Dave, I agree...Words... It's all that I have left.

On the Chesapeake... we were forced to shut down the open class for next year's Gunpowder event.... Only three F16's bothered to show for the May open class event this year. The goal is to keep the regatta alive so we hope that if it becomes Hobie Only and Syracuse moves their date to the fall that the three open boats will be replaced by a few extra Hobies.

I would prefer to use words then the action of killing off regattas and class starts.

What's left for open class racing is:
Va Beach's fleet 32 Open class race.
Rock Hall Open class (which will really be hobie 16's and 18's.)
Corsica and Cambridge... (ditto class participation) .. One of which will likely be killed off after this year because of a conflict with the 16 NA's and just not enough interest to keep the regattas going.
The only other Open event is the West River Pumpkin patch. which is a handicap race between three one design fleets at the club.

Bottom line.... No new sailors... No new sailors on old race boats... No sailors converting to one design boats replacing those that retire. Fewer racing sailors active on the bay.

A new sailor does not mind getting beat in a game he is just learning... I assert he resents being marginalized and not feeling included in the racing when the attention is focused on the magic and superiority of the 7 boat one design fleet while he putters around in the 5 boat open class fleet of dead boats like his.. So he is "inferior". No matter how friendly... the sailors are... he will feel unwelcome and not likely to come back.

A sea change is needed.... The sailors ... NOT the OA's. need to decide how best to keep the sport accessible.
I assert that we must agree to group every one together and race what you brung and then score it one design. Otherwise... the scene just gets smaller and smaller year by year. It means that we one design sailors have to give something up...

From my vantage point... the "stronger" the one design fleets have gotten... The fewer the number of racing sailors we have on the water year after year. Although we have one design fleets... nobody is remarking how healthy they look!

Here is another event scored just like the Tybee... Overall on handicap and then in smaller fleets... all PHRF handicap.
I am equally sure that each of the 35 sailors wished that the other 34 were sailing a boat ... just like theirs!

Down the Bay Overall

Fleet Results

But...
The three guys in PHRF C are racing Donnybrook the fastest boat on the bay... maybe one day.. they will save their time and correct out.... Racing against everyone keeps the little guys coming back.