HYC Offshore

[Bee]

One other thing Brian:

iPhones keep track of your GPS position.  What this means is that an iPHone could be used to play back the race/regatta on a big screen at the club house both during and after the race.

The J105 National Class is developing an app for Androids, iPhones, and iPads  that together with a small rail mountable box could be used in conjunction with Kattack to play stuff back in more or less real time.  The box can be attached to 12 volt power to keep the phone charged.  I used this along with a Spot2 on the Heald so we could watch ourselves drift backwards.

Discussions are under way to do this for J-Fest this year as well.

MIght be interesting to see if we could figure out how to do this across the board here.  Using Kattack would require paying for a license ($1,000) but that could be shared across the Clubs.  Could we or someone write a Kattack version for us?

[Jonsey]

Sorry BJ - meant that the cost to do TRW is another positive.  Charleston Race Week entry fee was over 300 bucks, plus $ 50.00 wrist bands.   MRW was over 400 but you got a little free rum.

All of these GBCA events are a nice value - i assume that's because of all the time and effort the organizers put in.

This year for TRW let's consider putting together a marketing committee.. divide and conquer.  I'll volunteer to be a part of that.

That's what I'm talkin' about!!!
Great ideas and comments so far.  I'll summarize later this evening.

Jonsey, what's your point about cost?  You think fees are too high?

Not trying to be argumentative, but take 7% off the top that goes to Regatta Network.  Have you priced fuel lately?  Meals/food for parties has not gone down in price.  Nor has rum or beer.  Awards / trophies?  Priced those lately?  My point is that costs have gone up significantly to put these events on.  Of all people, I sympathize with cheap sailors and their abhorance to spend money if it doesn't make the boat go fast. 

If costs are higher than you want to pay, where can organizers cut costs that wouldn't drive you away?  Again, serious question...  Where do the sailors think that RCs can reduce the costs of an event that you might find satisfactory?

[Sailchick]

Jeff, I like the idea of trailerable boats - we can definitely find a place to put them (launching is another issue)... But for larger boats, there just isn't any room to put anyone.  We're limited by dock/ slip space.  They are building a new phat marina at Tiki Island (from what I hear) but this is a bit of a sail to get to the race course in the morning.....

That aside, I'll tell Kathy you're on the marketing committee. 

[Jonsey]

It doesn't sound like you can handle me Jody.   My marketing that is.   

[Charles]

5 boats now signed up for HYC Offshore!? Doesn't look promising.

[marc]

The Texas Navy Trophy should be scored differently. As it stands now you can win the trophy without doing the two offshore triangles. If TRW is scored as one event in a series and the two triangles scored as separate events with no throw-outs there is incentive to do all three events.

And I don't think 20 mile daytime races should count equally to 100+ mile overnights.

Participation in the offshore triangles dropped dramatically after the scoring of the Texas Navy Trophy was changed around 8 years ago. I think that the prestige of the trophy also subsided when that happened. It's probably beyond reviving now, but I applaud any efforts in that direction.

Now that the Freeport Municipal Marina is open, maybe someone should look into next year scheduling the HYC & LYC Spring offshores into a distance race to Freeport one weekend, leave the boats at the marina for a week and then do a return distance race the following week.

Something has to be done differently. The present situation is depressing to watch.

[sailfastliveslow]

Indeed Marc, very depressing, which is why I agitated things abit.  It's not just GBCA or Galveston, it's statewide.  As much as I detest Clean and his tactics, his latest article (tirade?) is well worth a read in Sail Racing ezine.  Essentially repeats that saying "Do the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity".

The suggestion of looking into an overnighter to Freeport is a GREAT idea.  Now my little 8m boat can do that.  How about an offshore race week, with stops in

Freeport-->Palacios-->Port Aransas, with big parties at each?  Moving caravan, making each marina responsible for putting on a party in exchange for all the biz that would come their way?

Think about something different, new, inclusive, simpler, cheaper, funner.

IMHO

Bad Attitude

[Hamburger]

I no nussing about the new Freeport Municipal Marina. Can you explain? How much draft can they accommodate?

[Charles]

Al, here are a couple of links to it:

www.freeport.tx.us/default.aspx?name=municipal_marina

www.freeport.tx.us/docs/1-Marina_Brochure.pdf

[Bee]

Texas Race Week used to be from Galveston to Freeport and then sailed out of Freeport from there.  Bridge Harbor Marina in Freeport had a great Pool/Bar that made from some great times.  I still think this was more fun then running out of Galveston. At least the Bridge Harbor folk were friendly.

The problem was that there was limited living accommodations (i.e. motels) and restaurants and playing musical cars was another issue.

Nevertheless it would be interesting to investigate the new marina.

Let's do it.

[BJSailor]

So, here?s a summary of the comments so far, in no particular order of importance:
-   Competitors Briefing the night before
-   More of the race during daylight
-   More marketing and publicity to get the word out and participation up
-   Increase the importance of the individual offshore events as part of the larger series (Texas Navy Trophy)
-   Finish the race in the Bay
-   Optional Competitors Briefing with official documentation posted online
-   Cost (both positive and negative aspects)
-   Timely results


Keep the suggestions coming!!!  This is an opportunity to identify improvement.

Adding more suggestions for improvements:

-  GPS race tracking on individual boats
-  Keep fees at a price point that is considered reasonable to the customers (sailors)
-  Marketing (repeat, I know...)
-  Include and acommodate trailerable boats
-  Resurect the format and scoring of the past incarnation of the Texas Navy Trophy
-  Roundtrip stopover event(s) in Freeport (down one week, back the next - offshore distance races)
-  Run Texas Race Week out of Freeport

Keep the suggestions for improvement coming!  
Before things dry up, I'd like to float another topic in this discussion - fleets / classes...
It's great when there is a 30 boat event.  But, is it competitive and fun when those boats are broken up into 8 different fleets?  Do the sailors actully enjoy a 3 boat class or would you prefer larger classes and more boats on the start line?  How about increasing the minimum class size to at least 5 boats?

[Bee]

Wouldn't like increasing the class size, but why not start everyone at once?   Something like a 30 boat start might be extremely interesting and dangerous (exciting).

[psheaffer]

So, here?s a summary of the comments so far, in no particular order of importance:
-   Competitors Briefing the night before
-   More of the race during daylight
-   More marketing and publicity to get the word out and participation up
-   Increase the importance of the individual offshore events as part of the larger series (Texas Navy Trophy)
-   Finish the race in the Bay
-   Optional Competitors Briefing with official documentation posted online
-   Cost (both positive and negative aspects)
-   Timely results

Just a thought, but what about a Friday night start? I have seen it done elsewhere, and you finish in daylight, non-sailing folks are happy to meet you at the party, (which now fits),  and parties are more fun when you are a sleep-deprived zombie. Delivery can happen Thurs PM, or Friday day, depending on crew's work schedules.


Keep the suggestions coming!!!  This is an opportunity to identify improvement.

Adding more suggestions for improvements:

-  GPS race tracking on individual boats
-  Keep fees at a price point that is considered reasonable to the customers (sailors)
-  Marketing (repeat, I know...)
-  Include and acommodate trailerable boats
-  Resurect the format and scoring of the past incarnation of the Texas Navy Trophy
-  Roundtrip stopover event(s) in Freeport (down one week, back the next - offshore distance races)
-  Run Texas Race Week out of Freeport

Keep the suggestions for improvement coming!  
Before things dry up, I'd like to float another topic in this discussion - fleets / classes...
It's great when there is a 30 boat event.  But, is it competitive and fun when those boats are broken up into 8 different fleets?  Do the sailors actully enjoy a 3 boat class or would you prefer larger classes and more boats on the start line?  How about increasing the minimum class size to at least 5 boats?

[Kevin Bednar]

The problem with a Friday night start is that you can't get down the ship channel if you're at work.  How many locals could find a crew that could take Friday off?

[Christopher]

The problem with a Friday night start is that you can't get down the ship channel if you're at work.  How many locals could find a crew that could take Friday off?

Not easy for the boats or crew coming in from out of town, unless the event is specifically deemed a three day event.