You've successfully convinced yourself. Must have missed you at the last dozen or so. This all holds up if you accept the application of the terminology of "failure" and "elite," which I don't. And if you're merely a survey-taking non-participant, you simply cannot have an informed opinion. If the event was viewed by the participants as successful, then the task is to administer to that success and build on it. We got great mileage from that approach.

Again, simply ask sailors who have participated in events before and after the changes made what they liked and didn't like... there are plenty of non-elites to choose from. This will provide you with data from the actual people who pay money and show up. Then give them what they want.

The race clinic was awesome this year. :-/

Take a minute to plot participants on a map - we always found that to be a good measure of reach.

You guys asked for suggestions - would it be better if these all came from someone not named John Williams?