Regatta Tier Announcement

Greetings FWC Sailors –
 
I am excited to share some great news and exciting changes with you regarding the format in which the FWC holds regattas.
 
Currently, the FWC holds regional regattas, and a Championship regatta, and those are the only opportunities to accrue season points and are all 3+ day regattas.
 
We have feedback that there is a desire for 2 day options, and we have come up with a solution that will open up FWC sailing opportunities across the country.
 
Please see the document at the link below for full details and an explanation of how it works:
https://1drv.ms/w/s!Al8ZttwMFwUAgRweCpWUD64Qu-F5
 
Regattas will be broken down into three Tiers.
 
Tier 1 will be reserved for Championship and Special Event regattas. Sailors participating will earn double points and must be FWC members to attend.
 
Tier 2 will be our Regional Regattas. Sailors participating will earn standard points, and must be FWC members to attend.
 
Tier 3, which is our new option, looks like this:
 
Tier 3
The third tier can encompass any other regatta who wishes to offer a Wave start using the FWC rules and sailing format. Regattas who wish to do so will be given a copy of the FWC rules and will be allowed to use the FWC logo in promotion material. The FWC will not have any hand in planning but will promote the regatta on the class website and social pages. These regattas can be 2 day weekend events and paired with any other sailing class or regatta. The amount of frills offered at these events is completely up to the organizing group. FWC membership is not required, but non-FWC members will not accrue season points. Points will not be retroactive if a non-member races in a tier 3 regatta and chooses to become a member at a later point in time. Points will only accrue from time of active calendar year membership going forward. Regatta organizers will be required to provide results to the FWC scorekeeper within one week of the regatta ending, or season points will not be distributed to participating sailors. Regattas must have a minimum of 5 waves to qualify as a tier 3 FWC points regatta. The FWC will NOT be the Organizing Authority for any Tier 3 regattas. They must be paired with an existing event.
 
Tier 3 participants will earn half points at these events. Again, membership is not required, but it is encouraged. Non-members will not accrue season points.
 
I would encourage you to review the document in its entirety for all details regarding this new structure. There is a benefit for both sailors and any host clubs or fleets.
 
We are currently working on a re-design of our website to show participating regattas in each Tier. We will also link a document for updated season points that can be referenced at any point in time. We expect this re-design to be done by the end of January.
 
I would encourage you to share this with your local sailors or host yacht clubs or fleet. Spread the word!
 
If you have any questions about this new structure, or are interested in incorporating the FWC into your next regatta, please contact us and let us know. While this is new and subject to change as we see it play out, we are confident this will bring FWC sailing to more people and provide more opportunities to participate with the class.
 
Thank you!
 
Ben Wells
FWC - President