Housing, Meals and Transportation
At most U.S. National Championships, it is normal practice to provide housing for competitors, judges, US Sailing coaches, the charter boat representative (if any) and officials in club members' homes and to provide water and lunches for the above during the series. Breakfasts can be provided either at the facility or at the hosts' homes. An awards ceremony at the end of the Championship is required.
Clicking on the hyperlinks below will enable you to download templates to use for your championship.
Unless you are very keen on answering lots and lots of e-mails, a welcome letter that can be posted on the championship's website or downloaded from the registration site is a great tool. In it you can provide helpful information so the competitors can make their travel arrangements.
For Junior or Youth Events, you will need to ensure that the housing form (and alternate housing forms if offered) are signed by a parent or guardian.
For Junior Events, be sure to inform parents of the transportation arrangements to and from the regatta along with a contact name and cell phone number before the sailors leave home. Flights can and do get delayed and the sailor will need to let someone know.
Food will be the largest budget item. This cost should be incorporated into your budget and entry fee. Consider getting sponsorship in kind. An event's motto on food is: "Nothing fancy and plenty of it!".
Additional social functions organizers wish to host, i.e., cocktail parties, dinners, banquets, etc. are strongly encouraged and a wonderful way to recognize your local and national sponsors. Supporters, coaches, and host families are welcome to attend any of the events but should be asked to pay their way. Many hosts find that building a "guest package" into their online registration is a great way to manage this. Guests can elect to buy a ticket to the awards dinner and/or a package for the entire event, including lunch.
It is also important to plan for a bad weather day - especially for junior events. If your facility has a DVD, check to be sure it's working.