AMYA News - 7/31/2026
It Is All About the Regatta
It Is All About the Regatta After 5 years of looking for ways to grow model sailing in the United States, I've come to one simple conclusion: It's all about the regatta. If we want model sailing to grow, we have to give people a reason to sail their boats. A beautiful boat sitting on a shelf doesn't grow our hobby. A boat on the starting line does. Regattas are the foundation of everything we do. Whether it's two friends getting together on a Saturday morning or a World Championship with competitors from around the globe, every level of organized sailing helps build stronger sailors, stronger clubs, and a stronger AMYA. It all starts with two people meeting to sail. Before long, they invite a few more people. A club begins to form. The club sails regularly, welcomes newcomers, teaches them the basics, and builds enthusiasm. Those regular sailing days become the heartbeat of the club. Eventually, someone says, "Why don't we host a regatta?" That is the next step. Maybe it's a one-day Traveler's Trophy. Maybe it's a fun "Sail Anything" regatta. Maybe it's the annual Tax Refund Regatta held by Triangle MYC. The format isn't what matters. What matters is creating an event where sailors come together to sail for fun or compete. The next step up from club sailing is a regatta with a race committee. During normal club sailing, the skippers often manage the racing themselves. They call the line, record scores, and rotate responsibilities. It works well and keeps sailing simple and inexpensive. A Regatta with a race committee is different. With a race committee handling the racing, competitors can focus on what they came to do—sail their boats. That creates a better racing experience, attracts more sailors, and raises the level of competition. From there, many sailors begin looking toward two-day regattas. These might be Travelers Trophies, State Championships, Regional Championships, National Championships, or a world championship. They require greater commitment. Many sailors will drive several hours—or even all day—to attend. Some will even pack their model sailboats onto an airplane. We all know those dedicated competitors—the "Road Warriors." People like Gary Winton, Steve Landeau, Tony Gonzalez, and many others who have spent countless hours on the road simply because they love to race. Then there are the sailors who chase World Championships. They travel across continents to compete in IOM and DF95 events. I've heard stories of Jerry Brower, Gary Boell, Steve Landeau and others traveling to places like Israel, France, Italy, England, Brazil and Australia in pursuit of world-class competition. That is a very small group, but they all started exactly the same way—at a local sailing day. Every level matters. Club sailing creates sailors. Local regattas create competitors. Regional and National regattas build lifelong friendships and unforgettable experiences. World Championships inspire the entire sport. None of it happens without people willing to organize events. If we truly want to grow model sailing, we need more sailing sites, more active clubs, more volunteers, more race committees, and more regattas. Most importantly, we need to give people great reasons to get their boats out of the garage and onto the water. I've often said that you'll learn more about sailing your boat during in a two-day regatta than you will in six months of casual club sailing. Spending two full days focused on your boat, sailing against different competitors, and talking with experienced sailors accelerates your learning in ways that weekly club sailing simply can't. So if you're wondering how, you can help grow model sailing, here's my answer: -Help your club. -Host club sailing. -Teach a new sailor. -Volunteer on a race committee. -Organize a one-day regatta. -Help another club get started. Every regatta—no matter how small—is another opportunity to grow our hobby. Because in the end, it's all about the regatta. —Dan Shier Unashamed Model Sailing Promoter