I'm the coordinator for Maker Faire RC warship combat. We (WWCC) have proven that battles can be safely watched by spectators. Last year we battled before a total of over 6,000 people in bleachers (picture a hockey game), with no injuries. All spectators are given safety glasses and must wear them at all times in the arena.
The year before we had a similar sized audience, and did have one injury (a spectator was struck on the cheekbone under his safety glasses). This is out of thousands of people, and we learned there was one small space that was not blocked.
Each person who enters the arena has to be wearing a "waiver" wristband, which they receive after signing a hold-harmless statement that says that they understand there's a certain amount of danger involved (which is why they want to watch in the first place). Plus, Maker Faire itself has a huge umbrella insurance policy, as there are many dangerous activities going on at Maker Faire, and the RC warship combat arena is covered, as are all the participants (captains and helpers). In addition, we require each captain to have NAMBA insurance, and we also get the NAMBA site insurance as additional protection.
The trick is that it really requires one person as the director/Master of Ceremonies (think "show-biz"), around 20-25 captains, and around 10 volunteers to pull this off. WWCC has the numbers here in California, and we will be battling every hour on the hour, starting at Noon each day (May 22-23). So far, I have not heard from any group in NY who has the numbers and the willingness to do this.
Is there a group within striking distance of Queens, NY, that has the numbers and willingness to battle at Maker Faire, September 25th and 26th, at the New York Hall of Science at Flushing Meadows Corona Park? If not, is there someone who would want to step forward to make it happen, even if it means gathering captains from several clubs?
The official "call to makers" for NY MF opens on April 15th, which is the date an online form will be available for seriously committing to do this. That means we have until then to find out if there are enough people who are interested. I will help whoever steps forward to lead this effort in NY, but I don't have the resources to lead it myself. I'm already in charge of the California MF combat event. I will, however, help anyone who wants to take the bull by the horns, with advice, drawings, specifications, photographs, material lists, etc.
The alternative to actual battling at Maker Faire is a static display, which is how we started in California. It's a good way to "test the waters" to see what the interest might be for 2011, and to recruit new prospective members to your clubs, if nothing else.
Best regards,
Rob Wood