just my point if view. Having the next challenge at the same place as the last i don't think is a very good idea. To grow the class it has to move around more exposure means more people interested then more people buy and join in.Having it close to a port helps overseas competitors get boats in and out. being warm means the wife will be happy and also makes the sell easier.Sure i would like it my backyard but i also think it should be whats best for the class.

Danny
Taipan f16

If I had a vote. . .

If it was today. . .

Juana's wins hands down. Reason's:

Protected water

Great access

Availability of housing

Just wondering how often are the G.C.'s planned? Every year, every 2nd year, every 3rd year or like the olympics every 4th year. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

If GC's are held every year I think this will reduce your numbers quite a lot, reducing return competitors due to costs and logistics.

A proposal has sent in to the F16 committee for hosting a GC in Feb/Mar '09 from Singapore fleet.

Venue proposed is Kuala Terangganu in NE peninsular Malaysia. They host the richest Match Racing event each year and have the world's first sailing stadium, 5-star resort and all the facilities that one needs for this. Everything is brand new, plus they are still expanding. It is a truly first class facility.

Did a match racing event last weekend there and the place is awesome. Choice of w/l's in a bay with flatwater, the ocean is a 0.5nm trip up a channel for offshore races, and option of passage racing to a number of different tropical islands. The beach is close by and stretches for miles.

In Feb/Mar the NE monsoon is in full swing which is typically 12 to 18 knots. Swell doesn't develop too much.

There are 18 Taipans, 1 Blade, and soon to be 5 Vipers in Singapore. So healthy fleet as a base for the event. Plus production of the Viper and Taipan is outside Bangkok.

So what do you guys think? Has all the elements to be a successful event.

I think that the most critical element for any venue is how transport of boats is arranged.

I'm a firm believer that the organising committee of any global challenge should make this their prime responsibility. We can not count on the participants themselves to organise for a grouped transport of boats to another continent. That just won't happen. Also because none of the international shipper like to deal with private persons, ask Robi and the others who tried to arrange for a container to Zandvoort. Only the organising committee of the event itself will have enough cloud (and size) to deal with a shipping company. They can arrange to ship all boats from different parts of the world using the same company; maybe then the shippers are interested.

Without solving the international shipping problem, the Global Challenge event will have a hard time growing into a truly world class event.

Another solution might be the arranging of charter boats, but that too is difficult to arrange and again only the organising committee will have sufficient cloud to make this a succes. Pretty much with charter boats one needs the full support of a builder in order to reduced the cost of damages to an acceptable level. I'll give an example :

Ripping and damaging sails is a major concern. The cost involved with making a new sail is not very high, but the retail prices are. If the organising committee can attract support by a sailmaker where he will offer replacement parts at costs then charter of boats become alot more attractive. It will also be a relatively cheap sponsor deal for this sailmaker, because he will not be spending actuall money just investing time and other resources like manpower and tooting. If a similar deal can be struck with regard to boards, fittings and hull repair then chartering board will become alot more attractive.

If the sailors are coming then the event will be a succes. I think this to be the lesson of the Zandvoort Global Challenge. So for the next events, more participants, even more succes.

Wouter

The idea of doing the GC every other year sounds good. That would give people the time to rebuild funds, more time to arrange the shipping, and less trouble getting a kitchen pass. Maybe as a class have the GC on odd years and then really push the contenintal (like north americans or Europeans) regattas on the even years and not run them on odd years. That way people do not have to try to do both in a year.

I would personally favour such a setup as Jody proposes.

There is no way I would do two major trips in one year (Europeans and the GC)

Wouter

We have an european championship as well? When and where? Now this really begins to look like a class <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

It is called the Nations cup.

Wouter

As for the places to host the GC I would propose that for the first few times maybe do it around where the F16s are built. Some where in florida so Vectorworks could be involved. maybe in Aus when HPC gets the Viper out more. Think this could help grow local fleets like the Alter cup did. Charter the boats out for the event then sell them at a slightly dicounted rate. I think that slight discount helps people be more willing to spend the money as it does not seem so steep.

Perhaps we should re-market the nations cup? For some reason I had the distinct impression that the nations cup was some affair involving only the Netherlands and GB.

Chaps,

I think we will probably need to "tag along" with someone else next year simply as there is limited time to arrange it (most / all) the big clubs (and so well orgaised events) are booked for these kind of open events 2 or 3 years in advance.

Nations Cup was intended to be equivalent to a Europeans. In any case, there was never really any limit on which Nations might actually be involved.

At this year's GC we discussed having a 2008 event in the UK, either a Nations Cup or a Global Challenge, the only obvious difference being that a Nations Cup would last 3 days and a Global Challenge would be a full week, on the basis that whilst people might travel half way round the world for 5 days racing, they probably wouldn't do it for 3.

I understand that there will be an announcement shortly about a UK event for next year, once it's been cleared with the club involved.

Paul

Singapore in 09. Count me in.

Mumbles next year, very tempting.

TJ

I am kinda thinking the following

1, GC next year - UK ?
2, Fleets grow in the US, Aus and the Far East.
3, As local fleets grow, there can be "nationals" / Euro's / Asian champs / Aus / USA events Annually
4, Then move to a GC every other year.

For me, I cannot really afford (time and money) to travel "far away" every year and so would not be able to attend Aus / Asia / USA in following years.

Trying to balance a job in The City, a young family (that need a weeks throwing ourselves down mountains in the winter) and everything else it just getting difficult.

USA in 2009 could be handy for me as I've friends who have just moved to Alaska for 4 years and so could combine a trip to them with some sailing (and send the wife and Kids home first).



Difficult for us as a class to get the balance right, and I feel a GC every 2 years would be a good idea for a little while.

Jody,
Stealth Marine of the UK was the first fully optimised production F16 builder. JP has done a lot of work promoting the F16 class in the UK as has Matt Macdonald in the USA.
These guys have been actively working at growing the class.

I would like to see this acknowledged by holding the next F16GC in the UK and if we can get the numbers following that in the USA.

This is just my own personal opinion.

Regards,
Phill

The F16 Governing Council have been in negotiations with a number of possible venues for the hosting of the 2008 F16 Global Championship. These negotiations are nearly completed and the dates and venue will be announced within the next 10 - 14 days. Thank you all for taking such a high level of interest and we hope that we can count on your interest, support and attendance when the arrangements are finalised.

True support for the class, would be to see some national assocations start up.

TJ

Thanks for that info. Did not in any way mean to leave Stealth Marine out, I was just listing the ones of the top of my head as examples.
I was wondering what the average cost to ship a boat from the USA to Europe and back would be? How does this compare to the average charter price at an event?

Jody,
Good question.

The answer comes down to the number of boats being shipped.

You can get a lot of boats with their masts into a 40ft container to share the costs. If you can get enough people together you can bring the costs right down.

Either way it is probably cheaper than shipping boats from Australia.

Regards,
Phill