2012 NA Dates?

[Tac Boston]

Tried the email thing but no reply

Does anyone in Mhead know when the regatta is going to be next year? We have another NA's that is trying to book a date and we don't want overlap.

Thanks
Tac

[Peter Beardsley]

I haven't heard firm dates yet, but I've got to think that it wouldn't be earlier than late August and way more likely would be some time in September.  Hopefully it won't overlap with M32 Worlds for those in the class who would like to participate in that event at the end of September in Newport. 

[Olaf Bleck]

I don't know if they are set in stone but according to this post...

http://forum.viper640.org/index.php?topic=626.0

Here are the Viper NA Plans for the next three years:-

2011 - Sarnia Yacht Club, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada. Date in September TBA.
2012 -  Eastern Yacht Club , Marblehead. September 27-30th  2012.
2013 - Western Region (To include submissions from CA & Texas)

Late Sept. incidentally is a great sailing season in Marblehead, especially as far as breeze goes.  It's very early fall so it generally not baking hot but not cold either.

[John Park]

Olaf,
Are the viper na's sept 27 to 30 2012 in Marblehead?

Thanks John

[Peter Beardsley]

FYI, it looks like the 2012 NAs will be September 6-9, 2012, hosted by Eastern YC in Marblehead. 

[Justin Scott]

I heard Sept 6-9 at EYC is set in stone. Racing is Thursday - Sunday

Practice race on 5th, but there is also the Labor day Regatta the previous weekend, so folks from can come up on the weekend, rig boats, and use that regatta or one day of the regatta as practice.

[Doug Mroz]

Is it definately 4 days of racing? This is cool, but also makes it hard on money and work. We have the potenial of having 50 vipers. Do we want to risk this by adding another day? I was planning on coming, but to be honest 4 days is alot and I am not sure I'd be able to make that work. Also have to think about crews. Makes it harder for skippers to have crews give up 4 days plus travel time. Thoughts?

[Tim Carter]

Doug, almost all of the major one design classes will have @ least 4-6 days secheduled racing for the top-o-the-ladder championship.  This allows a possible down day of no racing if the conditions are not favorable.  It's the biggie, take a couple of vacation days..  :)

[Doug Mroz]

Yeah I know that just wanted to see what everyone thought. There has been a trend downward over the last 10 years to 3 day events vs. 5 day events and we have seen the 3 day events do much better. I think it be awesome to race 4 days, but lets not let it keep boats off the line. Our class is great because we have always done things very efficiently so lets make sure we are keeping in line.

[Jay Harrell]

The 3 day vs 4 day question has been batted back and forth by the exec repeatedly over the years.   For relatively local people, 3 days works well, but if someone is traveling a long distance it really sucks if one or two of the 3 days is a bust due to weather or lack of wind.  We lost a full day or more at both 2011 and 2010 NAs.   A 4 day event increases the odds of getting enough sailing days in to justify the trip.

There is no easy answer, but my I come down to "it's the big one, so go big!"

[Jim Sears]

my two cents:  Only 3 days of racing was the main reason we didn't make the trip to Sarnia.  For me, a big regatta like this is more about taking a vacation with the family and spending more than a couple nights enjoying the Viper Family, too.
-Jimbo

[Drew Harper]

Doug, I will personally issue sick notices to any and all that need them. Let's make this our first 60 boat regatta :-)))

[Peter Beardsley]

There's talk of west coasters and even Australians (not counting the Brits and hopefully a Bermudian or two) coming to NAs.  If a 4th race day entices them to come, great.  In a lot of ways, the date change makes it easier for the east coasters too.  Ways to rationalize the 4th race day:

1. It's the week of Labor Day.  You can either take a full week vacation, and it's still just 4 days off.  Or, use the 3-day weekend to move the boat up to Marblehead early so that a travel day isn't required -- you can always race up there the weekend before, rig the boat, leave it rigged, and just drive up Wednesday night to make the first race Thursday morning.

2. Or, you can always offer to work Labor Day (which presumably most of us wouldn't have worked) in exchange for taking off an extra day for the 4th day of racing, and try to trade with the supervisor to pretend that you don't need an extra day of vacation as a result. 

In any case, with more folks being willing to travel in, you can take some solace in the fact that you'll have a chance to race against Vipers that you've never seen before on the east coast.

[John Park]

For what it is worth, an inhibitor to people from WA getting to the 2012 na's was only 3 days racing and discussions have been around whether your program had a regatta the week before so we could make the trip worth 2 regattas. Do we have the answer in your labor day regatta being the weekend before your na's sailed from the same yacht club. If so the interest here will increase. I remain confident you will see some of us in the USA for the na's.

How would it be best to ascertain availabiliy of charter boats.

Will the rules allow us to use charter boats with AU# sails?

As a matter of interest the Vipers in 8 race sports boat regatta from south of Perth yc last weekend have positions 1, 2 and 3

[Jeff Jones]

Sarnia was great.  Getting back to Texas on Sunday around lunch was also nice, but my wife just made me mow the lawn.   

4 days, 3 days - it's all good.   Having a regatta we could attend the weekend prior would be a bonus.

We're getting our 2012 Texas Circuit sorted, let me know when the NA's are.   This year we had a conflict, be nice to avoid that if at all possible.