Dear constant reader,
You may recall when I posted about last year's Mid-Winter Classic Moth Boat Regatta down in Gulfport, FL that I included a couple of pix of a very forlorn looking Mistral Moth. The more sensitive viewers may wonder what came of the poor old dear.
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| The ex-Scott Sandell Mistral Holland Tunnel Nr 77. |
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| Looking very down at the heel. Was she cannibalized for parts and then quietly cut up and thrown in the tip? |
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Well, I can report that the old girl has found a new owner (Joe, sorry didn't get the last name) and a new vision as a potential entrant for the 2015 edition of the
Everglades Challenge Race.
Moth sailor Jeff Linton has entered this year's 300 mile event with a much modified Flying Scot (aka:
FrankenScot). His adventure beings off Fort De Soto Park this Saturday (1st of March). You can read about his race
here. The boats will carry GPS trackers. For those
wishing to follow Jeff's progress,
FrankenScot is a Class 4 boat and Jeff's Water Tribe name is Captain TwoBeers.
Meanwhile, get a load of the new
Holland Tunnel.
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| She's now a trimaran. |
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| Note the bowsprit and asymmetric chute. |
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| Very pretty from this angle with just 5 knots of breeze. |
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| Port side view. The amas provide stability for the tippy Mistral hull. |
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| A bit of splash from the leeward ama in this photo. |
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| Along side of Walt Collins' Europe. Some of the CMBA members would love to have that fat head mainsail. |
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| Nice looking conversion. |
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| With the chute furled the skipper can keep the amas out of the water. |
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| Love the red sails. |
Holland Tunnel's new owner indicated that old HT is the test bed for his planned 2015 Challenge entry. He entered a 100 mile race up in Jacksonville. That race was cancelled but he sailed the hundred miles away to see how she handled. He'll continue to sail her as a trial horse to see what breaks and what needs modification over the course of this year. His entry for next year's Challenge Race will have a fiberglass hull, also based on the Mistral Moth design.
Great photos George, so nice to see the before and after shots. Joe (Frohock) is an inspiration for anyone worried about getting too old to do crazy stuff. He said he is 68 and he and his wife figure they ought to use their golden years to take on more risky adventures since they're no longer responsible for taking care of kids, etc. Got to admire that philosophy; one less couple for the nursing home.
ReplyDeleteHey John--thanks for supplying Joe's last name. The photos are Elisabeth's. Lennie Parker also took some good ones.
ReplyDeleteJoe not only adventures on water, he's a serious trekker -- he hiked the Inca trail recently, and he does it all with a big helping of enthusiasm. What a hero!
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that this year's event was cancelled after the start. I was glad to hear that Joe apparently had no problems with the Mistral tri-maran. and that there was no loss of life.
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