Change the game?

30 september 2019 - Welcome to the October issue of At The Front, a monthly digest of top news and stories from the world of Harken® In this issue, we shine the spotlight on programs that are changing the game. Learn about initiatives .......................

that are boosting participation in the sport, bringing different experiences to youth sailors, ushering in a new era for Corinthian sailors, or simply bypassing the standard windward-leeward course. The above image features Oakcliff Sailing's Doublehanded Melges 24 Distance Race, an overnight, mixed, offshore, one-design event.

Fall: If you’re a regatta organizer, maybe now is the perfect time to consider something new.

By Rusty Rutherford, West Coast USA Sales Manager

As summer turns to fall, it’s a good time to look back at your summer regatta schedule and look at the turnout. We’re sailors here at Harken, and we love our sport. So we hope participation broke all of your historical records. If that didn’t happen, there’s been talk around the Harken beer machine about what can be done.

Our advice: Zag when you would normally zig. Use autumn to take a crazy regatta flyer. Dream up something new.

A dozen windward-leeward courses with an offset and a leeward gate is many people’s idea of the best way to separate the best from the rest. But to others, a two hour race around 13 different marks involving the diverse currents of two rivers and the stage of the tide is a much more interesting. We think the following events are on to something.

The Chicago Yacht Club recently organized an event with an innovative format, called simply The Chicago Regatta. Entry fee, no. Charitable donation, yes. There were course racing and distance race options. Integrated was an RC fleet, even a competitive event for power boaters. What happened? 400+ people showed up at the party and TONS of money was donated. It was a fresh idea.

How do you boost participation?

Mix it up.

Chicago Yacht Club has been searching for the sweet spot. This year’s Chicago Regatta is proof of concept. CYC flipped the switch on the traditional format and is At The Front of a new line of thinking.

The Chicago Regatta is not two days of racing with a dinner party squeezed in between. It’s distance racing, buoy racing, casual racing, remote-controlled Dragon Force 65 racing, a dinghy poker run, a silent auction, a powerboat aspect, and a tour of the beautiful 104’ yacht Whitehawk – all leading up to an incredible gathering of all kinds of boaters at the regatta party. And all for the benefit of three charities who improve the lives of kids in the Chicago area. To us, this seemed like a winning combination to bring more participation into the sport. So we spoke with Event Chair and Past CYC Commodore Greg Miarecki. Here’s what he had to say:

“Our sport is multi-faceted. We have people who like buoy racing, others who like distance racing, and still others who really are just looking for a reason to get out on the water. The standard windward-leeward format simply doesn’t appeal to a lot of boaters, nor is it suitable for some types of boats. The Chicago Regatta was designed to be inclusive, and for that reason, we tried to offer a wide variety of formats. And our experience is that sailors are looking for more than a race when deciding where to spend their valuable time. They’re looking to have some fun, to do something different and interesting, and to be able to connect with other boaters.

“Did this work? I’d say yes. We saw more than 40 boats on our distance race, 30 in the buoy race, and 15 in our casual race, and more than 400 people at the post-race party. We raised approximately $150,000 for our three participating charities. We saw lots of people and boats that we don’t normally see on the race course. I think that shows we are on the right track with the Chicago Regatta format.”

Curious? Read the full article: Chicago Yacht Club has been searching for the sweet spot. This year’s Chicago Regatta is proof of concept. CYC flipped the switch on the traditional format and is At The Front of a new line of thinking.

The Chicago Regatta is not two days of racing with a dinner party squeezed in between. It’s distance racing, buoy racing, casual racing, remote-controlled Dragon Force 65 racing, a dinghy poker run, a silent auction, a powerboat aspect, and a tour of the beautiful 104’ yacht Whitehawk – all leading up to an incredible gathering of all kinds of boaters at the regatta party. And all for the benefit of three charities who improve the lives of kids in the Chicago area. To us, this seemed like a winning combination to bring more participation into the sport. So we spoke with Event Chair and Past CYC Commodore Greg Miarecki. Here’s what he had to say:

“Our sport is multi-faceted. We have people who like buoy racing, others who like distance racing, and still others who really are just looking for a reason to get out on the water. The standard windward-leeward format simply doesn’t appeal to a lot of boaters, nor is it suitable for some types of boats. The Chicago Regatta was designed to be inclusive, and for that reason, we tried to offer a wide variety of formats. And our experience is that sailors are looking for more than a race when deciding where to spend their valuable time. They’re looking to have some fun, to do something different and interesting, and to be able to connect with other boaters.

“Did this work? I’d say yes. We saw more than 40 boats on our distance race, 30 in the buoy race, and 15 in our casual race, and more than 400 people at the post-race party. We raised approximately $150,000 for our three participating charities. We saw lots of people and boats that we don’t normally see on the race course. I think that shows we are on the right track with the Chicago Regatta format.”

Curious? Read the full article: Chicago Yacht Club has been searching for the sweet spot. This year’s Chicago Regatta is proof of concept. CYC flipped the switch on the traditional format and is At The Front of a new line of thinking.

The Chicago Regatta is not two days of racing with a dinner party squeezed in between. It’s distance racing, buoy racing, casual racing, remote-controlled Dragon Force 65 racing, a dinghy poker run, a silent auction, a powerboat aspect, and a tour of the beautiful 104’ yacht Whitehawk – all leading up to an incredible gathering of all kinds of boaters at the regatta party. And all for the benefit of three charities who improve the lives of kids in the Chicago area. To us, this seemed like a winning combination to bring more participation into the sport. So we spoke with Event Chair and Past CYC Commodore Greg Miarecki. Here’s what he had to say:

“Our sport is multi-faceted. We have people who like buoy racing, others who like distance racing, and still others who really are just looking for a reason to get out on the water. The standard windward-leeward format simply doesn’t appeal to a lot of boaters, nor is it suitable for some types of boats. The Chicago Regatta was designed to be inclusive, and for that reason, we tried to offer a wide variety of formats. And our experience is that sailors are looking for more than a race when deciding where to spend their valuable time. They’re looking to have some fun, to do something different and interesting, and to be able to connect with other boaters.

“Did this work? I’d say yes. We saw more than 40 boats on our distance race, 30 in the buoy race, and 15 in our casual race, and more than 400 people at the post-race party. We raised approximately $150,000 for our three participating charities. We saw lots of people and boats that we don’t normally see on the race course. I think that shows we are on the right track with the Chicago Regatta format.”

Curious? Read the full article: https://spark.adobe.com/page/tjY2SZMHw37bL/