Winston -
I posted your initial e-mail on the CR-914 Yahoo Group, since we have sailors in that area. Here is another letter that went out from our CS.
Needham S. Cheely III
Director of Parks and Recreation
James City County, Virginia
Dear Mr. Cheely:
I am writing on behalf of the 1,496 owners of registered CR 914 class model
sailboats in the United States, in support of the proposal that has been
made for the James City County Parks & Recreation department to build a pond
specifically designed for model yacht racing.
From the description that I have seen, the proposed facility sounds ideal
for model sailors in your area, and I am sure that many of the 80 CR 914
owners in Virginia and 194 in Maryland will be among the multitudes of model
sailors who will become regular users of this facility. But I am writing
from a broader perspective as well.
A facility like this will be a major regional and national resource for the
rapidly growing sport of model sailboat racing. Each of the 25 classes of
model sailboats that are recognized by the American Model Yachting
Association, like the CR 914 Class, hold regional and national championship
regattas each year. There are few venues that are truly well suited to host
these regattas, and none to my knowledge that combine all the attributes
that your facility would have: outstanding sailing conditions, excellent
local facilities, and nearby world-famous attractions that can transform a
weekend regatta into major vacation for the whole family. I would expect
that the James City County model yacht pond would quickly become the venue
for many national and regional championship regattas. And, while the numbers
of model sailors and their families from around the country would represent
only a tiny blip on the tourism statistics for the Williamsburg area, I
suspect that every little bit helps.
Please let me know if I can provide any assistance in making this dream
faculty a reality.
Richard H. Martin, M.D.
CR 914 Class Secretary (
www.cr914class.org)
Associate Director, Region 4, American Model Yachting Association
Ernest Freeland