CRAM is a group of catamaran sailors ranging from first-year beginners to
National Champions. We are geared towards having fun through racing. Our
organization consists of two primary fleets (groups of 4 or more of the same
boat) as of 2024 – Hobie 16s and Formula 18s. However! As an open club, we
invite and encourage any beach catamaran to race with us! Much can be learned
by simply showing up. And your first regatta is free, so what do you have to
lose? We are a family-oriented club. We have mixed crew, father-daughter,
husband-wife teams, teenagers to senior sailors. Kids and dogs on the beach are
in no short supply.
We are a non-profit club that organizes 8 to 10 weekend regattas a year.
We don't have a brick-and-mortar clubhouse or any of the furnishings, but we do
own all the gear required (including a Boston Whaler committee boat) to run a
top-notch regatta. We sail in some of the most beautiful areas of Michigan; the
sand dune shores of Manistee, just north of the Mackinac Straights in the UP, crystal-clear
Higgins Lake just to name a few. We normally sail out of campgrounds and State
Parks for easy camping, but hotels and motels are normally nearby. Motorhomes are
popular with the club.
The atmosphere is conducive to fun for the whole family. If you are new
to racing, come on out. We have plenty of members who are more than happy to
help you through the learning process. You will cut years off the learning
curve. Our regattas are typically two-day (weekend) events, though a couple of
larger 3-day regattas are on the schedule. On Saturday nights the group gets
together for some sort of meal and camaraderie.
A CRAM membership includes reduced regatta fees and voting rights for club decisions. Please consider joining! We think you'll find that we are a very laid back, but competitive, group of people who gather to enjoy racing and the social aspects of catamaran sailing. If you need more detailed information, our officers can be emailed at any time. Our Facebook link can be found on the homepage.
If you have a beach catamaran, you can race. If there are less than four
boats of the same type, they race in our Open Fleet. In this fleet, all boats
start together and are timed for each race. Your score is corrected using a
correction factor established by the Small Catamaran Handicap Rating System
(SCHRS). Using this system, a Hobie 14 can race against an A-Cat and win. It
may sound complicated, but it is quite simple. You don't do anything but show
up and race. Our scoring team does the rest.
Hopefully
you have made a few connections within the group. If not, it’s important to
email the Commodore, let him/her know it’s your first event, so you can be put
in touch with a few folks to help answer any questions you might have.
As you can see from our Regatta schedule, we travel throughout Michigan for
most of our events. We’ve been doing this for a while, so we’ve pretty
much nailed down the best spots. If you have decided to stay at the
recommended campground, a different one, or even a motel/hotel, the first thing
you will probably want to do is find out where to drop off your boat.
Don’t rely on the campground personnel to know this.
Usually, on Friday, a few of us will already be there and have rigged our
boats for an afternoon sail. Unless you’re an early riser, it’s probably
a good idea for you to do the same. This is a good opportunity to meet people so
don’t be surprised if someone stops by to say hello and lend a hand. Everyone
is very friendly and helpful.
The Competitors Meeting is a great time to ask questions. The Commodore
will conduct the briefing, so it’s important that you and your crew be there to
find out race details and any other important information about the conditions
or venue.
See you on the water!
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