Thursday night Rick and I went to the organizational meeting for next year's I-LYA Bay Week Regatta. At stake was not just the need to revitalize this regatta, which has been an institution on Lake Erie for well over a century, but to SAVE the regatta from extinction.

At least 30 people showed up for this important meeting, which lasted more than three hours and yielded much valuable input. It was great to see so many people committed to getting this regatta, which used to be the biggest freshwater regatta in the country, back on its feet.

By the way, this regatta is for all sailboats, big and small, monohull and multihull, handicap and one-design. Rick and I were there to sort of represent the small-boat racing, which includes centerboard monohulls, beach cats, and sailboards.

Nobody likes to go to meetings, but I can now see how important it is for people to get involved on the organizational level.