Amazing how much action there is on this forum after the race is canceled tired Everyone loves a train wreck.

We should take another page from the Euros: Mix the two together. The Eurocat has a distance race that all the bouy guys participate in.
Texel has the Dutch Open during the week before the Ronde Texel.
The CataCup is all distance races of different types with an upwind turning mark and is wildly successful.
There are plenty of distance races in the EU that are one day events that are very popular. The Raid was canceled too.

I think it would be nice to see a day of distance racing during the middle day of F18 nationals. One race to count twice or two races with a lunch between.

I'm not exactly sure why more cats don't distance race. We cover such an unbelievable amount of miles a day! When I first started racing I did the 45x45 in Cocoa. We flipped and I was tired as hell. I said to Noodle, "I think I'll just stick to buoy racing." That worked out real well.

But for me sailing is sailing, and distance racing helps with raw speed, navigation, the larger weather picture, strategy, preparation and logistics. It is a whole different skillset than buoys. When I was on the Tybee Isl. Sail Team I offered my assistance to the organization to travel and do a presentation on the race, logistics, costs, how to get through the surf...everything. They didn't go for it. I thought a grassroots effort would help, but who knows.

Overall, I think that races are popular because of prestige, marketing and organization. You all know that includes an investment of a lot of time and money. You get what you pay for I guess.