Moving a West Coast Regatta from Spring to Fall

[Dan_DeLave]

Hi:

I wanted to get your opinion and concerns about Alamitos Bay Yacht Club moving the Olympic Classes Regatta from the Spring to the Fall in 2007 and beyond.

There are a couple of reasons that this is being considered:
1. To increase attendance – Initially due to the fact that the Olympic Trials will be near that time.
2. To reduce interference, and offer up an opportunity, for the Olympic teams that decide to go to Europe during the Spring to train.

We are thinking that if this works nicely we will get a couple of Yacht Clubs on board to have a West Coast Olympic Series of races in the Fall.

If you have a Relay Chat or Message forum, for your group, to get an idea of the sailors needs and wants that would be great!

Dan DeLave
Director – Alamitos Bay Yacht Club
[FONT=&quot]ddelave(AT)aol.com
[/FONT]

 

[SFBayLaser]

Hi:

I wanted to get your opinion and concerns about Alamitos Bay Yacht Club moving the Olympic Classes Regatta from the Spring to the Fall in 2007 and beyond.

There are a couple of reasons that this is being considered:
1. To increase attendance – Initially due to the fact that the Olympic Trials will be near that time.
2. To reduce interference, and offer up an opportunity, for the Olympic teams that decide to go to Europe during the Spring to train.

We are thinking that if this works nicely we will get a couple of Yacht Clubs on board to have a West Coast Olympic Series of races in the Fall.

If you have a Relay Chat or Message forum, for your group, to get an idea of the sailors needs and wants that would be great!

Dan DeLave
Director – Alamitos Bay Yacht Club
[FONT=&quot]ddelave(AT)aol.com
[/FONT]

Some Laser/Radial considerations.... The Laser/Radial Trials are on the East Coast so you'll lose the US "players" by moving to the Fall. In addition, we already work hard to make sure the OCR and Laser/Radial MWW are on consecutive weekends which works more to boost participation of these two fleets at the OCR than I think a "circuit" would in the Fall. There are many participants of the current OCR who also train in Europe in the Spring, but since they don't ship boats there is no conflict in the current schedule. Last.... isn't the breeze better in March than it would be in the Fall?

I fully understand the challenges of scheduling regattas... I would worry that moving the OCR will impact Laser/Radial participation from outside the Southern California area (though you will always get a good turnout from the local boats).

Tracy Usher