Viper 640 Class Association Forums

Bummer, got this today.  I expected a 40-boat fleet this year.

And we're stuck on a course with J22's and J24' while the melges only have to deal with the J80's?   



From the 2011 Charleston Race Week event:
CHARLESTON, SC (24 FEBRUARY 2011) - 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week's inshore courses have seen incredible growth this year.  Due to the unprecedented number of entrants, the difficult decision has been made to limit the number of inshore entries as of February 24.  This is being done to preserve the high caliber of racing expected in Charleston.  Please note the revised entry and payment dates below.

Inshore boats that are already entered must complete their registration with a payment in full by 1800 March 8, 2011 or their entry will be removed from the scratch sheet. 

Entries received after March 8, 2011 will be considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of the organizing authority. Inshore Circles One and Two consist of the J/22, J/24, Ultimate 20, Viper 640, Melges 24, Melges 20 and J/80 classes. If you have not paid your entry fee please do so. Please remember, a registration is not complete until the entry fee is received.


All new entries for ONLY Inshore Circles One and Two as of February 24, 2011 will be placed on a waiting list.

Not a bad deal. J22 guys I would think would be a good market for the Viper, as for J24 guys, I kinda feel sorry for em really.

I hope we have the Ultimates on our course.  Used to race with those guys, they always have extra beer. . .

I this marks the end of "stage 1" for CRW = growth.  Now they have the very hard challenge of managing success and avoiding the "Nobody goes there, it's too crowded" trap.  Having been to the take-out ramp, "it's too crowded" is a very real danger.

They do that to the vipers in miami too. Stick us on a course with the J24's.   Wait until you're running downwind at 16 knot's trying to dodge 24 of those things.



quote author=Craig Wilusz link=topic=838.msg7515#msg7515 date=1298580472]
Not a bad deal. J22 guys I would think would be a good market for the Viper, as for J24 guys, I kinda feel sorry for em really.
[/quote]

Try 22-24 knots, trapped out on a Nacra 20 with main, jib and spin, approacheing the shared leeward mark with a bunch of Finns. HAHAHAHA,

I actually got two versions of the email, the second one matching the amended NOR, quoted below.

It LOOKS like one can register and pay up until March 8, and then you're SOL.  Someone ought to send out an urgent email to the "skippers list".

As of right now, 22 Vipers, 33 J22/24's, 53 M24's, 23 M20's, ~15 Ult20's, and 23 J80's.  Holy....

Interesting--we're a mere minority.

Quote
NOR Is Amended to read:
Due to the limitation of available area inshore, Charleston Race Week is closing the
entries for the Inshore Circles only. Boats that are already entered must complete their
registration with a payment in full by 1800 March 8, 2011 or their entry will be removed
from the scratch sheet. Entries received after March 8, 2011 will be considered on a case
by case basis at the discretion of the Organizing Authority. Inshore Circles One and Two
consist of the J/22, J/24, Ultimate 20, Viper 640, Melges 24, Melges 20 and J/80 classes.
If you have not paid your entry fee please do so. Please remember, a registration is not
complete until the entry fee is received.
...
Amendment Posted February 24, 2011

   -- http://www.yachtscoring.com/event_documents/407/NORAmend1.pdf

I hope your right but the email said they are cutting it off as of today and if your not paid hh the 8th someone else will get your spot.

22 Vipers for CRW is weak.

That marina is going to be insane sailing in/out. BUT still glad I'm going!

Quote from: Jeff Jones on February 24, 2011, 04:48:03 PM
I hope your right but the email said they are cutting it off as of today and if your not paid hh the 8th someone else will get your spot.

Indeed, it is still fuzzy.  The NOR was update today.  But now, looking closer at the NEWEST email which quotes the NOR, it then says at the end:  "All new entries for ONLY Inshore Circles One and Two as of February 24, 2011 will be placed on a waiting list."

So I don't know...  I would suggest anyone one fence register immediately.

Kinda sucks just having 22, with a lot of names missing.

(Dave, we're gonna try to line up a rib or two for marina jockeying.)

I think it is complete and utter bullshit to suddenly limit entries with no prior notice.

They also have us as 4 classes in our circle. We are not going to get in many races unless they do continuous starts. Worst part of a regatta is wasting time for all classes to start.

Definitely needs and emergency email sent out.

I agree Matt but we might just have ourselves to blame.   Melges got just about every 20 in the USA on the line in time for the cut off... And I'm willing to bet they got the 24's did the same.  Maybe they knew something we didn't. 

If they leave us on a course with 3 other classes....  Including two of the slowest boats on the water, the quality of racing is going to suffer.   

I sent the organizers an email to that affect as soon as I saw the email.

Look on the bright side, next year people wont wait to register.     

Well, I just found out 2 days ago that someone was taking my boat. I just registered, and my name showed up on the entry list (Thursday night, 2/24 9:50 EDT).

So it looks like you can still get in, but don't dilly dally!

I'll give them a call tomorrow.

How come getting people to regatta's in this class is like herding Cats??

Absolutley shocked at the attendance levels of Miami and CRW.

This time last year we were bragging about how we were going to own these regattas....ho hum.

I'm bagging this regatta.  I've paid my entry fee so i own a gaurnteed spot.  It might be refundable.

If someone wants my spot send me an email viper640tx (at) gmail (.) com

Is there a polling option for our forums?  Be interesting to see reasoning behind regatta attendance pre-event and post event.  This might be able to answer Matt's comments.

Things like attending or not attending.  And a list of reasons why ie: cost, distance, other regatta conflict, business conflict, family conflict, etc etc.  Will provide good data for future events as well as put some understanding on why some events do better than others.

Quote from: Craig Wilusz on February 25, 2011, 11:12:30 AM
Is there a polling option for our forums?  Be interesting to see reasoning behind regatta attendance pre-event and post event.  This might be able to answer Matt's comments.

Things like attending or not attending.  And a list of reasons why ie: cost, distance, other regatta conflict, business conflict, family conflict, etc etc.  Will provide good data for future events as well as put some understanding on why some events do better than others.

Yes, we can do polls on these forums.  But figuring out the right questions to ask is the hard part...

Just a heads up--

It looks like they are still taking registrations in some manner.  It's up to 260 boats, including 26 Vipers now, up from 240 and 22.

I think one doesn't need to pay until March 8 as long as you're on the list.

Their site also says in the news section:

CHARLESTON, SC (26 FEBRUARY 2011) ? With more than 240 boats registered for the newly re-titled 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, the rapidly growing event takes over the title as the United States? largest keelboat regatta.  ?We?re thrilled about all of the talks about titles down here,? said Logistics Manager Danny Havens, ?and we?re happy to be able to welcome so many new friends to our wonderful town and harbor.?

With dozens more entries possible in the nearly seven weeks remaining until the event begins, Charleston?s signature event clearly has come up with a formula that is working.


So maybe it's still officially open.

Also, please sign up asap for the "Viper Pit" (premium dockage with the rest of our fleet, and "good beer", $100 for the duration)  We have about 8-10 committed now.

See here for that:  
  http://forum.viper640.org/index.php?topic=834.0

Rumor mill is a third course is in the works.

If you have any interest in sailing CRW, PLEASE sign up!! I've spoken with Danny Havens, the organizer, and have been told that there will be more entries accepted, and the the Viper class would be given priority for up to 5-10 more entries if we have Vipes wait-listed.

The Viper class helped to put CRW on the map the past few years, so they have a large degree of affection for us and want to help us out (so please try to keep this news within the class).

Quote from: Dan Tucker on March 02, 2011, 07:18:48 PM
If you have any interest in sailing CRW, PLEASE sign up!! I've spoken with Danny Havens, the organizer, and have been told that there will be more entries accepted, and the the Viper class would be given priority for up to 5-10 more entries if we have Vipes wait-listed.

The Viper class helped to put CRW on the map the past few years, so they have a large degree of affection for us and want to help us out (so please try to keep this news within the class).

27 Boats signed up. If you have interest in racing please try. I'm sure the PRO will try to get more Vipers in since they kind of started getting large numbers of one design boats going the last few years. I have heard rumor mills with people saying this would be a down year in boats entrys but if people would had signed up early this could have been a forty boat class. Now we have to do our best to compete with Melges.

I just registered (2011-03-20, 17:50) and they took my money and added me to the list.  So I'm in.

So if you're thinking about it... get er done!

Harv

America's Biggest Regatta Adds Fifth Course  
ORGANIZERS ADD THIRD INSHORE CIRCLE TO ENSURE NO TEAM IS LEFT OUT

CHARLESTON, SC (23 MARCH 2011) - When the entry list topped 270 boats this month, it became clear that the organizers of 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week had a small problem.  "The last thing we've ever wanted to do was tell people we don't have room for them, but that's the position we found ourselves in," explained Randy Draftz, the event's Race Director.

Long billed as one of the most inclusive of all major sailboat regattas, the event required some creative thinking to safely accommodate the over 200 competing boats registered for the inshore courses. "We worked nonstop last week to find a solution that would benefit everyone involved," said Logistics Manager Danny Havens.  "Charleston is one of the busiest commercial ports on the East Coast, so that meant building consensus with both Charleston Branch Pilots Association and United States Coast Guard Sector Charleston in order to create a third course."  The event has seen a 40% surge in entries just from 2010 to 2011 spread across all fleets, though only the inshore courses face space limitations.

The new course for the J/22 and J/24 classes is laid out close to downtown Charleston's waterfront. Organizers expect it to provide exciting viewing from the Battery and Waterfront parks for locals and tourists alike, who "should be able to see and hear tons of racing action, almost as if they were on the boats," said James Island High School sailing coach Ryan Hamm.

<snip>

Can we really not manage to squeeze a couple more teams out of the wood work for this event?
30 would a nice round number to get on the start line!

Hi guys, it seems Glyn had no idea about this regatta.
I have told him it's a must do...
justin & Dann maybe email him.... please

cheers Dave GBR 123

Chappers, you dropped the ball on that one!