We just finished up the IOM US Nationals last weekend, and I think virtually everyone thought it was a very successful event. In looking at why the race worked so well a few things come to mind:
1. The race was run by experienced r/c sailors. The race committee from the San Diego Argonauts had a combined experience level of over fifty years in r/c sailng. They understood sitelines and course distances and the needs of r/c sailors in a way that no "big boat" race director without competitive r/c racing experience ever could.
2. The first beat of the course was very long; it ran about 3/4 the lenght of the site. Its amazing what happens when you give 19 boats a long first beat to seperate out over. When the lenght of the course mandates that you have to have multiple tacks to reach the first mark, the placement of the line and the first windward mark become much less critical. In fact, I don't believe the windward mark was moved once the entire race and I am not aware of anyone complaining.
3. Approximately one third of each heat (6 boats) were moved up and down. This really changed the character of the race. It was expected that you would be moving in and out of fleets. There was not a desperate drive to make the rare three or four places to move up or down. Even the eventual winner of the race spent time in the bottom of c fleet. A very successful experiment that should be adopted.
4. The "control area" was the lenght of the course. The pond in San Diego is a place where you can walk the bank and follow your boat up and down the entire course. The boats were never out of sight and particularly the windward mark was less that ten yards from shore.
5. A single "skipper's reprsentative" was appointed to communicate the concerns of the sailors to the race committee.
6. The race committee kept the event moving. No delays to constantly shift marks, find missing sailors or reset the line. Protests were postponed to natural breaks in the action.
7. The host club did not provide a party, hats, shirts, gifts etc. There was coffee and donuts in the morning, lunch at midday and water, juice and sotf drinks throughtout the day. What was provided was more than fine for everyone.
8. There were judges at the start and finish line and to call contact with the marks. Otherwise the event was self policing. Thanks to the good sitelines, contacts were at a minimum and usually the outcome of any protest was obvious (port clearly hit starboard...). While I think most sailors would have liked to have a little higher level of "umpiring" (maybe observers calling contact?), no one was too unhappy with the simple system employed.
All in all the 2005 US Nationals was the largest and probably the best IOM race we've had in the US. It showed how a great race can be put on by an expereinced club in an established location with a minimum of staff and expense.
Successful Events
Moderator: Rob Walsh