I will be attending a planning meeting at the FWYC later this week for advanced planning for the 2008 RTI event. General thoughts are the yacht club is pleased with the event and wants to get a much higher turnout for next year. Any thoughts on what can be improved or how to advertise it better would be much appreciated. bottom line is what will encourage more racers in the Southeast to attend? Thanks !

Mike,

I think the new date is fantastic, a much better chance of having good breeze conditions. I was sorry to miss it this year but it was between two district A-Class regattas in Texas so I needed a weekend off. I'll be there for sure with my Corsair next year.

Turnouts are low everywhere. It's expensive to travel with gas prices getting up. Y'all can't control that.

Another thing is that although the June date turned out real nice, the prices to stay in condos or hotels is a whole lot higher during high season. Perhaps FWYC can negotiate winter rates for racers. (It was over $600 for us to stay in a one-bedroom condo. With deposit, it was over $900. For two days.)

The summer-crowded waterways aren't attractive either. Why was it out of the question to move the race to October? You'd get wind, cheaper lodging rates, and fewer people crowding the waterways...

I really do believe, though, low turnouts is a cost issue and isn't unique to y'all. Cheap lodging would help, and if y'all can do something about that gas price thing ;-)

The advertising, as you know, was late. It will be in the issue that was just mailed.., but it won't be in the hands of sailors until a week or so after the fact.

It would have been better to run the ad in the magazine March or April/May Issue.
Another thought is running an adbanner on this site. We give special discounts to regattas of $100 a month. see http://www.catsailor.com/Ad_Welcome.html
Rick

are the results going to be posted (the link doesn't work at the fwyc page)

Tami,

I think the reason the date was moved to June was to get better wind conditions. The sea breeze is typically lighter in October if it shows up and sometimes a stalled or weak cold front makes for a long race. The seabreeze is stronger in June.

See ya at Horn Island Hop!

Bob