Open Meeting Entry Fees

Maybe i'm strange but i think £35 even for a two day event is very expensive, certainly for an open meeting and not a area or inland champs.

For a two day event if the club plays it's cards right (Unlike a certain very large inland reservoir) the bar takings will easily exceed the entry fees and the people sailing will have enjoyed themselves and feel more inclined to return next year not having realised that they earned the host club a fortune in the process.

 

As Paul says we have kept the cost of the Blaze Nationals at £ 45 yet again -  a real bargain.  Free Beer, Breakfast, quality shirt, live band etc - shows what can be done with a little sponsorship, a very helfull club and and active association.  AND it also includes the relatively new HAMBLE river harbour dues - extremely unpopular as the only thing we do is leave the Hamble and sail off to somewhere else from Warsash SC which is situated right near the entrance as well.

Nobody minds paying reasonable amounts for good facilities and good racing.   If an event appears expensive it might be justified of course.  But there is a marked and increasing contrast between the 'weekend heritage' clubs and the more purely business ones out there.  Don't like what's on offer ? - shop around and make your point by attending or not.  The best clubs and most enjoyable events do not necessarily correlate with the most expensive venues. So if they want to charge top end prices insist on them explaining - I've got no problem with paying more if it's really worth it.  How about parking facilities, boat park ease, hoses for washing down without waiting 20 minutes, adaquate showers and changing rooms, catering available when needed, a BAR open when etc, RO's who listen to the competitors, evening facilities, 'officials' who revel in the role a bit too much - above all a genuine welcome etc etc

If some venues insist on minimum numbers (and that the association warrant their income as well) you can share of course and it can make a much better overall event as well.   But perhaps some of these clubs will lose out in the longer term as classes grow and recall the 'encouragement' given to them by the more hard nosed 'commercial' clubs - and still choose to go where they were made most welcome before.  (You look after your customers AND encourage tomorrow's customers ....) 

Blaze 720

As it was pee-ing it down yesterday, we decided to take the kids 10 pin bowling.  For me, the wife, and two kids under 4, cost £16++ for just one game which lasted about 30 mins.

So, in my humble opinion, Open Meetings are good value for money... however it's not the whole picture.  Try adding up the costs of running a boat for a season (don't forget depreciation) then divide by the number of sailing days. 

You might get a bit of a shock!

Paul

Brightlingsea SC ran an open just over week ago with entry fees set at £24 for double-handers, £18 for single-handers.  That included harbour dues and an extremely hearty home-cooked evening meal.  Good value I think.

Most people I know would baulk at £50 for an open meeting, and these people are not 'tight'.  They do have a lot of demands on their cash (and time) though, and have to prioritise.  For many people open meetings are not cheap especially by the time you've factored in petrol & accommodation, not to mention running the boat itself.

Mike

At Hunts we tend to run between £6 and £10 for single handers and £10 to £15 for double handers (double handers are more expensive as you need to double up on prizes, helm and crew).

Having said that I believe we do make a profit on all events, nothing too much but it is generally bar and galley takings that help (not that either are over priced, 40p for a mug of tea/coffee and 60p for a freshly made roll).

I think the difference is that most smaller clubs are run by volunteers and are not run as businesses so there is less of a drive to make money. The big clubs like Grafam will not entertain an open meeting of less than 50 boats (you can combine classes which helps of course).

At the end of they day you pays your money you takes your choice....personally I am doing the Nationals and Inlands for my class this year and will try to get to other events dependant on total cost (ie including acommodation)..

As for Nationals costs I believe the Blaze is £45 this year giving 3 days of sea racing (6 races if memory serves) and we have got sponsorship giving every pre-entrant a nice shirt emboridered with your boat number and we have got a brewery to sponsor the socials. It is down to the class to drive this kind of thing, we have some good people who do a lot.

Paul