I just found out about this website tonight.
Good luck to those of you who were sufficiently in the loop to apply for a spot.
Here is the website. .
....But more seriously...
And please do not take this as anything but a suggestion for how to make things better...It is NOT intended to be received as BITCHING!!!!!
I noticed lots of past world champions including the current North American Champion way down the application list.
Pewrhaps we are all certain someone will find a way to bend the application rules and let Siedenberg enter but...
It seems to me that finishing in the top three in a division at the North Americans ought to put a sailor on the automatic entry reservation list. Those sailors ought to be told
"You are signed up unless you turn it down or fail to send your deposit by ( insert date here.)
I cannot imagine there is another sport where the entries to the world championship are managed in the same absurd manner as ours.
Qualificaion 1:
You signed up before the other guys.
Qualification 2:
You have finished without dumping too many times or getting toally lost in at least one previous regatta.
Perhaps the Masters Worlds really is primarily a social event and vacation opportunity but can't we at least TRY to make it look like we intend to assemble a fleet of champions??
Recommended changes:
1. Automatic entry of top masters sailors from recent North Americans, nationals, and midwinters.
2. Dump the first come first served and make selections of entry for the remaining sailors based upon preformance at recent major regattas, service to the game, and general sailing resumes.
Guys...I am not suggesting we coddle bunch of sissy lazy good for nothing twits:
I am suggesting we create a system where champions do not have to get up every morning and check the internet to see if the application period for the Worlds happens to open that day.
Two months ago, NO ONE would give out ANY information about when the 2011 masters Worlds Entry period would begin or end.
As for the 2011 applications for entry and the workload on our paid NA Staff???....I had no idea Sherry was so busy trying to figure out who of those who applied for the 2011 worlds sailed in which regattas and how they performed last year. It has to be really time consuming to begin gathering that information over a year after some of the events were contested.
How's this for 2011 and beyond.??? I betcha Ken's Regatta Network could compile and spit out all that information. The applicants qualifications could be found at a glance on one webpage. I bet Ken would even be happy to mail a hard copy to the NA Office.
regardless...These last minute announcements telling us what we have to do and in a big hurry because some administrator who works for us didn't do his job need to end someday.. An announcement of the date the Applications would be accepted should have been posted at least a year ago.
In fact, the day our NA Champion won the event he should have been able to submit his application for entry in the next worlds.
Imagine telling a National League Champion Giants team ...You need to check the internet each day to see when it is time to apply for a position in the world series???
and then Bud Selig telling them, "Our secretary is checking to see if you finished in the top 75% of the league???"
and
"The Cubs, and Reds already sent in an application but you can go if you bring your own baseballs."
In the meantime...
Next time there is a worlds for masters...if you see when the entry period going to is open, and there is someone you believe might have a great time competing, seeing old friends, and meeting new friends there...by all means...send that sailor a note saying...
"I don't know if you know the masters worlds entry period opens ____ at ____ AM / PM but if you are in any way interested you need to sign up as early as possible on that day!!"
Some people may get 200 emails and a dozen phone calls...But I bet those guys will appreciate that you, personally, care.
Also In the meantime...
Tracy is correct...If you want to go sail and have sufficient personal schedule flexibility to use your time in that manner, you can still enter and sail and have a fabulous time both on and of the water at this year's Master's Worlds.
I hope so many decide to go that the organizers and hosts feel obligated to expand the size of the field.
it should be a great event...You can play if if you were born in 1976 before whatever date the ILCA decides.
Need practice??
Come play with us in April or any year on Easter weekend. The entry period is open for any easter forever and never closes. In fact, you can still register for the 1984 event with no late fee. .
I did my best when it was my responsability. Thanks for noticing.Compiling all the results is not as easy as you make it.
Oh and once again, I don't care if you won worlds, you shouldn't have any special priority in signing up, if you want to sail, you put in the time and effort to sign up just like everyone else at the same time and shouldn't know ahead of time either.
Guys...I am not suggesting we coddle bunch of sissy lazy good for nothing twits:
I am suggesting everybody should go sail and have a great time.
Need practice??
Come play with us in April or any year on Easter weekend. The entry period is open for any easter forever and never closes. In fact, you can still register for the 1984 event with no late fee. .
Yes the internet is a wonderful tool. The class management policy is based upon, "Everybody who wants to sail lasers has internet access and those who would like to sail lasers will seek out information using the internet.
I believe the management policy should be based upon, "people who use the internet have a hard time hiding. Let's seek all of them out, tell them hoiw much fun we are ahving and drag them out to play with us."
example relevent to this thread.
The way it happened under the regime with which I am thoroughly frustrated>>>
The savvy internet user who had an interest in going to the SF worlds was able to figure out application periods for the worlds usually open in Septemer or October of the year before those worlds. Those savvy internet users who cared a lot about entering could regularly visit the site beginning sometime in August in an attempt to post an application within the first few hours of the first come first served registration period.
Those who really cared a lot kept checking in October...every day many times a day.
those who still cared checked many times a day in November.
After 100 days of constantcly checking many of those sailors who really cared a lot were still doing their daily checks to see if the "infoirmation coming soon" note had been removed and replaced with real information.
In December those who still really cared a lot continued to check on a daily basis for information updates.
Then in February, those who still cared after more than half a year of constant checking finally saw a change in the website and knew when it was time to register.
60 sailors registered that first day!!! Our class is so great we have sixty sailors who will perform daily checks on a special signing up for the worlds website kept under construction by our employees for over a half year just to sign up.
The way I think things should happen
In 2002 I set up a database for the class and began filling in email addresses for every sailor who would give us one. By making a couple clicks and typing a few words, anyone who is competent in the use of Microsoft Access can use the database I developed for the NA-ILCA and easily send emails to every person in any age group of the North American Laser Class Association.
As I believe it is the purpose of the class to find sailors and invite them to come sail with us. Were my management philosophy in place, my employees would have spent the five minutes necessary to send an email to every Masters sailor in North America to announce, "The application period begins at ____fill in date___.
Actually, that isn't true. Were I in charge, the NA Class would have taken over the responsability of making daily checks for any sailor who submitted an application to the NA office. ON official Application day, those qualified members would have had their applications officially submitted by their Regional Authority at the official opening of the application period.