News 2007 NAs - Update

C

ClintonEdwards

New Member
The 2007 NAs and Jr NAs will be hosted by Fairhope Yacht Club in Fairhope, Al. A few items….

1. The dates will be announced next week. The GYA will be finalizing the sailing/racing schedule this weekend. There is one three day weekend that we can’t conflict with as it is a GYA Championship.
2. The time frame will be late June or early July.
3. As for weather conditions…the average summer temperature is 92, but the course is right in front the club. We won’t go out until the sea breeze (10-18) arrives which is early afternoon.
4. As for club condition, the main club is gone due to Hurricane Katrina. The main paved parking lot will be available, plus a 2-3 hundred feet of beach. The club is the converted sail locker. They have built a new building for showers and toilets.
5. Housing will be plentiful as very few homes were destroyed on the Eastern Shore.
6. FYC experience: 2000 NAs, multiple Sunfish Regionals, plus championship caliber regattas for other one-design classes.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me

Clinton Edwards
USSCA President
 
Wavedancer said:
See http://www.sunfishforum.com/showthread.php?t=2052
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Thanks. I have already seen that thread…it doesn’t really answer my question though.

We, as a class, have a Regatta Organizer and one of the many things they do is maintain a rotational system for the NA’s. This system originally had the NA’s going to the Mid-Atlantic this year and now it appears that because the first choice venue is no longer available they will be in the Gulf Coast. This is not how the system should work; considerable effort should go into trying to find a suitable replacement venue in the ORIGINAL region….


So I’ll ask again and maybe someone can give me an answer…

WHY ARE THE NA’S GOING TO THE DEEP SOUTH…..AGAIN!!
 
The regatta chairperson did work hard to have the North American Championship lined up
for Brandt Beach NJ. Apparently the World Council couldn't find a suitable
place to have the Worlds, so they asked Brandt Beach Yacht Club if they would hold the
Worlds instead, and of course trying to help the class out of a jam, they agreed to hold
the Worlds. The US regatta chairperson nor any of the US Board of Directors knew that this
change had happened until at least mid November. There were plenty of emails sent to
the US board members and the World Class President. The World Class President
and the US Class President had already asked if Fairhipe, AL, or James Island Yacht
Club at Charelston, SC would hold the North Americans. Both of these clubs had told
the US Class President that they would be able to host the North Americans. The Board
then voted by email to go to Fairhope, AL since the Worlds were in the East this last year
and the Worlds were at Charleston, SC. Sorry about the delay as I was hoping someone
with more knowledge about the problem would answer. This reply is fromTom Katterheinrich,
I am a US Board of Director. I do try to read this forum everyday and if answers don't show
up after awhile I will try to get answer.
 
Sounds like a lot of back door handshakes to me. The USSCA President asked a couple of his friends from Yacht Clubs he knows if they wanted to host NA's. I fully understand the Regatta Chairperson worked her tail off; however, the upper management (president and cronys)did not follow bi-laws and proper protocall.
 
Tom L. Katterheinrich said:
The regatta chairperson did work hard to have the North American Championship lined up for Brandt Beach NJ.
Click to expand...
This is exactly why I’m concerned with the decision to go to the Deep South again. The rotational system is so important to this class that the board (you included) approved it and appointed Susan Mallows to specifically maintain it. Simply put, it just seems like there should have been a LOT more effort put forth by said Regatta Chair (Susan Mallows) to find a suitable replacement venue in the Mid Atlantic before assigning it to Fairhope.

Apparently the World Council couldn't find a suitable place to have the Worlds, so they asked Brandt Beach Yacht Club if they would hold the Worlds instead, and of course trying to help the class out of a jam, they agreed to hold the Worlds. The US regatta chairperson nor any of the US Board of Directors knew that this change had happened until at least mid November.
Click to expand...
Could you clarify…are you saying that newly elected ISCA President (Andres Santana) solicited our NA’s venue without communicating with the USSCA Board of Directors at all? Mr. Santana has been a big part of the International class for many, many years and I find it hard to believe he would do such a thing.

The World Class President and the US Class President had already asked if Fairhipe, AL, or James Island Yacht Club at Charelston, SC would hold the North Americans. Both of these clubs had told the US Class President that they would be able to host the North Americans.
Click to expand...
Wow, where to start with this one…OK, I’ll start with…why was the ISCA President involved with this process? Once the decision was made for the Worlds to go to Brandt Beach, then the USSCA clearly needed to find a replacement…but again why was the ISCA involved in that? Next, why were these two Presidents soliciting venues…isn’t that Susan Mallows’s job? Also, why would we even ask James Island? I mean that alone makes no sense…the friggin’ Worlds were just there! Why bother asking them? Something is just not right here! I bet plenty of other venues could and would have stepped up if asked! Probably still would.

The Board then voted by email to go to Fairhope, AL since the Worlds were in the East this last year and the Worlds were at Charleston, SC.
Click to expand...
Wait a minute, the Class President asked the Board to choose between James Island, SC and Fairhope AL? The Board was not given any choices that were in the Mid Atlantic (or at least up north?)? Didn’t anyone on the Board question why there were no Northern options? Wow, something is definitely not right here…

Sorry about the delay as I was hoping someone with more knowledge about the problem would answer. This reply is fromTom Katterheinrich, I am a US Board of Director.
Click to expand...
So I guess those rumors of “Poor” communication amongst the USSCA Board are probably true. How can a Board member not “know” more about this 2 months after the fact. Do you guys talk at all?

I do try to read this forum everyday and if answers don't show up after awhile I will try to get answer.
Click to expand...
Thank You! I truly appreciate your willingness to speak up and share; I just wish more of your fellow Board members would be so willing.

Clearly there is more to this story...
 
The Board ( which I am part of )made an error in judgement, but it was not our Regatta
Cordinator's fault. Please do continue to give feedback to the forum when you think
something will work better or when you see a problem, We do love the friends we meet
at Regattas and want to keep seeing you again.
I wanted to make it clear that the Regatta Chairman knew perhaps a half a day at the
most that the North Americans were not going to be at Brandt Beach before she contacted the Board of Directors. Susan and the Board were not at all pleased with how this
came about. The ISCA President had sent an email in November about the problem
of the US needing to find a new site and in the future we need better communication with us.
I do not believe we have old croonies and back door hand shakes. There are definetly
some strong wills on the Board, but everyone loves the Class. The Board Regional
Reps on the Board are voted on by only the class members that they Represent, So I don't
think we are any more in favor of going to one area more often than others. Susan Mallows
had asked me for the last 2 years to help research a good site for the Midwest to hold the
North Americans. Even though Lake Bluff Yacht Club ( North of Chicago) would host the North
Americans, I sort of talked them out of it, so in 2008 we could go to Erie Yacht Club (Erie, PA)
which would be a new place to sail, but it is in the Mid-Atlantic Region and should potentially
have a large draw of Sunfish.
 
Tom is right, there are many dedicated people involved in the class and, having been to several board meetings and finally being on the board myself, I have found that there are many discussions as to the impact of any decision being made. These folks are ALWAYS looking out for the best interest of the class and often have difficult choices to make. This is a great group of people volunteering their time to make YOUR class better.

I would encourage you to get more involved in the class (if you haven't already) and maybe even consider a board position so you can have input into these types of things!

I know that I am looking forward to another trip to the deep south and some warmer weather as it is now 10 degrees outside right now!! Brrr....

Rich Chapman
USSCA National Junior Coordinator

By the way, check out the updated website!
 
Sail59541 said:
These folks are ALWAYS looking out for the best interest of the class and often have difficult choices to make.
Click to expand...

Personally I don't believe this is ALWAYS true and clearly if you feel that way then you will not likely be part of the solution...that's too bad.

The President by-passed the existing system (Susan Mallows) to facilitate bringing a major event to his Home club...how is that in the Classes best interest?
 
Hi - I do apologize for not replying sooner to the thread. I really don't have anything to add in response to the initial question as Tom's description of the events is accurate and I thank him for clarifying the situation.

I try to work about 2 years ahead to schedule NA's, Tom began canvassing clubs in his area quite some time ago and fortunately was able to work things out for Erie in 2008. Tim has very kindly been tolerating my questions, I cannot thank him enough for his patience.

For 2007, regardless of how it happened, I hope the class turns out in strength to support Fairhope. It is really fortunate that they have been able to get on their feet after suffering the devastation left by Katrina. It is a testament to their dedication to the class that they are even able to be in a position to offer to host the NA's. They are putting alot of effort into organizing the regatta and are being receptive to some of the criticisms raised in the past by trying a different format this year.

We hope to schedule the Jr NA's in July so that all the Juniors can attend and are currently working to locate a venue for the event.

If you have any suggestions or questions and would like to contact me directly please feel free to call at 908-303-0889.

Susan
 
I'm stunned. Unless I'm missing something here what we have is a new US President who decided to hold the NAs in his home club in the deep a year after they were held in TX without following any of the processes we have in place as a class. Why not tell the class what's going on and see if anyone has any solutions other than moving the NAs to the president's back yard?

I think this is a serious problem and one that needs to be addressed immediately. His letter of explanation is frankly an embarrassment. Aside from the multiple typos, bad grammar, and faulty logic, it doesn't change the apparent fact that he acted unilaterally in an organization that prohibits him from doing just that. And I’m not sympathetic to the notion that this is a volunteer position. Others ran against him and were willing to volunteer. How would those in the South be taking this if Derek Jackson had won and moved the NAs to his back yard without looking for a local replacement in the Mid Atlantic?

Is there a process for recalling a president of the USSCA? I'd like to urge a boycott of these 2007 NA until the president either explains himself or resigns. This class is too important to most of us to let this kind of thuggery stand.

On the plus side, maybe this will prompt more to get involved.
 
I'm going to "boycott" but only because it's so far away. This is 2 "boycotts in a row for me. I hope I don't lose interest and take up golfiing:) I echo the concerns of several who posted above. The key question, I think, is why didn't someone post a note on this list telling folks that we had lost Brant Beach and needed a replacement? Even if nothing came of it, at least nobody would feel like this was a bag job.
 
Good points. Next time ask lots of questions about the candidates for USSCA President and send in your postal ballots. We get the officers we deserve. If the current leadership embarrases us we have only ourselves to blame.
 
I'll take this opportunity to offer some brazen self-promotion in that the 2008 NA's WILL, in fact, be in Erie, PA in July. Monday 14th thru Friday 18th ( using the traditional NA's format) Seniors are Wed-Fri. If you aren't planning, or can't go south this year, hopefully you can hold on to your interest until then. If not, there are a lot of golf courses here too. Oh yeah, and a new go-kart track should be built by then for post-race agression therapy.

PS....I will try to keep everyone informed as to what the exact schedule and planned events are and hopefully, I can do some polls on the forum to allow for input for things like activities (slip n slide, go karts, volleyball, beach, etc), food choices, shirt types, beer types, etc.
 
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