Thanks Rick!
I was really just trying to get your attention to do something like this.
I know 60 boats is unrealistic, and 40 would be tough both to even get that many boats to come and safety wise. But it just simply stinks to make the effort for any race for 10-12 boats, 15 is even a stretch.... a solid 20 would be very cool and i'd be elated if it hovered around there or just above.
There are plenty of people that go to Tradewinds that would be totally capable and competitive in the Steeplechase, but they don't go, and I don't think it's because most of them don't like distance.
Let's look at last year's Tradewinds F18 & N20 fleet that wasn't at Steeplechase... Tomko, Nigel/Alex, Easton, Krantz, McCulley, Brown, Kohl, Newkirk, Carter, Pecorak(ha), Trinque, Robinson .. these guys are all the active distance racers that I know of, most of them haven't made the race in the last few years... you can add a bunch others that were at Tradewinds that I could see distance racing.
How can these guys be convinced to make the extra effort?
And I know there are guys that did Tradewinds but not Steeplechase, but I tried to convince Jay and Todd Hart to go, but man is it hard to convince a distance guy to do buoys!