Southeast Regional Activities Report - March 1, 2003

The Southeast Region of US Windsurfing (especially Florida) is water-active 12 months out of the year. There are a wide variety of windsurfing interests in the Region, with the focus being fairly area-specific. Some areas focus on flatwater racing, while others pursue recreational shortboarding, and still others serious bump ‘n’ jump and wave sailing. Interest in windsurfing has been renewed in the past year due to the availability of more choices in wide shortboards - both for the beginner/intermediate and for the racer. Access issues seem to have been centered on competition for beach and water space with kitesurfers and jetskis. In some locales, there are some continuing conflicts to be worked out. Here are some of the events and issues raised this past year.

Southeast Series

A region-wide windsurfing racing series has been run for the past three years by Jim Mills of Fleet 12 in Tampa Bay, assisted by myself. Formerly sponsored by and named the Harper Realty Southeast Series, the 2002 Series was supported in part by US Windsurfing, which gave the Series greater visibility and stature. The seven-race series turned out to be a success despite some differences in racing class structure at different events on the mini-tour. Three races in the Spring (Calema Midwinters, Central Florida Classic, and Stephen C. Smith Memorial) constituted the first half, while another four (Juana's Good Time, Endless Summer, Atlanta Fall Classic, and Suncoast Classic) completed the Series. Champions and placers were crowned in seven classes, while drawing more competitors than 2001 at several of the events. The revamped windsurfing racing classes in the 2002 Southeast Series included Formula 3-1, as well as Open Unlimited and Limited, Sport Fleet, and several One Design classes (such as Prodigy), if there were enough entries. Fleet scoring was used for the Southeast Series events, and the race and Series results are posted on the Watersports West web site at www.watersportswest.com.

Individual S-E Series Event Reports

1. Calema Midwinters: The S-E Series kicked off in a big way at the Calema Midwinters in early March. Over 200 competitors, the largest racing fleet in the US in recent memory, flooded the water and staging areas. Ability levels ranging from rock star to sport fleet contended with 30+ knot winds that lashed the Banana River. Watching the freestyle competition was amazing, with the Bonaire kids and the pros duking it out. This event has become a true national (and international) gathering of some of the best racers in windsurfing.

2. Central Florida Windfest: This event, held in mid-April at the site of the Midwinters, was a lower-key affair run jointly by Sandy Point Progressive Sports and Calema. An outgrowth of the late lamented Titusville Crossing, there were about 40 on the water in decent winds. Racing on the Banana River is always less stressful for the intermediate compared to open ocean or bay sailing, so this event affords a good acclimation to racing conditions for those who aspire to greatness at the Midwinters.

3. Stephen C. Smith Regatta: The Smith Regatta at Shell Point Beach is sailing event that includes monohull and catamaran sailboats and windsurfers in a large multi-class, multi-course race. Held in late April and now in its 29th year, the Smith is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. With an emphasis on fun both on and off the water, the event drew 40 windsurfing competitors from all over the southeast, complementing the 60+ boat fleet. A true long distance race is one signature feature of the Smith Regatta. Continuous entertainment and unlimited beverages bring folks back to this venue year after year.

4. Juana's Good Time Regatta: Tucked away in Navarre Beach on the beautiful Gulf Coast of Florida, Juana's and Sailor's Grille is a mecca for sailors of all persuasions. Primarily a catamaran and trimaran event, windsurfers have recently invaded the ranks of sailors at the Juana's event, and this year saw a fleet of about 30 racers in Longboard, Shortboard, and Sport Classes. Wind was present in abundance both days in mid-September, and the fleet flew through a series of medium distance and course races. The Juana's reputation for hospitality ensures its continued success, while the Panhandle Windsurfers keep the wheels turning.

5. Endless Summer Sailboard Classic: The fifteenth incarnation of this staple of the North Florida racing scene brought afternoon winds that allowed all fleets the opportunity to mix it up in competitive planning conditions. The racing is only part of the attraction of this event, as it also serves as a homecoming of sorts to many long time sailors who remember the "salad days". Both Friday and Saturday nights feature food, beverages, and entertainment lasting well into the evening. The Shell Point Sailboard Club works hard to live up to its reputation of sailing hard on the water and partying hard at night, while making all of the out-of-towners feel welcome.

6. Atlanta Fall Classic: Sailing on the gorgeous Lake Lanier in the Appalachian foothills of north Georgia provides a marked contrast to the Florida saltwater beach venues of all other Series events. This year's regatta lacked wind but made up for it by having great on-site facilities and a congenial atmosphere. 25 racers pumped their way around upwind-downwind courses over two days while enjoying the park-like surroundings of the Lake Lanier Sailing Club. The Atlanta Boardsailing Club has been one of the strongest supporters of windsurfing racing in the region, and their event reflects their attention to detail regarding race management and scheduling.

7. Suncoast Classic: Continuing under another moniker, this long running regatta has had several venues and formats over the years. Formerly the Mistral (IMCO) Nationals, the event has recently moved to an improved site at the foot of the Skyway Bridge. The Suncoast Classic has become the final event in both the USW National Tour and the Southeast Series, and series trophies will be awarded at the conclusion of the event. Watersports West and Fleet 12 host what should be the second largest regatta in the region this year, with nationally ranked competitors fighting it out for series honors.

Plans are already underway to make the 2003 Southeast Series even bigger and better than last year. One additional event in Panama City Beach will be added to the Spring Series schedule, and the Formula 3-1 and Prodigy One Design classes are expected to grow significantly during the coming year. If you have any questions about the S-E Series, please call (727) 517-7000, or e-mail Jim Mills at james_mills@atk.com; for general questions about US Windsurfing or racing in the Southeastern US, call Wright Finney at 850-668-7700 or e-mail at finney@eng.fsu.edu.

Promoting USW Membership at Local Events (especially S-E Series Events)

Most racing in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama is "club racing" on longboards and Formula-style shortboards (without strict adherence to FW rules, with regard to board certification). This style of racing is mostly for fun with little real glory. Only the Midwinters, Islamorada Pro-Am, and now the Suncoast Classic attract truly high-level competition with the fleets peppered by "rock stars". Currently no event in the Southeast Region other than the Midwinters currently requires USW membership. I have spoken to every race organizer down here recently, and they are more than happy to encourage and promote USW membership, and most race organizers are themselves members. Additionally, my goal has been to get local clubs to join USW, thereby providing their members with the recently reinstated club discount. Promoting USW through the local clubs seems to be the best way to get individuals to join themselves. We also need to provide regatta organizers with a recruitment kit for display at the registration table of every event; that would surely get us more members. I believe that this is critical to gaining new members for USW at one of the only public forums that we have -- regattas. The display itself should consist of a poster board with information about the benefits of membership in USW, along with membership forms that can be collected and sent in by the race organizer. A sample coupon book (with cancelled coupons) should also be available for inspection. I'm sure that we'd gain new members this way.

Recruitment of New US Windsurfing Members

Another area that needs work is potential member recruitment from an obvious but underutilized source. Think about it -- at what age do most people start windsurfing? Not at the junior level, which requires transportation to water and money for equipment. Most people get into windsurfing in their twenties, after they have finished school and have a job to pay for their hobbies. This is the demographic that we should be targeting. The local clubs in the Southeast get the vast majority of new members through recruitment of "twenty-somethings" wanting to take up an active, "cool" sport that also has the added benefit of social interaction. In my local club, we actually get a lot of our members from individuals who were formerly in the local university sailing club, graduated, got a job in town, and are looking to continue windsurfing in an organized environment. Also, we need to be looking at "retention". That is to say, if we bring in a junior through lessons or a clinic, what is the probability that s/he will stick with it? How many juniors in the programs that USW funds actually continue in the sport? And how many of those become USW members? The people who run Junior programs should be applauded, but how fruitful is it? It may be that we are focusing too much effort on juniors relative to the return on membership numbers, and not enough on the likeliest target group -- twenty-somethings out of college with a job and money to spend. Juniors require parental involvement, and I can think of very few parents who would drive their kid to Shell Point from Tallahassee (or Lake Lanier from Atlanta, both about a two-hour round trip) even every other weekend. We get juniors in our weekly lessons, but few if any stick with it for even a season. Most of our new members come from the community, and are in their 20s or 30s. Let's target the demographic that has the means to sustain a windsurfing habit: young adults with time on the weekends, transportation, and money (at least some of it) for equipment.

I would be interested to learn the target demographics of the windsurfing equipment manufacturers and the magazine publishers. No doubt they pay for market studies to determine how to bring new people to the sport. We should contact the AWIA and try to us their expertise in this area for our own recruiting efforts. I apologize in advance to those who may feel that it is a heretical idea to propose that we should reduce our focus on juniors and add some real effort into getting "twenty-somethings" into the sport. I do think that it is essential to the maintenance (if not the growth) of the sport that we address this issue. Regardless of the other obvious benefits in training juniors to sail, if we want to enlarge USW membership, recruiting older sailors should definitely be reemphasized.

Respectfully submitted by
Wright Finney
USW Region 10 (Southeast)
March 1, 2003