[C320-list] OFFICEBEARERS AND NEW BOATS

[Len]

Yes, my understanding is that the C320 layup makes it the sturdiest
32-footer built.

Len
Aqua5  #1070


On 7/23/06, Tbuilder at aol.com <Tbuilder at aol.com> wrote:
>
> 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)
>
>