Structuring sailing class rules for better participation

Recently, Sailing Scuttlebutt posted an article on how the J/70 class is losing participation because it’s losing sight of its magic formula of a simple, fast, small keelboat. Scuttlebutt provided the example of jib inhaling, which provides an advantage upwind but can only be performed by professional crews.

Below is an example of jib hauling; check out the forward crewing “banjoing” the windward sheet. I could see a crew doing this for every wave set: ease the weather sheet through the wave sets, then pull up on the windward sheet in the flat sections. Fast, but definitely an arm workout!

One case in point is here in the San Francisco Bay Area: a decade ago, J/70s were off to a great start. We had almost 70 boats at the Worlds on the Berkeley Circle. The boats sailed well in the Bay’s windy conditions. They’d depower well upwind, and downwind, they were a blast. (Without being insanely overpowered like some other classes.) Today, the class struggles to get more than a handful of boats.

I wrote back to Craig Leweck, the publisher of Sailing Scuttlebutt, with my thoughts on how to structure sailboat class rules to grow participation, and wanted to replicate them, with some edits, below.

—

Any class rule change should bring joy to the sailing experience. I’m not anti-complexity, but what kind of joy does J/70 jib in-hauling bring? Does anyone ever say at the bar after sailing, “Man, it was so awesome. We inhauled the jib, and we pointed one degree higher. It was lit!!”

Of course not. The memories we make on the water are about the close crossings upwind, and the epic speed offwind. Cross-sheeting does neither; it separates the fleet upwind, and doesn’t provide any visceral feeling of speed. It’s the stuff in the photo below that makes memories that keep sailors coming back:

So, what’s a class that’s gotten it right? I’m biased, but I’d say the ILCA (Laser) has done a good job of thoughtfully evolving its class rules:

• ILCA has had more complex sail control systems (outhaul, cunningham, vang) for the past two decades, but it’s made the boat more enjoyable to sail. You don’t need to do crazy gymnastics to pull on the sail controls.
• For years, aluminum Laser masts would regularly break. So, the class decided to allow masts made out of much stronger carbon fiber. But rather than making the carbon fiber masts lighter, they were designed to have roughly the same weight and bend characteristics as the older aluminum ones. As a result, boats with older aluminum masts are still competitive for casual racing, and the carbon masts are overbuilt and thus bulletproof. (In 10 years, we haven’t heard of one breaking.) As a sailing parent, it was reassuring to know that my kid was out there with reliable gear.
• For mainsail trimming downwind on the ILCA, you’re not allowed to trim from the back purchase except briefly, during jibes, or to clear the mainsheet from your transom. Would the boat surf better if you trimmed 1:1 from the back purchase? Absolutely. Would it make the boat even more physical? Yes, so the class doesn’t allow it. And it’s better for it.

Another interesting fact is that, at our most recent ILCA District 24 (Northern California) annual meeting, the #1 piece of feedback was that sailors want to learn. They don’t mind not winning, but they want to feel like they’re advancing in the sport. We’re now putting together regular briefings before regattas. That’s what builds the fleet. Here’s just one example…

I bet a similar dynamic exists in J/70s: owner/drivers want to learn. Does one pro sailor onboard help them learn? Yes. Especially if they’re sitting next to them, trimming main, to continually provide feedback and coaching. I bet J/70 owners really enjoy that coaching, and if they can afford it, see it as money well spent.

Suppose we add another professional sailor, say a jib trimmer. The owner’s costs have doubled, but has their learning doubled? Probably not; there’s only so much information you can absorb as a driver and in off-the-water discussions.

Now add in a third professional, doing bow. It’s hard to provide much feedback from the front position. Costs have tripled, but learning hasn’t tripled. We’re well past the point of diminishing returns. At this point, you’re basically buying trophies.

Professional sailors aren’t cheap; they charge about $1000 a day, plus travel expenses. For a weekend regatta, it’s $2000 per pro. For a five-day championship regatta, it’s more like $11,000 per pro, when you factor in two days of travel, two days of boat setup/pack up, and two days of pre-race tune-up.

Given this, many J/70 owners' goals — learning and improving — hit diminishing returns after one professional sailor has been brought on board. So, the J/70 class should allow for just one pro sailor onboard.

That would reduce owner costs significantly. Weekend regattas would max out at $2000 for one pro, rather than $6,000 for three. For championships, owner costs would decline from $33,000 to $11,000. I know even one pro is out of many folks’ budgets — mine included — but reducing costs would increase participation. It’s basic economics.

If this happened, what would happen with all the sailing pros who would no longer have J/70 racing slots? They’d be hustling for coaching gigs, encouraging people to buy J/70s or get their existing J/70 out racing. That would boost fleet participation.

—

Stepping back, what’s needed is more of a “sailing product mindset”. I’ve heard this expressed a few times by Russell Coutts, the CEO of the highly successful SailGP professional sailing circuit. Here’s just one example of their races:

In interviews, you’ll regularly hear Russell discussing how they’re improving the SailGP “product” of exciting, entertaining, TV-friendly sailboat races that attract a lot of viewers and, thus, advertisers. They regularly adjust the boat designs and format to improve the viewer experience, competitor safety, and advertiser returns on investment.

In other words, think through every decision of their racing circuit and balance the needs of distinct — viewers, advertisers, and sailors. They don’t sleepwalk through these decisions. Similarly, the J/70 class would be well served to stop sleepwalking and balance the needs of professional sailors, owners, and amateur crews.

My two cents…