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Thread: chartering short handed race boats

  1. #1
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    Apr 2014
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    Default chartering short handed race boats

    Hi,

    Interest is growing in short handed racing, but for many people it is too expensive, too time consuming or too far away from their own boat. A solution is to charter a boat for a specific race. This survey is about the demand for such boats.
    https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6GZZMRQ

    I can't give any details of the proposed boats or the costs at the moment (hopefully within a month or so), but feel free to ask other questions, or offer advice.

    Thanks,

    rob

  2. #2
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    I can't how this would ever work. Insuring the boat would be the tough part even for doublehanders, and impossible for single handers…… unless the charter group is self-insured. Good Luck.

  3. #3
    pogen's Avatar
    pogen is offline Sailing canoe "Kūʻaupaʻa"
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    OK I did the survey, the priority question 1 - 9 is kind of hard to answer and mine is messed up.

    Here on the West Coast, almost all longer races (from Windjammers thru the Hawaii races, and the races to Mexico) are downwind, and the PITA is getting the boat back home. For 'round the buoy races, I think insurance is an issue because of the possibility of collision. I guess the Heinekin and other Caribbean races have a history of charters.

  4. #4
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    no shock here, as solosailor said insurance is the killer. even when i had a sponsor and money lined up to charter a mini for SHTP, the insurance is what killed it. no one will insure you to race solo and even if you did manage insurance, i think it's almost impossible to find a policy that also includes covering the mast while racing.

  5. #5
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    Apr 2014
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    Thanks for the feedback. Please keep it coming. Please also encourage people to fill in the survey, as the more answers we get, the more likely it will happen.

    We have a couple of workable solutions to the insurance problem, including the rig. More about this when I can.

    Races ending downwind is the same problem as races starting in locations where competitors do not have boats. The solution: A boat that is very simple to rig/derig, can be easily loaded/unloaded from a container without requiring any machinery and fits 2 boats in a container to halve the shipping costs. The proposed boat does all of these.

    Ronnie,
    Feel free to tell me to mind my own business, or email me off list (racecharter@mail.com), but I am collecting data on charter boat costs so would appreciate anything you can tell me about the costs and conditions of the Mini charter for the Solo Transpac. And any other boats for any other races.

    Pogen,
    if you want to redo questions 14 (priorities), let me know the revised answers and I will alter your survey, assuming you entered an email address.
    14. How would your prioritize the selection criteria for (chartering) a boat. Please rank in order of importance - 1 = most important; 9 = least important)
    Safety of the boat
    Speed (compared to fleet)
    Budget
    High tech
    ease of use and reliability of the boat
    reliability of the charter company
    Sailing comfort (and comfort of motion)
    Simplicity of Equipment
    Other


    Thanks.

  6. #6
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    Each of our boats is different. It's not like we're racing Minis or Figaro II's and could fly to Newport, jump on another boat and immediately be competitive. I guess I'll have to wait and see where you're going with all this.

    If part of the idea is to make our boats available to others, that's a non-starter. There are only 2-3 people I would even consider chartering my boat to, and then it would be a private arrangement.

    As suggested above, over 200nm offshore this is all going to be a "self-insured" proposition.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobJ View Post
    Each of our boats is different. It's not like we're racing Minis or Figaro II's and could fly to Newport, jump on another boat and immediately be competitive.
    True, but the simpler the boat, the easier it is to be competitive. And the lower the chance and cost of accidental damage.

    Quote Originally Posted by BobJ View Post
    If part of the idea is to make our boats available to others, that's a non-starter. There are only 2-3 people I would even consider chartering my boat to, and then it would be a private arrangement.
    Not a consideration. The boats will be purpose built.

  8. #8
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    Rob, you are displaying ignorance and naivete regarding who we are and what we do. Who are you and what are your credentials?

    Sounds a bit harsh but you're coming in here asking for a lot of information and offering very little yourself. My BS meter is starting to peg.
    .
    Last edited by BobJ; 04-23-2014 at 07:47 AM.

  9. #9
    pogen's Avatar
    pogen is offline Sailing canoe "Kūʻaupaʻa"
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    Building a fleet of purpose built boats for race charter seems like a very capital intensive effort. Are the boats to be owned by the charter operator? Most charter operations here at least are lease-back , usually with newish Huntalinas that are not allowed to race or go very far.

    Maybe a better idea would be built around a destination -- I know there is a Laser school in the Dominican Republic (http://www.caribwind.com/), and there is that operation in the Carib that has a fleet of modified J/24s (the IC24 class) that operates a vacation camp of sorts for racers.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobJ View Post
    Rob, you are displaying ignorance and naivete regarding who we are and what we do. Who are you and what are your credentials?

    Sounds a bit harsh but you're coming in here asking for a lot of information and offering very little yourself. My BS meter is starting to peg.
    My apologies. I have made no assumptions about who you are and what you do apart from your interest in solo racing.
    The survey was requested by a potential financier. He thought that if we released details of the group or the boats, it would dilute the survey results.
    There is no BS involved, except my anonymity. ;-)

    Pogen,
    Thanks for the suggestions. It is capital intensive and lease back/time share was the original funding model, until the potential financier appeared.

    The boats will be based in St Malo on the French north coast to access the races in the English Channel, Europe and across the Atlantic. They will be raced or shipped to the Caribbean for the local race season (Carib 600, Antigua Week, etc) during the northern hemisphere winter. If required, they will be shipped to SF for the Solo Transpac, Pacific Cup, etc.

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