Hi Mary
Hmm.
More options available???
Not sure how you come to that conclusion. Seems to me that in prior years, clubs that could run a non hobie one design... did so! I don't know of any clubs who felt constrained by the previous Hobie rules and limited their classes in their event to one non hobie class. Do you??? The reality is that few class's could get enough turnout to warrant a one design class at most regattas. I don't think the offer of a one design class generated turnout.
For example, Spring Fever dropped in attendance once again this year. They run lots of very small one design fleets. Why hasn't the concept caught on! It’s the first well funded regatta east of the Mississippi and central to much of the region. It should have been able to maintain the 100 plus boats of a just a few years ago. They still do the same great job… Why the huge drop off in turnout?
My answer is... Its not worth a 12 hour drive to race in a 5 boat one design fleet. IMO, It would be worth a 12 hour drive to race in a 20 boat portsmouth fleet of SIMILAR boats .. if you will an ersatz formula class!... Why… because it will likely be competitive, and there for fun (no matter what my skill level is)..
The only regatta that seems to have maintained or grown in attendance is the Michigan CatFight.... IMO, The reason is large portsmouth fleets of similar boats which you can go racing against. In the end you go racing against another sailor… not another boat.. For example at the top of fleet, Matt Struble on a F18 and Robbie Daniel on a Tornado competed in the open spin fleet each winning a few races and of course they won their respective one design classes…. (PS… Nobody in the Tornado fleet was competitive with Robbie….)
As reported by many of the EU and many other places in the world sailors… they don’t hassle with lots of small one design fleets… they race everyone on texel and then split out classes and overall. Their small regattas are larger then our very best attended events…. IMO, it might have something to do with competition… and less to do with one design/formula..
So... the policy that clubs adopt with respect to how they organize the racing matters. Obviously, I think that Spring Fever gets it wrong and that is part of the reason that people don't travel to the regatta. I don’t see any evidence that the Hobie Edict has grown one design participation in the old fleets…. In fact, If you and NAHCA were serious about “one design” then you would NOT run a Hobie Open class at Hobie regattas…. Offering this kind of racing simply undercuts the one design racing in the proven strong Hobie classes. You and NAHCA should enforce the policy… 5 or more boats pre registered and pre paid or there is no regatta for you. Here’s your refund…. Please put it towards a one design race boat!
In your words..Just say no to open AND FORCE ONE DESIGN By SENDING THEM HOME
(the only plausible outcome of your "just say no mindset"!
What evidence do you have that One design racing is growing participation in the sport of cat racing and not just shuffling the players… (Eg Dave Ingram is a perfect example of a the shuffle I and MystereBob observed)
Take Care
Mark
