Agree. Plus it is much better for planning committee to know how to plan for event. BUT I also agree with Mary, have a no frills cost and let people add what they want to. We might get more people that way. I know I am on a tough budget right now.

Doug

Bingo.

I saw you at an AA meeting.

Thanks to all for understanding. I have read the responses and feel that I am talking to the choir. I agree that cost should be held down and Mary, I like simple things but we all apply RRS and now it looks as though the new rules will deal with a requirement that at a any thing higher than a club level race, membership in US Sailing will be required to race, if the SI's state that RRS are in effect. I would like very much to just have everyone just show up and go race. But, in this day and age you must protect the sponsors with insurance. Insurance starts at $500 per and goes up from there. Events without insurance exposes sponsors and organizers to unbearable liability, where sponsors will not participate. The social events are nice and I guess it is a bribe to get those to attend at least an early registration session, just like tradewinds and steeple chase. We'll just keep on, keeping on I guess, and when we burn out we will just quit. It is really great to be on the water and see all the sails pressing for a start line or straining to see a distance racer come over the horizen, headed to a beach. Sailing is one of the great sports just by beating some of the cost without buying fuel for a stink pot. Can you even imagine what the fuel bills were for those cigaret type boats that cut through the A-Cat worlds course last November? Give me sails any day. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Ok guys here is my rant

I have raced "Cats" for 25yrs in all sorts of races/formats ...beach starts, bouys, and distance races. Currently I am Vice-Commedore of organizing A "HOBIE POINTS" Regetta at my Yacht Club and am doing the planning for this event and also a "OPEN" Cat Start in the club's "annual One-Design Regetta. It is ALOT of work believe me and we want to put on a "topshelf" event. Sometimes I am wondering what exactly did I get myself into!!!

All food/beverags must be odered by Wedsday afternoon for delivery on Thurs/Fri so our Chef can start preparing food. (we do not want to do FROZEN BURGERS PATTIES...) So how do we do it with out a "head count". Last year another class of boats asked my club to "host" their East Coast Masters Regetta telling us that the boat count would be 75-85 boats ... 35 showed. Joe, our chef, had prepared food for 100+ people ... he served slightly less then 50 poeple.

Yacht Clubs and fleets do not have deep pockets and are not "profit centers" out to make $$$$'s. So is it fair to them to have to assume this type of risk. Would you do this to your Mother/wife and at the last moment; "Honey I 've just invited a crowd over for dinner w/o notice.

Having been a cook I can tell you it is not an easy thing to feed a huge crowd w/o notice.

I didn't even bring up the topic of "TROPHIES" (how many???)

So we have to ask ourselves what is fair to the people/organizations that host our regettas out of the kindness of their hearts.

Also, sometimes it taks upwards of an 1/2 to register on site ... I'm notorious for being late for the first start, so what do you think it is worth to me to have that extra 1/2 hours to get my boat together? And do not forget all the extra volunteers needed to "man" the registration tables and input the data into the scoring programs at the last minute ....

More simply and bluntly:
YOU LAZYNESS (and/or) PROCRASTINATION IS CAUSING ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE MAJOR AMOUNTS OF EXTRA WORK AND POSSIBLY MANY $$$$$!!!

Pre-registration will and must become manditory.

Please note that I'm a "CASH" kind of guy, hate creditcards and am not much of a computer guy ... but REGUIRED Pre-registration is coming very soon

OH, we will not turn anyone away that shows up but there will be a "LATE FEE", ( which I propose to donate to the Junior Sailing Programs).

HarryMurphey
H18mag/#9458, Fleet54/Div11
P19mx w/spin /#86, CRAC
ROCK HALL YC: Vice Commedore of Catamaran Class

ps; I'm a highly ranked ameutur procrastinator ... I'll turn proffesional someday when I have the time to file the required forms ....

Harry,

The Youth donation idea is absolutely brilliant. I'd like to see this happen everywhere, for all of the reasons you've given.

For clubs/fleets without a Youth program, you can always send the money to the HCA Youth program or the USSA MHC Youth Program.

Mike

There is pre registration and pre registration with payment!

Spring Fever asks that you pre register. So 100 boats pre register... 80 show up.... That's a LOT of extra food to throw away!

Pre registration systems help you set up your scoring program and your fleet starts. You are still left with a rough guess as to the final turnout... The crystal ball approach sucks.

Pre registration and pre payment do a lot more for the club.
The club knows that if you have pre-payed... you are committed to going. It's like buying a ticket to a Broadway show, the curtain opens at 8.05 .... if you don't like the weather...no problem... you simply miss the show. Most of us make it to the show!

A company, regatta manager, will set up your event and tap you 7 % overhead for the service. People have NO PROBLEM paying ticket master the surcharge for concert tickets... Why should a regatta surcharge be different.

You can always pay the 20 on site registration fee if you simply can't plan ahead.

Pre-registration without payment is an oxymoron...

Right up there with "Fixin to get ready" except not as funny...

Mike

Well, I agree with you but...

Lots of clubs simply don't want to ask people to really commit to the event. Recent examples are
Spring Fever
Gulfport
Tradewinds
Lots of the Florida Regattas using the free registration applet.

I can understand the half measure if the regatta was just about racing. no food to purchase, no give aways to buy, simple trophies and a track record for a turnout of the usual suspects. The club members might be willing to sit out on the RC boat in lousy weather for the few sailors who do show up.... IMO this is a recipe for slow death. If it works for them... OK...

My view is that Clubs are NOT SELLING A REGATTA SERVICE...

Clubs are part of the sailing community's joint effort to create a vibrant regatta circuit. Every organization and individual must pitch in and do their part. No excuses.. no avoiding your responsibility.

hobiefleet32 has started an insentive program... something like if you prereg. and prepay you get 5.00 off or extra tickets to for the raffle at the party....

Thanks for the support guys. Our budget is so tight that I can't really give discounts ... but I do like the raffle ticket idea ... now how can I work that in ???

Oh, I have (1)person already pre-registered for the "Hobie" event at Rock Hall YC even though we haven't posted a NOR yet or put on-line regerstration "up". I don't know who it is but ... a beverage of their choice will be awaiting them!!!(maybe several!!!)

HarryMurphey
H18mag/#9458, Fleet54/Div11
P19mx w/spin /#86, CRAC
Vice-Commodore Rock Hall YC: Catamaran Class

Harry,

The secret to the raffle is getting your local shop and or Hobie or Performance to donate goodies for this purpose. You round up a bunch of little things like coozies and hats and then have one big thing like a harness and you sell raffle tickets. The cost of the ticket depends on the value of the raffle. Our experience here has been that you will gross alot more at a buck a piece then you will at five dollars a piece. The raffle has saved the day for us a few times when comes to offsetting expenses at a regatta. As for the discount, make the discounted price your regular price and the late registration 5 or 10 dollars more. In the end you are not lowering your income, but instead raising it from the procrastinators, and you will also reduce your expenses as you will have a better feel for a head count and thus will not overspend on perishables that go to waste.