NOOD - Big Boats???

[El Diablo]

"Of course, GBCA wants us all in single handed boats and too tired to come to the party. Given."
Huh? I had to read that twice.
Can I pretend I never read that on the ForRum?
Sorry but I'm pushing the BS button on that one... ***BEEP***

"you don't do anything band-wagon"
What? where? What wagon? I didn't read that at all.
Where's my button?

Plus Uno
Plus WTF?

Here's the button:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umFFg6-cHX4

[Jonsey]

We think it's always a good idea to get registered ASAP - people watch those lists to decide if it's worth traveling down for the regatta.   The single / Mixed double for example..  the wife and I want to bring our boat down and do the regatta but the entries looks pretty dismal at this point.  In the Viper fleet - we've taken an example from Charleston Race Week..  the class was aggressive in getting everyone who was set on coming to register early.  We had over 20 entries before there were a total of 20 other boats registered.  That got a bunch of "fence sitters" to make the jump.  The class thought they might get 25 boats and ended up with 34!  Register early and often!  We were the first ones to register for TRW hoping it would draw out some other boats.

Regarding participation..  We vipers were pretty confident we could make a fleet for the NOOD but are not sure with the NA's the weekend prior and a circuit stop the following weekend.  Based on that we thought we might only get 5 or 6 so we decided it would be far more fun to have a larger, inclusive fleet and use a handicap system - even if it's not going to be a perfect situation.  We also thought that an inclusive "sportboat" fleet would draw out some of the Ultimate 20's that have been sitting idle... several at lake Conroe and one in Austin that we know of... hopefully we'll be joined by a M20, M24 and stray I550 etc...  I can tell you now the winner may not likely be the best sailors but it will be great to get everyone out an involved. 

For myself and most of the people i sail with it's not about getting 1st place silver but about testing yourself..   Regardless of how close the boats rate if it's not true OD - 1st place always comes with a ?.   So assume you open Level 70 up and three J109's enter..  If you finished 4th then you could certainly feel pretty good.  If you picked one or two off, all the better!

[Big John]

Seems we spend more time off topic than on, but I just wanted to tip my hat to Kathy and all the other organizers and participants who make things happen on the bay.  I do have some appreciation about the effort in major regattas, as I also am on the HMR and LYC race committee, although missing a lot of meetings this year because of uh, duh, racing.  If you need something done that does not require race day attention, let me know.  For as long as I am able, come race day, I will be on the water.  And quite honestly, the Wednesday night gig is because I cannot be on the water in any of those boats without sinking it.  btw doing that has put me in position to learn a lot about sailing from Buddy and others.  But this is not about me.  btw, Kathy, the comment that led to mine seems lost in the shuffle.

I'm curious why GBCA would want fewer entry fees and more people at the party? 

The whole point of this thread is that if the same four tired boats show up with the same set of ridiculous rules (which I wrote, by the way!!) there will be neither growth nor enjoyment in the regatta.  The challenge is to get some new boats out there.  There is not now, nor ever was there a doubt that the remaining four "old L70" boats would sign up.  Only hope is that someone else climbs out of the woodwork and challenges them.  WHATEVER THEIR SHAPE OR SIZE.

One of the reasons I started this was to help the guys with options (Tom and Larry) make their decision about whether to go big boat or retreat to their J22.  And maybe to scare up some other folks. 

J

[STuma]

John does have good concern, if Tom and Larry decide to race one design (hense the spirit of the NOOD), the L70 class looses 2 boats, which kills the class... finding 2 people would be much nicer than 7...  Is there any way to scavange up some of the other boats that rate 70-79 that could race? maybe get rid of the other restrictions... but, it is their class... 

anyone remember the original question???

[Christopher]

The whole point of this thread is that if the same four tired boats show up with the same set of ridiculous rules (which I wrote, by the way!!) there will be neither growth nor enjoyment in the regatta.  The challenge is to get some new boats out there. 

Time to change the rules, then?

[STuma]

I agree, which is up the L70 group... they wrote them... and up to the race organizers to recgonize the class...

cheers...
Scott

[BJSailor]

Why all the grief about L70s?  For years, those boats have fielded a class at every major regatta in this area almost every time.  Other than PHRF, you can usually count on the Level 70s to make a Class.  J/22s, J/24s, J/80s, J//105s, J/109s (see a theme here) certainly haven't shown such consistent participation.

No, I'm not crazy about some of their rules and preferences, but the Level 70s certainly do make their case by walking the walk.  Maybe some of the talkers ought to try walking.  If you don't like the way the Level 70s manage their own successful sandbox, then go build your own sandbox.  Look what the SOS sailors have accomplished in forming and managing their own unique class that has successfully filled a niche in our sailing community.  Level 70s have managed to meld a variety of Apples while excluding Oranges.  SOS lets in different fruits (no offense intended) that all play by the same rules.  If you can form an elite class of boats who exclusively use Banks Sails, you may have a new animal - have at it.  The point is that we desperately need to increase participation and the fun factor.  Not everyone enjoys trading fiberglass at the weather mark - some enjoy racing aroung rigs and government marks (a la Bay Cup).  The real question is how we get 100+ boats on the lines for the NOOD - not trolling about the perceived shortcomings of a 5 boat class.  As Rodney King so eloquently said (tongue firmly in cheek) "Why can't we all just get along?"

[Jeff K]

I think I'll take a pass on the L70 discussion.

But Scott, you?re totally off base about Galveston RC. I have been racing around the country and I can tell you that 2 out of the 3 clubs here on the bay are as good if not better at running races. Even LYC has made big steps of improvement in their RC game in the past couple of years.

As far as Wednesday nights, you guys and Buddy do a fantastic job, no change for me. Also, feel free to holler at me if I?m in my powerboat and you need me to go move a mark or marks at the last minute.

[Borracho]

Galveston Bay has gotten a bad reputation (nation wide) about their races...

Say what??!!!

[Kevin Box]

Borracho,

I?m as puzzled as you on that comment and must take exception.  I imagine the 11 US Sailing Certified Race Officers in the area and the hundred other volunteers do as well. 

To answer a previous question, GBCA, HYC and LYC all have US Sailing Certified Race Officers on their respective RC?s.  I am a CRO at GBCA.  Fleet Captain, Jim Powers has passed the advanced test and lacks one race as PRO to complete his experience requirements.  You must serve as PRO four times in the US, as well as serve at least twice at each position on the RC to fulfill your experience requirement.  US Sailing has an online reporting system for RC members to log their experience.  It?s called SOARS.  How?s that for number of acronyms in one paragraph?

The candidate slated for 2010 Fleet Captain for GBCA is a US Sailing Certified Race Officer.

I sometimes begin to wonder why so many give up so much of their free time that could be spent racing or doing anything other than: writing and publishing NOR?s and SI, changing scratch sheets at the last minute, timing, scoring, spotting, signaling, yanking up unwieldy, muddy-anchored marks, not missing happy hour to hear a protest, etc?  A boatload of smiling sailors passes by after the last race of a well-run regatta and yells ?thanks RC? and then I remember why. 

[STuma]

Jeff and Kevin,

Thanks for the details... The racing in GB has improved... I will apologize for my generalization on the area, for today's racing (wow, I sound like my dad; "...back in the day...") ... when I got out, I met many people across the country that would not come back to GB because of the races were run (I remember a NOOD regatta where the wind shifted 60 degrees and no marks were changed)... I do realize that things have come a long way and it will take a while to change that reputation... there are some other factors that keep people away, but will not open that box...  I am glad we have the qualified people we do... RC isn't easy and it is a thankless job... There are many people that are behind the scenes and they don't get recgonized... We need to make sure they are noticed, before trophies are handed out...

I am glad everyone is jumping in on this... we need to have passion for the things we love... even if you have to roll your eyes at me in the process... :-)

cheers...
Scott

[Big John]

Prior to a return to topic, I would like to add my voice to Kevin's. It ain't easy to do that job, and it is even harder to do it right.  It takes planning and thinking and more than anything, knowledge of what is going on out there on the race course.  We are stuck with a VERY limited body of water to work with and limited resouces for race operations, and if our volunteers sometimes cannot make miracles happen on shifty days, they are still our volunteers and we love 'em. All of us benefactors of the incredible effort and sacrifice should always remember to step up and say thanks.

OK
Why is it that perfectly good boats, run by excellent sailors, do not come out and play, especially in the "big" regattas.  One of the on-going reasons is always, "I can't get crew for those races because all the "good" people are racing with someone else."  Is that a real reason?  Is our community so closed that new people cannot be brought in and trained up?  Why is it that there is still no answer to one of my very first GBCA posts about the incredible number of great sailboats that one has to walk past every time one wants to go out racing in the bay. We have a lot of programs to help this problem, and I believe that there are even more people who would like to join in but don't know how.  

The second issue is self-confidence.  I have heard people, all the way from Wed nite non-spin boats to fully capable un-named 35 foot boats that regularly race Rum Races say that they are just not that serious or just in it for fun or more often, just don't know how to handle their boat with a spinaker up.   What does it take to get these people to participate and realize that the folks who are out there all the time still put their pants on one leg at a time and that making mistakes is the only means of learning about things that you NEVER WANT TO DO AGAIN and having the lessons stick.

Come on out and play.  

[STuma]

I tend to remember this conversation a Wednesday Night a few back, the people that have the experience want to get paid to teach...  On one hand, why not?  But, that limits our fleet... Maybe they forsee the addiction of buying spinnakers?  There are pleny of used sails in a local resale shop, one can pick up cheap...  With that being said, if there are some non-spin boat (or new spin boats), I will donate some time to discuss basic spinnaker techniques and some on-water drills...  Maybe what GBCA can do, initiate a training day... the experienced sailors (that don't yell) can get together and go out with our newbies for a couple of hours to help build their confidence... Maybe use the TGIF's for this purpose... have a mini-skipper's meeting before the race (seminar) to talk about things to do and watch for... I am sure we can get some of our professional sailors, and even the unpaid ones, to give a hand... We are going to have to take the time and build the fleet, it won't happen by its self... We have put our time in and it is time to help someone else...

cheers...
Scott

I can relate to the "finding crew" thing... we are having to rebuild our crew, but we are accepting our

[BJSailor]

Gee Scott, maybe you could help out with the yearly GBCA Intro to Racing seminar.  Once a year, GBCA volunteers teach a morning of rules, racing procedures (flags, timing, etc.) protests, and tactics followed by more volunteers climbing on boats with new racers regardless of whether they are boatowners / skippers or crew.

[JayZ]

Gee Scott, maybe you could help out with the yearly GBCA Intro to Racing seminar.  Once a year, GBCA volunteers teach a morning of rules, racing procedures (flags, timing, etc.) protests, and tactics followed by more volunteers climbing on boats with new racers regardless of whether they are boatowners / skippers or crew.

      The once a year thing is a great program and granted takes a lot of work to accomplish.  Scott's idea of jumping on a newbies boat to help get them up to speed is another really good idea.  Racing in a fleet of experienced racers can be intimidating for folks not used to doing so.  This is particularly true with that big colorful sail up there.  GBCA is a great club and a great "place to race" but there is always room for improvement.  I can remember thinking how clickish the club can be prior to getting to know so  many of its members(and vise~versa). To Scott's point I think there is more that can be done to get better and more participation from the Galveston Bay sailing community.  I've always been kind of passionate about getting the classics and the cruiser racers to come out more often and I would be happy to make myself available as crew for some of those folks from time to time as well.

There are a lot of boats here that I think would really like to know that there is more to sailing in Galveston bay than reaching back and forth between the #2 and the ship channel.