GYA Viper Demo Weekend(s) in the GYA June 13,14

[Craig Wilusz]

The Gulf Yachting Association is finding two demo weekends June 12, 14. 

Dan Tucker, Mason Sheen, and Johnny Ballentin are in Mississippi for the Chandler Regatta giving demos and bring the joys of breezy Viper sailing to the folks of the Mississippi Coast.  Winds exceeding 24 knots had Johnny B's Viper doing what it does best, bring the speed easiness and smiles of Viper sailing to new faces and friends.  More sailing in Mississippi Sunday.

Elsewhere in the GYA...

Though not quite a demo weekend in Fort Walton, Florida.  Three Vipers are sailing in Fort Walton Yacht Club's Billy Bowlegs Regatta.  12 PHRF spin boats are raing shour .65 mile legs twice around this weekend.  Boats range from a J22, Merit 25, Ultimate, 20, Vipers, J27, Frers 33, Tripp 26, J90.  In one of the races a J90 and Viper got into a gybing duel going into the bottom mark, with the Viper coming out ahead at the bottom turn.  As of Saturday a borrowed Rondar Demo Viper is on top of the leaderboard in the 12 boat mixed fleet.  Racing continues today, Sunday.........

[Craig Wilusz]

Meanwhile in Fort Walton...

A borrowed Rondar Boats Viper 640 sailed by a team from Saint Andrews Bay YC, Panama City, Florida,  ended up taking the Bowlegs Regatta in Fort Walton, PHRF.  5 Races, all W/L twice around, ranging from Tripp 26's, J27, J90, J22, U-20, two other Viper 640's, Frers 33, Santana 30/30GP, and a Merit 25 in spin fleet.  This was a practice race leading up to the GYA Challenge Cup at Gulfport Yacht Club, Mississippi next weekend. 

Nice seabreeze all weekend long.  At times the three Vipers were neck and neck around the race course.  Comments by the team that borrowed the boat:

"Fun boat, I love it"
"For sure the only choice the GYA can make"
"I can't wait for the GYA to pick this boat, not only will I get back into Capedevielle, but I can take this to other clubs for OD stuff and PHRF stuff too"
" I want one, I want my friends to have one"

[Ed "Buttons" Padin, Class Administrator]

Gulf Yachting Association Update
Submitted by Dan Tucker, Rondar Raceboats

Thirty-seven days from today, on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend in the US, the Gulf Yachting Association (GYA) member clubs will vote to select a new GYA inter-club boat, choosing between the Viper 640 and the VX One. Viper owners Johnny & Lauren Ballatin (#178) and Don & Tracey Faircloth (#196) along with Gulf area Viper dealer Gulf Performance Sailing (Deb & Craig Wilusz, #100) and Rondar intern Mason Sheen have been working very hard to win the vote for the Viper. They've taken countless GYA sailors out on demo rides, talked to sailors at regattas, yacht clubs, and emailed and called endlessly, lobbying hard for the Viper.

Rondar Raceboats and the Viper Class Association submitted the official bid paperwork to the GYA selection committee in advance of the July 17 deadline. With both bids being released to the public, we learned that the Viper bid was quite competitive, with the introductory pricing being nearly $3000 less than VX. While the GYA specified a required equipment package to bid on, the Viper bid is very competitive as our package included choice of our standard OEM sailmaker options of Doyle-Boston, North & Ullman, while the competing bid specified low-cost, less competitive Intensity Sails.

With the clock ticking down to the decision, we have been invited to an official GYA question and answer session on Saturday August 1 in Gulfport, MS. Following that, Johnny and I will be meeting with clubs across the region to make a final pitch for the Viper.

It has been an all-out battle to win this important vote, which will determine which boat enjoys dominant growth across the Gulf region of the US. While there's no scientific polling of the 32 yacht clubs, we're cautiously optimistic that the Viper is leading the vote, and will prevail in the vote on September 5.

Stay tuned to the Viper and Rondar Facebook pages for the result of the vote.

[John Learmonth]

Good Luck guys, I hope you get it. I wish we had that price advantage over here in Australia.

[Cole Constantineau]

Thanks for the update Buttons!  Just looking at the two bids, the Rondar/Viper form looks really great, offering a 2 year pricing window (1 beyond what was requested and offered by VXone), and financing options (none for the VX).  BTW..might want to double check the sliding scale on the 2 year pricing window..I think the prices are reversed...

I'm Looking forward to the vote!  You guys have put in some great work down there from what I've seen!

[Dan Tucker]

Thanks Cole. I don't want to say much in detail (the walls have ears!), but a number of people are working very hard.

30 days to the vote.