No Corsairs at KWRW this year. What a loss.
Any reason why not?
Some will say the economy. I think there was also a lack of focus/leadership on the event. I'm on every distribution list and comb the web - there realy wasn't any marketing of the event formally done within the class. There may have been one email...
Same guys have been going every year, and it is a burden financially. However, there are plenty of 28R owners who haven't made the trip and could be engaged.
The bummer is that other than the NOOD events, this is the only real opportunity for mainstream exposure to the speed and seaworthiness of these beasts.
First the olympics, now this. Ouch. I really hope that either new leadership or the 750 class leadership steps up and gets this real estate back.
I understand that Key West also passed a law that houses have to be rented for at least a month at a time (no one week rentals any more). That adds a lot of costs to an already costly event.
It's long past time to get a good regular racing fleet in Sarasota, put in a class request for the St. Pete NOOD, do the Miami races in Jan, Feb. Sarasota has a huge Midwinter regatta in March. All would be easier for more people to get to and cheaper hotels.
If they don't want you in Key West, there are plenty of other good races, just get the fleet to agree on which ones you will all do.
Don't forget good 'ole Tampa Bay. Big, deep and protected. Yacht clubs abound (Ruskin, Bradenton, Tampa, DeSoto, Davis Island, Longboat, and even GYC if you don't mind the bridge).
So...the 28R's are already in the NOODs in St. Pete and Houston. I think with Kathryn Garlick and Peter Katcha in St. Pete and Sarasota, the fleet is healthy there.
To me, probably because I was a monohull sailor long before I got into multis, KWRW is the Indy 500 of US sailing events...to lose a seat at that table is really pretty sad.