Finally, there are issues of boat traffic in the racing area… if you tried to race in Annapolis on the weekend…. you would fighting a lot of pleasure boat traffic. Moving to the weekdays gives you flat water and the bay to yourself.
That is a REALLY good point, Mark, and it is true of many venues. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
This year the Star class nationals on the Bay had races on the same day as the Naval Academy graduation, which was on a Wednesday. At the graduation every year the Blue Angels fly a show, and it's a fun thing to do to anchor out in the mouth of the Severn and Annapolis harbor to watch the Blue Angels. There's usually quite a few boats anchored out there, and this year was no exception.
As the wind had freshened during the day (while everybody was anchored), the committee lengthened the course for the Stars and moved it more out into the Bay.
At the end of the show everybody weighs anchor and heads for home - LOTS of boats motoring around the Bay to various destinations funneling out of the mouth of the Severn. Everything from jet skis to motoring sailboats to 50+ foot semi-displacement tsunami generating power cruisers. Lots of that traffic right through the Star race course, which just happened to be in the prime navigation areas for points south. I could only imagine what was going through the committee's and participant's minds...