John M, nice job thanking all the volunteers!

As for constructive help, trapezoids are the way to go with mixed fleets. The more diverse the designed boat speeds, the more creative you need to be with placing finish lines, etc.

I have some examples of modified traps that have worked well in Newport, if anyone is interested let me know.

As John and Matt mentioned, these courses are super-resource-intensive. Three outstanding mark boats is a bare minimum for effective traps.

Mid-course S/F lines need to go the way of the dodo for all the reasons mentioned here (and others). Of course, if you're short on power boats, it's one good way to keep an eye on everyone (safety).

Mike