+1. Except for those who are hell bent on making some sort of living out of this sport, the rest of us need to understand the regattas you spend so much effort organizing, overseeing and marketing are designed so:

- you get to sail/hang out with folks with similar interest
- you go around in circles a few times
- you brush up/improve your boat/sail handling skills
- you learn rules and strategy better
- you pick up tips from those really good sailors
- you take home stories of bad card games, karoke, cheap drinks, good/bad races, etc.
- you MIGHT take home "street cred", tropies, case of the sh*ts (or worse if you hang out with the SA crowd)

The PRO's job is to try and make the playing field level, especially for regattas that aren't part of some championship ladder (which is probably 90%+ of the regattas out there currently)

Their job is not to baby-sit or Measure Nazi those who decide that cheating (or pushing the rules way beyond reasonable interpretation) is the only way to win. Sitting through hours of petitions for redress / protests because some seaweed got caught in your rudder, or your Franken boat broke parts because you don't maintain them, just doesn't make sense. If you want that crap, sign up for the really top-level events (OCR, Nationals, etc), OD/SMOD, etc. and make sure you are up to snuff.

Each competitor has to ask the hard question "am I here to SAIL, or to WIN"? Sure, both is great but there can only be one winner and the rest of us are "layline fodder". Accept that and have fun with it.

Yes, I'm certain I am naive, but I've never finished a PHRF regatta and think I shouldn't have sailed it because I didn't win


Jay