Mary,
Thanks to you and Rick for making this race happen year after year. I think we all realize the effort you put forth to make it a fun time for all the participants. It is probably my favorite race of the year. As others have stated, logistics make it difficult for all the racers to gather at one spot at the end of a long sail for the trophy presentation. I am guilty of not staying for the trophy presentation. I apologize. For me, the trophies are not the important thing. It is much more about the experience and friendly competition.

Although, the Tiki Hut trophy from 2005 is pretty cool. I also think flags for all finishers is a great idea.

Respectfully,
Eric Roberts

Fantastic event! Pretty cool to watch it up close and personal from the SEARAY. We saw alot of determination and guts and hope to have documented the experiences for all of you. Next year I hope to join all of you at the start line with new sail and new paint. It was a pleasure chasing you guys and gals.

Eric Arbogast

Hey Eric A.,
NO GUMBO RECIPE!!!

Well, I was thinking of REPLACING the champagne with some keepsake of the race that is a little more durable and meaningful than a champagne bottle. I don't want to increase the entry fee, so it would have to be the same cost as the champagne. And, just as with the champagne, it would go only to people who actually COMPLETE the race.

Flags are a possibility (if I can ever get my sewing machine working). Or I can do something with wood. My preference would be to replace the champagne with paddles for the finishers, since paddling is kind of a special aspect of this race. (I would woodburn the year and name of the race on the paddles.)

Rick is totally opposed to eliminating the champagne, because that is a tradition that started with the first race in 1985, when there was no entry fee and no trophies -- just a bottle of champagne for each finisher.

Personally, I am sick of drinking all that leftover champagne that nobody claimed. So I am in favor of creating a new tradition.

As far as I am concerned, this is something that should be decided by the sailors who actually do this race.

And if somebody wants to have T-shirts made and sell them to the people who participate in the race, that's fine, too. But it should not be something that they get with their registration fee and not something that Rick and I are involved with. Jack Hildreth used to get shirts made and sell them for the Steeplechase, but he stopped doing it. So if somebody wants to do it......

Chime in on what you would like to happen.

Hi Chris,
The pix so far are just mine, and I only had a chance to take them from Channel Five Bridge.
The other pictures have not yet been sent to me, although they promise to do so. They will for sure be in the magazine in the Jan-Feb Issue.
Rick

Jake,
as you know we award flags at the Tradewinds, which I think are great. With flags, you can display your trophies on your boat on the beach before the race.
Mary and I have 8 strings of flags we have won, including some her father won, that we fly for every Bay Week.

The caveat is they are very expensive.., about $25 per flag.
Rick

Yikes...that is expensive!

Right. That's why I said I could make them myself if I can get my sewing machine working.

I think I know what Mary's getting for Christmas!

Wrong! It's a brand new sewing machine. As with sailing, the problem is the loose nut on the pedal.

Well, practice makes perfect, right?

loose nut on the pedal

Are you talking about the South Florida drivers I had to avoid on my drive down last Friday?

Yes, the Champaigne is a tradition. And it helps get the corrosion off the chainplates. I'd say one bottle per finishing boat, though.

I really like Mary's paddle idea for each class winner. Having used them frequently (and lost a few), they'd be a very innovative award.

Instead of full flags, what about those slender pennants (about 3" tall by 24" long)? screenprinted with the year.. Blue, Red and Green? You could fit more of them on your halyard...

And is there any reason the party has to be on Sunday after the race? The awards, yes, but sloppy joes and beer sound like just the thing on Saturday night, when everyone's done and looking for something to do. But maybe Steve is still having his party then?

Man, so many things have been suggested so far:
- reverse the course
- change the awards
- change the award ceremony
- change the starts
- change the setup/launch site...

seems like there's just too much to choose from, and it's not like the race is broken to start with!

come to think of it, is there any reason the awards have to be the same year to year? Other than "ye olde chair" perpetual, maybe a paddle one year, brag flag the next, something the third year.... That way people might keep trying for the "new and exciting trophy"?

Yes, Steve Lohmayer still has the party at his house Saturday night.

Having some food after the race on Sunday has also been a long-standing tradition.

Trophies have been different every year of the race. I'm just talking about giving everybody who finishes something instead of a bottle of champagne.

All I am asking is whether people would rather get a bottle of champagne OR something more tangible for finishing. Can't do both.

Personally, I would like to have something I can show off after the race. That being said....I understand the importance of tradition. The event this year was outstanding. There were a lot of suggestions thrown around to make it better, but I don't think Rick and Mary could have done anything that would have made this year any better than it was. Many thanks to both!!!!!!!

Something more tangible. I like the flag idea, but I'm a flag person.

I always liked the food on Sunday.

Dave

I think I drank both bottles of champagne while sailing Larry's boat over to where he stored it. I think. I'm pretty sure I missed my flight home too. Keep the champagne, it ads to the fun.

Flags are expensive, but classy. I did some for a Laser event and they were around $33 each, and I had some free Vectoring done(aint that right Jake?)
The Flags(pennants, 1 color,12x18) themselves are around $5 if you find them at the right spot, but anything you add(mongramming) is the kicker. Someone needs to buy a c&c monogrammer and get busy for us, for cheap!

"Man, so many things have been suggested so far:
- reverse the course Don't- change the awards Maybe flags.
- change the award ceremony Don't
- change the starts Don't- change the setup/launch site... "Don't

Waterbug did you race?

Nothing's broke don't "fix" any of that stuff. It is one of ,if not the best race going, don't screw with it.
Flags would be cool though. I still have bottles of Andre from 10 years ago ,so maybe they are tangible.
I agree with Ksurfer it was EXXXCCCCEEELLLLLEENNNTTTTT!

Finishing around a mark that doesn't exist is a novel concept, I applaud Rick for thinking outside of the box.
Todd

How about a custom lable on the champagne bottle and a Olympic type medallion that can be hung on the champagne bottle?