I sometimes race sailboats here in Memphis. We use a handicap system because not everyone owns the same type boat. Different boats mean everyone spreads out based on the speed of their craft. So you don’t know how well you’ve sailed until later. I’ve also raced whats called “one design”. All boats are identical. This way, the only difference is the skill or ability of the skipper. Its waaaay more fun.
Tommy and I have 29" unicycles that perform well on this crosscountry racecourse. I can circumnavigate the course in about 80% of the time it takes on 24" MUni. But since most everybody else has 24" MUnis, I suggest that we all use that machine. Then its skipper vs skipper. Yaaar.
As Memphis Mud and I discussed, I’m up for anything - 29 or 24. Head-to-head competition is a lot of fun and I’ll be happy to ride my 24 but I’m stuck with 170 cranks. I’m can’t buy new Profiles just for this race.
Please make plans to attend a uni-get-together on Saturday night, April 3rd. We were thinking of doing an easy lap of the course on Saturday afternoon and then gathering for a video fest at one of the MUCsters’ houses. If there are folks arriving on Friday noght or early Saturday morning I’ll be happy to host a morning ride on Sat. a.m., too.
I’m really looking forward for everybody that can engineer it to come to Memphis and ride and celebrate with us.
I will be sure to bring sone of the rare DVD’s I have in my collection. Also Chirokid and I both plan on coming in on Friday. I plan on leaving Atlanta early and should be there midday Friday. Keith(Chirokid) should be there later in the evening. So a Saturday ride would be great, we were expecting a little tour of Memphis by Uni.
As for cranks, I have a KH24 with 170’s. Is the trail flat? I am guessing by your post that something shorter would be fine.
That’s great that you are making the trek on Friday. We’ll have a great time. We have many unicycling options on Friday night and Saturday morning. I was hoping that we could gather at some point at my house where we could play on my trials gear - should we all decide. Memphis Mud and I are excited to host this uni-gathering and provide whichever uni-ops that folks want.
Yes, the course is mostly flat - this is the Delta.
I haven’t sailed in a while, but I used to really like handicap races… I sailed a slower boat than most of the rest of the field, and it was a great challenge to see how long you could stay in front of faster boats using tactics rather than straight line speed. I think that greatly improved my racing skills, working out how to use the rules to get in the way as much as possible …
Yesterday I picked-up some Wolfman Duathlon registration forms. If you would like to get the early-entry price ($25) I can send you the registration form. I don’t believe they are available on-line. Early-entry deadline is March 29th. The price goes up to $30 after the 29th. This event is a fund raiser for the Alzheimer’s Association of Memphis.
Not too far OT. I know what you mean. But I race a Laser (one of the faster boats) and usually after about one or two marks, we leave the slower boats behind along with most of what I call the real fun. Then its the lone sailor and the wind. Its fine and all. But I really enjoy elbow to elbow tactical sailboat competition. I cut you off or give you bad air. You beat me to the mark. “Starbooooard!!”, “Looooooooowaaaard!!”, “Room at the maaark!!”
Thats the game.
