I am asking this in my capacity as editor/publisher of "Catamaran Sailor" magazine.

As you all know, the Worrell 1000 has been canceled for this year. It is a major blow to both competitors and fans. And I am sure it has been very painful for Michael Worrell, as well, because this race is his life's passion.

But, without questioning and criticizing management of the race, it would be nice to have input from everybody as to how YOU think this race should be done in the future?

Obviously, the race organizer has ultimate control over the format of this race, and that is as it should be. But I'm sure he would be interested in hearing the opinions of the sailors who have participated in the race in the past and would like to do so in the future.

There are so many questions, and many opinions have already been offered in other forums. It would just be nice to get all the opinions and ideas consolidated here in one place so that we can all get a better idea of what the sailors want and what would be the best format for the event and how this event can best further the cause of promoting the sport of beach-cat sailing. It is Michael Worrell's event, but it is also the most important and prestigious and challenging event in the world for beach cats. If we don't want it to die again, as it did for several years, we need to find out what people really want from this race -- as competitors and as spectators.

Michael Worrell may own the name Worrell 1000, but he does not own the venue and course. So my question is: If you were running the race, what would be the format?

Here are a just a few of the questions that have already been asked, and some answered elsewhere:

Is it good for it to be done on one-design boats as opposed to "run what you brung," and racing boat-for-boat? Or should it be raced on Portsmouth handicap?
Do you think it should just require an entry fee and everybody be on their own to have a boat and arrange for their own rooms and logistics?
Or do you like the "package plan" that was supposed to be in effect this year, where boats and all the logistical stuff is provided?
Should next year's race be for all Formula 18HT's? Or should it be for all Formula 18's? Or should it possibly include both of those Formula classes? Or do you think the current plan to do the 2004 race on Nacra F-18's is the best?
What would be the most fun and most accessible to the most number of people, boatwise and pricewise?
What is the real purpose of this race (at least for the majority of the participants) -- to try to win it? Or just to DO it and try to FINISH it?
Is it getting too complicated? Is it getting too expensive?
Do you like the idea of competitors all putting in $20,000, in addition to the package price and entry fee, so that cash prizes can be awarded? Or would you rather not have cash prizes (at least in that kind of format)?
Should it start going back to that basic premise of the barroom bet -- see if we can get from here to there?
And what about the "development class" that was so popular back in the 1980's? Do you think it would be good to have that again?
* * * * *
Underlying everything is the big question -- would anybody else want to undertake the organization and running of this race under a different name? It only lasted a couple years under the name World 1000, and then there was an eight-year hiatus until Michael Worrell took it over again. Nobody stepped in to take over during all that time. Would anybody be willing to do so in the future? Hmm?