Just a thought,but I just came back from a two day event and am pretty exhausted.I keep myself in good shape.In talking with a few of the other racers my age(40+) the general consences was that a five day nationals is too much.Most agreed that after 7 races the standings change very little.Three day event with one lay day to be used if you missed one day would seem to me to be the ideal.I think as the racing population is aging a five day event is more of a deterent then an attraction.As stated earlier just a thought feel free to bash away

+1

H14 Nationals, and H16 Nationals are back to back next year in Clear Lake. H14 3 days, H16 5 days. I'll have 8 flippin days on the water. And I'll be mighty sick of living in a tent. At least I won't have to spend 2 days driving to get there.

I'm 39 and in only marginal shape (marginally ovoid). I want five day events as a competitor. As a race organizer, I need five days - I can't tell you how much stomach acid I produced in summertime Connecticut praying for the paltry 1.5-days of breeze needed to complete a Championship on Hobie 16s. More than a few of my events in the last decade or so lost at least one day to inclement weather conditions. Not a critical issue for a two-day regional event that can be rescheduled (e.g., 2007 JPOR), but a serious issue for a class national championship if you can't.

Honestly, I'm happy with week-long events. Three or four races a day (four to five hours from launch to return) really isn't any sort of a marathon. It is a good and honest-feeling tired that I get at the end of a six-race day (e.g., 2006 F18s). I won't argue that we are seeing alot of runaway victories at the championship level, but I have to say that the fights over 2nd (or 20th for that matter) and beyond can get extremely exciting to watch or be a part of... my most exciting races at F18s last year were the last two races on Wednesday - Tom Paoli and I were tired and sore from the 20-knot beating the day before, but pitting myself against my own limitations, the "wall," my friends... whatever, not sure what to pin it on... but those two races were amazing for me. I think we got a 20ish and an 11th - and I was walking on the moon for the rest of the day (as an aside and as Dave Mosely already pointed out, the band that night put me right over the moon).

Keep the championships four- to five-days in length - while a five-day championship might be a deterrent to some as you say, driving 10-20 hours for a two day championship is more of a deterrent. How many California teams would have come to Viginia in 2005 for a two or three day event? You'll wind up with regional events every year, IMO.

No flames or bashing intended - I don't get as much racing as I would like since getting married and having a kid, so even less is not an appealing proposition. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

We need to keep the existing format. Edurance is part of the regatta. At my last North American's, Monterey, CA, most of us did the Otter Regatta for the warm up, then the next five days in the North American's.

Was all set to go to San Francisco last year, when my knee locked up, requiring surgery. Now back on the boat, H-17, looking forward to the possible North Americans at Harrison Lake, Canada in 2008.

As far as a separate event for Seniors, not necessary. Might consider separate scores, but we all need to sail together.

Caleb Tarleton
BTW, 70 last year, and far from the oldest H-17 sailor

You feel the same after 5 or 7 as you do 2.
The key is the medicine each evening. At the 16's their are lots of "Doctors" with bottles of Don Q medicine. The dosage can be a problem if you're not careful.
The week goes very quick.
As John mentioned there is a lot of competition among some very evenly matched sailors in large groups. Top 10, next 20 and so on. Set your personel goal and go have some fun.
Once you've done one it's hard to stay away. My first major event was the 93 H16 Nationals(same as John). I have read his account of that event and smiled at having similar memories.

Been there done that.I have been to a few nationals and one worlds back when I was in my 20's.I still remember the thinking that it was more like work after the third day.I also remember after the first three days seeing the same competitors on the course finishing in about the same place(plus or minus a couple of places).I also think that if I am going to drive a major distance to a nationals location I would like at least one day to look around the area,sometimes with holidays staying an extra day is not an option.Anyway sounds like I am in the minority here,which is actually refreshing to here people excited by racing that much.

Sometimes I have wished for the misery to end <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Seriously, I like longish events but finding time away from the family with small kids are not so easy. This year our "nationals/scandinavian" is a three day event with one day for registration/measuring.

I would hate to see the National events par down to three days. Too often we get at least one day with little or no wind or way too much wind. I'd say every Nationals I've ever attended except one has had a layday because of weather. I've been to a 5 day event where we got 7 races in. I think that is way too few to decide a National Champion.

In fact I hate it that Performance only has 4 day events. If I'm going to go all of that way to a Nationals I'd like to have 5 days of racing. It's not like getting Friday off helps me get another day of work in.

I don't go to Nationals to win. I go there to learn from the best. The more racing that I get in the more I learn. It always seems like the Nationals helps me step my game up to a higher level.

The only racing I ever got tired of was the 5 day H20 Nationals in November in Tampa. It blew 15-20 everyday for 5 days. That was a tough regatta. Very fun though.

Please keep the 5 day event!!!!

Mike Hill

I Agree, keep it 5 days.

FYI

A Cat North Americans were 3 days plus one for measurement this year (Wed)

Sailors from Florida, North Carolina Texas, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania attended.

No west coast A cat sailor were able to attend.

However, 06 NA's in Sept of 06, Pre Worlds (January 07) and Worlds ( Oct) both in Florida bracketed the North Americans and likely effected their participation

The event worked well.. AND we had wind for the entire regatta.

The vast majority of sailors were 35+.... Some were close to 60 or more

Yep.. my out of shape butt was tired!!!

I've gotta vote with John, Mike, and Dave. Stay with the 5 day event, for all of the reasons they have already listed. I have never been to a Nationlas that was less than a 2000 mile round trip. Traveling that far, for a shorter event where the chances of losing a day or two to "no wind" would cause me to seriously question the wisdom of expending that much money and effort. Also, as Mike noted, I learn a LOT at a nationals and having a couple of extra days of racing to practice what I have learned even if I do not improve my final position is part of why I go to a Nationals. The toughest Nationals I have ever sailed was the F-18 NA's at Lake Carlyle last year. We raced the warm up regatta in addition to the Nationals, and had 6 days of heavy air sailing. I went home beat up, tired, worn out, and whipped. I think we finished in the bottom 1/4 of the fleet. It will be a story I will tell my geat grandkids when they visit me in the Nursing Home. Oh yeah, for what it's worth, I'm fifty something this year.<Grin>(Gawd, when and how did THAT happen)

Stephen