THE times, they are indeed a-changin’, and that’s OK, but with sailboat racing, there’s one thing that should never, ever change: It has to be fun. No matter where we race, what we race, or how we race, the point of it all is to enjoy our time on the water, harnessing the wind and sailing to the best of our abilities. The “how we do it” is a hot topic today as clubs, classes, and regatta organizers adapt to changing demands on our free time and resources.
While participation in bigger boats is declining almost every-where in our traditional weekend venues, there are many instances where participation is increasing or becoming more prevalent. Casual weeknight racing, for one, is a bright spot, as are pursuit races catering to newcomers…