The "Entry Fee"

Just because it’s the Star Bacardi Cup, arguably one of the class’s most prestigious events, that doesn’t mean that every entrant is at the Olympic-level. Quite the contrary. One-design events rely largely on those sailors that can be affectionately termed, “the entry fee”, otherwise known as those boats that fill the middle and later positions, but whose entry fee is largely responsible for the nice parties and trophies. They compete for reasons other than winning, but without them – or specifically their entry fee – the bells and whistles would be gone.

Before anyone gets their underwear bunched up, it should be said that everyone at some point has been an “entry fee.” Heck, a quick look at the Star Bacardi Cup results and you can find a long list of celebrated sailors who qualified. No shame in being the “entry fee”, particularly if you know it from the onset. Stay up late, become pals with the YC bartender, meet a regatta girlfriend… the benefits are endless.

Anyway, among the entry fees at last week’s Bacardi Cup was a team from Montreal who maintained a blog during the event. These guys have a great attitude, probably had a lot more fun than most, and their commentary on starting in a 118-boat fleet is precious. Here is an excerpt:

“Almost all the fleet set up between the RC and the mid line boat, which made for quite a stacking of boats. We wound up in a decent spot, until the JPN boat decided that we had won the prize for ‘muffin of the day.’ They set up just to leeward of us and proceeded to luff us into irons about 20 seconds before the start. At that precise moment, we attempted a start which I had never seen or read of before: the ‘stand-still and pounce start.’ Let me explain how it works. First the leeward boat takes you up into irons. You then react quickly (okay, maybe not quickly, but really in a panic…) by backing the jib to avoid the boat from tacking into a horrible mess. This will inevitably stall the boat to a stand still with about 8 seconds to go before the start. You then settle down, listen to the gun go off, and start accelerating (barely). Next thing you know, you’re in a typical fourth row start. Not pretty.”

Links to their posts:
Intro, Day 1 and 2
Day 3, 4, and 5
Day 6