lol!

Reality check time: we are now talking money.

Should every regatta in the Area charge 5 bucks a boat to fund the Championship?
(Do the sailors support the notion of a USSA championship and are they willing to pay for it)

Should the Area Rep and the Class Rep pay their own fees.
(is the championship worth xxx bucks for them to compete in it?)

Should the qualifier and NA class pay the entry fee for their representative.

How far down the qualifier list should you go to fill out the championship card?
(First guy who can afford the event?)

Should we suspend the championship after this year until the investment income is enough to cover the costs?

Sounds like decision time is approaching.

What kind of a cut does us sailing take off the top?

Dont we already pay a penalty of $5 for not being a member of US Sailing at most large regatta's? Are you going to charge us non members $10 now... I dont think so!

David Mosley, eagerly awaiting change so I can rejoin USSA, and thanks to those who have time and money that can go the AGM and other events to represent us.

Personally, I'll be renewing my membership at the Qualifier. No qualifier, no check.

Each of the adult championships require the host to pay $50 per sailor to have the event. For Alter Cup, that is $2,000.

You knew the answer before you asked it.



Yes the Area and Class reps should pay their way! It's a freaking hobby and it's an expensive one at that. Unless Mr. Bachelor and Mr. Brown can find a vendor that is willing to pay for advertising nobody sees it's going to stay that way.




This is the sad reality of ANY championship. It may not be the best set of teams on the line every time. We all have lives outside sailing and sometimes the two just are not compatible and sometimes we simply don't have the sticks to stroke the check. The upside of this is there are teams that get a taste of the AC that normally wouldn't make the cut and I can't help to think that the experience doesn't motivate them to improve and get involved with sailing that much more.



Absolutely not! Kick starting this thing once it has been shutdown will be very difficult and could kill it forever (IMO). It will also shift the momentum in favor of those that desire this championship to go away.

My 2 cents.

That extra $5 you pay for not being a US sailing member goes to the club hosting the event (not US Sailing). As part being a US Sailing club, US Sailing ask the club to provide a $5 entry fee discount for all US Sailing members so membership will have some benefits. My US Sailing membership generally pays for itself.

I did... but thought it should be asked anyway since waterbug suggested it.

I agree with you... No charges..
the USSA surcharge goes to the Host club. It's like the requirement to be a class member or a Yacht club member for reciprocity.



Yep... I agree. Everyone is funding their own sailing program. The OA understands sailor budgets and can run a no frills championship if need be.



I agree again... Work your way down each Area List.. They supported the ladder and championship go and do your best. NA's have a particular geographical flavor and you still can say you finished XX in the nationals. Same for the Alter cup.



Keep it running, I agree... right size the event to make the numbers work.


What I propose is that we need to do is to elevate the Qualifier a notch above the standard regatta and get all of the OD fleets to strongly support it by turning out.

did you just answer yourself?

Yes



What are your thoughts from Area D north country?

Brucat What are your thoughts from Area A/B country
[quote][/quote]

The $5 fee is charged by alot of people who never know why they are charging it. I always thought it was for the use of US Sailing Insurance for the regatta, but maybe it is just a penalty for not joining.

area D North always pulls a regatta off, and most people know it will be in the fall at Nigel's. If youre not from here, than I can see your point that nothing looks organized, but it really is "brewing" in the background.

How can this be!? That's three times isn't it?

An area qualifier can never be a niche or localized event. The AC qualifier needs to be exposed to as my sailors as possible. Although it may be nice for those local to the venue to have the qualifier is the same location year over year it's a burden for those not from that particular area. Every area should make an effort to move the event around so the travel burden is shared equally.

This has been done in Area D South for a very long time (credit JW). We are getting a distinctly different set of sailors from venue to venue and the numbers are surprisingly consistent.

It's not a charge - it's a discount...i.e. benefit of membership. US Sailing asks (or requires) it's clubs to offer US Sailing individual members a discount on regatta entry fees.

PLEEEZ! There is no benefit to USS membership! We are just so many sheep to be fleeced.

Last year they took cats out of the Olympics and we were told to join up and be heard, so I did. Now I'm being told by the organization that the membership is too disorganized!? What the hell is that?

The only "benefit" I'm interested in, from USS, is a multihull championship. If they can't, or won't, provide it, they're of no use to me.

If you are not a member, then its a penalty. Its another "strongarm" technique to part me from my money to force me to join USS.
My point was in the late 90's some fleets(not Yacht club affiliated groups) were charging the $5 because "thats what we have alwasy done". It was on the NOR and entry form for so long that it just kept getting put on when no one really knew why.
How do I know? After parting with Hobie, we immediately dropped it from the SEACATS regatta fees, and others followed suit. When we were Div 9, I guess Hobie or the fleet got the money, no one is really sure now.

Too me it's a moot point. A Multihull Championship is worth an additional $50 (my USS membership). That's what I'll right a check for. No championship, no check.

I'm paid up for this year, but in 2010 I'll have an extra $50 (on top of the usual entry fee) for an OA that wants to host a NA Multihull Championship. If you want to get into word games, call it the "Rick White Cup". Just tell me when and where, I'll be there. . .if it isn't too far~

Dave M and Pete, I'll say this as politely as possible, the attitude that you have expressed, just in these last two posts, is exactly the cancer that's eating away at this whole thing. If you put a negative spin (or truly have a negative attitude) towards this, and don't put it aside and step up to make something happen (not just send in a check and have someone else do it, or worse, refuse to pay and expect someone else to do it), you're going to see more of the same, well, less of the same if you know what I mean.

Mark, we've had some successful Area A qualifiers in the past. Most times, this was at the Lipton Cup in Quincy and wasn't part of a points regatta (which may be what hurt Roton Point the year they tried it). I can't speak to Area B. But, if enough people want an event, I don't see why we couldn't make it happen. These tend to cost more because usually, there isn't a host fleet willing to do the work, it falls to partnering with a YC, which always costs more than fleet-driven events (YCs have more overhead, staff, etc.). And, you don't typically see the average sailors attending these events, so fewer boats means higher cost per boat (plus both crew members need to be USSA members).

Mike