There's no denying Area D is tough, but I agree that it looks a little lopsided. I think it has a lot to do with the quality of the Qualifiers - when I was in Jake's job, my biggest failing was getting the Area Reps some formalized guidance on building a consistent ladder for the Championship. As an Area Rep, I was able to put together a really good team to build up the Qualifier from a last-minute three-boat race 10 years ago to a consistently well-run, very competitive 20-30 boat regatta stuffed with former champions and serious contenders as well as newer teams that turn out for the quality racing at great venues. Area D almost always gets an extra slot at the Championship now because they have the largest ladder event. Second- and even third-place finishers are almost always assured a berth at the finals. Things were going so well that we split Area D into North and South.

The down side is still there, though. Areas A and B were combined for the ladder - participation there has fallen off so much that only one boat sailed both days of the event. The idea was that combining the Areas would foster greater participation, but the opposite has happened. There are two great guys working together to turn that around - Chris Titcomb and Tom Siders. But it takes a couple of years to get the confidence of the fleet back and build the event into something that regional clubs fight over hosting. Other Areas that had been declining are seeing things turn around, too. It just takes some cooperation between sailors that have a common desire for a quality event.

Sorry for the hijack of a thread I started. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />