Only 4 sailors out of all the teams (roughly 36 sailors) are members of Yacht Clubs - Andy and I are members of both SYC and CYC. Two of the Tiger owners are members of SYC (and finished 1 -2 at the PNW Champs).
This is the number I was asking about..
4 out of 36 teams join the system.
It's about where we started on the Chesapeake. The YC's would gently remind me each year (since I had arranged for the start) that they loved the cat's racing at their event AND it was privilege extended to YC members to race at their event. Please join a member club and support the sailing program. We eventually got there.
You do not have to be a member of a YC to race the F18 events you just pay a bit more at the Seattle Fleet Champs at CYC, there is no additional fee at any of the other events.
The Yacht Club member waiver in the Frenchy NOR caught my eye. We never saw that system on the Chesapeake. The Clubs on the bay did not want to charge more for us non members. They felt very strongly that the volunteers who ran the events did so for the good of the whole racing scene provided by the associations Yacht Clubs. They did not want to feel like they were selling a service. The expectation was that racing sailors would reciprocate by running their club's events and members of other Yacht Clubs would be invited. (The clubs had money... the wanted participation and energy and members to keep the sport going)
When we got started having events at YC's... they still had enough cash to compete with each other for who had the best party! Cambridge's fee was 5 bucks for racing and the all you could eat steamed crabs and beer for 20 bucks and they had a band. I still miss that crab feast.
Good sailing in the PNW
