As many of you know GSC and the Mutineer Fleet #2 are hosting the 2014 Mutineer Nationals. This will be the second time GSC has hosted Nationals here on Lake Grapevine. The first time was before we had a fleet. The event is planned for October 6th through October 10th 2014. Sailors from all across the country will trailer their Mutineer 15s to sail here in Texas. The first time they came was in 2011. At the time there was only one Mutineer Sailor who was a member of our club but we had 13 boats attend from eleven states that year. After the Nationals the Mutineer bug took hold and began to grow locally. Today we have more Mutineer 15s in our club than the total number of boats who raced here in 2011. We think we should have 20 to 25 boats racing here in October with at least 10 to 12 of those boats coming from our local Mutineer Fleet #2. As you read this I hope you will plan to be one of the other 10 to 15 who will enter. Bring your boat and your fleets and Boogie Back to Texas for the Mutineer Roundup!

A few weekends ago on July 20th Mutineer Fleet #2 had a Mutineer Guest Skipper Day. We invited racing skippers from the Grapevine Sailing Club to come and skipper a Mutineer 15. Out Goal was to attract new boat owners to Fleet #2. We had nine Sailors except the challenge and we had nine boat owners bring boats and agree to be crew for each guest. It was a fun filled day and some of the best Mutineer racing I have seen on our lake. We ended up with a three way tie at the end of the day.
Boats, Owners and Guest Skippers began arriving about 08:30 am Sunday morning. Everyone pitched in to rig the boats before the Skippers meeting at 09:30 am. The skippers meeting was short but the most important part was assigning boats. We put each boat owners name in a hat and each Guest Skipper drew their boat for the day with the boat owner as their crew. Boats began leaving the beach at the conclusion of the skippers meeting and headed out for an 11 am start time.
I believe Mike Lipari was the only skipper in the group who had any Mutineer experience at all and I know that was less than a couple of hours. So, everyone else used the hour before start time as their first and only practice time. I think the first start was absolutely the best one of the day. Every boat came off the line and the racing was tight all the way to the first mark. The first race also saw some of the best wind of the day as well. I cant remember a blow by blow of each leg of every race but what I can tell you is the competition was exciting. We saw many lead changes at every position from the front of the fleet all the way to the back of the fleet.
Our goal when we headed out was to complete 3 to 5 races. But, because we set a course based on the starting wind condition our first race took more time than we expected. Initially it looked like 1 mile legs would work just fine. The problem was the wind began dying just before we completed our first time around so it was too late to shorten. After the first race we shorten up but still only got in 2 more races before 3:30 pm. It was time to head in to put the boats away and party.
Here are the results of the 3 races. It seems like the top sailors in the group are the same people we see at the top of all of our local GSC racing events as well. What are your thoughts on why these same people are so lucky?

Results: http://www.regattatech.com/events/GSC/MuttSkip14/results

10. Great opportunity to wear your cowboy attire.

9. Meet a gang of friendly sailors who are more than willing to share their knowledge and experience.

8. Have your Mutineer inspected by an expert in maintenance and repair he shares many great safety and performance upgrades with each boat owner.

7. Enjoy the legendary hospitality that Texans and the Grapevine Sailing Club offers.

6. Reinforce your knowledge of the Racing Rules of Sailing with the opportunity to ask questions.

5. Sail on the same course with some of the legends of the Mutineer Class. Even though you are entered in the Silver Fleet, you will be able to measure you skills on the water against these legends.

4. Learn a ton about your Mutineer, sailing and racing in a friendly, supportive environment.

3. Enjoy a Texas BBQ (brisket was served last time that melted in our mouths) prepared by the top Texas BBQ Connoisseur in Texas.

2. Meet like minded sailors with the emphasis on having fun (keep in mind the alternative may be working - yikes!)

1. Everything is BIG in Texas and that includes the BIG TIME you will enjoy at MNC 2014.

As of today 11 entries from 5 states. Looking for more entries from: Florida, Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, South Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, California, Arizona - who did I miss?

Here is the link to register https://www.regattatech.com/websites/action/showEventHome?clubCode=GSC&eventCode;=MutineerNats14

Here is the link to lodging/camping information and much more http://mutineer15.org/mnc-2014.html

Hope to see you on the water!

Jerry Thompson
MCA, #7004

I attended my first nationals in 2010 after it was on the verge of being canceled. It was good to put a face on those yahoo email address. I decided to invite everyone down to Grapevine Lake for the 40th Anniversary of the Mutineer. It was a big success! I was the only mutt on Grapevine, and we had a total of 13 boats attend. So far this year we have 11, many who call Grapevine their home lake.

Come for the tight racing, great camaraderie, great food and our wonderful location.

Chad Harris

I bought my first Mutineer in the summer of 2009 and wondered if racing was for me. I am definitely a rookie, but I'm a competitive person by nature. Without knowing anyone, I drove from Michigan down to Nationals in Alabama that fall. I had a great time with the people and was lucky enough to be able to crew for Patty for some of the week. Since that year, I've only missed Nationals once - last year (due to my 25th reunion).

I've only taken my own boat once (down to Texas in 2011), I've always crewed for others. I've learned so much from the different Skippers that I've sailed with. Even if you're not a serious racer, I highly recommend attending Nationals. Not many other sports allow you to compete with and learn from the best in their sport/class.

I'm looking forward to another great Nationals this year in Texas!

Lisa Adams

Last year was my first exposure to Nationals. Ill do my top five reasons to attend:

1. I learned more about rigging and setting up my boat in two days than I had learned in two years.
2. The starts were incredible. No Lasers or Melges or Snipes cluttering up the line. Game on!
3. So what! We blew some starts, missed some tacks, sailed the wrong course. Plenty of opportunity to learn and do it all over again.
4. How the hell are they doing that? Pointing higher, quicker sail sets, positioning around the marks. You get to see some really good sailors making the most of the wind, course and boats.
5. Sundowners. When its all over you get to relive the day. Talk about what you did right, what you can do different. With a great group of folks that share your passion.
Greg Larson

I'm really looking forward to my Boogie Back to Texas.
I've sailed in every Mutineer Nationals since 2002. This will be my lucky 13th MNC.

I plan my summers around this event. Every year I look forward to seeing old friends (some of whom are getting older and older, myself included). MNC truly is a Reunion. Come once, and you'll look forward to seeing your new friends in the future.

I am impressed each year with the increasing skills of the sailors. Come to MNC and you will improve your sailing in a week as much or more than you would day sailing all year long.

There are many friendly, knowledgeable people at MNC. Get any question answered, from which line is best to use for a mainsheet or a full length halyard, to the best technique for slow smoking beef brisket.

A Buccaneer sailor many years ago said going to Nationals was a chance to sail in new, world class venues. If we were golfers we'd dream about playing Pebble Beach. This is a chance to sail on beautiful Lake Grapevine out of a secure harbor, and spend the week at friendly Grapevine Sailing Club which has wonderful facilities.

In Colorado today it's 50 degrees and raining. At Grapevine the first week of October it's blue skies, steady breezes and averages a high of 81 degrees, with water temperature in the 80's. People pay big bucks to go the Caribbean for sailing in weather like that.

See y'all in Texas!
Gib Charles

In 1980 Carol and I had to sell our Mutineer as we were starting a business and a family. In the notice of race sent out by the Highland Park IL Yacht Club they included a little personal challenge for me to attend. No longer having a boat I borrowed a hull that had been insurance totaled and begged borrowed all the parts I needed to attend.

I am going to try and see if this works in 2014. I want to challenge Dave Z in IL, Dave R in MI, Dave C. In England, Ricardo in IL, Brad in IA, Charles in MO, Marvin in AL, Tate in AL, Peter in CO, Sandy in CA, and Rey in TX to come join us. If I have left anybody out come up to me in Texas and say "Hey you forgot me!!!"

Come on and Boogie back to Texas!