Hypothetical scenario. Suppose we assemble this country-wide schedule. What regional scheduling process will change as a result?

Our EMSA process (SC, NC, GA, TN, and somewhat VA) is that I start a Yahoo Group conversation by listing the official regattas we had the previous year and asking the local folks to check their schedules and plan their dates. I'm always surprised at how very responsive everyone is once this initial call goes out (seriously). I start filling in the blanks as the dates come in. If we have a date or event conflict, we work it out there but this hasn't been much of an issue in the last two years. When there is a conflict, we sometimes discuss which is an "official" event under some thinly documented guidelines that catamaran-only regattas, or regattas that give catamarans their own course, get official preference vs. regattas that are mixed monohull and multihull on the same course. Sometimes someone will agree to shift their date. Once we have our schedule sketched out, if they haven't already been brought up and included in our "other events" category, I find the national championships that pertain to the different boat classes that make up our group and make sure I notify event organizers that they have a conflict and may lose X number of boats. They either rearrange or decide to leave their event where it is. Once finalized, I post it to the EMSA website and send the information to Rick White and Damon's schedule at the Beachcats. Our schedule is also sent on to SAYRA (EMSA is a member there) to be included on their southeast schedule.

That said, very few of our sailors go to events outside our territory other than Steeplechase, Tradewinds, or a national championship. Some do attend Slip to Ship but it's usually one or two boats and losing them won't drive a need to adjust our schedule. I can't think of another event in the neighboring areas that would make us need to shift our schedule...our folks just aren't traveling that far away.

I'm not sure how having another national calendar will change the way we schedule our events in our region because we are only concerned with avoiding the major events that we are already concerned with. I'm also not sure that our method needs any repair.