I don't know about any of you but I can see how it would be pretty intimidating to walk up to a bunch of guys laughing and joking around and ask what would probably be a stupid question like, "How do you get the boat to go frontwards instead of backwards when the wind is blowin straight at the side of your boat?"

So if the goal is to get people comfortable racing then I have a plan...............



Here is my idea....... Match up experienced cat sailors with people who want to learn one-on-one. I'd like to think there would be enough of us who would sacrifice an afternoon with a newbie one-on-one. Maybe not? I think the clubs should advertise the opportunity for a new boat owner to get some personalized help so that they can be safe on the water for all of us. I know if I had never raced before I would be scared s#$tless, even in a newbie race, that I would do something wrong and be torpedoed by the race boat.

We have a rule at the golf course where we run a league that you have to play with a member of the league a couple of times during non-league time to get your feet wet and to learn the rules of golf that we play by. When we started this boot camp the thinking was we would guys to play who now know the rules and their comfort level would be higher when the real action starts. The guys who have gone through this boot camp have said that they felt much more comfortable when the real matches began because they knew what to expect and they knew someone to have a beer with after the round.

I think the sailing boot camp would accomplish the same thing.

Greg