hmm... what is a North Amercians for a class.... Is it not the best XX sailors competeing against each other?? (I define this as the "Elite" sailors of the class competing for the NAs)
What you guys want is "Special" something Exclusive that only the special sailors get to compete in.
I reject your categorization of me wanting something for myself. I want something special for the Alter Cup. I came to know, respect, and greatly appreciate the people that started it during my involvement with the organization. I would like to see it continue.
Originally Posted by Mark Schneider
The observation of the facts on the ground is that US Sailors are not going to compete in two multiday national events in a year.... Time and budgets are limited. ... SPECIAL EVENTS do not rise to the top of enough sailors must do events.
The "facts on the ground" you are using are flawed. The previous iteration saw sailors get to sail half the time, face huge insurance fees (chartered boats), and have some aggravation (mostly perceived) with boat variation. The current iteration is butted up against another major championship that people were already planning on when this one was planned and is in direct competition with the other event only a matter of weeks apart.
Originally Posted by Mark Schneider
This is not new....Special is over rated... Many a year (not always) saw a mad scramble to actually FILL the "Special Event" On Two occasions... I was asked to recommend sailors from my region who A) were competent an B) were likely to make sudden plans to race the 20 boat championship with 3 weeks to spare... The "Special" regatta was just not getting 20 teams to show up for whatever reason ...They managed to fill most of the events. THIS WAS WHEN we were spending 7 K in cash and using manufacturer supplied boats... I understand the appeal of Special.... however, Area qualifiers with an absolute certainity to get one of those "Special" Slots were poorly attended....(the rules to conduct them are a red herring in this debate) Area C sailors failed to show up to qualifiers or put them on their schedule because "Special" was just not a big deal.
Jake's proposal does not solve the underyling problem. Even Special Sailors will not show up for more then 1 major national event a year with their BYOB. We do not get the numbers needed to have a credible championship. (Survey said that 20 teams was a credible championship and the committe set the standard at 15)
Both issues are made better with these ideas. I think the BYOB aspect will deal with one of the complaints I heard often that folks weren't getting enough time on the water. Combining it with another event makes it "just a trophy" and the team that wins the event also wins the trophy as a side-note. That's not what I would like the Alter Cup to be.
Originally Posted by Mark Schneider
The theory of the case is that competing for the US Sailing Alter cup Trophy is a very worth while endevour... The history and culture of the competitition in all of its previous incarnations is very important to beach cat racers.
I believe that Elite sailors at their NA's deserve a chance to win the Alter Cup Trophy and reflect the principals and values of the Championship....
I believe that SPECIAL sailors have the same constraints that every sailor has and they will not part with their time and money... Bottom line... you can't run an event for them that hits a reasonable standard. More the point.... You can't tell "Special Sailors" how they should spend their time and money... This championship is an invitation to compete... nobody makes you spend your money to go. . Nothing is stopping the top F16 Sailors from agreeing amongst themselves to show up and compete... They just are not doing it.
But you CAN run a respectable and sought after stand-alone event! I don't know if you ever participated in a past Alter Cup but the excitement and joy of competing and/or winning was never lost on any competitor. It was not just another regatta. We've had award ceremonies at City Festivals, in the middle of parades. Hell, we've got a day named after the event in at least one municipality. There is a lot of prestige that comes from the event and if the format hits the mark, I truly believe it will become what it can be.
Originally Posted by Mark Schneider
FYI, My point of view was a minority on the committee.
