We use Signal, mostly because it has better privacy and security. We have multiple groups: Critical Team Comms General Chat and create race event specific groups so as not to spam the Chat. Email is also used - I send a weekly Updates email, and for situations/events with a LOT of info to share. If an email is sent that is time sensitive, I will also post in the Team Comms Signal group asking people to check their email. We have been using revSPORT for 7 years for training session and race sign ups, membership renewal, invoicing for race fees etc. Generally, emails are also sent that way.

@Liisa Reimann can anyone buy tickets to the summit or do they need to join this community first ? I have a couple of my team who might be interested and want to give them clear instructions and correct info.

I'm a member of two clubs, and both have a Champion small 'racing' boat. One club bought the boat probably 12-ish years ago, and did not have any idea of how it would handle. The other, WAM, bought one precisely because we wanted to be able to train in it for club crew championships. The other version of small boat produced by Champion is a small 'festival' boat. The larger of my two clubs has two of those as well, plus two standard Champions, and two very old BUKs. My smaller club, WAM, has two standard Champions in addition to our small racing boat. In both cases the small racing boat is rarely used because of it's 'responsiveness' - both clubs paddle on Lake Washington, aka Lake Washing-machine. WAM has been fortunate that when we are training for CCNC, we are able to put in our small boat on a smaller lake that does not get so rough, and moor with another club's boats. So we get to train in it, but in calmer conditions. WAM is looking to purchase another small boat (preferably used) - either a different brand, or a Champion small 'festival' boat so we can take it out in conditions other than dead calm. (As a side note, the Portland OR festival uses 6-16s - I'm trying to talk myself into steering for that event, but my first ever attempt at steering, perhaps 25 years ago, was in a 6-16 and did not go well - no collision or capsize, just could not get control of the boat. It took many years before I overcame that to try steering again, and by then the club had other boats. I performed the club's steering assessment at night in the dark - might sound risky, but no other boat traffic to contend with. Never steered a 6-16 again.) Personally, I prefer the 'heft' of the Champion steering oars, but perhaps that's simply because I use those more frequently. The BUK/Grey Owl steering oars just feel too spindly and fragile to me. But, the club that rents out boats for our local festivals has only BUKs with the 'spindly' steering oars, so part of my training as a race steersperson is to be able to adapt, and I'm able to get in practice steering standard Champions, occasionally BUKS, and rarely, small boats. However, steering for a practice in many respects, (IMO), only partially prepares one for steering a race.

I've registered but probably only able to attend the later sessions : coaching in the morning.

Thanks for sharing that Joann!