Below is a flier I put together for handing out at the Nationals, but I ruined, and then forgot it (oops)

Below is a flier I put together for handing out at the Nationals, but I ruined, and then forgot it (oops). Please reply directly to me with your answers (at the bottom) as soon as possible, and I will put together all the results and send them out to everyone. If you want to plug your favorite event with the other owners, please feel free to reply all.

2001 Santana 35 Season possibilities:

The Santana 35 fleet has been a part of ODCA for almost 2 decades and has traditionally run a 12-race buoy racing championship season. Recent years, however, participation in this series has declined due to the cost, time requirements, and amount of preparation and crew organization required to be competitive in this series. Many current Santana 35 owners have expressed that they would be interested in a “kindler, gentler” summer series.

In addition to the 12 race buoy series, the Santana 35 fleet has picked 4-5 races each summer as a “long distance series”. We have had very sporadic attendance in the races that are part of this series over the past several summers. It hasn’t shown to be a popular series…

ODCA, in an effort to have their full schedule available for the Latitude 38 yearly race schedule, has already picked the race days for summer ’01. I helped pick these days (on very short notice) based on this summer’s race dates. The Santana 35 schedule is as follows:

ODCA - S 35 - 2001
DATE	19-May	10-Jun	23-Jun	29-Jul	11-Aug	26-Aug	9-Sep
Course Area	Circle	*City	Knox (long)	EYC opener	TI/Course	City	Circle
Santana 35	2	2	1	1	2	2	2

However, we can consider an alternative 2001 Santana 35 summer race schedule, which will hopefully draw more boats interested in fun events of a less competitive nature. Perhaps, something like this:

4-May	Vallejo opener - day 1
5-May	Vallejo opener - day 2
10-Jun	ODCA - 2 races City front
23-Jun	ODCA – Knox Long (1 race)
28-Jul	Encinal opener - long distance (TI-Bonita-EncinalYC)
29-Jul	Encinal opener - 1 buoy race, TI race area
11-Aug	ODCA - 2 races TI

Sept/Oct	Santana 35 Nationals (NOODS? Schock regatta?)

This is a 9-race summer series (Nationals are separate) that is a combination of buoy and long distance events (entirely within the bay); a combination of fun events with parties and tactical one-day buoy races. I’d propose 2 throwouts (any two races), which would allow throwing out any whole weekend if schedule conflicts occurred with you or your crew. I’d also propose to stick with #3 jibs only except for the Vallejo opener (both days), and the Encinal opener (first day), and allow class legal #1, 2, or 3s for those long-distance openers (we want to get there before the party, right?)

Other fun and popular races that might be worth considering in this schedule are:

StFYC Spring one-design (at least as a spring warm-up regatta—I miss this fun event)

StFYC Memorial day buoy regatta

July 14 Lightship ocean race (25 miles)

Labor day Jazz Cup

Labor day NOOD regatta (maybe for the Nationals?)

More ODCA races

Others? What races would you do anyway? Let’s make them part of the series.

One advantage of the proposed alternative schedule is that membership in ODCA includes the buoy events and both openers (as well as the Lightship or one other OYRA ocean race, if we wish). If the fleet does not join ODCA, we will have to pay separate entry fees in every event we wish to enter (Vallejo alone is $50).

There are about 20 Santana 35s that actively sail the bay and have shown some kind of interest in racing. Many are deterred from the fleet by the “hard core” perception of the fleet. This is your fleet, not just the half-dozen who have been racing ODCA the past couple years—let’s pick a summer season that will get lots of us out having fun together. If most folks want to race “beer can” style, let’s do it! With 10 or more boats actively racing, we can easily separate into A & B fleets if folks wish (even with different rules about crew size and sail use).

If we can make a decision on a new series before October 15, then we can tell ODCA before the final schedule is printed; otherwise, if we later decide not to do all the ODCA events the fleet has signed up for, there will be an “empty” start and the fleets behind us will have to wait for our ghost start.

Please try to consider this schedule and let me know what you’d be interested in. I also need to know commitment levels, so we don’t make mistakes planning for next season:

1) 12-race ODCA buoy series, like we’ve had in the past (3 throwouts)

2) 9-race proposed mixed series (2 throwouts)

3) 8, 9, or 10-race series with these added, subtracted, or substituted races:

__________________________________________________

4) Any of them. Whatever is most popular with the others (but give some preferences below).

5) Other (describe below):

__________________________________________________

To make sure we don’t pick a schedule around folks with low commitment levels, please answer this question honestly: My commitment level to the schedule I picked above is:

1) I’ll be there, despite hell or high water, weddings, funerals, and other disasters. I’ll pay my S35 fleet dues right now!

2) I’ll definitely attend 2/3 of the races or more.

3) I’d like to make these events, but I’m not sure what my situation will be next year..

4) I probably won’t be at any/many of the events, but if all goes well I will

Boat:_____________, Owner___________________

Give me any other information that will help make next summer fun for you to bring your Santana 35 out to play with the other S35s!

Thanks,

Brendan Busch

Ice Nine