Event Format Question (1st Question, 7 options - shown as bold type)

National Sailing Party

This program would be like that planned for Orlando this year. It would an open invitation based on a first come-first serve entry and only limited to frequencies available. This would be a fleet event only with as many fleets as needed in consideration for the venue scheduled. The event would be held over a four day program beginning with seeding races on Wednesday afternoon. The racing pace would be relaxed with a minimum of eight (8) races being required for an official event. This program would in essence be what we have been doing and using the current schedule of events.

Comment: Class growth would indicate this to become a larger event in time, like this year, and more toward a class gathering than a true national championship. Having this type of event with a restricted boat entry would be counter to the theme. This type of event will require local logistical support and with class management assistance. Location rotation should be flexible for class availability and in regards to local willingness to be involved. The current Pro Team concept of event management would not be enough.

Qualifying Open NCR

This program would allow a complete open entry to all with site pre-qualification heat racing before the main fleet event. This has been suggested and is done in some classes. Qualifying heats would be run with as many fleets formed in consideration for the number of entries. A certain number of the top positions in each fleet would then be qualified in one or more stages for the national contesting event over two (2) or three (3) days. The number qualified would be decided upon based on the number of final fleets that would be formed for the main event. Two (2) fleets would be recommended with 20 boats.

Comment: The first issue here is to decide if this is a preference in the class. Then it would be decided if the event would be preferred over more days than four. Any elimination process would cause some to fall the first day. Frequency pairing would be normal.

Strict Regional Qualifications

The entries to the National Championship would be limited to about 37 boats and would be earned through past performance in a NCR and positions earned through Regional Championships. Each Region would determine their earned entries from within the Region to be added to those in the top ten (10) from the previous NCR. The regional events would be solely for members in that Region. Duplications from the regional events and the previous NCR top ten would reach deeper into the corresponding regional finishing positions.

This would produce 28 positions using the chevron regional winners. The CS would be permitted provisional slots. Additionally, some earning an entry may not choose to attend the NCR. In such cases deeper positions from the participating regional events would be evenly added not reaching deeper than 8^th place. Deeper positions from the previous NCR could also be used but not deeper than 15^th place. From this an entry fleet to the NCR would be established even if it fell short of 37 boats.

Comment: This program protects regional events from travelers seeking a qualification. It does, however, run the risk of reducing travelers to events on the national schedule. This program will restrict some Regions where many good competitors reside.

Open Regional Qualifications

This program is the same as the strict one above but allowing RCR events to be open to all travelers like the national schedule.

Comment: This program will encourage travelers and hence, promote attendance across regional lines.

Point Qualification System

This program would have a scoring system like the Champions Regatta Series. Regattas listed on the national schedule would have their results converted to points based on how many boats the competitor beat at a regatta. This would produce an individual scoring across a board of all events listed. The events would be those completed 60 days before the scheduled NCR (allowing time to provide a roster for the NCR). All events would be used in the scoring that was not used for the last NCR forward. Something like the best four (4) events scored would be used to prevent a need to go to them all.

The CS would have provisional slots. Once those slots are determined the top point getters will be invited to fill the event to about 37 boats. Those that decline attendance will be offered to others on the scoring list below them.

Comment: This program would encourage competitors to cross regional lines and into a traveling group much like it is today for the series. One can set goals and pursue an effort. It would reward good competitors who participate and support regional events. This would increase participation creating larger scheduled events, as everyone starts on a new page each in a quest to be in the NCR. However, it would not help those Regions that can only muster a small turnout where travel is geographically restrictive, especially for a one-day event.

Resume Process

The 1997 Nationals in St. Petersburg used this system to field an impressive group of competitors. You can see the list on the class website. It has not been used since in this class but has been with other classes. Competitors wishing to attend the NCR submit an entry and attached listing of performance in events over a specified time or in general. Through this process a race committee can plan the event format to the number of competitors it feels are warranted by the venue and size to be managed. About 37 is suggested. It is simple but should have established guidelines to narrow the focus of the RC for the class.

Comment: This is recognized to be a subjective selection process even with guidelines. You need to have an administration that can be trusted and brave enough to make tough decisions.

CS Blended Format

The CS recommendation for a true nationals is based on good conversation within the CAC where many good suggestions were presented. A blend of ideas and concerns are covered in a program and format with some subjective decisions likely to needed near the bottom of the roster. Click Here to see some detail of the program.

 Comment: This program would encourage participation on the national schedule and across regional lines. Consideration is made for Regions 5 and 6. Because this will produce a true nationals fleet the Champions Regatta is likely to go away but not the series programs that spawned it.

Duration (2nd Question, 3 options)

Mostly in the past a NCR was a three-day event. Then people started to arrive on Wednesday and demanded a clock for afternoon delight. When match racing arrived Wednesday afternoon was used for a 50% elimination. This now had people arriving Tuesday night for registration and measuring Wednesday morning.

The program and format options above are suggested for 3-1/2 days; registration Wednesday morning and the seeding heats in the afternoon. If a full open event is the preference then it may be considered that a full four (4) days would be also considered.

The three (3) day event without match racing would begin Thursday morning with the seeding heats. Registration would be Wednesday afternoon along with tuning and mock racing.