Vanguard 15 Elegy Rebuttal: I Ain't Dead Yet

By guest writer Mike O’Connor. This article is in response to our recent post: Elegy For the V15; Good Things End, But That’s OK
I would not write off a one design fleet that has regattas with 30 boats on the line just yet.  It is true that numbers are not what they once were in certain areas, but there still are thriving V15 fleets out there, including: Annapolis, who just wrapped up a successful team race event, San Fran maintaining an active fleet, Nashville growing and stepping up as evidenced by their hosting Nationals in October, and Larchmont who has already booked two regattas with 30+ boats and two more regattas on the schedule.  Fleets are still active and while new boats aren’t rolling off the racks (ahem LaserPerformance) there still remains a vibrant community of dedicated racers who love the boat.

From my own experience running Larchmont’s program I can attest that we are currently experiencing a surge in V15 participation this year.  Our standard Sunday series has averaged 15 boats a week, and our two most recent fleet race regattas both netted 30+ participants.  Both of these recent regattas saw several young college faces who were first time racers in the fleet.  True these numbers are far off the Buzzards 80+ and Wianno Midsummah’s days (both venues I crashed in the car for); however all the fleet needs is a little creativity and boat manufacturing to start drawing people back.
Sailors and boat builders are constantly agonizing over the decline of the V15 and searching for its replacement for the fresh out of college crowd, but what’s wrong with the V15?  There are just about 2000 in existence.  From a price standpoint they provide much more bang for your buck than the other fleets being contemplated.  A used V15 can be had for 1K to 3K right now perfect for the fresh out of college crowd.  It seems less likely that parents will pony up $11,000 for a new “whatevers next boat” vs. paying the cheap price of a used V15, and as every long term V15 racer out there knows the most important factor in winning is often times simply a new set of sails (roughly $1K).  So set a google alert and watch as the advertisements under $3K roll in.  Also, check out V15’s for sale on Sail1Design’s Marketplace. Once set up with a boat and some fresh sails all it takes is a little searching to find your local fleet and get out on the water.  Hint: you can find them in San Fran, NYC (Larchmont), Chicago, Marblehead, Newport, Nashville, and Annapolis just to name a few.
In a recent article John Storck (an old jr. sailing friend of mine) hit the nail on the head when he speaks of the fun and social attitude as being what we all loved the most about the good old days of V15 racing.  With just a bit of creativity and drive we can get that back.  The main issue with the fleet (outside of the economic downturn but that is a discussion for an economics class) is that it became almost a “professional” atmosphere that ultimately drove out the casual racer and non-all American college crowd.  Lots of folks stopped wanting to travel to get smoked by the top guns and as a result stayed home in their local fleets which drove down national participation.  People are still out there racing the V15 and I would propose some simple steps to get the fleet back on track:

1. Get creative with formats:  The 2vs.2 team race was a hit because it was fun, social, different, and also pairs people up randomly so everyone feels included and levels the playing field.  LYC runs their June fleet race event college(A/B) style with docks to change off of which promotes everyone meeting and hanging out.  This past June LYC had 18 teams (36 total skippers) out to race with only 10 of those skippers owning a V15 of their very own.  The beauty of the event is that by doubling up you can loan out 1 boat to two people and maximize your exposure and bring in new skippers.  These types of events are key to rekindling fleet morale.
2. Advertise to new sailors:  Hitting the standard college crowd is important but there are others out there as well.  What about the Female Racers?  Each year you have dozens of female skippers graduate from the college ranks but they don’t end up in V15’s.  LYC ran a first time ever Women’s only event with 3 weeks notice last year and we netted 10 signups with minimal prep time.  Of that group 5 have joined the LYC fleet this summer.  What about parent/child race days?  Parents are the ones with the cash so you get a parent/child team who has a blast and I guarantee you will see a new boat on the line the next weekend.  So coordinate with your Jr. Program directors or talk to Head Instructors and get the young kids out racing.
3. Coordinate between the fleets.  This one is important and easier said than done but we need to organize a Fleet Captain counsel to get everyone connected and on the same page.  Lack of communication between the fleets has contributed to the overall malaise and improving lines of communication will help build back momentum.
4. Have FUN!  A bit corny but true… how often did you hear these words as a Jr. Sailor and they still have merit.  We sail because it’s fun so toss some beers from the committee boat, have some BBQ’s, free hot dogs whatever but happy sailors are participating sailors so make sure not to forget the fun.

While the national events have been impacted by a lack of travel, the V15 still remains the cheapest and best option for someone looking to get out on the water and racing.  Why tear down and build from scratch when the V15 has proven to be a fun, competitive, and social fleet for the past two decades?  I’m looking forward to the future and am positive that with just a little push we can continue moving the class forward, and if you need proof come to LYC.  I’ll hook you up with a boat for the day and beers will be on me.
~Mike O’Connor (no, not the Harvard coach)
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