>Adrian Stott wrote: > > Can you think of any other organisation that would hold a > "national" > event that 40% of the "nation" cannot attend?
Well, I must be going blind. Were 40% of the boats attending the National this year Broad/Wide/Whatever? If so where were they? Seriously Adrian, I'm sure if we had that higher proportion of bigger than 7' wide boats attending the National when is is held on suitable waterways it would have an impact on where the National was held. You can't plan a mobile national event which attracts hundreds of moorers based upon a location suitable for the half dozen or so wide/broad/whatever boats which may turn up. Well, not every year anyway, actually, I've just had a bit of a think as far back as I know.... For wide you can read broad or vice versa depending upon the arbitary definition you choose to use: 1997: Henley - wide 1998: Salford - Wide 1999: Worcester - Wide 2000: Waltham Abbey - Wide 2001: Milton Keynes - Wide 2002: Huddersfield - Wide (OK, if you were wide you had restricted length, but we are only discussing width here) 2003: Beale Park - Wide 2004: Burton on Trent - Not sure where it goes from wide to narrow, perhaps someone could remind us which section we were on? 2005: Preston Brook - Narrow 2006: Beale Park - Wide 2007: St. Ives - Wide So, in eleven nationals, only one or two were narrow. Don't get me wrong Adrian, I would be more than happy to see more broad/wide craft at the National, I do not think "narrow" is the only legitimate inland craft (your words, not mine), however the fact is that very few turn up, so they can hardly object if occaisionally the National is on a waterway they cannot reach. Supply and demand mate! George "Bungle" Eycott
