Big handicap events

Originally posted by Doug.H Well, 7th-8th August is the swanage bay regatta. All dinghies and cats are welcome. There's a summer handicap event for you all. I genuinely would be well chuffed if a load of you turn up. I'm sure I could stump up some Y&Y forum members prizes for the event. First forum member, furthest travelled, something like that.

I maybe up for a bit of that Doug, I wil just try and clear it with the wife as its my daughters birthday on the 9th!  If i can get a pass i will be there.

Well new blood in my view is proper grown ups with disposable income
that want to sail. Not kids from schools, kids in squads, kids just being
kept off the streets. they nearly always bugger off and do something else
having been entirely brainwashed by the RYA or so traumatised to the point
they never want to go near a boat again.

Enthusiasts, and they inevitably inspire others, but free thinkers that take
stuff up like this, rarely respond well to the sort of authority that is still
prevalent within sailing.

Everybody knows dinghy sailors are nutters who don't give a damn
about kewell, style or attracting new blood.

But the question posed was getting new blood, and you don't do that in
the winter, they (potential sailors) aint even looking.

I'm not saying don't have winter events for the tin bath in front of coal
fire brigade, but y'all are an ageing generation and modern youf are
pussies until you hook em, then they may grow a pair.

So a few prestige gatherings in high profile venues with try it out
options running alongside wouldn't go amiss.

If you want more take up that is.

But if you move all the big handicap events to the summer, what the hell
are we supposed to do in the winter.
Sure you could hold new ones in the summer but certainly don't move the
existing events away from their time of year.

We live in a cold country and if you don't like it, move. Winter is just
another time of year and has as much validity to have events as the
summer. Anyone who's done the bloody mary several times will have
undoubtedly complained about the cold on they day. However, in future
months will miss that pain and suffering because no matter how bad it
was, it was pretty damn funny to go do something that stupid!

Everyone loves telling stories of frozen sheets, icicles, and sheet ice on
the floor of the boat, so MTFU and be happy that we have these big
events in the most painful time of year.

theres this thing called the sea, its warmer in the summer and doesnt drain out like puddles.