Open Meetings

Originally posted by Grumpycat My club just runs one open a year for the British moths and it’s been a very pleasurable experience. It’s run on a Saturday so it doesn’t stop club racing , we always get plenty of volunteers to be RO/ do rescue/ galley etc. The club thinks of it as a club event to be enjoyed by all. Re class membership it’s not a problem as it’s not a BM class requirement to be a member to do your home open . You only need to be a member to do others clubs opens and the nationals .

This is why my my club started a sailing school (all volunteers running it) about 15 years ago, we were getting very old and had practically no dinghies sailing. They started the school  and rapidly got up to 80 kids registered each season for the school.. It took a while, but they have now fed through to dinghy sailing on normal racing days, we've gained a few parents sailing and doing duties as well..

Edited by The Q - 26 May 22 at 2:42pm

My club has a nice lake in pretty surroundings. We have loads of requests to run opens. But attendance is down and the club has determined that the cost of running an open requires 20 double handers or 40 single handers to make it financially viable. Never mind the pita of finding ROs, mark layers and extra safety.

I reckon we will be running far fewer opens in future. This weekend's has been cancelled due to lack of pre-entries (I did warn that if we insist on pre-entry then fewer people will come, but better not to run it than to take the risk of a loss is the view).

For sure it would be better to sail at our own clubs in the same boats. But the demographic is heading into solos and k1s; not quite ready for that yet though.

At one time I'd do the 3000 and Javelin travellers circuits, clocking up 8 to 10 opens in a year. Now planning to do Javelin Euros, Osprey Nationals, Contender inlands .. and try to keep up with our local boat builder's blaze on the home lake.

Quite a few things to consider ... a one day event can be a bit of a schlep together with increasing costs makes it less attractive if the weather, wind, venue and competition is iffy when compared with staying at your home club, I think that I have only done one one day open in 15 years.

I think our overheads are too big.

They reckon £125 a day for use of ribs, then each volunteer ( RO, 2X aro, mark layers, safety boat) gets £40 knocked off their club fees.

The ribs are expensive as the club bought several nice new ones with huge engines. If we don't use the "duty levy" system of club fee reduction it's reckoned no one will do any duties.

Our club fees are expensive due to the club's 2/3 employees and a hefty rent to the lake owners (Severn Trent = grabbing barstewards with share holders to please) so a refund is nice to have.

NB: open fees now £40 for a double hander for two days. But I just paid £50 for the Bala long distance ( includes a cut to the 3rd party event organisers I suppose).

Edited by NickA - 01 Jun 22 at 7:33pm