Many of you have a wealth of experience in organizing a local/regional level regatta. Care to share your wisdom?

I'm still poking around to see if a regatta on Sanibel island is feasible or not. Pete started the ball and found the local parks/rec department was amenable. Causeway has plenty of rigging/launching space (no ramp - long protected beach) and the sailing courses can be adjusted to provide a modicum of protection. We even sailed a mini-RTI on his F16 in 1/2 day. Have him post the GPS plot again... water on inside won't accommodate those phalic boards of the F18 and F20c, but it was still fun and do-able.

I've been a competitor in regattas from "run what you brung and there is no PRO" to the typical sanctioned events. Which would you prefer? Which do you find draw a good amount of sailors (20-30 boats would be ideal)? What pitfalls do the ones you attend typically run into?

If you plan on this being an annual event you should target a weekend. You can see the SE racing calendar < HERE >

Looking at the Calendar I see these regatta's in FL:

Jan 18 - 20: Tradewinds
Jan 31 - Feb 3: Charlotte Harbor Regatta
Feb 15 - 17: St Pete NOOD

You might consider exploring putting it around that time ... you could get some northern sailors that would make the "winter circuit" if they knew they had 3-4 good quality events with boat storage between.

so, something earlier or later than those you list?

I agree that the winter would make this a good time since sailing up north will be non-existent except for hard-water folks.

I wouldn't limit before or after dates ... there are also a couple of weekends in between ... so select dates based on logistics and when you think the most sailors would turn out.

How many regattas can your region of RACERS support? What number of boats do you need to have a successful regatta... 10 one design class boats??... 7 boats in a one design class? (Assuming you are splitting costs with other mono 1 design classes?)

20 beach cats?.... or what ever it takes to cover your costs and hit the successful regatta bench mark.

Nothing good happens when people look at last year's results while they consider a racing class and see.... 3 and 4 boats in the fleet at the regattas your area features. (Why would I buy into a class with 3 or 4 boats turning out...Its just B S that the class is growing in this area)

Generally... if you add one... you MUST kill one...

Finally, don't underestimate the strength of the club behind the regatta... Lots of individual people can pull off one great event... but the hand off to the next team is a fail and when followed up with a sub par team... resulting in a so so event... people are not happy.

Try begin staging plans from here http://www.sanibelisland.com/

Check with Nana Bosma or someone at Sarasota Sailing Squadron.

Hook up with a local dealer and sailors for selecting the date and begin filling the basket with sponsorship eggs.

Then ask yourself, "What is the best time of year to sail in the waters?"

Nana once told me that planing an event is like a pregnancy and must be tended to at least nine months out for lasting success. Her legacy lies in the growth of the Buzzelli Memorial Regatta.

Establishing a new event of magnitude these days requires gentle needlworking with local sailors, authorities, patience, and dedicated supporters (the more sailors - the better). Pick a team that will dedicate themselves to a two - three year campaign. Find a host club or public facility to host the festival. and so on...

Other events in the FL Panhandle such as the Juana Good Time Regatta and the Spring Fever Regatta at Nigel's, in GA, have prospered because they were established on a "sailors' fun comes first" philosophy. There might be an international US Sailing race officer running the event, but the "rules or loose" float plan is locked in the closet. A happy fleet is a returning fleet.

exactly.

Best time for sailing in this area is probably mid-late winter. Cold Fronts aren't as wicked (t-storms, etc) and people may be intersted in a warm locale.

I liked the Charlotte regatta concept. start small and build on your success.

I know the racing fleet won't be interested unless it's fully sponsored, sanctioned event, which is probably big money. So I'd figure finding what might remain of a recreational fleet... unless there are TDC dollars to be had, but those usually come with strings (usually event has to be outside regular "season")

Jay, you really need to reread Mark's post and I hate agreeing with Mark... EVER! We really don't need more regatta's on the schedule and yes winter is the best time for regattas in FL and as you can see we are regatta rich that time of year. Also if your body of water cannot support the long boards you'll probably lose most of the F18 fleet. At $2400 a set (the low end) long board owners aren't going to be real supportive of marginal water events. Having hit a rock at Tradewinds on the A mark starboard layline last year (i'm a short board owner) it's something that would have been on the list when I made my go/no go decision about the regatta.

It's expensive to travel and when I make that kind of financial commitment I really want my fleet there and we do try to work with each other to see who is doing what in an effort have as strong a showing as possible. I'm pretty sure the other fleets do the same thing. In this case I think less is more works better.

the shallow area would only be an issue if RTI format were discussed. The inlet/Gulf has plenty of depth even for longboards.

I agree that the schedule is pretty packed as is. So why are there so many? Do that many people enjoy hosting/orgnaizing regattas? If so, God bless them!

And I doubt the racing fleet would be interested unless it was "big-time", and there's no way to start a regatta at that level.

Terry has a point, though. If you were to sail a "winter series", it would be nice to have enough events to justify keeping a boat down here for a month or two... Maybe ya'll hotshots need to decide on some informal series so everyone's at the selected regattas and you can truly improve your skills rather than just sail around some buoys

Just some random thoughts.

There are few catsailors here. It seems that most of the established regattas have a core of catsailors to support the race.

My skipper of the Stiletto I crew on is/was race captain for the Punta Gorda Sailing Club. They put on several series in the fall and spring (no winter here)and specialty races at other time. If 5 boats would enter, I'm pretty sure that cats would be welcomed in a mixed fleet. Working with an established club would make the event organizing easier.

Distance or buoys? I have suggested several times that I would like to see a Tour de Charlotte Harbor. The west coast needs a good distance race as the Miami-Key Largo and The Mug Race.

Jack, put me on your mail list if you get something going.

Been there done that and I don't believe it really inspired anyone to attend a regatta or not. Numbers get numbers and simply working the fleet to attend a regatta makes the biggest impact. It only takes one person to make a huge difference. Only a few do it and those that are good at it get the numbers but it is about as enjoyable as herding cats and you have maintain the same energy and enthusiasm for every regatta regardless how well established it is and that can wear people down.

Does anybody have an example of a Series driving turnout...


I have run several series and I believe the value is ONLY to establish a pecking order in the fleet... It gives you a ladder to climb... With lots of sailors in the ladder... you could see progress..

A Series is never about who is the top sailor in the region... most can point that guy out instantly.

If the numbers are so low... the ladder rungs are far apart and the series looses value to most sailors.

In the end... you measure your time and money... the regatta fun factor (race management, party, wind, camping, etc etc) and the turnout and competition in your class.

Keeping the.boat in FL only solves one part of the equation. You'd need the time and resources to do all of that traveling. Could quickly make long boards look cheap...

Mike

So why do we still have so many regattas? Seems like that really dilutes turnout...

Why do we have so many regattas..??

That is easy... there is no catamaran fleet captain who has the authority to tell a club or organization... Sorry we are not coming this year.... No one speaks for Open class... the One design classes may pick some events... but the rest of the races are essentially open class events for those fleets.

Equally important.
From the clubs point of view... adding your class is trivial. They just order some more generic trophies.. (use em next year for a different class) Any extra boats makes the regatta financially successful. Bottom line there is no incentive to cancel a class start.

We just got suckered into a monohull start with one other boat... The Yacht club has no worries... they made money. We wasted our time. The owner was not happy! especially when the race time limited out.

as Ding would say... It was One Design!!! did not make an impact on the owner.

It does dilute turnout that's why I find out where my class plans to go and I join them or I encourage them to join me. If there is no interest I don't go it's just that simple. There is one exception if someone goes out of their way to attend my home regatta I go out of my way to attend theirs.

Make no mistake Jay regattas have died, Carlisle Classic, Devils Triangle, Washington's Birthday and there are a few on the brink.

I’m not getting into it again with you regarding open and one design/formula, we just had an awesome F18 Worlds in the feaking US, one design/formula works! End of story.

See what happens when you agree with him, at all.