Sailing event brings mixed economic news

Melges race a welcomed activity for city, but doesn't attract crowds

By PAMELA WOOD, Staff Writer

Capital Gazette Communications

Published 10/31/09

As the Melges 24 World Championship concludes today, downtown Annapolis hoteliers, restaurateurs and merchants are tallying up their profits from the international sailing event. Some are counting more dollars than others.

Joshua McKerrow - The Capital
The Joefly races in the 2009 Melges 24 World Championship on Thursday. The sailing event concludes Saturday, and downtown Annapolis businesses have had a mixed experience with the Melges race. Some have had increased sales, while a few said the race actually may have hurt business.

SLIDESHOW

2009 Melges 24 World Championship - Day 4

Day 4 of the 2009 Melges 24 World Championship sailing event.

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An informal survey of downtown businesses yesterday afternoon showed a mixed bag of economic news related to the world-class sailing championship.

While some businesses saw a healthy boost to the bottom line, other merchants said it's been hard to tell there's even a special event in town at all.

Fawcett Boat Supplies has seen a nice flow of cash from the 50-plus teams of sailors from around...

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Comment removed by HometownAnnapolis staff. - 2009-11-01 02:57:27

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Its great for the bottom line - 2009-10-31 15:52:02

In the end, the weather SUCKED this week and that probably hurt business more then anything. No one was going out, and not many of the regatta participants were eager to head out after they have been out all day in drizzling rain. If it was 65 and windy and sunny it would of been a totally different situation. Also with any event that is on your front door step, you need to participate as a Sponsor or organizer, otherwise the attendee's head to the pub next door that did sponsor, or organize a dinner. It may suck, but its why you are located on city dock after all.

Annapolis is known as the Sailing Capital of the US. It is one of the huge draws to this city for many tourist. Having a major championship like this in the heart of the city will hopefully lead to further financial growth in downtown for the businesses.

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Joe McCorkell - Annapolis, Md - Karma: Good

Melges 24 Regatta - 2009-10-31 13:22:53

Let's be real, this is a 50 boat regatta, that's not that big. In fact, right now there are a couple other regattas going on in town, some of which have more sailors participating. they're just not getting any press.

Either the Capital is scrounging for news or the City is just trying to squeeze some good press out of the event, like the part about having the boats at city dock being the City's idea instead of the regatta organizer's.

It's true that sailors like to party, but only hack sailors go out and get wrecked during a major regatta. Do you think the Yankees or the Phillies were out boozin' it up last night? NO!

Once the sailors get off their boats and change clothes the businesses can't tell who the sailors are. Well,...except for the ones that talk funny.

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M J - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

City Dock - 2009-10-31 11:45:58

My belief is that most events at Annapolis City Dock tend to have a negative economic impact on the downtown. City Dock is, after all, a parking lot. On the weekends events at City Dock monopolize the parking which is needed for weekend visitors. If people cannot park, they go elsewhere. Also, alot of these events have vendors which directly compete with the merchants downtown. Most do not charge sales tax on their items, so it there is also a financial drain on public revenues as well. Most people buy into the myth that public events at City Dock benefit everyone economically. The idea that everyone benefits is in fact a myth. The Mayor and the aldermen have never been in business for themselves so they do not understand this argument at all. The City needs to find another place other than City Dock to hold public events.

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Pasquale Zamzino - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

Sailors - 2009-10-31 10:25:49

Windbaggers are notoriously cheap, and smart. Not the typical fat american tourist our fair city needs to make some money.
This type of non-event eventis proof of the importance of nurturing the locals.

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Fred Shubbie - , - Karma: Terrible

sailing event - 2009-10-31 05:30:29

I'm not sure what the city was claiming, but 50 boats x 4 crew each + another give or take 100 event staff/service/family = 300 people, is not going to have that much of an immediate dollar impact. It does however, raise the profile of the city substantially, in the eyes of both the visiting crews that have come from around the county and around the world, and in the eyes of visitors to Annapolis in the past week.

Where is your informal poll of visiting crews from Norway, Germany, France, Ukraine, Italy, Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and across the U.S. to ask them what they thought of our city, and what will they be reporting to friends and family when they return home? Where is your informal poll of tourists asking them about their impressions of visiting a city over the past week that can host an event such as this?

The small-minded, bottom-line perspective of this article is disappointing, but not surprising coming from the Capital.

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Tyler Durden - annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent