Editor's note: if you aren't interested in life here in G'Town, you may want to skip over the rest of this log entry....

Being an outspoken critic of the Regretta fiasco that visits the cruising community annually, I was both surprised and shocked when a Regretta committee member cornered me at the propane refill a couple of days ago and asked us (Amy and myself) to fill out one of their questionnaires dealing with what's wrong with Regretta.

We took the survey home with us and filled out the multiple guess portion of the form. There was also a small 3 inch section where you could write in your own comments and after a couple of days of deliberation, the following is the four page, single-spaced, typed response we amended to our survey.

WHAT REGATTA SHOULD BE (IN MY OPINION)

1) A regatta, not a circus. It should be primarily a series of boat races. To the extent there are additional events, they should center on boats and water. The Regatta needn’t include every activity cruisers participate in all season (bridge, poker, trivia, etc.). That’s boring. Focus on what’s different, and thus exciting…e.g., Coconut Challenge happens only once per year. I could really get into that, if it weren’t buried under 14 days of BS.

2) A celebration of the country we’re in. To the extent we do non-racing activity, it should be Bahamas-focused. Especially the newer generation of cruisers is interested in a Bahamian experience, not a US experience taking place in a protected enclave off Stocking Island. Regatta will die if it doesn’t engage this audience.

3) A chance to say thanks and give back. While the cruisers have many positive impacts, we are-like any influx of tourists-a stress on the local community, with our infrastructure needs, crowds, and the occasional person with a bad attitude (I’ve heard “us” yell profanities at Elvis). Regatta could be a chance to re-accentuate the positive-through direct community involvement, local purchasing power, broader interactions in town, and more focus on charitable giving. Instead, it continues the isolation we’re known for.

4) Fun. Saying it’s “fun” over and over on the Net doesn’t make it so. The Regatta has gotten so bloated and convoluted, and we hear about it non-stop all season, it’s become an annoyance. More people get their feelings hurt, get insulted or marginalized by members of the Committee, etc., in the lead up to and during Regatta than seem to have fun. Certain events are great, but as a whole, many of us have gotten to the point we’d prefer if it just went away. Something more laid back might be a refreshing change.

BEYOND “THE EVENT”

Whatever the multi-day event of Regatta becomes-it is only that, AN EVENT. The Committee is NOT an elected body representing the community. (Face it, you chose yourselves.) If there is a need for cruiser input, organization, or response, the Regatta Committee does not hold a special place in deciding on that WITHOUT ASKING ANYONE BEYOND THEMSELVES.

To put it bluntly, to many in the harbor, Regatta is currently perceived as a bunch of self-appointed dictators who boss people around all season, dominate the Net with minutiae about a tediously long event, and tack on a $500 donation to Family Island to appear as more than a senior citizens Homecoming popularity contest.

HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER

Bahamian focus…some ideas:

· Hold more things in Regatta Park (like we used to)! I know it makes transportation an issue…but really, we *can* bring our boats across and anchor for a day, we do have Water Taxis now, and many people have large dinghies/skiffs and could help out. It’s worth it to find ways to be a positive presence in town. And while we’re at it…why not paint and hang a tarp that says “THANKS FOR HAVING US!” Because we are guests after all.

· Local flair. Why are we doing another oldies dance when there is a Rake N Scrape band? Why haven’t we hired a Bahamian DJ for a few things (even if we have to specify a lower-than-usual volume)-spending our money locally and getting some island music to boot? Why not purchase straw goods or anything that screams “Bahamas” as prizes, rather than cheap rum (or even burgees; sacrilege, I know)?

· Involve the Bahamians. Simply “inviting” them to participate in “our” stuff likely won’t work at this point. BUT, we can still consider whether there are more things-even a lunchtime grill-out for charity, held in Regatta Park-that might get the Bahamians to come and interact with cruisers. I don’t care if we give away cookies if it says “hey, we love being here and we love the Bahamians!”

Make it more exciting and spectator-friendly

· Shorten the timeframe and compress the events. With everything spread out, there is little chance to generate enthusiasm. There were some creative ideas this year-outlaws kidnapping people during the boat parade, etc.-but then it was 2 days until opening night. By then, you have to rebuild the momentum.

· Cluster events. I’d love to see a “Volleyball Beach Day,” a “St. Francis Day,” and a “Regatta Park Day.” On VB Beach Day, everything beach-y is done back to back (fun volleyball, bocce, sand sculpture, coconut challenge, whatever we’re still including). St Francis might be the center for golf, small boat races, scavenger hunt, etc. Regatta Park Day, we’d watch the in-the-harbor race, do some fun new stuff in Regatta Park (with music, food/drink, and a very public, open invitation for locals to be a part!), and maybe walk to the softball game (yay! Bahamian involvement again!) that evening. Add a registration/opening event at the beginning, the round-the-harbor race with an awards/party/closing event at the end, and you’ve got a long weekend FULL of activity.

For “non-joiner” type people, clustered events would mean we all know where to show up to check it out in a low-pressure way (and maybe get excited and participate in events that still have room). Plus, it’s an entire day of fun, not “show up today at 10 AM for X then go home. Show up tomorrow at 1 PM for Y, then go home.”

· Drop “the usual” stuff from Regatta proper. Per above, most of us spend all year engaging in our usual activities: poker, bridge, trivia, tennis, etc. Omit these from Regatta so it is really something different, worth getting excited over. IF the groups who do these things want to hold a finale with a couple bucks going toward the Regatta fund, it can be organized separately and need not be included in the Regatta calendar.

· Reconsider promotions. 20+ minutes of Net announcements 7 days a week for 2+ months are NOT generating excitement; they are driving us insane. A bit of mystery is sexier. All we need to know is that there is a Regatta, when it is, BASICS about what happens, where to get more info, and how to get involved. If you want, hold a Regatta discussion AFTER the Net...but stop blocking Boater’s General! Maybe hold a monthly “pre-Regatta” activity that’s fun…and pimp the full Regatta among that interested audience. We don’t need all the rules and minutiae repeated at least once a week for months on end.

· Unify the volunteering process. A simpler Regatta could cut down on the need for volunteers. To get the help we do need, instead of getting each Chair to beg separately (or get only their friends-i.e. the usual suspects-to help), advertise a sign-up where people could express interest and suggest events they’d be willing to help on. It could be on the bulletin boards, or even carried around VB Beach like a petition (to put a bit of pressure on). Names would be given over to the Chairs. Need more volunteers? The “Meet and Greet” could serve a purpose beyond watching old movies. Make it useful and/or fun to generate attendance. Two “Free Rum Punch Parties” get sufficient volunteers for Five F at Farmer’s. Regatta is bigger, but maybe it needn’t be more complicated. And now we have sponsors who might foot the bill for such a thing (vs the hamburger fiasco)!

Wider involvement-not measured by numbers, but in terms of “reaching beyond the A Team.”

· Ask more often. If Regatta wants to keep pace with cruisers’ attitudes, this type of survey or other mechanism for input should happen regularly.

· Actually listen. So far, we’ve already heard key members of the Regatta Committee are trying to discount the feedback they’ve been given in this survey and keep things just as they’ve been (including a 14+ day event). Why bother asking, then? And it’s not the first time-we’ve been saying the same things about length of the event, attitudes of those involved toward the community, Net announcements, etc., for YEARS. But only the Regatta Committee knows best, I guess.

· New blood! This may take a while because many segments of the population don’t want to deal with Regatta, but at least appearing more welcoming of different perspectives would be a start. If the Committee is being facetiously referred to as “the A team” (and it is), there is something wrong.

· New culture! Every year, a few new people get involved, but they get steamrollered by the same old folk and the same old attitude. For the most part, the people on the Committee who have seemed open to doing things differently and listening to the rest of the community are: a) replaced (in some cases before the end of the current Regatta! Great job guys!) or b) frustrated to the point they don’t take part anymore. So where does that leave us? With the same old people doing things the same old ways.

· New voices! Why would we turn down someone who volunteers to do a week of the Net in order to hear Rolls Doc for 3 weeks? I don’t care if a given individual does a perfect job, at least it’s another person positively engaged in the community rather than being made to feel they’re not good enough. This year has been especially bad, it seems, for making people feel shut out…or maybe I’m just listening closer as I’ve been writing this document.

· Be on volleyball beach as a diplomat not a dictator. If there are changes under consideration, volleyball beach is a great place to get input…but not if people feel like their opinions don’t count. And if we’re not Sea Dancer, we’re pretty sure our opinions don’t count.

Transparency

· Finances-As evidenced by last year’s Internet rumor re: Regatta embezzlement, there is some confusion about what comes in, what goes out, and who is deciding. Bad Boy seems to be working on this, but it needs to remain a focus. How do we take in $23K but gave $500 to Family Island last year…or is that misinformation (either way, my point is the same)?

· Simplicity. In conjunction with the finance question, it might be helpful if people understood the fundraising goals of the Regatta and actually bought into them. We seem obsessed with taking in more money and more donations. If memorabilia is $25+ and it’s $2/event to participate…what is the benefit to the cruising community? Did we need new speakers for Rockin Ron? Is Opening Night worth $700 while the schools get less (really? That’s shameful)? If we can focus on what the community REALLY wants and needs, could we have a simpler Regatta event and not worry all the time about T-shirt sales? Plus, many of us would be willing to buy/bring our own equipment if it meant not being bossed around by Regatta Committee members who use the “we paid for it” excuse to act like czars.

· Giving-Yes, there are cruiser needs (Queen’s dock repairs, volleyball nets, etc.) but a Regatta that is at least as charitable as it is self-serving might gain traction in certain circles. We’re now taking in donations from US businesses, but will that actually defray our costs? Mostly, I see more elaborate prizes for boaters (bribes to participate). Wouldn’t it be nice to have a broader impact?

· New charity ideas. With the high-dollar boats in this harbor, we can do better. Maybe expand/transform the Arts & Crafts show into a Silent Auction. Ask for donations of cruiser-made items (arts/crafts, but also foodstuffs, boating items, whatever) and use some of the donations from businesses (a free haul-out at XYZ marina) and auction them off…with ALL the money going to charities without a penny to cruisers’ needs. This is just one suggestion, but others will have better ones if we concentrate on giving and ask for ideas. Done correctly, charitable activity could really have a positive impact locally and be good for the boaters’ reputation in town, to boot.

· Issues-If Regatta Committee insists on being mechanism for organizing input/decisions on cruiser-related issues, it needs to be done more openly. Bad Boy seems to be making a long-overdue effort in this direction. But still-is the Committee stance actually representative? (I’d say often not.) How can we change that? Where are minutes for meetings posted? That being said, I think Regatta and Representation are two different things and should be separated.

WHY THE FRUSTRATION? Limit the Regatta Committee’s “voice” and “power” to Regatta.

· Give back the Net! Seizing a function that was operating fine on its own was a mistake. Making the Net, which is a community function, wait for Regatta Committee representatives to arrive in the harbor is a mistake. Host the Net during Regatta, but leave it alone the rest of the time.

· Cut down Net announcements. Per above, it’s out of hand. Our lives don’t center on Regatta. DEFINITELY put Regatta announcements at the end except maybe the week leading up to and the (few days, I hope) of Regatta. The COMMUNITY asked for this change before, but instead of doing what we wanted, you seized the ‘Net instead. It came across as really arrogant.

· Drop the attitude. Being on the Regatta Committee does not make you a dignitary for the season. You don’t get special “rights” for non-Regatta events (e.g., a guaranteed seat for a regular poker night). While you can certainly designate a “reserved” section for Opening Night, shooing people out who have already set up their chairs-even if they were gracious about it-spreads through the harbor as an example of the “we’re better than everyone attitude” people are getting tired of.

· You can’t tell us not to organize our own events during Regatta. If people are into Regatta, great. They’ll participate. If you fail to develop a program people care about, they can do their own thing, whether that is bonfires, happy hours on the beach, whatever. Getting on the Net every year to try to prohibit these types of activities (especially with Regatta running for 2+ weeks) is insulting. And to consider making a scene during a seminar in progress (which was taking place during the Regatt 2 weeks but not conflicting with any Regatta event) is beyond the pale.

· Stop yelling at people. I get numerous complaints from newbies (and some oldies) who don’t know GT’s arcane rules and habits. Instead of being informed, they’re being publicly berated (and no, this isn’t just referring to the dog leash incident). And it’s the Regatta Committee members who think they have the right to act this way. In fact, my introduction to George Town was a ridiculous confrontation my first day on Fun Volleyball by a Regatta Committee member. Outside George Town, I hear so many people having similar experiences and they simply decided not to stay or ever come back.

· Stop trying to be our Student Government. We didn’t elect you. Until we do, you’re not in charge of anything but the Regatta event.

In short, YOU DON’T OWN THE HARBOR. You don’t get to set all the rules. You don’t have the only say. While a bit of structure is nice and helps us all get along-and maybe the Committee is the only organization available to provide such organization-the Harbor Nazi thing has gone too far and the Regatta Committee needs to back off.