What are some ideas to provide incentives to loan boats for major regattas? In some of the NAs that we attended I noted many boats at the dock, when in reality many more out of town teams would come race if a loaner was available.

Example:

(1) Free J/30 dues for 5 years
(2) Special Recognition
(3) "Get your boat race ready" program. Leave the boat in better condition post race.
(4) More education of US Sailing's Burgee Insurance program to mitigate financial risks.

Please provide some ideas.

Many Thanks,
Bill and Dave

One idea associated with loaning the boat is to stipulate the owner may be a member of the crew. This may help provide some incentive to have a new or less experienced owner see how others race and get first hand experience. I know this is frequently done with loaners, but may not be common knowledge.

I think there absolutely should be at minimum a token $1000 charter fee. That goes straight into the pockets, 100%, of the charteree (loaner boat owner).

On the charterer side, I assume that there is a requirement that a charterer must have been a J/30 Class member in good standing for a decent amount of time (previous spring for example).

Insurance should obviously be worked out so that there are no questions of the owner getting stuck with damage / hassles /etc.

I love the Zephyr system that was mentioned; improving the nationwide J/30 fleet one charter boat at a time! That is fantastic! Thats a great incentive; "Mr Loaner Boat Owner, How would you like the multiple-time class champion to haul your boat, optimize the bottom, optimize the deck, return everything to full functionality, leave you some new hardware, remove everything from every nook, cranny & hold onboard for you and return your boat in championship condition with $1,000 cash for your trouble??"

Give 'em the easy button and they'll smack it.

Guess I'd have to disagree with Dell's suggestion of a 1k charter fee. I presume he's not chartered a boat at the NAs before? 1k would be an enormous hurdle to overcome.

I've chartered boats several times. We've always put an extensive amount of work into the boat in order to compete. From re-doing the bottom to upgrading backstay systems. I think the folks that have loaned boats to team Zephyr have been amazed at how much better their boat was after.

No I've not chartered for J/30 NAs. I've chartered other boats. A crew of 6 to 8 adults should be able to split a nominal fee for a significant trip such as this. $500/2 parties $333 / 3 parties etc.

An Opti charter is over $300!
A Laser charter is $575 for 2010 World Masters
A Laser charter is $750 for any one of summer 2011 regattas
A Finn is $1450 / one 2011 regatta
A Melges 24 is $2900 / one regatta "plus insurance" one regatta

We are trying to look at this from the standpoint of the loaner boat owner. What would their incentive to loan their boats for NAs? For free? I'm not surprised that there has been reluctance to do so! That has worked nicely for the free charter sailors, and that is a great class tradition but we have evidently wound down the pool of loaner boats so we are brainstorming here.

I have requested but not yet seen the US Sailing insurance offered through Gowrie, but I recall loaned boats are significantly less expensive to insure than charters.

I'm not against the idea of paid charters if arranged independently. But, having the class, fleet, or host club directly involved is sure to cause headaches. Even encouraging the idea is going to make it hard to get people to freely loan their boats.

Bob that is a strange distinction, and a valid point. Charter boat insurance is a bugger. If it bears out that coverage is less for a loaner boat than a charter boat, then creativity may enter the picture.

For those of you looking for a loaner boat in future events (2012 and on) feel free to reach out to me directly. My father (Jim) and I have recently purchased Caveman, hull number 389 (know known as Magan). She was the 2002 national champ. thanks to team Zephyr (loaner boat). We have been in the process of bringing her back to racing life and she should be good to go by 2012 (minus new sails). We don't want any money. We love the model that team Zephyr uses and feel it is the only model that will keep the class alive.

All that I ask is to crew during the race and to learn what it takes to set up the boat for optimum class racing. You should bring your own sails and I would ask you to carry insurance on the boat during the event. The boat's home port is Branford, CT right in the middle of Long Island Sound. Happy to race the boat from NY to MA. For me the experience is priceless. You bring the sails and expereince and I will deliver a first rate boat! Look forward to racing with/against many of you in the future.

Chris & Jim Buydos
860-434-5993
Magan #389

I was introduced to the J30 Class by Joe Ruzzi, then Class President, in Annapolis. It was my understanding, and I thought it was a great idea, that in the local class, if there were boats that were not participating, they might be open to being a "loaner boat" for out of town J30 sailors... this fostered that ideas and experiences would be shared. For awhile I was in hopes of harboring more participation, by adding out of town sailors to boats which may not be ready to compete, say at the Nationals... and sometimes this happens to good effect. Over the years there are maybe some overlooked facts- 1. Loaner boat insurance from US Sailing does not to cover a "charter" thus a fee negates that cost saving item.(last I read) 2. A J30 entrant, in the NAs must be a member (per class rules? 60 days prior to NAs and have to have competed in 2 major regattas, or "qualified" in their local area. 3. A "charter boat" would be seen as ready to race, so you could fly in like a rock star and sail; ie a Melges. Pay to Play is a different animal... and no bothersome qualifying, or being a class member. The J30 Class, due to their age, require alot of time and energy before a regatta, even if they have been campaigning in the local regattas... and this does not take into account the logistics involved in travel, accomodations, shipping sails, etc. It seems that the heart of the loaner boat program was to make it possible for out of town participation, and to promote the fleet to get to the start line... as the boats get older they should follow that practice, to maintain interest in this aging (boats and sailors) class. The times that I have used a loaner boat, I have included boat owners, as well as as many other class members/owners that I could, so that they could experience the "J30 Class". I hope that this tradition can still thrive... its not about charter fees, its about participation and sharing experiences. If I'm gonna "pay to play" I would be looking for a newer, less painful, higher tech boat at a big regatta... even a 40.7 would do. I heard that the J30s were excluded from Premiere Sailing's Key West Race Week this year as the phrf rating was "too slow"
So be careful what you wish for, our boats are pretty obsolete... even though I find mine to be "the perfect boat"