"not a big fan of Portsmouth Racing"
Well.... I hear that a lot!.... I don't think its particularly about the "rating" system... I suspect you are not a big fan of HANDICAP RACING... period.
Interesting that the Brits, EU's and Aussie's don't have nearly as much of an issue with HANDICAP RACING as us Yanks.
Nevertheless... you put the regatta on your schedule!
You and Lennard both describe the qualifier as a good regional regatta that ranks high on your regatta to do list.
In Area C where we have consolidated into viable one design fleets (see post above for current fleets) with enough OD racing to fill a season.... the Area C regatta has NO constituency.
Personally, I have supported the Area C qualifier because this event was the most competitive event the dead boat society owners could aspire to and the event was the essential mission statement of CRAC. (Disclaimer... I sailed a variety of dead boats... (Darts, Mystere's Tornado's) The Area C events I have organized or coordinated or pimped attempted to put on a first rate regatta to meet the open class niche AND draw in the one design racers. As time marched on... the dead boats no longer race. I know of TWO dead boat owners left....(Supercat 22 and Prindle 19 MX plus some orphan Tigers at Sandy Hook, NJ. CRAC is just a paper organization with a bank account.... Slowly trying to dissolve into the background.
I continue to support the Area Championship for two reasons.
1) Our branch of the sport MUST HAVE a niche within the Sailing Establishment. We must have a first rate presence in ALL ASPECTS of the sport.... That would be Junior Sailing, Junior Olympic Development, Adult One Design Championships, US Sailing Adult Championships, International Event Championships. If we don't play ... we can't expect anyone to waste any of their time on us. I believe that our survival depends on our being full members of the local, regional and national sailing scene. The days of doing everything on our own are history. Multihull racers represent real expertise because our sailors have worked their butt off to become expert Race officers, judges and race officials... Hell at the JO's.. the OA had to scramble to pull together a jury and the Div 11 multihull sailors stepped up and ran the process flawlessly.... (given the hard butts of parents and coaches from SSA and AYC..... this is high praise). We also turn out for the big events... See the F18's at the SF NOODS and at the Newport Regatta this summer. So, This is the real politik reason!
2) I believe that we are NOT a Balkanized collection of children sailing in one design classes... Instead... we are a multihull community. If the community is to have any vitality... then it must have a common interest and goals and I believe that a regional championship between the one design classes has enormous potential. The one design classes should be able to support a Junior program, a Special Olympics program, and a Regional championship in their area. (This is my Squishy Kum Bay Yah reason for supporting Area Championships).
I have made the case to the powers that be that the the future of the Area Championships should be decided by the national Class's. If your national class makes the regional championship participation a priority, The Regional championships can succeed.
Otherwise, we should scrap the Multihull championships altogether. We could simply get in line for a turn at the US Sailing Mens single handed Championships... (Lasers, Finns, Sunfish, A cats, Hobie 17's F16/17, Moths Contenders) etc etc.
I could argue that Gordon Isco's goal of getting mulithull acceptance in 2010 would be best served if the Mens single handed championship was contested on A cats!
