Hi Mary:

This may be a little late for your review, but our Fleet went through this same kind of analysis through the last few years. From 1976 to about 1992, we had one of the largest Hobie regattas in Division 16 in the Northeast. Then, we lost our format when a new DEMOCRATIC Park Commissioner came in and caved into an attorney who owned property next to our County Park and insisted that we be refused access to the water and remove the ability to host an event. He rationalized it by saying we were dangerous (We have never had an accident or created problems and always payed our own way). The real reason was that he wanted to limit the use of the county beach next to his property; over time maybe he could even buy it by saying it was unused anyway.

Well, the years went by and we sort of struggled along. The racers in our Fleet continued to race, but you could see participation drop down year after year. The people that were on the road to the races always were made to feel comfortable, but they never really felt part of the scene; sort of like always being invited to your friends house for a barbeque, but you were never able to reciprocate.

A few years ago, because of a fresh vision from one dedicated racer (Don Wilke), The Fleet fashioned a no-frills regatta using a private beach bar as the main format. Since then the local town, campgrounds, and businesses have helped, and we're up to fifty boats. We even added a pre-race cruise/race to show area boaters the neat venue we have (sailing from beach bar to beach bar within fifteen miles).

Our Fleet feels good about itself again. Five new Tigers have been purchased in the last two years; Many upgraded sixteens; and probably the largest collection of Hobie 18s, 18 Magnums, and 18-SX in the Northeast (They are the perfect boat for cruising on Lake Erie and running up on the beach). Since then, the Democratic Park Commissioner is gone and more rational and supportive leaders are back in office; life is good.

All of this because sailing and racing are back.

Wyatt
Fleet 119, Angola New York, Lake Erie