but the  
great majority don't have time to charter one of our yachts but maybe hire a  
canoe or dinghy for an hour or so. However the very first charter on our new 320  
was for a family from New Zealand who had been corresponding and planning 
their  cruise amongst the islands of the West Coast of Scotland for over a  year. 
 They had a brilliant time in fantastic weather.
 
I, like Annie, have just taken delivery of our second 320 #1081 was  ordered 
at the Southampton Boat Show in September 2005 and arrived on the South  Coast 
- about 2 months behind schedule - on 25 April 2006. My previous 320 #212  
was a 1994 model (she had sailed over 50,000 miles) and I see a huge number  of 
improvements and enhancements and a small number of disappointing items all  
of which have been easily fixed for a few pounds.
 
I too charter and teach RYA courses so my boats have to be annually  surveyed 
by HM Coastguard and the Department of Transport. This examination was  
completed with absolutely no significant problems and I am really surprised  at 
Annie's problems. When one considers the weight of a Catalina hull compared  with 
European competitors such as Bavaria or Beneteau the Catalina lay up must  be 
almost 50% greater. I would add that the hull layup and scantlings also had  
to be checked by the RORC before FIGMENT II was allowed to enter the 1997 and  
1999 Fastnet Races.
 
If Annie can give us any more details that information would be most  
interesting.
 
Regards to all
Alec Blanc
FIGMENT III #1081
Ballachulish
Scotland
_www.lochaberwatersports.co.uk_ (http://www.lochaberwatersports.co.uk)