The sight of balloons in the morning sky is never a good omen to the start of a sailing day. This combined with a localized high pressure area, forecast temperatures around 106, and a road closure on the way to the lake would not deter me from my first sail with my recently acquired M17. I finally managed to launch and catch the last 45 minutes of the dying morning breeze and then slatted around for the next hour in the most powerboat chop I have experienced in several years. I retired to a cove and jumped in the lake to cool off and spent the rest of the day hiding out under the bimini and sun shade. In short, the sailing was sweet, however short. Having just come from a 26 footer, the responsiveness was quite refreshing. In some respects, much like the first time I sailed my 7' Fatty Knees (former boat) the first time. Everything worked, although I needed some "retraining" to see where everything was. The only failures were the topping lift (that I considered replacing when I inspected the rigging the day before) and a sticking centerboard. Last weeks thread on sticking centerboards will be helpful. The 106 degree temperature took its toll it terms of fatigue and I may not be as eager to do that "first sail" experience soon, but it certainly has whet my appetite for another sail when the weather is a little more comfortable. Steve Shenkel M17 #269 (Unnamed)