Sail Oklahoma event Columbus weekend

[Cedric Rhyn]

This small boat messabout is only in its second year, and it looks as though they could have upwards of a hundred boats there this year.
Heres a posting I copied from Hostess Jackie Monies on Sail Oklahomas yahoo group

Wish I was going, Three top small boat designers to talk to, 100 boats to drool over, the Puddleduck Racer worlds, and Jackie Monies' cookout.

Cedric

>> Exciting news! We will have three famous small boat designers, John Welsford of New Zealand, Jim Michalak of Illinois, and Graham Byrnes of North Carolina, all participating in Sail Oklahoma! this October. Their boats and builders will be featured all weekend along with the designers, who will participate in all activities.

From October 6 through October 10, builders and sailors will have the opportunity to not only meet the famed designers but sail, eat and talk with them- a rare opportunity. On Friday nite, October 7 we will have a campfire program called "Ask the Designers Night"- sort of a Town Hall with boat questions.

Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SailOklahoma/ for more information or to register to attend. This is a free event, open to anyone, a boat is not necessary to come!

We invite owners of all Welsford, Michalak or B and B boats to bring their boats to Sail Oklahoma! However, if you just WANT to build a boat, you are welcome to come and join us. There are lots of boats to see, talk about, look at, take photos of. You are certainly welcome to bring a boat by another designer as well. All boats are welcomed along with their owners/sailors.

Come join us.

Jackie and Mike Monies-hosts

[John Bell]

I'm thinking about going and taking my CS17.

[trefor]

Last year was a lot of fun. I hate to be missing it this year. -Trevor

[trefor]

(Bump)

Like I said, sadly, I can't make it. But anyone within driving distance should check it out. I think there were about 30-35 boats last year. This year is supposed to be two or three times bigger. There's a lot of nice people involved.

Trevor

[David G]

In John Welsford and Graham Byrnes - you'll have two of my favorite designers. It sounds like quite the extravaganza. Wish I could attend, but the Goat Island Skiff mob will be ably represented by Bob Wessell and John Goodman (in the first GIS yawl).

[John Bell]

I was going to go, but my wife broke her leg pretty badly playing tennis and it was not practical for me to be gone so long. Sounds like a terrific event though.

[BobW]

Sail Oklahoma was a fun, fun, FUN weekend! Lots of boats, lots of great people and a LOT of excellent food! I'll wait for the official count of both people and boat - but there were plenty of both.

David... the burgee went south to Texas.

Bob

[BobW]

Sail Oklahoma was a great time!

Here's an idea: plan ahead for next year's messabout. With 12 months to work on it you could probably get Congress and God to agree to it. <G>

Bob

[trefor]

With all of the pics coming in on the Yahoo SailOklahoma forum, it looks like I really missed a fun event. I'm pretty jealous!

Trevor

[jantje]

@Cedric Rhyn

I can´t get the link to work out on this computer....so I am wondering: WHERE in OKLAHOMA can You sail ?

The only areas I know, are Lake Elma Thomas and Lake Latonka.
Now You´re not going THERE are You ??

IF You are....ooohh boy! Take plenty of fishing gear as well ! ;-)

Cheers
Jantje

[BobW]

Sail Oklahoma takes place on Lake Eufaula. Says here it is Okalhoma's largest lake.

http://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.4330

Bob

[Bobby of Tulsa]

There is plenty of lakes to sail on in Okieland. Texoma,Eufaula,Wister,Keystone, Grandlake, Fort Gibson and Skiatook and thats just on one side of the state. Fishin is good too.

[MMonies]

Wish all of you had been here, especially those who planned and had life interfere with sailing.
It was almost indescribable fun, Indian Summer weather, still had water in the lake, lots of wind.

For those unfamiliar with Lake Eufaula, OK, it is largest lake in the U.S. contained within the borders of its' state, the sixth largest lake in U.S. after the Great Lakes, which makes it the 14th largest if my math and mind are still working.

We had two Goat Island Skiffs, the infamous Red Scamp, the Michalak Laguna Dos, lots of rare Bolgers, numerous Michalaks, Welsfords and B and B boats, the most PuddleDuck Racers ever on a single body of water, around 35 we believe. Some trailer sailors in production boats. Counting all sizes of boats from 44 feet down to less than 8 feet, we had approximately 90+ boats and we believe around 150 people in attendance.

John Welsford, Graham Byrnes battled it out on the water and sailed almost every minute they were here. Jim Michalak sailed a lot as well, the three of them did a wonderful program for us in which they answere questions and discussed their views on building and designing boats.

There will be a special report in Duckworks Magazine on Sail Oklahoma! and we have thousands of photos in our albums at http://grous.yahoo.com/group/SailOklahoma/

This i an annual event we sponsor in our backyard and down at the beach by our house. Next year it will be over Columbus Day Weekend in October, 2012.

Jackie and Mike Monies/Hosts Sail Oklahoma!

[jantje]

Now look at That !!

I lived in Oklahoma a couple of years as a kid....went sailing and fishing around the area of Lawton and Fort Sill.....but I never knew that this oilpumping, cattlebreeding desert-state had such big waters !!
Interesting indeed !
It is never too late to learn something- it seems !

Jantje

[john welsford]

Sail Oklahoma was a blast! I counted around 120 people there on Saturday evening, all being fed ( remember this is a "free" event) by Jackie, Mike and their helpers. Boats from one end of the lovely sandy beach to the other, people out sailing from very early until dusk, and events happening on the water every day.
I hugely enjoyed meeting so many people whom I "knew" by email or reputation, sailed a Kiwi PDR "for real" for the first time ( I'd been out biefly on one the weekend before at Inks lake to show Lance her owner builder what it was all about) , and found that as I got a handle on it, it could be made to go pretty well. Well done Brad Hickman for his "World Championship" win, his well prepared boat and much practiced skills gave the rest of the fleet something to aspire to for future events.
Nice to see so many of my boats there, Jon with his prize winning Pathfinder and George with his brand new beautifully built Houdini were worth the trip on their own, and there were boats there ranging from really quick and dirty to absolutely beautiful, Gene Luegs Skiff America in particular being a stunner.
Sailing the Famous Red Scamp was great fun, she's faster than most would expect and feels like a much larger boat both in the way she sails and in the space on board, I spent a whole lot of time with WoodenBoat writer Tom Pamperin and feel that I've made a special friend there, as well as with so many others including Graham Byrnes and Jim Michalac, we three were the "Three Designers" up before the audience on Saturday night ( apologies to the "three tenors") .
What an event, huge credit and much thanks due to Jackie, Mike and all their helpers.

Put it on your calendar for next year, Columbus weekend, Lake Eufaula, OK. Be there!

John Welsford