AGREED, there need to be Rules otherwise we'd just have Sailing Anarchy(pun intended, couldn't resist)
My whole point with that rant was meant to point out how far out of scale we have gotten with rules that sometimes it overshadows the enjoyment with the complication of the competition.
For all us Serious Racers . . .
I bet we spend more time tuning and tweaking than just out on the water for a day's good time . . .
Wasn't that what made it all good in the first place?
On that Note, Jake's Right, this thread has taken a wrong turn,
I'm out of here.

What's up you bitches....

I'm a little late to this discussion, but I figure I'll put in my 2 cents.

I'll side with Todd about the unwelcome part... Everyone I know is willing to pitch in or offer advice to help a newbie. Even the rock stars are willing to jump in....I've seen Nigel step a mast for a neophyte and Smyth party hardy around the campfire. I'm sure all of us has tried to make newbies welcome.

Part of the problem has been that most of us old farts that have been around the sport for years have moved on to more performance boats.. Hence more expensive boats and it's decimated the entry-level fleets. With only performance type boats, it appears to a newbie that we are more elitist.

I sail a F18 and a H16... Being from Raleigh NC I'm also in the middle of 2 different groups of sailors. The SC/GA group is mostly made up of performance class boats and there are very few H16s at most events. The Virginia group still has a strong H16 fleet and the performance class is mostly limited to A Cats.

If I were a newbie showing up at a regatta on my beat up H16, I would not be as intimidated if there were several other H16s there.

We just need to do a better job of finding those persons with those boats and getting them to events. Most of these folks don't realize that these events... aka parties, aka learning opportunities exist.

The next time you see someone out on an old beater boat, take the time to tell them about the events coming up in your area and tell them about this website and your regional site with schedule.

I just want to add that if you need your bus or large truck to be made immobile ,Dave Mosley is the man boy for the job. He's the best tire chock I've ever seen. He usually volunteers for the job, and is great at it, because ,apparently he lives under a bus. I want my traps back.
Tawd

I think Mike Hill had the answer.



Mark, there are cat sailors in the RTP area. How about a local distance course run for fun? Low stress. Bring your own food. Just sail? Seems to be a few local cat sailors.

IMO, there are a number of questions that are getting mixed up on this thread. Get the questions right, the answers are easier. One is how to attract participants. The other is how to make a good regatta.

If there are too many "sea lawyers" who enjoy lots of rules just for a good argument, that's a separate problem. (That reminds me of the old saying: Never wrestle with a pig; you both get dirty and the pig likes it.) It's a separate problem from attracting new talent. And, if there is too much tight society, that's a another different problem. I can't think of any way to put a lot of beater boats on the same course as a bunch of A cats and make it fun...

How about working on increasing the size of the chase boat fleet to take out more spectators? (Bikini's?)
Increasing the number of spectators would add to the fun at the liars contest? (Saturday night)

But that is the premise of what you do at Spring Fever....
1 course, 4 starts and 12 classes.

I agree with your two questions though.


Obviously to attract participants... you can't have "unwelcome". (or what ever you want this term to mean)

Geez, I don't know where some of you sail, but I've NEVER felt unwelcome.
In fact, last year I showed up at a one day regatta late and was planning on doing some rec.sailing when they practically forced me to enter the remaining races. Before I knew it my boat was being dragged down the beach by four guys, it was all I could do to just keep up! It was good fun and I actually beat some guys on points (which was good for some laughs at the bar!
This type experience is typical, and even in my mono days it would not have surprised me.
I don't take part in many races these days, which is a shame. OTOH, If someone from the club were to call me up I would have a hard time not signing up... Then again, I really am hard pressed for time and my work as a pastor and minister means I can almost never race on Sundays, which is when my club holds most of their races.

Dennis

We do need to do another Sweet 16 or simular format race at Lake Jordan.... (Trey we miss you in Raleigh.) Maybe with the lull in the regatta season over the summer, we can pull something together late July or early Aug.

I'll be glad to head something up... I know there will be discusion about Catapolza at the BWYD regatta this weekend. Maybe we can tie this in and make it Catapolza North. Sorry, I can't make BWYD, but fill me in if you want to include a second Catapolza RTP event.

Obviously you got your life priorities all wrong. Time to go agnostic!

Mark, I'm in Graham and could help with something at Jordan or Falls etc. There is a FX1 in Burlington that would be interested, a Fox in High Point, Kyles 18 in Mebane, JD's 16 in Garner, you and Lloyd, and quite a few folks around that don't usually go racing. Get the NCSU crew involved and you've got a race. I have a motor boat that could be a chase boat. Let me know, e-mail is ncmbm@hotmail.com

Sounds like a great start... There is also Garland in Henderson, David Devon and Bill Crowell in Durham... James A in Fayetteville. We may also get some of the Wrightsville Beach boats there. There is good pool of boats in this area, we just need to get organized. Anyone interested.. please PM me with your name and email address.

Mark,
I'm definitely down to get something going in the area. I'll send you my e-mail when I get home from work. I'm sure some of the Wrightsville guys would come, they're just not as into the lake thing. Let's get it going, let me know if I can do anything to help out.

The Isotope fleet is also local to this area and I'd bet we could scare up a few boats. I'd love to come if I can fit it into my schedule. It's short notice, but you could piggyback on the Mayor's Cup (Lake Townsend - Greensboro) or Governor's Cup (Kerr Lake - Henderson) Regattas.

Regards,
Eric

Dennis, as a non-believer I never got this.
"He" says sunday is a day of rest, but not for "his" employees? Isnt that a paradox? When do YOU get to rest? On Monday?
You coming to Texel? The only regatta where everyone is welcome and the last finisher gets a heroes welcome (seriously).

I do understand that some feel "unwelcome" at regattas.
There used to be a 50nm long distance race which in the beginning was a 50/50 spread between "slow" boats (Prindles, H16, Nacra 5.2/5.5, etc) and "fast" boats (F18s, N20s, Ts, etc).
One of the problems that arose was that due to the huge speed difference it was getting harder each time to guarantee the safety of all the competitors.

oh no....not here...that' political thread is bad enough!

There is no way to guarantee the safety of any competitor. Are you sure that's what your meant to say?

And it's an F18 driver too... Yes the letter is being drafted now.

Maybe "guarantee" wasn't the right word, "manage" would be more appropriate (not a native speaker, sorry).

Anyway, the wording doesn't really matter.
The point I was trying to make was that a field of 50 cats spread out over 20nm is a lot harder to oversee rescue-wise than one spread over maybe 3nm.
(I should probably mention that this race was held in the spring when the water is still quite cold and you really need RIBs at both ends of the fleet.

The closing speeds and "blind spots" from the spinnakers of modern cats is a serious danger. It is only a matter of time until that is demonstrated.

Somebody had to say it!

Yeah I knew what you meant... it's Friday and I was just busting your balls a bit.