Many of you have a wealth of experience in organizing a local/regional level regatta. Care to share your wisdom?

I'm still poking around to see if a regatta on Sanibel island is feasible or not. Pete started the ball and found the local parks/rec department was amenable. Causeway has plenty of rigging/launching space (no ramp - long protected beach) and the sailing courses can be adjusted to provide a modicum of protection. We even sailed a mini-RTI on his F16 in 1/2 day. Have him post the GPS plot again... water on inside won't accommodate those phalic boards of the F18 and F20c, but it was still fun and do-able.

I've been a competitor in regattas from "run what you brung and there is no PRO" to the typical sanctioned events. Which would you prefer? Which do you find draw a good amount of sailors (20-30 boats would be ideal)? What pitfalls do the ones you attend typically run into?