Time to Change

It has become more and more evident that the schedule format the GSBYRA has been using for many years is no longer attracting one design sailors to our regattas. Each year we see less participation than before – nearly a 50% decline in the last ten years.

To improve turnout, numerous variations of our old schedule have been tried- but with little or no success. The GSB officers, in searching for a solution to this problem, found that several major racing centers have switched to a Class Racing concept. In this format, class boats race the majority of the time in the area that is central to the largest number of that class, thus eliminating the time and effort t of rigging/unrigging and transportation to a new location each week. Invitational events are held only on special occasions.

This type of concept was presented to the member clubs of the Bay and subsequently a modified version – as follows –was agreed upon for 1985.

            Three Class weekends
            Three Invitational Regattas
            Race Week spanning two weekends

For further details, see the race schedule shown on another page in this book.

The new schedule gives us an opportunity to try a format that has proven successful elsewhere and also makes good sense for the conditions we face on the Bay today. We ask that you give it your enthusiastic support so we may see a resurgence of one design racing on the Great South Bay.

Bud St. John