SCUTTLEBUTT #267 - January 28, 1999

THANKS DAVE

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AMERICA'S CUP
Young America, the New York Yacht Club Challenge for the America's Cup, will be featured in the Strictly Sail Chicago boat show centerpiece attraction saluting New Zealand, the site of America's Cup 2000. Skipper Ed Baird will join New Zealand Ambassador Jim Bolger in opening the show at Chicago's Navy Pier on January 28. The show runs through Sunday, January 31.

Show visitors can meet Ed Baird at the Young America booth Thursday, January 28 and Friday, January 29. The NYYC/Young America exhibit is part of the Destination New Zealand feature hosted by New Zealand Tourism Board. Activities at the Young America exhibit will include interactive demonstrations and limited edition Young America sponsor product and service packages. Show visitors can enter to win a trip to New Zealand at the booth.

Travel package information from Air New Zealand, the NYYC/Young America preferred international airline, and Candler Travel will provide show-goers with details on how to join the team in New Zealand for the racing action that begins October 18, 1999 in Auckland, New Zealand, with the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Races for the America's Cup. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup faces defender Team New Zealand in the best-of-nine Match beginning February 19, 2000. - Jane Eagleson

NYYC/Young America website: http://www.youngamerica.org

LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
We read all of your letters, but simply can't publish them all. Those that we do publish are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks.

-- From Michael C. Ford -- I have watched the last several weeks of Scuttlebutt amazed at the number of complaints about US Sailing. Now that we all agree there is a problem, let's work towards a solution. Let's post some proposals for US Sailing to mull over for how to rebuild the organization and get things back on track. Nothing is going to happen if we just sit back and complain. Once some solid ideas are proposed maybe we'll see some changes in those upcoming meetings.

-- From Alan Andrews -- In Scuttlebutt #265 Craig Fletcher the re-examination of twin genoas flown downwind in non-spinnaker racing to take some jabs at US Sailing and IMS in general. The twin jib situation however shows that the IMS Committee endeavors to meet the needs of all of its constituents, including non-spinnaker racers. When the issue was brought up in open forum at the AGM, a review showed that only a single genoa, whether or not poled out, was used in the VPP's aerodynamics. The choice was then to either generate new aerodynamics for dual poled out headsails or limit the types of sails flown to those for which handicapping data were available.

With no available budget and limited available hours from the volunteer committee it was a simple decision to recommend adjusting the rule to match the VPP model. Then the committee could move on to other more important issues such as hull resistance, keel draft and righting moment which affect all IMS constituents from non-spinnaker to grand prix.

IMS is by no means perfect. The US IMS Committee and ORC's ITC are aware of problem areas and are working on improvements in several areas. Many local fleets, including Southern California, are declining to non-existent, but nationally the trend is changing. There were about the same number of IMS certificates issued in 1998 as in 1997. Similarly, the racing at major events is also quite good as evidenced by last week's Key West Race Week where the IMS divisions often had closer corrected time finishes than the one design classes.

-- From Glenn McCarthy -- US SAILING is a multidepartmental, multidivisional, $3,000,000 a year operating budget, with 40,000 members. The communications out of this "Volunteer" organization just isn't cutting it, not only do Butthead's agree with this assessment, but the Board of US SAILING agrees too. There are about 35 committees with titles from Offshore to Inshore to Judges to Race Committee to Sports Medicine to Olympic to High School Sailing and more. I attend the semi-annual meetings and there is no-way one individual could keep on top of all of the activities happening in this far reaching organization. Keeping up on the information gathering and distribution is a full time job, besides the volunteers from each committee who would aid in providing reports to be uploaded. The Board of Directors comprises 46 members. How many of those current volunteer webheads have to answer to 46 bosses, who all have different goals, responsibilities and agenda's? Do these smaller organizations you refer to with volunteer help have such a large diverse melting pot they are trying to describe?

-- From Bruce Kirby -- Having promised the curmudgeon that I would not send him any commercial messages I neverthless find it difficult to ignore the suggestion that one design sailing is declining everywhere. Due to diligence on the part of marketer Skip Shumway in Rochester, and with tremendous help from members of several East Coast clubs, the IDEAL 18 now has fleets at the following clubs on Long Island Sound - Pequot (7) Norwalk (6) Noroton (3) Riverside (8) American (7) Indian Harbor (8) Larchmont (10) Bell Haven (4) Stamford (6) Beach Point (4) Sea Cliff (4) and the Community Sailing club in Fairfield, CT. (2.) This is 69 boats along about 30 miles of coastline. There is great interclub racing and team events involving some of the big names found in these waters, and it has all happened in the past five years, and does not include the spread of this class to areas away from Long Island Sound.

NATIONAL SAIL TRAINING SYMPOSIUM - Special report by Betsy Altman One of the most energetic groups of people met in San Diego to last week participate in the first National Sail Training Symposium sponsored by US SAILING, a combination of previous events into one for junior sailing and community sailing professionals and volunteers. The atmosphere was electric and the attendance was extraordinary with more than 250 people registered. These committed people exuded their interest and excitement in the contributions they are making to our sport.

Sail training is designed to reduce barriers to sailing, certify instructors and impart high standards for teaching sailing. Access and education in sailing are beleived to be significant cornerstones for the future of US SAILING, achieved through the efforts of these dedicated people and others.

The week included a Level 3 Coaching Seminar, so college coaches were in abundance, too. 16 people were certified in a new safety and rescue course. This course looks magnificent for sailing programs with dinghies. It is something we have struggled with at Chicago Yacht Club and will meet an immediate need of ours.

About half of the people were attending this seminar for the first time. A handful was enjoying their return to the seminar (as the junior training symposium) for a decade, more or less. The attendees represented parks and recreation programs, camps, adult only programs, many junior sailing programs, some commercial sailing programs, some at-risk or disability focused programs all taught in dinghies and keelboats. Full and part-time paid and volunteer staff attended. Many people stopped on their way back from Australia/Melbourne so we learned first hand of the various world championships just completed. Several US SAILING executive committee members and Board members attended, as well.

Joni Palmer organized this seminar with direction from Glen Brandenburg (Community Sailing Council Chair, Steve Colgate (Training Committee Chair) and US SAILING's Training staff. She established a format with general interest and challenging topics followed by break-out groups on special interest topics. We heard from representative of the US Olympic Center in Colorado Springs and Chula Vista (south of San Diego, new in 1995, run with 35 paid staff and 150 volunteers!) The topics ranged from endurance in sailing (short term during the activity and the success of sustaining a winning performance over many years), using and developing volunteers, disabled training for the Olympics, statistics on the growth of participation in the sport and marketing programs (offer a blue light special when you are slow, like Target or Denny's do). Break-outs included business subjects like insurance, liability, tax-exempt foundations, funding, as well as teaching tips, games to play with kids and how to work with parents. Some sessions were conducted by professional consultants and others were done by dedicated hands-on sail trainers who were eager to share their experiences.

For three days, these 250 people moved from one session to the next, networking and learning as much as possible to take back to their programs. It was stunningly marvelous. We toured San Diego Yacht Club and its facilities and Mission Bay Aquatic Center, where we lunched and sailed a variety of junior boats and community sailing boats in bright sunshine, which was totally thearpeutic for those of use from snowy climates.

Many community service awards were given on the last evening including one very special to me, the new Virginia Long Award for training contributions, which was awarded to Ruth Creighton for her contributions to Regional Training Coordinators (and many other aspects of training) and succeeded in being a TOTAL surprise to her. Gary Jobson contributed his time to share a look into sailing in the next millenium with the group which was wonderful and exciting, as his talks often are.

I attended to participate in general and to promote interest in Sailing Smart. I was deluged with requests to participate in our program in 1999. Many people want a designated and progressive curriculum to use and enjoy the added benefits of Sailing Smart that it will be a national program developed by US SAILING (Ginny Long, John Kantor, Joni Palmer) and will achieve certification in the 30 states requiring boating licensing.

If you get a chance to witness this symposium next year in Florida, don't miss it. This is the future of our sport. These enthusiastic people will show you where it is going, how it will get there and embroil in helping in all ways. It's wonderful. - Betsy Altman

CORRECTION
John Wright's fax number at US Sailing is 401/683-0840. The phone number is 401/683-0800

NEW WEBSITE
The University of Southern California has a new college sailing website designed and built by a college sailing alumni (USC '98, now Graduate Student at Cornell): http://www.uscsailing.org

AROUND ALONE
After a miserable, painful drift down the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, Minoru Saito and Neal Petersen sailed into Auckland to complete Leg 2 of Around Alone. With their arrivals, just three sailors--Neil Hunter, Fedor Konioukhov, and Robin Davie--still remain on the race course. - Herb McCormick

Around Alone website: http://www.aroundalone.com/

THE CURMUDGEON'S OXYMORONS
Soft rock