Southern New England J/30 owners,
This is a very exciting and busy time as we begin the final preparations to host the 2013 J/30 North American Championship Regatta at Barrington YC on July 25 - 28. As part of the organization team, we are going full speed to make this a great event, but we are looking for some more critical help that perhaps you can provide and participate in. This has to do with loaner boats. There is a lot of interest in this regatta by crews outside of our area so we are reaching out to you to consider joining the event with your boat even if you feel that you don't have the experience, crew, or funds to race. If you have a boat that you can loan, the typical arrangement includes the borrower paying the way for the regatta, usually using his sails, not yours, and covering a portion, if not all of the crew costs. Of course, you would normally be part of their racing crew if you wish. They may also help prepare the boat to race. Every arrangement is different, but these are examples of what can be worked out.

I know this can work well for you. Right after purchasing Nemesis, I loaned her to a crew from out of town for the 1997 NA's in Newport which turned out to be an amazing experience for me and 3 of my crew members who raced in the regatta. We had a blast and learned a ton about J/30 racing and setting up the boat.

So anything you can do to bolster the loaner fleet would be great for everyone, including yourself. Please consider this if you are not already planning to race. Or, if you know of another owner who would benefit by doing this, please contact them or give me their names so we can provide the information they need to give this good consideration.

If you have any questions, or need more information in this area, please don't hesitate to contact me via the website, email, or phone at 508-245-1192.

Thanks, and I hope to see you on the race course in Barrington this July.

Yours in Sailing,
Mark Rotsky