[...]had a less than pleasant experience at a recent local event sailing as the odd boat out in a fleet of F18s.
Usually the most competitive the fleet is, the least pleasant the competitors are.
And that's one of the reason why our sport can't attract more people. I haven't raced from 1983 to 2003. 20 years. I was sailing (420, 505, TheMightyHobie18, H14, H16...) but not racing. The reason? I went racing with a friend on his 520 at a national, and we were bullied around the whole day. My limited experience club racing Optimists, 320 and 420 did not prepare me for this amount of abuse. I called it quits and never raced again.
Until I joined my current club, on a reservoir, a place where there is absolutely no point cruising around. But I am now older, I can take the abuse, and I will protest any bully on principle.
