When older is better.

[noelH]

The local community sailing organization (NorthCoastCommunitySailing, NCCS) was able to expand their fleet of Club 420s this year. Used, but newer 420s acquired from a club located around the New Orleans region that have been sitting in storage for a couple years. One think they discovered with the newer Club 420s are they are lighter.  Thought 420s were a one design class.  Maybe one design specs have changed? Problem with being lighter. Head of the program noted "oil canning". 

Funding allowed purchasing a few more Optis. All the classes were more or less full this past summer. Seems like with the influx of newbies with younger children to the area there has been a revival in youth sailing. Program could expand. But, the issue was with staffing.  NCCS is part of Bayfield Rec. Some of the staff are year round employees. But... Available and affordable housing is lacking in this area. Long term summer rentals for seasonal employees? Not an option at the salary levels.

[Norm L.]

The 420s may have come from Southern Yacht Club as they can afford to move to whatever the racers want to bring up kids for the future. Or they were replaced as they were oil canning.

You second paragraph is so true in many fields where salaries don't cover costs in areas that have been gentrified.

[rfrance0718]

There are newer design 420s called e420s. They are different enough that they don't mix them up when racing. They have different tank and deck configurations but not sure what else.

[Frank B.]

Glad to hear of the uptick in interest and a new group of young sailors.  Seems in my area, never a big sailing  community, it is on the wane.

It seems that lodging for seasonal workers is a universal problem due to the increase in property rents.  I have gone skiing to Winter Park CO for the past 27 years (less Covid) staying at the same lodge initially, then the owner sold the lodge and they used it for resort worker housing. Went to a second lodge and after three years same thing, owner leased it to the resort for worker housing In my third lodge now, hope it doesn't happen again. These are old style lodges that housed their own workers, not fancy, breakfast and dinner provided, family oriented but the popularity seems to be condo's in the villages with long waits in restaurants for an expensive meal. The resort is building a 400 bed dormitory building for workers this years, so maybe that will help with the problem.

[noelH]

Supply and demand effects every region. Our ding-dong fed rep was trying to get a bill or whatever through Congress to change the status of the Apostle Is. National Lakeshore to a National Park.  Big time opposition by the local communities. Mayors, city councils, county board of supervisors, trial government.... We have enough stresses from tourists and influx of new residents. We don't need "economic development" envisioned by the Rep. I guess we are a bunch of NIMBYs. Several years ago was "rescued" by some Coast Guard service people.  Double flat on the bicycle, not on the water. Found out they make the +50 mile round trip commute to Ashland due to lack of housing in Bayfield or Washburn.  We use to have and maybe still do two US Border Patrol enforcement officers. Guessing they also lived in Ashland.  Or maybe the "border" they patrol in their full size SUVs was State Highway 13 between Ashland and Bayfield:)?

Decades ago the house we rented on Maui for ~1-2 months was $400/night. Not bad for a waterfront 4 bedroom/3 bathroom on the Northshore with a large grassy "front" yard. No need to drive, rig, and de-rig our windsurfing gear.  Then 9/11 happened. Maui County Zoning started enforcing rentals. The owner after decades of ownership was retiring from all her businesses and sold the house to some mainland haole who saw the "opportunity" due to the now even more reduced rentals. Bumped nightly rentals from $400 to $1400. We stopped going to Maui.