Photo by SBG FilmsThis last weekend was the RS Aerocup in Barcelona.
They had about 40 sailors - mainly Brits but also a sprinkling of other random Europeans plus one lone American.
Looking at the photo above of one of the RS Aeros sailing in Barcelona, I am beginning to think that maybe my friends and I have been doing it all wrong. It never looks like that when we sail RS Aeros.
Do I need to buy some scuba gear?
It sounds like the sailors in Barcelona also had a good time hitting the tapas bars - and just bars generally - after sailing.
There is some discussion going on in North America about setting up a formal RS Aero class association here. Meanwhile, in the UK they already have an RS Aero class association and it even has a Social Coordinator who was at the RS Aerocup in Barcelona. I am not sure what a Class Social Coordinator does. Are they supposed to choose which tapas bars - and just bars generally - to hit after sailing?
Here are some photos of the social coordinating at Barcelona in full swing.
And here is a picture of the Social Coordinator after a hard night of social coordinating.
What do you think?
Do we need a Social Coordinator for the North American RS Aero Class?
Any volunteers?
4 comments:
I'm not sure the Swedes, Latvians, Estonians, Spanish, Italians, and lone Norwegian would agree that they are random Europeans! What was clear is that the further North you live the better you were at sailing an RS Aero in light winds with a slight chop.
With regards to your Social Co-ordinator, choose carefully you might not be able to keep up!
Hi there MooserMersa - thank you for your comment.
Yes, I did notice that the random Europeans (surely nobody would take offense at that description?) from Scandinavia and the Baltic States did seem to be dominating the RS Aero 5 and 7 fleets. But it was Brits who dominated the RS Aero 9 fleet and surely Bowmoor, Burghfield, Lymington and Avon are not exactly in the far north of the British Isles?
I did sail a Laser open meeting at Burghfield once, back in the early days of the Thatcher regime. Sounds like it is quite a hotbed of RS Aero activity, not to mention social coordinating, these days.
If we do end up with an official RS Aero North American Class Social Coordinator, I sincerely hope you are right and that I won't be able to keep up with him or her. If an old geezer like me could keep up with them, they wouldn't be doing a very good job.
It seems to be very clear that, at least in Europe, RS Aero sailors are wild party animals. Latvians and Norwegians especially are renowned for their talents in that regard. If we want to entice random Europeans to RS Aero events in North America, do we need to be taking the social opportunities into account when selecting venues?
The site of our RS Aero North Americans in 2015 was superb from the perspective of the sailing and the scenery and the organization. But Cascade Locks could not compete with Barcelona for number of bars or quality of social life. Maybe we need to be thinking more along the lines of somewhere like Miami Beach or Key West? Is there anywhere to sail in Vegas?
I nominate Tillerman.
Oh no Jay. You don't want me. I'm just that grumpy old anti-social bastard who either leaves a regatta immediately after racing to go and soak in a tub or, if he does stay for "social" activities, prefers sitting down for a nice quiet meal with a few friends somewhere where he can actually hear the conversation and rest his aching legs.
All joking apart, the site of the 2015 RS Aero North Americans was perfect for my social needs. One night the organizers grilled some hotdogs and burgers at the regatta location, and another night there was a catered outdoor meal which we ate at some picnic tables by the Columbia River just a short distance away in the Marine Park. There was a microbrewery in the park too which was ideal for a quiet (sit-down) meal with a few other sailors.
We need some young guy or gal with a lot more stamina than me to be our Social Coordinator.
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