Mike, I'm not intentionally throwing a monkey in the wrench, but I have to point out that the "new world" is the result of the US Sailing National Championships sponsorship package - it is not of the manufacturer's making. As long as we were able to recognize the boat builders as major sponsors, the charter fees were manageable. When we lost against the push to call them "paid suppliers," and saw them treated as such, we lost their tolerance for lower fees.

It bothers me a lot, considering the 25+ years of support, that manufacturers seem to now be "blamed" for the current format.