2012 Endeavour Trophy

Originally posted by pondmonkey I guess the RCYC are struggling to make it viable, I doubt many of the kids at our club would even know what the Endeavour is.

Shame really as it is an excellent event, needs better PR.

Stuart Bithell

Originally posted by tickler Hmmmm....i have a bad taste about the Endevour.......

They can't get all class champs there, sadly - never have been able to. It is a club for either boats with a large Nationals fleet or those which have traditionally been invited, even if numbers have dropped in recent years.

Very much a product of its time, I'd say, as an invitational meeting. Holding the event in mid speed boats is obviouly going to be an advantage to helms who sail in a certain type of boat normally, but not half as much as it would be if sailed in Musto Skiffs or 49ers.

The scottish version is interesting, as a handicap event. Just as flawed, but in different ways.

Personally, as cvrda National Champ, and Minisail National champ, I can see why I might have passed under the radar... If I ever win the Lightnings, or the Minisails when the fleet has grown to 30 boats (I can but dream...), maybe I might feel slighted at not being invited, but I doubt it!


Edited by Rupert - 02 Oct 12 at 7:04pm

Having a "Champion of Champions" event is a nice little concept. Having it in "neutral" boats is, I think, better than the Scottish version- which uses handicaps modified somewhat arbitrarily. Since the sponsorship by Topper, they have been properly "neutral" - after all, there's apparently never been a Xenon nationals (as far as I can find).

The invite criteria do seem rather opaque and "quirky", but hey, it is their event and they can invite who they want to. If it was the RYA running it then we (or at least, RYA members and members of RYA-affliated clubs and classes) might have a right to expect transparent criteria. And there's little chance of a boat-supplier sponsor ponying up to supply enough for every class to get invited!

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by 2547 I thought they had a strict rule, national champion helms and that was it. If such a rule exists/existed I don't believe its ever been enforced in practice. Apart from anything else there are plenty of sailors for whom a weekend sailing in a highly tidal river in strange moderate performance boats has minimal appeal. I don't really think you can say its any less credible (or more) than its been in the past. It has been and probably always will be dominated by the sort of semi pros who class hop between those sorts of moderate performance boats. Personally I'd say being selected for the Olympic team is every bit as appropriate a qualification as winning a Nationals, and the presence of a few Olympic sailors could only enhance the event. Just think how much more oomph the event would have had if they could have got the whole Olympic team turning out... it would be kind of like Top Gear's F1 Stars in a reasonably priced car...

Edited by andymck - 02 Oct 12 at 8:06pm