Just a general question. Can any member of the association sign up and race or do you have to qualify by participating in other races through the year? Also is the silver fleet ultra competitive or does a regular Joe who races PHRF locally stand a chance? I won't make it this year but have been thinking about it if and when the event returns to the midwest again. Thanks in advance.
There is no qualification process or requirements. The C22NSA is a family-oriented organization that is accessible to all Catalina 22 owners, and there are a lot of them with over 15,780 Catalina 22s built, and still in production.
The C22NSA promotes participation by not putting any type of restrictions on the program regarding a person's racing status. That is one reason why C22 Nationals have been around for over 45 years. The Class promotes inclusion, not exclusion. A Catalina 22 boat wanting to race in the National Regatta must meet minimum Class Rule requirements. The only C22 that is NOT permitted to participate is the C22 Mk-II with a Capri 22 fin keel, of which there are only a few in existence. The Silver Fleet is intended for the C22 skipper with limited experience, the Gold Fleet is much more competitive and the winner of the Gold Fleet is the National Champion. And the Spinnaker Fleet is for anybody who is also sailing in the Gold or Silver fleets, who also wants to fly a spinnaker in a competitive environment.
There are no immediate plans to have the Nationals in the Midwest/Great Lakes region. If your club might be interested in hosting them...let's talk. It would be a great way to promote C22 and to build some more racing in your sailing club/area. We are looking for a host for 2019...which is also the 50 year anniversary for production of the Catalina 22.