mustoskiff.com

All,

The committee has been busy behind the scenes planning the schedule for future world championships.

The details are here; we welcome any comments:

http://www.mustoskiff.com/sub-pages/0th ... hedule.htm

The long term schedule looks good.

Strong Points
1. I am glad we are going to Garda - I think that will be popular with UK and European sailors alike, and hopefully the Australians will consider it worth travelling half way round the globe.

2. Going to Australia - while expensive is vital for growing the fleet in the Southern Hemisphere (is it worth considering going to NZ for one event - or does that just make it prohibitively expensive for everyone?).

3. We should definitely do an event in Germany - it is probably now the second biggest fleet. My vote would be 2016 - GER, 2019 ESP, 2021 GBR (unless NOR/ DEN are showing signs of life)

Thoughts
4. There is a long gap between Attersee and Jan 2015 (Aus). Is it worth doing something in Summer 2014 - for example making the UK Nationals a week long event?

5. Have we decided that the time is not right for the USA? I know it would be expensive for everyone and would probably result in a small event, but it might be worth it to encourage the stuttering US market?

6. What do we want to do with the Europeans? It looks like we are phasing it out.

7. Are there any strong contenders for the 2013 South Coast Nationals? I would say that Hayling Island really delivered 2 years ago, other possibilities... Torbay?

Dan,

If NZL develops a fleet we could consider that but until it gets a bit of a start AUS makes sense.

USA is a huge nation but a tiny market for dinghy sailing; seems they prefer leadmining.

When you rotate North/South hemispheres you end up with a 18/6 split rather than the usual 12; the AUS guys requested, and I agree, that this is prior to the worlds to give people time to focus (and save) for the event.

The summer before Melbourne saw no events and that was the biggest ever UK nationals summer ... I am sure the GBR committee have a great nationals in the pipeline in 2014.

Add to this the growing EuroCup series and I don't see the class could sustain a European Championships which would just spread peoples time & money too thin ....

I agree with Dan about the long gap, especially as it will be 2.5 years between the Weymouth Worlds and next Worlds. Maybe Austria should just be a Worlds? (Or will this just make the event expensive due to the ISAF regulations, such as international jury requirements). I understand the logic for having a 18 month gap, before the AUS Worlds, but it will still impact the Worlds that follows it, especially as they will be in the same calendar year (therefore same holiday period for leave at work).
I am not sure that making the 2014 nationals a week long event would help though, as this didn't seem to get that many entries for Mounts Bay. Saying that I see it is in Scotland, so most of us would need a day to drive there anyway, so having the event Monday to Friday could be a possibility.

I think the Worlds are a good opportunity for the country hosting it to boost their fleet numbers, so I think we should focus on going to the active MPS countries (Germany, France, Spain, Aus) rather than just going off to Garda every few years. I will probably get flamed for writing this, but although the location of Garda is great, I tend to think the sailing is a bit like Groundhog day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4TYRLjpjYI Start at the pin, tack just before you hit the shore, etc all in the same conditions every day.

How about in a 4 year cycle:
1 event is held by an active MPS non-European fleet (probably Australia, unless the US picks up)
2 events are held by an active European fleet (Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, UK)
1 wildcard event which would probably be in a European country that doesn't have a large fleet (if any) e.g. Austria, Slovenia, Barbados, Netherlands, Italy (yes, possibly Garda!), Norway, Denmark, etc

This way we could support the already active countries, while still going to some new locations. I don't think it is far off what has been suggested, but just swapping Garda for some other European locations.

Bruce wrote:I agree with Dan about the long gap, especially as it will be 2.5 years between the Weymouth Worlds and next Worlds. Maybe Austria should just be a Worlds? (Or will this just make the event expensive due to the ISAF regulations, such as international jury requirements).

This is an option but the AUT team are well advanced in the planning and switching to a worlds at this point has a number of implications.

The event will be THE main event for 2013 regardless of the title of the event ...

A general point about venues for Worlds.

I think the Fireballs have the model worth following. From what I can see that is:

Priority 1: Go to a great place for sailing and for a holiday (ie somewhere warm and with predictable good winds)

Priority 2: Go somewhere where you want to support/build the fleet.

In my view, priority 1 should always be put before priority 2. If you can achieve both, then great. But don't sacrifice #1 for #2. The Fireballs have been to some off-the-beaten track venues like Thailand and Barbados, and they plan to go back there. Now the 505s are going to Barbados next year. The turn-out is good because these are attractive venues.

The MPS fleet has been to some championship venues where the breeze is not that reliable, and got away with it. A fortunate case of 'it's not normally like this'. But we shouldn't rely on being so lucky in the future.

Just for a few ideas for champ venues that I've enjoyed in particular:

In the UK: Lyme Regis/ Falmouth/ Abersoch/ Mounts Bay. At the Nationals meeting, Tenby was also mentioned.

In Europe: Garda (Riva or Torbole, not Malcesine)/ Carnac/ Cadiz/ Palma/ Trapani/ Santander.

Cheers

Andy

when there are long gaps between the big events think its worth rembeing the people that carnt afford to g to places like aus its not to bad to hope across the channel once a year for a week or so but for some of us sending our boats across the world and flaying after them is just to much so having a Europeans those year i think would be nice i understand haw we need to shear the events woth these countries as the fleets are split but for some of us this is alwase going to be a thing wer find it just to hard to do

The whole scheduling process is challenging to accomodate the needs of the various sailors and nations.

The committee used these responses to plan the schedule.

http://www.mustoskiff.com/survey/2011/r ... low-up.htm

The major events are also supported by local circuits and the EuroCup circuit.

It is always the committees intention to not to have too many poorly supported events ... that is no good for the host clubs or the competitors.

Experience tells us that most owners will sail in one major event per year; i.e. an event that requires a few days off work.

Few people have the time or the money to do multiple championships.

We believe the schedule planned balances all of these issues best we can.

The biggest issue is dealing with the rotation to the souther hemisphere do to the seasons being reversed causing an 18 month gap ... this of course is beyond our control and we just need to accomodate it best we can. If you squeeze a Europeans in that 18 month gap we believe you will detract from the AUS event as people will choose that as a cheaper alternative.

How cold is Aussie winter anyway?!
Never been so I take your word...

According to my gloating father - still better than here.

We would be pleasured to organize an event in France, growing fleet and a lovely venue, Carnac. But that's a busy schedule, wondering when we could fit this in?

Emilien wrote:We would be pleasured to organize an event in France, growing fleet and a lovely venue, Carnac. But that's a busy schedule, wondering when we could fit this in?

2016 needs a bit; long way off I know but these things take planning and give time for the local fleet to develop further

http://www.mustoskiff.com/reports-and-n ... hedule.htm

I haven't been to Carnac, but I have heard good things about it so it gets my vote.
John, I believe the temperature of the winters depends a lot on where you are in Aus. The biggest problem with that is that you would lose your boat for 4 months of our summer season.

Hi all, most of you already know Palma, good weather, warm, see breeze (10-14 knots), incredible water, any kind of hotel, Spanish food, a good place for family (the airport have good connection with any country in Europe with very good prices, and we have a local fleet with a lot of activity (8 boats) and one of the most important things the club nautico Arenal supports the class with every thing and they have a lot experience with big and international regattas (Princes Sophya, 49er worlds, 470 Europeans...)
We send a Dossier with all the information you can need to know. Paul and Rick already have it(we have to change a couple of things). We go really serious for it and we have the support of the club.

Andyrice said:
Priority 1: Go to a great place for sailing and for a holiday (ie somewhere warm and with predictable good winds)

Priority 2: Go somewhere where you want to support/build the fleet.

We have the two priority points.
Maybe Bruce can say something about the spot, he came last year to the Eurocup in April.

Just looking at the calendar for dates into 2015 and specifically the Garda worlds, but generally I guess this would apply to any summer event.

The worlds are being held two weeks after all the kids go back to school - well here in the UK anyway, that makes combining the worlds with a family holiday impossible and effectively means the two 'holidays'.

While I appreciate that places like Garda will book up years in advance, just one week earlier would have made all the difference as the family could have flown home for worlds week, but at least been able to enjoy a good holiday before hand.

Looking further ahead I am quite prepared to catch one ferry to make my way to a big event, but am unlikely to make the effort to double ferry to Palma, whereas both Kiel (Ferry Harwich to Esjberg) and Carnac are easily accessible.

cheers
Mark