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.....a few comments from the sail "host";
First, not to forget the good, what a beautiful day and what a great turnout!
Second, but no less important, I feel sorry about the misfortune that occurred and very grateful to Steve Potter for his heroic deeds. Thank you Steve Potter - we are friends and you know how much I mean it.
I, too, saw a P-15 with a half-raised flogging sail on a course returning to the shelter of Clipper Cove as we were departing. Francesca and I diverted our course in that direction but saw the skipper under power and turning into the wind to attend to the sail and the situation looked to me like it was under control. A conflicting priority was that the party of Pier 54 bound sailors that we were with had all already left some time before and I didn't want to get too far separated from them. I could also see Goose and Steve still launching off the beach and acknowledged to myself that the sailor was not alone. With 20-20 hindsight, I still should have lingered behind.
Truth be told, any position of responsibility in the context of the Potter Yachters is a bit like herding cats. No one sailor can simultaneously lead the way and also make sure no boat drops off the back of the pack. Potter sailors are also a bunch of strong-minded individuals and even if there is a knowledgeable skipper out front on the right course there is no guarantee that the rest of the fleet will follow.
I think we Potter Yachters may be suffering a bit from our own success. As the groups of boats get larger more organization may be appropriate for the events to be safe and enjoyable. This could be more detailed preparation in advance, more discipline on staying together as a group, a prescribed course of waypoints to follow, mandatory radio check-ins, mentoring for new sailors? I don't actually know the most practical way to address this and, frankly, often feel like part of the problem.
Since this is not just a local challenge - I know Captain Howie has had to make changes to the Catalina trip arrangements to accommodate larger and larger numbers of participants - perhaps we could continue this thread with a request for suggestions on how to safely "grow" the Pottering/small boat cruising family in a way that doesn't cut down on the enjoyment of good sailing with good friends.
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