If I were the USMS OW Task Force, I would absolutely want these people's input, and if possible, have them directly involved in the decision-making. Not just for better decisions, but for the perceived legitimacy of the process.
Evan, I called Rob Copeland back in January, to offer input. We discussed the insurance, safety, etc. and asked him to refer me to any place that would be able to offer our support boaters the insurance required by USMS. He listened to my concerns, and I felt he had a good understanding of the challenges that some race directors will now face. I let him know that the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim will do whatever it takes to stay USMS sanctioned, but there is just no way to get insurance certs on 20+ power boaters. So, at least I feel like I had some input, but it was after their 12/31/12 letter that initially broke the news re: sanctioning OW events.
If I were the USMS OW Task Force, I would absolutely want these people's input, and if possible, have them directly involved in the decision-making. Not just for better decisions, but for the perceived legitimacy of the process.
Evan, I called Rob Copeland back in January, to offer input. We discussed the insurance, safety, etc. and asked him to refer me to any place that would be able to offer our support boaters the insurance required by USMS. He listened to my concerns, and I felt he had a good understanding of the challenges that some race directors will now face. I let him know that the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim will do whatever it takes to stay USMS sanctioned, but there is just no way to get insurance certs on 20+ power boaters. So, at least I feel like I had some input, but it was after their 12/31/12 letter that initially broke the news re: sanctioning OW events.
