Flashing Red Light For Ctc

[2-XS-IF]

Very sad.
P1 offered us the chance to race in a great event. You all seem to talk about racing, but when you have the chance to do it you do not want to know. It won't ever be cheap - what motorsport is? It was a fair price for what the event would have been. So much has to be organised and safety is obviously paramount, especially in this day and age.

Some people don't want to carry a spare engine or lift raft but what happend on the first leg of round Britain when a boat sank. What would they have done without a liferaft in the middle of Lyme Bay.

I would personally like to thank P1 for trying.

[blind dog]

i have to say i am gutted but as you say they try,d and as they are a bussiness they arent into running a race to make a loss.maybe it would have run if the marina were,nt so greedy with there charges.i thought with the shorter race aswell there would have been a lot more entry,s.

[Jon Fuller]

Right, all is not lost just yet.

I have spoken with Mike Lloyd, and with a company who are prepared to render some financial help. There's also a possible private source of 'help'.

I believe that if this event fails (for the first time in 40 odd years) it will be virtually impossible to get it back on it's feet in future years. We simply cannot allow this to happen!

So, we need to know how many entries there was as of today, and to work out a 'bare bones' version of the event.
We only have 3 weeks, we probabaly cannot afford to use Cowes Yacht Haven, Mike is on the case as we speak, talking to safety, BPRC etc.

I believe we can slim the entry fees, particularly in the upper classes, maybe 250 for class4, 350 for class3, 500 for class2, and 600 for class1.

As for the CPC race, I'm not sure of the advertised costs for that, so we need to look at it.

If we're going to make it happen (with a fair amount of help) we, ie, all those folk who love this sport and more importanly, love THIS race, need to get off the fence, enter what ever class they can, regardless of whether they think they'll be competitive (that means you Cookee) and stand behind this event, and those who are now busting a gut to pick up the pieces and make it happen.

It's no good in three years time moaning about what a great event Cowes used to be, and how sad it is we no longer have it, you need to act now and be part of it, not talking about it.

There are loads of ideas coming out right now, and I'll keep you all informed.

Cinzano is in. With you all the way, John. How can we help?

[blind dog]

am i write that p1 lose the wrights to ctc this year.if so how does it work.who has the wrights

[Jon Fuller]

I'd also like to add that I don't think P1 are to blame for this, it's the UK racers.

P1 have a level of hospitality and corporate standard that they need to meet. It's part of their whole ethos to turn up in town with their 'racing village' and put on a spectacle, not just a low key race. If the number of entries and their associated fees left them way short of being able to put on such an event, you can't blame them for pulling it.

[Martin The Talker]

As one of those who tried to get this race to 'take-off-point', & failed, I feel that we are all victims of circumstances.
It was not for the amount of work that everyone of us on the Race Organising Committee put in. RYA Officials, BPRC officials & members, & others too.
We only learnt at the end of last week, thaT P1 were in discussion with a potential Race Sponsor, & that the future of this years race depended upon that deal succeeding.
In the event, that sponsor was far from impressed by a field of about 30+ boats, & where some classes had only one entrant.
I was told personally today,from within P1, that due to a short-fall from entry-fees, the sponsor was the only way the race could go ahead.
We all hoped that RB08 would encourage a new influx of endurance racers, & that the CTC Race would thus benefit.
The financial situation now developing, seems to be having its effect, but, so far, there have not been the anticipated newcomers coming into the sport.
It was said to me recently, that after RB08, even the CTC would be an anti-climax. That may or may not be true, but we may need to wait until better times before we see such an influx of 'new blood'.
I am sorry for, firstly, all the owners & racers who did send in their entries, & to them, may I say a sincere 'Think You' ?; & to the many supporters & spectators who always ensure that they are in Cowes to watch the race, whatever format it takes, to them also, [especially as thaTs how I first got into powerboats], I say sorry that this year, it seems that, for the first time since 1961, there will not be any racing at Cowes. (Even in 1992 Fabio went out in the Big Rib into the storm !).

Martin.

[Martin The Talker]

Correction.........
That should have read: Thank you, not think you !!!
Sorry !

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by Martin The Talker

Correction.........
That should have read: Thank you, not think you !!!
Sorry !

Don't be so negative Martin, we are working on it now!!!!
ML.

[Jon Fuller]

Martin, can we get hold of a contact list for the entries so far?

As we don't have much time, we need to jump on this, pronto.

Jon

[Peter D]

Goinglean is in...

Pleased to see that Cowes Torquay Cowes is in the capable hands of Mike lloyd and the Cowes Organising Committee Limited

Desperate for revenge

Come on Team Goldfish/Vilda/Hot Lemon.... See you there

[ciao!]

Be positive!

We all have to carry on as if this race will run. Mike and Jon have already done some great work tonight. Tim Powell and I had a meeting in London this afternoon with someone who could be prepared to help, he was thinking more of next year, but asked for a proposal from us soonest.

All is not lost.

[chris]

hi jon i was an entrant even though i might not have the boat in time !this year next year whenever! or a shorter course less fuel !!!!!!!!!!call me.
chris

[Jon Fuller]

Well, after just a few hours of hearing the bad news, we already have a lot of positive talk.

It would be really great to retain Cowes as the base for this event as it's obviously steeped in racing history and for many of us, simply wouldn't be the CTC if run from anywhere else, but if needs be, we may have to move to keep within the available budget.

We can do this if everyone pulls together.

JF

[andytwemlow]

Hi Jonh

Very glad to see that CTC may still be possible. Cliff and I are happy to support the event. We would still like to run 3 v24's 2 for CTC and one for the shorter race. I have a few ideas and resources that may help please PM me for contact numbers and I will do what I can to help.


Regards
Andy Twemlow

[Martin The Talker]

Entry fee for CPC (All sub-classes), was/is £275.
Sub classes are:
Class 10.
A. upto 200 hp.
B. between 200 & 400 hp.
c.between 400 & 600 hp.
d. over 600 hp.
Minimum oal = 18 ft.
max oal = 50 ft +

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by andytwemlow

Hi Jonh

Very glad to see that CTC may still be possible. Cliff and I are happy to support the event. We would still like to run 3 v24's 2 for CTC and one for the shorter race. I have a few ideas and resources that may help please PM me for contact numbers and I will do what I can to help.


Regards
Andy Twemlow

Keep me in the loop on that one please Andy. The more V24's the better. We are going to need all the help that we can get if we are to make this race a great one.
ML.

[Martin The Talker]

A few thoughts........
If dry pits cannot be obtained, at reasonable cost, on IOW, how about asking Hampshire County Council if their amenity centre at Calshot could be used as dry pits/launching area. I think there are two slipways there - not sure about use of a crane there though !
Most could leave trailers there, & motor across ?
Probably already been thought of - Tony Hamilton's yard for wet pits, & scrutineering.
If no go there- might there be another yard further up the Medina ?
After all, everyone used to troll upto Souters old yard, at the far end of Arctic Road, back in the 60's., for scrutineering.
Alt. crane launching at Drivers Wharf another option ?

[ciao!]

To have the majority of boats launch on the main land and go to Cowes on their bottoms seems the best way.

When I have had to race Cowes on a tight budget, this is how I did it.

Speaking to Nik from Cinzano tonight, it seems that is their idea.

Mike Lloyd will be speaking to the marina at Cowes in the morning to get a mooring rate per boat, as opposed to a blanket fee.

I will try to run the BPRC website similar to RB08, giving racers and all connected latest news, entrants etc. but at such short notice perhaps boatmad is the best port of call right now.

Moving on to entrants, I understand this.

Red FPT, Blue FPT, Wettpunk.com, honeyparty,(yes) swipewipes.co.uk, Cinzano, Dorian Griffith, Garmin plus 3 to 4 other big boats can be counted in.

Thats 11 big boats, with the V24's, the Ribs, et al, we think we can hit the 30ish mark.

My own thoughts on this are,

Perhaps the BPRC were not as pro active as they could have been.

The reason however was that constant assurance was being given by P1 that they had the matter in hand.

From January onwards the BPRC were told that P1 would fund this race, only in the last week it was then discovered that they were "leaning on a sponsor" for income.

My last conversation "in person" with the CEO of P1 was at the RB 08 prize giving, his second sentence was "well you know we are putting £200,000 into the Cowes race."

If lack of entries were the problem, perhaps P1 could have asked ML to help, Jon Fuller etc. rather than the emergency attempt Maxwell, Martin Napier and myself had to run over this last weekend.

It now transpires that a race will be run in Italy 7 days after the CTC, and many P1 boats are entered for that, so CTC was never on their agenda. So go figure that one out.

Water under the bridge. No recriminations - lets move forward.

For anyone wishing to entertain sponsors, freinds, family at Cowes we have the following.

A cocktail reception at "The Prospect" on Friday evening.

Prize giving at "The Prospect" Saturday evening.

Lunch at The Royal Yacht Squadron on the Sunday, (tickets £50 food and drinks inclusive apply to Laura Levi) I will put up details on the BPRC site.

Great to see Mike Lloyd getting involved again, much respect to Jon Fuller for acting so quickly on this.

[Jon Fuller]

OK, the general concensus is, the entry fees WILL be brought closer together across the classes, this means it's going to be a bit dearer for some, and cheaper for others.
My guesstimate last night was close, but is to change slightly, this is as follows:

Class 4 = £300
Class 3 = £400
Class 2 = £500
Class 1 = £600

I'm assuming the CPC race will remain at £275 (but may get corrected, so don't hold me to it)

I reckon this is a very fair price for this race and leaves no one with the excuse that they think they're being ripped off, or penilised.

Now lets see those entries!!!

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

I believe we can slim the entry fees, particularly in the upper classes, maybe 250 for class4, 350 for class3, 500 for class2, and 600 for class1.