A lot of threads have discussed the apparent decline in sailing participation (mono and multi).

From feeling "unwelcome", being "intimidated", or not having the time/money, a lot of reasons were listed.

For those who race their boats, how often would you say you use it for casual cruising about the bay/lake/coast?

And would you trailer your boat somewhere to participate in a group cruise? Or do you only travel to race?

A few contacts have informally discussed adding non-racing events to regattas for those who have neither the equipment or inclination to participate in "cut-throat" racing, but would like to join in the social aspects of the events.

One suggestion that sounded fun was jokingly referred to as "Godzilla Floatilla" and was more like a classic road rally. A cruise/race over a set distance (maybe 15-20 miles)where participants had to specify arrival time as well as target average speed BEFORE the start. The PRO would then coordinate the start using this information so most would finish at the same time. The finisher closest to their estimate wins.

I think this might attract the cruising crowd, since you don't have to be the fastest (or even estimate your fastest) to win. And, it'd seem to take the pressure off of squeezing every last ounce of speed out of the boat, allowing a more relaxed atmosphere on the boat. By working the start right, more boats would be in proximity longer, possibly adding to some on-water camradere?

My question was if racers wouldn't do this type of thing then it could be run at the same time as whatever race they were doing. If everyone would want to do it, then it'd have to be tacked on either before or after the scheduled regatta (like a Friday afternoon/evening event)

I know this sort of thing has been out there before. What's your experience with this concept? What made it successful? (We all know what makes it UN-successful...)