I’d like to contribute to this discussion, I agree that there appears to be a short fall of sailors for the number of events scheduled.

From my standpoint I am happy with one regatta a month, any more than that and I am asking too much of my crew (wife), as I am sure you can all understand. Also, I’d prefer them to be in my general area, that allows me to reach the site by car in 4 hours or less.

Since I am in Fort Myers FL, my schedule filled up with Tradewinds (Jan); Charlotte Harbor (Feb); Gulfport Yachtclub/St. Pete (Apr); Kelly Park/Cape Canavaral (May); summer sizzler/Daytona (June).

To fill the gap between CHR and GYC there are a few local options that make more sense than driving the 10+ hours to MWE, like Miami to Key Largo, bi-weekly club races at GYC, Hospice Regatta in Fort Lauderdale, etc.

I think we all need to start asking what can be done to get more sailors hooked on our sport. Being new to sailing I must admit there are quite a few barriers to entry that I encountered when I first got into the sport a couple of years ago. Had I not been so determined to do get into it, I might have given up very early on.

Without a single yacht club in my area (Fort Myers) I was left to myself to figure it all out. So I purchased a used 1995 Hobie 16 and decided to give it a go. It was not very easy, and I am very lucky that not only does my wife still love me, but she still sails with me, because we certainly had our issues. Especially when I would drag her to regattas and throw ourselves into the fire, “its the only way we can learn” I would tell her.

Well, thank god for the Hobie way of life, as if it were not for all the helpful hands that came to our aid, we would easily have gotten discouraged and gave up. It was the super nice people that kept us going and keeps us coming back.

We need to do everything we can to make it easier for new people to join. It was very difficult to get started.

Not to be a cliche, but we all need to ask ourselves “not what sailing can do for me, but what can I do for sailing”. To commit myself to that, I chose to get involved and pitch in where there was a void. So, as a newbie without a Hobie Fleet in my area, and the Division 8 chair vacant, I decided that I would volunteer for the Division 8 chair, and get involved with supporting Hobie sailing as best I could. Perhaps being a newbie, somewhat ignorant to the history, would be a good thing.

So this year we are working to get Division 8 in Florida going again, much the same way that Mark is with Division 9. We have gotten approval from the HCA board to have four area regattas count towards Hobie Points for the HCA and the Division 8 area. This can only help to encourage sailors to participate in more regattas, to increase membership in the HCA and work towards increasing the number of Hobie Fleets again.

The four regattas are Charlotte Harbor, Gulfport Yacht Club Mulit-hull Regatta, Kelly Park River Regatta, and the Daytona Summer Sizzler. All will have will have their own starts for classes with 5 or more, and comply with Hobie class one design rules.

I also think we do need to work together, and start thinking out of the box, and let go of the past. A while ago the idea was discussed of changing regatta formats and doing an event that incorporated both fleet racing and match racing (like the AC World Series). There were a lot who liked the idea, but without any leadership to run with it, it never got anywhere.

I don’t think that our sport can survive without us working together, the regattas depend on it more now than ever before.

Fred
HCA Division 8 Chair