@mattL wrote:
We turned out for all the open events last year (even castle cove with the other 11 wayfarers) they have all been tremendous fun. it is always a shame when the turn outs were so low.
Is there anyway people can be encouraged to go?
ie. run two fleets
or have prizes for the middle and rear of the fleet as well as the front.I know it is a lot to ask but we found that Hellerup was made more fun when we received prizes for being in certian groups going around bouys, as well as doing a 720 right in front of the camera boat for gently 😉 tapping someone.
One of the reasons that I gave up going around meetings is that there was simply no incentive. Yes the racing was mostly good, but many, many people in my position pay an awful lot of money and spend an awful lot of time simply to finish in the middle of the pack and see no “return” for the entry fee. Before anyone says anything, the “return” in this context is not prizes or money, but a bit of recognition for their efforts – same as happened in Hellerup, as I understand. It was probably cheap but it hugely motivated the 8200 team to come again and again – and this is positively infectious. It must be acknowledged that many people have drifted away from meetings because there is no prospect of any recognition for their efforts.
I am not saying that everyone should win a prize but many people are fed up with seeing the same old thing time and again.
The trouble is that so many people have been driven away from the racing that it will be difficult to justify extra prizes – even very small ones and what the point of having gold silver and bronze fleets when only 18 boats turn up? It’s going down the plughole.