At least with the floods it's only those who pay flood insurance. Regular homeowner's insurance doesn't cover that, and if you live in a flood zone generally your only option is to use the Federal backed polices from NFIP. Ooops, there's the pesky gov't helping out again. But anyways, only the people with that kind of insurance will take an increase for the flood losses - I'll be one of them. Boat U.S. did sent me a note about my boat insurance going up due to those losses however, but they some point in that Isabel whacked the Chesapeake. One trick for homeowner's insurance if you're in a reduced act of God area is pick a company that does not insure in the augmented act of God areas. Eerie is one such company, losses in those areas don't translate into higher premiums.

On the point that this thread was about - I find it fun to mix it up with the keel boats, and really enjoyed being on the line for the Annapolis to Oxford race this past year. Pretty exciting to see the big fast PHRF boats, even more exciting to run down guys who spend more on one sail than I did for my whole boat. Avoid the wind shadows, and don't for a second think they will alter their lines even if you have the right of way. Mixing the small and big boats together is something I'm interested in seeing work even from the multi perspective - CRAC now has a "maxi-cat" class for the big boats, and so far they run the same course as the rest of us. Issues such as draft and room for a 19' wide boat in the midst of smaller ones is interesting.

Tad - going to TAYC any time you want to sail is nice for you and the folks with contacts, but doesn't help anybody who wants to join the sport and doesn't have those contacts or the scratch to join such a club in the first place. Doesn't help grow the base of sailors, and contributes to the sailing as a rich person's game notion.