Jake,

Attendance over the 6 Catfights have been declining, I think for good reasons. Here is my recollection and the numbers are estimates, except for this year:

2001 CF I 74 Boats
2002 CF II 93 Boats
2003 CF III 67 Boats (Performance Race Week followed CF by 2 weeks and was in Traverse City)
2004 CF IV 84 Boats
2005 CF V 64 Boats (not promoted as well as earlier CF)
2006 CF VI 46 Boats (lack of promotion, PRW in Traverse City in 3 weeks, F18 NA's a week earlier in Virginia, Dream Cruise in Detroit, gas prices...)

Unfortunately, CRAM budgeted for break even this year at 60 Boats. Our club has operated on a break even basis for most of the last 25 years since I joined. This years' losses will be difficult to swallow. The Race Committee boats that have volunteered to help with Catfight in the past have told us that this year was the last. Based on both of these, I think that Catfight will evolve back into a regular CRAM regatta, just Saturday and Sunday and will not budget for 3 nights of dinners with free beer, pop and water, and 2 nights of parties (including DJ and free Painkillers on Saturday) as we have seen this year. This is just my opinion, but I don't see how CRAM can continue to put on this kind of party and lose money. It is a shame because this event, with camping on the beach, continuous parties, and great sailing and racing, has been the best of the best in cat racing events I have been to over the past 25 years. I was at the big Division 10 Championships in the early 80's with 300 Hobies and had fun, but the parties were nothing in comparison to Catfight. This is true of the many PRW events down in Pensacola Beach I have attended. They were all fun, but the formula for Catfight was the best, IMHO. PRW 2003 in Traverse City was comparable, I understand, but I chose Catfight instead.

Those of you who chose PRW in Traverse City this year will be exposed to another Great Event with the Nacra F18 Worlds being held on its own race course, separate from the F17 North Americans, N20 Nationals and the Nacra Open Chamionships. 5 days of racing for the hard core Nacra racers and parties and events every night. Eric Kennedy, Mark Biggers and Jack Young (along with many others) are working hard to give the sailors what was provided in Traverse City 2 years ago, except with an additional day of racing and partying! Should be a terrific event!

BTW, here are the top finishers in each of the Catfight Fleets:

Low Portsmouth Spinnaker (27 Boats, 11 Races, 2 throw outs)
1st, Matt and Dominique Struble, Nacra F-18, 10 points
2nd, Martin and Benjamin Malcheski, Tornado, 39 points
3rd, Claus Schnabel and Rick Olt, Nacra 20, 39 points
4th, Chris Tuckfield and Nina Barlow, Tornado, 43 points
5th, John Bauldry and Giselle Vasuru, Hobie Tiger, 58 points
6th, Chris Blake and J.J., Nacra 20, 58 points

Low Portsmouth non-Spinnaker (5 Boats, 10 Races, 2 throw outs)
1st, Steve and Jake Parsons, Nacra 6.0, 9 points

Single-handed (13 Boats, 7 Races, 1 throw out)
1st, Bill Gillespie, Nacra F17, 7 points
2nd, Roger Cochran, Nacra F17, 10 points
3rd, Ron Miller, Nacra 5.5 Uni, 17 points

High Portsmouth (1 Boat)
Jack and Hunter Soullier, Nacra 5.2