Left: the ultimate arrive and drive racing experience? Nathan Outteridge drives his SuperFoiler – skiff maestro Bill Macartney’s latest grand prix sailing venture. Hunger… Ellen MacArthur may famously have lived in a container while preparing for her Mini Transat debut, but solo racer and self-taught naval architect Viktor Yazykov (above) had to cut down the trees for himself when he built his first ocean racer in wood in then Soviet Russia
a sea lawyer would throw every boat and race out on a technicality, but who cares? Besides, we make the rules, and rule number one is no protests against us!!
Be bold about trying new courses. Windward-leewards are nice, but not every day. Like eating lobster every day – you’d long for a thick, juicy hamburger after a while. Outside the box: for handicap and one-design racing the first race is from in front of the club to the racecourse. The last race of each day is the race home. Staggered starts, the smallest boats first. The idea is the boats arrive home at the same time for the get-together. Spot prizes at the after-match function for the volunteers, sailors, wives and kids. Like a rugby game, a quick game is a good game. Not dragged out and no waiting. No protests, but two rules always apply: no hitting boats and no bullying. If you are a repeat offender you won’t be allowed back.
For junior daytime regattas we will have a lunch break – sausage sizzle and water or juice – where they all come in and are allowed to be kids and play. Rugby, cricket or football, whatever they feel like playing. Success is not measured by the maximum races at the end of the day but by the maximum amount of fun you’ve had! Parents and coaches are banned from coaching their normal teams. Boats are rigged by the sailors. If they don’t know how, someone can show them, but not their parents or coach. Parents and coaches can be there, but they either sail a boat or volunteer for the race committee or shore duties.
Again spot prizes – everyone loves a spot prize. Next week at the Flying Fifteen regatta a local sailmaker is giving away three jibs. The deal is if you finish in the top three you are not eligible. That is brilliant on all fronts. Top three don’t need a new jib, the rest get a real incentive to stay sailing and the sailmaker gets a golden opportunity to sell more sails to the fleet. Great deal for everyone. Two ideas to avoid protests: one is to reduce the penalty from two circles to a much smaller tack (if going downwind) or gybe (when upwind). This will encourage more people to do them and everyone who does penalties is in the draw for a cool prize each day. Out of the box? How about once a month we have the ‘full moon race’ for the kids. It’s a night race, with torches up the mast onto the mainsail to light up the boats, and marks with flashing strobe lights! All the while parents are watching and talking and having a relaxed meal at the club. Great time will be had by all and they can’t wait for next month’s full moon! There is no reason the parents can’t sail too. Just not coach…
That is the deal, across the board – make it easy for them to come, and keep them coming by having fun. Something the whole family can join in for a night together. Grandparents to the kids and everyone in between. Attract and retain. And laugh a lot!
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ANDREA FRANCOLINI
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