Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:28 pm
Hi, not a rant or a rave, but I'd like to know if others have an opinion: I attend many Div 3s with my young son. He's one of the youngest competing, invariably finds the courses challenging and gets quite nervous. His run is very important to him and he often has lots to concentrate on as we invariably give him aim points and boat angles to try and have before starting a move. When it's his run, we watch the bib numbers and get him to the start on time. Invariably though, his run is delayed whilst a host of other boats, not in that class, take their run. By way of example, we recently attended a fantastic and well run event, but he ended up waiting for his run for over 40 minutes having only gone to the start after his class started. He got cold and lost concentration as boat after boat arrived at the start and was set off in front of him. The delay was primarily for 2 man boats doing a fun event (16) and the odd (4) C2. Many of the 2 man kayaks took an age and pretty much "destroyed" the course en-route, leaving gates swinging.
I recognise clubs have to make money and that fun events are vital, but can't classes be allowed to run once they have started? Cannot non-ranking fun events occur between the ranking classes? Can't C2s etc be slotted in at the end of classes, rather than during? After all, its rare to get a big class these days. Shouldn't those boat-sharing accept the majority of the inconvenience? I know Sheffield CC at Oughtibridge now insist on uninterrupted classes and from my perspective it works very well. I'd like to urge all lower division organisers to consider doing similar to SCC (obviously, it would be unthinkable to interrupt classes above Div 3). Is it just me or have others experienced this?
Cheers, Paul
I recognise clubs have to make money and that fun events are vital, but can't classes be allowed to run once they have started? Cannot non-ranking fun events occur between the ranking classes? Can't C2s etc be slotted in at the end of classes, rather than during? After all, its rare to get a big class these days. Shouldn't those boat-sharing accept the majority of the inconvenience? I know Sheffield CC at Oughtibridge now insist on uninterrupted classes and from my perspective it works very well. I'd like to urge all lower division organisers to consider doing similar to SCC (obviously, it would be unthinkable to interrupt classes above Div 3). Is it just me or have others experienced this?
Cheers, Paul