As the SMSA Administrator, I am in a unique position to see things and hear things from around our region. As the summer unfolds, I am going to try to post thoughts that interest me. Let's see how it goes. If you have comments or feedback, please feel free to send it to: SouthernMassSailing@GMail.com
Rob Hurd
SMSA Administrator
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Negative on weekday GP events: if you include travel time, the sailors get limited practice time at their home clubs.
Negative on weekend GP events: with working spouse(s), weekend GP events would limit quality family time.
Regatta Networks – Registration
It's troublesome and timely inputting the same sailor data for each an every event. Especially if a household has multiple sailors. Can something be arranged through Regatta Networks that a person only has to enter the data once, then click on those regattas that the sailor will be competing in.
Grand Prix events – Host club mandatory preseason deadline
What's the possibility of making in mandatory that all clubs that host GP events need to have their registration websites up and running by mid-June to facilitate both the SMSA calendar and sailor's family calendars.
Late Fees
With the ease of an electronic application for host clubs, are late fees really needed. Late fees seem to simply be a holdover from just a few years ago when paper applications made late regatta registration cumbersome. Most of the GP events have a historical idea on the number of sailors their regatta typically draws and registering early to avoid a late fee doesn't impact those numbers. Budget items like lunches, t-shirts, etc that have to be ordered more than a week in advance. Yet late fees are usually charged less than a week in advance. Do the 6-12 sailors that register late really put an added strain on regatta budgets? As a percentage, the late fee penalty is often 25% or more of the registration fee which seems excessive.
Regattas – How they are run on the water side
Guidance on how many coach boats per sailor a club needs to send to an event to put less strain on the regatta itself. Better guidance on start lines and perhaps some criteria to standardize the start line at all GP events. More SMSA hosted clinics oriented towards improving RCs.
Island regattas
VHYC looking to better partner with EYC so sailors don't have to do either / or. Once boats are transported to island they can remain there if both events are pegged closer together on SMSA calendar. Some urgency since VHYC is considering moving on the SMSA calendar in 2012 due to NAs being hosted in Falmouth during VHYC regattas regular time slot.
Team Racing
What's the possibility of moving SMSA team racing early in the calendar. That way it flows right after the HS sailing season while sailors are still of the "team race" mindset. And it does not conflict with the summertime fleet racing season.
There was a request to have Optimist team racing in a preferred 4-on-4 format.
SMSA Communication – How can it be better
It was the clear majority of those attending that had not signed up for SMSA emails via Topica or visited the website. There needs to be better notification of the year-end meeting and monthly conference calls. Through Regatta Networks, is there a way for SMSA Administrator to have access through RNs "email console" for all families that register for SMSA regattas or its GP regattas. GP regatta command can email each family registered for its event so why can't SMSA Admin have access to those same emails. Perhaps a registration notice of enrolling in Topica can be sent to each sailor automatically when they register for any regatta on RN. Club reps need to be better at notifying their sailing programs of signing up for Topica.
August 2: Parenting sailors: Sometimes it is not what you write, but what you read that is worth passing along. Check out these two articles from the US Sailing Blob about parenting young sailors. Click here
We are a South Shore organization near the following Southern Massachusetts towns:
Boston Area: Scituate, Plymouth, Duxbury, Braintree
South Shore: Buzzards Bay, Matapoisette, Marion, Bourne, Fall River, New Bedford
Cape Cod: Barnstable, Brewster, Centerville, Chatham, Cotuit, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Hyannis, Marstons Mills
Mashpee, Orleans, Osterville, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, Woods Hole, Yarmouth, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard
