As a "representative" of the windsport community, I was invited to a meeting last night about SailFest 2024. Some of you may have noticed a post by Byron Tobin on the Windsport Atlanta FB page. Here's the scoop as best I can remember with my lizard brain and after 2.5 hours on the water. I will be using the inclusive term sailors/sailing to include all the windsport activities we do here including windsurfing, kiting, winging, cats, foils, etc.

The concept of SailFest is a weekend event much like the popular *Cons (e.g Comic Con, etc.) celebrating all things sailing and wind related on Lake Lanier. While there will be a commercial element of local vendors, service providers to the local community like sail lofts, riggers, etc, and some new and used boats for sail (think swap meet), it isn't intended just to be a Boat Show where the intent is solely to get you to walk out with a new boat. The concept is to include all the local sailing organizations and promote a sense of community within the existing sailing population as well as provide a gateway for not-yet sailors. Similar events are held around the country in locales that have strong sailing communities.

The plan is to hold a weekend event next April at Lake Lanier Islands. A preliminary schedule start with a Friday night social event. Saturday would have a number of events and activities including "vendor" tents which would include vendors, sponsors, local sailing clubs, etc. During the day, there will be classes on sailing, navigation, etc. For the larger boat crowd, there will be new and used boats (both from dealers and individuals) at the docks. Depending on conditions, there may be a "windsport" event on the water. They would like to hold a major one design regatta e.g Melges 24, ILCA (Laser), during that weekend and live stream a feed to the event. During the weekend, keelboats would be invited to dock and raft up at the harbor there. Saturday night, a beach party with live band. Sunday events would conclude and if conditions are good, a "parade" sail back up to the lake as the keel boats go back home to Aqualand, LLSC, Sunrise, etc.

Why are we invited? Byron firmly feels that it's important to include all parts of the sport including our corner. Part of it is certainly eye candy. Part of it is, whether we realize it or not, a lot of the folks on the bigger kit give us a lot of respect for both our skills and the fact that our version of sailing is so close to the essential and basic elements of the sport.

The event will not be free of course. There will be a fee to enter the park ($15ish?) plus we'll have to pony up time and possibly money if we want to have a display. What it gains us may be modest or more depending on how we approach this. From a social aspect, it's a dang easy way to have a party without having to host a party. It might also get other sailors more interested in our little corner of the world. I think the foil versions of our sports are super appealing to a lot of people. Our involvement could be a booth (my wife has already volunteered to man a screen live streaming us at VP if it's a windy day) or linking some on the water event that weekend to it - perhaps a regatta or long distance sail - and having the dinner, etc at SailFest.

So, looking for some input here. What are people thinking, and are people willing to invest a bit of time over the next 12 months to see that it happens. I'd like to broaden the work load past the usual suspects and include more of you. If you also spend time on other sailing craft ie there's a keelboat or dinghy in the family stable, I guarantee that this will be a great way for you to meet so many more people on the lake. What are your thoughts and ideas?