Mark here is my breakdown for this years F18 campaign:

3 day weekend events:
8 hr drive each way=500 miles round trip=$100 in fuel+$50 in tolls=$150.
Hotel=$125*3=$375
Food=$30/person/day=$180
Booze=$50
Regatta Entry Fee=$75
Total=$830

Fortunately most regatta sites have camping available so you get closer to $500 for a weekend.

Nationals:
Entry Fee: $375
Fuel: $315
Food: 7*30*2: $420
Housing: Free for me (family next to the 2013 site)
Total: $1110

Catacup:
Entry Fee: $1000
Airfare: 700*2=$1400
Food: 6*50*2=$600
Incidentals=$300
Total=$3300

We're doing ~4x weekend travel events (sailing near every weekend)+Nationals+Catacup=$7730 in travel costs.

I'm looking at a new jib and spinnaker before Nationals at the least so another $2K in sails. Factor in about $2k in incidentals (broken parts, spar parts, insurance, trailer maintenance etc.), and you're at $11,730. My boat cost a little over $12K.

Looking at the costs, the easiest way to cut back is on food and hotels, not much you can do about the rest. Fortunately food is included in many race registrations and my number is based on our Tybee 500 numbers from years past. Also my teammate is a good cook and knows how to eat well for cheap, so money can be saved. Knock on wood we keep the boat in one piece so things are a little bit cheaper there.

But these numbers prove a point, the cost of the boat isn't really that much relative to the cost of campaigning. Just that it's a big one time hit versus smaller hits over time.

If I owned a flying boat I'd be hard pressed to do a major distance race with it unless sponsored by the boat manufacturer. I know I'm a pussy when it comes to foils (comes with being an air head) but I have seen new boats go through foils faster than the dollar bills could escape the wallet in major distance races. So that would leave travel events, oh wait no class, then your down to portsmouth events which locally are basically steeplechase distance races.