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Good news Peter.  This years nationals are at Port Hunter.
 The club is offering free camping at the club & there is plenty of
other accommodation in the area.  Boats can be left at the club to help
those who choose to travel each day.  2nd Jan to the 8th.  Please
spread the word re  nationals venues I think it needs to be pointed out that the committee has a
very difficult task in finding host clubs.  The simple fact is that clubs
either want to charge a fortune or simply don't want to us.  For example we
approached Belmont YC & their response was something like $5k.  This is
out of our league.  Our old favourite Sunshine has declined us for the next
2 years because they are booked out.  Last year we formally tried to
contact Saratoga many times via vaious mediums & got no response.  I
know in the past we have approached Gosford & might have done so last year.
  As time passes the committee eventually will select a club that is
  actually keen on having us.  Hence the venues for the past 5 or 6 years.   
Re Firestorm,  I don't want to reignite the debate over the
boat again but I would like to remind everyone that it is built from the
association hull mould.  One of the main reasons went for or own deck was
$.  Our fully completed hull, including painting,  cost <$10k.
 Quotes from boatbuilders using the deck mould were $16k.  I simply
couldn't afford another $6k.  I also enjoy the 'engineering' side of boats.
 I want fast but reliable.  From our experience we considered any
potential problems with the boats & engineered them out.  So far we
have enjoyed 5 seasons sailing the boat hard & have had no breakages (until
porobably next weekend).  I don't have templates but I'd be more than happy
to show anyone building a boat where the frames should go & how to construct
a deck.  Ours was easy.  It is just fully laid up 8 x 4 sheets of
foam, that are then cut with a jig saw& glued in the
hull. 
Regards 
John H