Traveller series

Chat about CVRDA events
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Rupert
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Traveller series

Post by Rupert »

The Traveller series was designed to encourge people to attend more events. Looking at the attendence from this year, it clearly isn't working. 67 boats racing at events (plus others that don't show, like the Wren at Roadford) but only one with enough events to qualify.
How do we go about changing this, and getting people to travel more?

Do we need a smaller trophy? The Souter mast support is very pretty, but does take up a lot of room...

Do we need to reward all qualifiers, not just the winner? After all, only one boat can win, and one get the bell. Maybe we should run a raffle type thing like the Fireflies; you get a ticket at each meeting you attend, and win something (not a new Firefly!) at the end if your ticket is drawn out of the hat. Not sure how you make it big enough to make winning it an incentive to travel, and not bank breaking. Sponsorship, I guess! From a trailer manufacturer...

Do we need more attractive venues? Oulton Broad, for instance?

Or do we need to recognize that classic boat owners will only go "round the corner" and set up area open circuits, so that the SW would have Roadford, Shearwater, Bristol etc, the east would have the broads events & hunts, south would have Bough Beech, Frensham etc, and so on? At first, the SW would possibly be the only particularly viable one, but lots of classes do run a system like it. Co-ordination would be needed, and a Nationals that travelled round the areas. Each area would need a rep reporting to the fixtures sec, a circiut of say 4 meetings, plus the Nationals. Obviously, if you felt like going, you could visit any of the events, whatever the area. but there would be a trophy for each area.
Rupert
LarFinn
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:30 pm
Location: United Kingdom. Roadford

Re: Traveller series

Post by LarFinn »

I know the idea of a SW series appeals more to me than trying to get across the country.

Maybe the question worth asking is "how/why does Roadford generate a reasonable size fleet?" I've been a member of several different clubs and I can't see any particular difference between Roadfords dinghy park and any other...the old boats are out there, we just need to find and encourage the owners.
Andi

Finn GBR75
chris
Posts: 2474
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:43 pm
Location: somerset

Re: Traveller series

Post by chris »

It is curious that this forum is so active yet such a small percentage actually seem to sail at cvrda events. Is everyone too busy restoring or talking about boats to get them on the water? As Rupert pointed out Lois and I were the only ones to travel enough to complete enough events to qualify for the travellers trophy which makes our success rather hollow but actually winning the trophy has never been an incentive for me. Sailing against similar boats and people is my incentive together with giving some purpose in owning and maintaining vintage boats.

I wonder if the SW the only vintage hot spot? where does everyone else live? perhaps we need to find out and then decide where to put on events.
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Ancient Geek
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Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:50 am
Location: Sletten,3250, Denmark and Hampshire GU33 7LR UK

Re: Traveller series

Post by Ancient Geek »

Chris,
I am sure the reason that regatta numbers are static or down is fiscal, not just in the CVRDA.
I do not think the West is the only hot spot for Vintage or Classic Dinghies or small boats, The East Coast from Burnham right up the "Heritage Coast" to Lowestoft/Oulton Broad and roung the top to Hunstanton is full of them often local classes that have prospered (Here we go again!) like the DRagon has in the wider world, because
a. They are pretty boats.
b.They have been maintained and kept up to date, a local Blackwater dinghy class that is certainly vintage (1912) has just raised 30 boats for its CHampionships and has 50 as going concerns.
If you freeze anything in time it will die unless MIchelangelo did it or Mozart wrote it and theyd be using modern instruments or modern materials if they were around today.
I'll send you a thing -A Short Story from a Tall Yachtsman-.
There is I am sure a danger of the restoration being as much of the game as sailing them.
If anyone else wants a copy of Sixties Silver Tillers I'll fwd it if they send me a request to my UK e-mail which is:
Davidvillierschild@btinternet.com
Its been a long day and I'm off to Bagdad to collect something.
So I think Rupert has hit the ground running lets hope the usual ennui does not set in in thosde who are profering support,
Simples.
roger
Posts: 3031
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:08 pm
Location: Frome Somerset UK

Re: Traveller series

Post by roger »

I think AG may have summed it up saying its fiscal. It certainly affected us this year and until the feel good factor returns I think people will only travel short distances. Could one day events be more popular as there are no overnight costs?
Hornet 191 Shoestring,
Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
Hornet 610 Final Fling
Hornet 353
Pat
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Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:42 pm
Location: West Wiltshire (Wessex)

Re: Traveller series

Post by Pat »

It's other factors as well as fiscal - with us there was just so much else needed doing, especially with my late mother's house to sort out as well.
We need to find the clubs with old boats and, given the natural selection factors that old boats get damaged more by sea or replaced by peer presure from within large clubs, these will probably be the smaller membership inland clubs such as Shearwater and Roadford.
I suggest we target the clubs, maybe off the back of the Y&Y article about old boat racing and see if we can raise interest to expand the number of travellers and venues.
roger
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Location: Frome Somerset UK

Re: Traveller series

Post by roger »

Pat wrote:
I suggest we target the clubs, maybe off the back of the Y&Y article about old boat racing and see if we can raise interest to expand the number of travellers and venues.
Is that a willing volunteer perhaps?
Hornet 191 Shoestring,
Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
Hornet 610 Final Fling
Hornet 353
stu
Site Admin
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Location: United Kingdom

Re: Traveller series

Post by stu »

as a CVRDA sailor that has only sailed once in total this year I spoke with others at Roadford and most said they had not sailed as much this year as in previous, sighting many reasons.

Amongst them were:

lack of money
to busy at work
bored
fed up with sailing
fed up
fed up with CVRDA
fancied a year off
too much else to do
fancied sailing a plastic / modern boat instead for a while
crap weather

I guess if some / most or all of these reasons apply to a few I guess attendence would be down.

As an association we do have few who travel a lot, some that travel a little, some that travel never and some who post here but do not sail.

I hope attendances start to climb again next year.

Stu
The only canoe sailor in MY village too !

8) OK K1958
8) Mirror 34459

http://www.stuandliz.co.uk

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make bow waves not chat
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Ancient Geek
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Location: Sletten,3250, Denmark and Hampshire GU33 7LR UK

Re: Traveller series

Post by Ancient Geek »

With the greatest respect, before you "target the clubs" you need commitment to attend from people.

There are largely two sorts of clubs commercial ones that exist to make a profit even a nominal one and the best which are run by enthusiastic amateurs, eg's not exclusively this two, Frensham, WOBYC.
Elsewhere (There are two threads running on much the same subject!) a geographically centric to the membership solution is suggested, a neat idea, though geographic centricity does not neccesarily mean ease of acess and many of the Middle England Clubs have restrictive covenants on the use of their water - no of visitors/open days in a year, length of boat, even approved classes.
Pins in the map for every postcode might give a demographic model, but will it be helpful?
It will be as much a matter of perception as anything.
A "joined up" fixture list might help enabling boats to be left "at livery" and collected on the way to the next event.
But I regret the main reason will be fiscal.
If you live in one of the extended reagions E, SW, Nth even Scotland travelling is going to be seen to be harder, and in many cases it really is, so maybe regional events with an occasional National Rally?
There has to be a way.

Fuel has just gone up again in the UK!
Simples.
Rupert
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: Traveller series

Post by Rupert »

The 2 threads are supposed to be different, but I guess I'll be lucky to keep either on subject!
The other thread is simply for clubs who want to hold events to tell me where and when, so I can co-ordinate them. This one was for more of a debate on attracting people to events.
Rupert
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