Consisting of some 70 pages it takes its readers from the initial notion of their club hosting a sailing event and expertly guides them through the application processes onto a month-by-month, day-by-day journey which is loaded to the gunnels with specific advice, anecdotes, reality check tests, photographs and features several of Tom’s sketchings.
However, this not merely a manual for the beginner; it goes deeper and looks at pit-falls even the ‘experienced’ organisers fall foul off offering planning and risk assessment solutions. It pays particular attention to ‘house keeping’, the welcoming process and devotes a whole chapter to the prize giving, suggesting that “a little imagination, some razzamataz and a sprinkling of nerve could transform an otherwise drab affair into an event worthy ending…”
The Big Event also spends time on safety measures, marketing, managing protests, sourcing sponsorship as well slipway management and the selection of a suitable event chairman. What the Big Event does not do is get involved in the ‘afloat’ aspect of the weekend other than ensuring that both wings of the organisation are inextricably linked, working in harmony.
This is a ‘not for profit’ download, but any revenue it does generate through donation is immediately transferred to the Meningitis Trust in memory of the author’s grandson.
