Don Watson congratulates Bob Gleason, winner of the 1998 Season Trophy	Randy Smyth recounts some of his colorful adventures as a multihull sailor.
1998 NEMA Annual Meeting On February 21 about 100 enthusiastic multihullers gathered at the Weston Hotel in Waltham for the 1998 Annual Meeting and Dinner. Commodore Ira Heller and Race Chair Don Watson presented the yearly awards afterwich Randy Smyth, renouned Catamaran sailer entertained the audience with accounts of some of the highlights of his colorful career. 1998 NEMA Trophies The following NEMA members were presented with racing trophies: Season Trophy: First: Bob Gleason (Tri Me) Second: Keith Burrage (Skateaway) Third: Ira Heller and Sydney Miller (Mothra) Elapsed Time: Bob Gleason (Tri Me) Mileage: Deborah Druan (Toshiba) Moxie Trophy: Walter Green Randy Smyth Randy Smyth from Walton Beach Florida talked about some of his more interesting exploits as a multihull sailor. An Olympic Silver Medalist, Randy is one of the world's leading catamaran sailors. Winner of the Worrel 1000, a 10-day beach cat race from Ft. Lauderdale to Virginia Beach, Randy talked about the ups and downs of this race. Important things to remember, advised Randy, are to protect yourself from the sun and sail competitively at night. He also recommended wearing a dry suit for warmth with polypropylene underwear and socks underneath and sneakers on top. With the addition of a new zipper in a crucial spot, Randy said he could wear this all day and feel dry and comfortable. Randy then spoke about his adventures as "shadow skipper" for the Ghost Ship in the movie Water World. The ship was to appear as though it was sailing itself with Kevin Costner hanging on to the top of the mast. Randy was actually inside the boat steering blindly with the help of hidden cameras. Helicopters overhead filmed the action. In typical Hollywood fashion, Randy had to sail the boat over and over again in 35-knot winds and 8-foot waves, with Costner hanging on for his life on the top of the mast. After more than 3 hours of this abuse, Costner was finally lowered from his perch and quickly picked up by a launch. He was not seen or heard from for 3 days while he recovered from his ordeal. Bob Gleason asked Randy which style of multihull he liked better, cats or tris. He said that with a small cat, like a beach cat, the crew becomes the third ama which you can shift around to maximize your position. When you get to the size where your body weight makes no difference, he prefered a tri because it is more stable.

Don Watson congratulates Bob Gleason, winner of the 1998 Season Trophy

Randy Smyth recounts some of his colorful adventures as a multihull sailor.

1998 NEMA Annual Meeting

On February 21 about 100 enthusiastic multihullers gathered at the Weston Hotel in Waltham for the 1998 Annual Meeting and Dinner. Commodore Ira Heller and Race Chair Don Watson presented the yearly awards afterwich Randy Smyth, renouned Catamaran sailer entertained the audience with accounts of some of the highlights of his colorful career.

1998 NEMA Trophies

The following NEMA members were presented with racing trophies:

Season Trophy:
First: Bob Gleason (Tri Me)
Second: Keith Burrage (Skateaway)
Third: Ira Heller and Sydney Miller (Mothra)
Elapsed Time: Bob Gleason (Tri Me)
Mileage: Deborah Druan (Toshiba)
Moxie Trophy: Walter Green

Randy Smyth

Randy Smyth from Walton Beach Florida talked about some of his more interesting exploits as a multihull sailor. An Olympic Silver Medalist, Randy is one of the world's leading catamaran sailors. Winner of the Worrel 1000, a 10-day beach cat race from Ft. Lauderdale to Virginia Beach, Randy talked about the ups and downs of this race. Important things to remember, advised Randy, are to protect yourself from the sun and sail competitively at night. He also recommended wearing a dry suit for warmth with polypropylene underwear and socks underneath and sneakers on top. With the addition of a new zipper in a crucial spot, Randy said he could wear this all day and feel dry and comfortable.

Randy then spoke about his adventures as "shadow skipper" for the Ghost Ship in the movie Water World. The ship was to appear as though it was sailing itself with Kevin Costner hanging on to the top of the mast. Randy was actually inside the boat steering blindly with the help of hidden cameras. Helicopters overhead filmed the action. In typical Hollywood fashion, Randy had to sail the boat over and over again in 35-knot winds and 8-foot waves, with Costner hanging on for his life on the top of the mast. After more than 3 hours of this abuse, Costner was finally lowered from his perch and quickly picked up by a launch. He was not seen or heard from for 3 days while he recovered from his ordeal.

Bob Gleason asked Randy which style of multihull he liked better, cats or tris. He said that with a small cat, like a beach cat, the crew becomes the third ama which you can shift around to maximize your position. When you get to the size where your body weight makes no difference, he prefered a tri because it is more stable.

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