[C320-list] Ideas for a Future C320 annual Regatta/Meeting

[Bruce Heyman]

Jeff,

Excellent idea.  

Probably still a fair amount of work planning and organizing but; since it
would be viewed by more families as their annual vacation we could probably
get lots of help.

Home schooling kids in Jost Van Dike at the Soggy Dollar Bar....hmm...guess
you chock it up to life credits.

Bruce
Somerset 671 SoCal

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Jeffrey Hare
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 6:58 AM
To: 'C320-List'
Subject: [C320-list] Ideas for a Future C320 annual Regatta/Meeting

Hi everyone,

   I've been thinking about the annual regatta/meetings and wanted to toss
out an idea for the '08 or possibly later.  I know it's a way off.

   What do people think about departing from the typical format and trying
something completely different?

Here are the problems I see:
============================
1) Hard to find a member(s) with time/energy/location to do all the work to
host such an event

2) It's always in the US, and most attendees have to pay for flights and
hotels.  

3) It costs the same (or more) to fly out for a couple days just for the
regatta as it would to fly somewhere for a longer stay.

4) The hotels typically give us a break, but it's still expensive.

5) The event only has a few hours of sailing (at best) for the whole event,
so unless you have your boat there, you're not going to do much sailing.

6) There's little or no incentive for people outside the US to attend one of
these events, given the short duration, limited sailing, etc.

7) Outside the Dinners and Organized events, there's nothing to do but
sight-see or try to hook up with other members for some side activities.


Here's my proposal:

Let's consider having an annual meeting/regatta in the BVI sometime between
December and March.  We'll charter the boats, spend a week sailing, racing
bar-to-bar, diving, whatever.

* It would be a *lot* more fun.
* There's a reason for more people to go, and especially people from other
countries.
* People who want to do this, but are otherwise uncomfortable with
chartering could "get their feet wet" with a large group of friends to build
confidence.
* Get a chance to sail/race/cruise larger boats or Catamarans and share
skills.
* Adam will cook for everyone ;)
* Have our annual meeting at Saba Rock Resort restaurant in Virgin Gorda
sound, or elsewhere.  Note that they have valet dinghy parking.. :)
* Yea, we'd have to take the kids out of school for a week assumig it
wouldn't fall on vacation week, but we'll just bring the homework along like
we always do and call it a educational opportunity. :)

While I haven't run the numbers recently, I recall that we seem to spend a
similar amount of $$ to fly to the west coast for 4 or 5 days, pay for
hotel, food and transportation as it cost us to do a charter in Tortola
(looking at the cost/day $$ average).  And it's a real vacation as well.
Given that we're all sailors, we might be able to carve out some kind of
group discount to sweeten the deal.

Then for an encore at a future date, maybe cruise the Med?

Just a thought...

-JeffH.