You make a good point about Yacht clubs, Travel Fleets and their relationship. My observation is that the cat and dinghy travel fleets have been able to maintain a viable racing calender compared with fleets that exist exclusively at one club.
The 505 dinghy fleet has a similar culture to most Catamaran fleets. They have a regional regatta schedule just like cats and get their 10 to 20 boats out to these events. In our area, about 8 teams belong to two Yacht clubs with mast up storage about 10 miles apart. Each Club hosts two regattas per year and draw the 505's sailors from Va and NJ. The Albacore fleet also belong to two clubs with mast up storage and they also travel to 4 other Yacht clubs who have No Albacores to race against. They tell me that it's important to their small class to get out of town... race at different venues and socialize at different restaurants after racing. They believe it's a key factor in the health of their class
Meanwhile... the local Snipe, Jet and Flying Scott fleets gave up on travel and focused on supporting their club activities... They are now zombie classes trying to hang on at their home clubs... It's the ol familiarity breeds contempt deal and few opportunities to recruit new members to the class.
My take home is that cat sailors should follow the lead of these old school and still successful dinghy classes... Maintain a presence at your home yacht club... but don't fall into the easy trap of centralizing all of your activities there....
