Anyone know when they will start taking registrations?

Next month - the country allocations are being finalized by the International Class. Once that's done, each country has 30-45 days to fill their slots. Say Uzbekistan is allocated 20 slots - they'll have until mid May or so to register. If they've only filled 18 slots by the deadline, two slots go back to the International Class to reallocate to another country. So around the end of May, countries that filled their allocations and requested additional slots will be notified there is room.

We still expect the US Class to be allocated about 30 slots initially. If you're one of them, you'll hear from Dave Ingram with registration information. Following that, there will be about a month gap until we get unused slots back from other countries and can register more US teams.

Crap gramps is on charge of dishing out the spots? I'm screwed, unpacking my bag now.

Preliminary NOR

There's an updated NOR about to be published, but it really only clarifies things for international teams.

Important note - just like at the F18 North Americans - you cannot be protested for a CE vest, but you are still breaking the law and can get a ticket from the Harbor Patrol.

I would love some help with website management - anyone have a suggestion for a volunteer?

John, What all is involved in the website management? I would be happy to help, but do not have much background in web programming languages. Might also be good to get a facebook page, and possibly a twitter account going.... I just registered @F18EasternArea yesteday

The International Class has the domain for the 2012 Worlds, Mike Easton and his team did a great job last year with the North Americans Joomla site. I just need someone who can be fed info who has time to get it onto the Joomla site, which the Worlds URL will point to. I keep fooling myself into thinking I can cover it, but the sponsorship, race management and tracking stuff has got me underwater.

At a 61st place last year what are the odds of getting a spot?

John I have some free time and could help out some if needed.

Likely

I'm interested in crewing at the F18 Worlds.
If any of you guys are looking for crew just let me know

Tell Peter to bring his boat!

We did discuss it but shipping would shorten our season by about 2-3 months
Not too many people are going so not sure there even is a container at this stage actually.

AHPC will have some new 2013 boats available for charter. Contact Jill and Robbie at Red Gear Racing for details.

Unfortunately chartering costs more than I care to spend on a week's sailing

The June 11 deadline for countries to fill their allocations has past. Registration for the 2012 F18 Worlds is now open to all comers:

http://www.abyc.org/event.cfm?id=378

Hurry up cause the ARG fleet is filling the slots fast...
http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubm...?regatta_id=5255&custom_report_id=66

So if we signed up without a spot we are in?

Yes. :-)

What's the anticipated turn out?

What number do I need to say to get you there?

Enough

100 +

What does the "pending" mean?

Sorry, I'd be more interested if it were somewhere like Mogadishu, or Tikrit. This boy does not belong anywhere near southern California again.

I'm more than likely, and hopefully up to my butt in work at that point too. Hopefully enough I can dick around the rest of the winter.

Pending crew registration.

Is there going to be a website to keep track of the event for those that are not there? (results, pics, etc).

There will be links off of the Club site - www.ABYC.org

I'm not sure where the live tracking is being hosted - that's being worked out now - but you'll be able to get to it, all the social networking stuff, and a variety of live commentary directly from the Club's site. In addition, Sail Revolution will be on-site with Zhik to provide video coverage.

Do you have to be a member of US Sailing or just the USF18 class?

Just F18. Except for you. I want to see your US SAILING card and some random fleet, too. Nacra 5.7 or Hobie Holder, as a suggestion.

I have plenty of cards just not the right year on them.

From the worlds NOR:

3.3. All competitors shall meet the requirements of ISAF Regulation 19, which requires that all competitors (helm and crew) shall be members of their Member National Authority or one of its affiliated organizations. The Yacht Club or organization name and membership details shall be stated on the entry form.

Race Management 202...

If I counted correctly, that means we'll be adding over 100 catsailor members to US Sailing. Very cool!

(Of course, we'll need to see how the OA and/or IJ interprets "affiliated organization".)

Here's the multihull membership link: https://www1.ussailing.org/membership/MPP/Default.aspx?ycid=100729I

This gets you a discount, and ensures you are counted as a multihull sailor.

Hope this helps.

Mike

The US F18 Class is an affiliated organization.

That works for the letter of the law, now what can we do about the spirit?

What can US Sailing do for this event to entice all skippers and crews to supplement their class memberships with US Sailing memberships?

Mike

1 - Get US Sailing to stop taking $50 a head from the US Multihull Championship Regatta forever! A reduction in fees won't due!

2 - Increase the Rolex sponsorship money from $3000 (which is almost all given back to US Sailing through their imposed fees) to $15000 so the US Multihull Championship can be a proper championship.

3 - Change the US Sailing Staff culture from a "How can we extract revenue from our membership" to a "How can we help financially and otherwise?"

I'm sure there is more, that's just off the top of my head.

OK, items 1 and 2 are for a different event.

Item 3 may be doable, which is why I'm asking for concrete ideas for this event.

Mike

Well, the event has been in planning in over year and we are now two weeks out so I don't know what impact US Sailing could have at this point.

But, if Mr. Jobson was willing to be a guest speaker and do it on his own dime it would be viewed positively by those attendance. Personally I'm not a fan but I'm sure there are others that would appreciate what he has to say. Being a sudo techy I'd rather hear what Stan Honey has to say but that's just me.

If that can't be done, get US Sailing can buy the pizza for the USF18 fleet meeting. Yep, I'm a cheap date.

In fairness, it's not exactly like you reached out in the past year, did you?

Jack is always asking how he can help our group.

Is the web stuff all sorted?

What would you like Gary to discuss?

Pizza is interesting.

Anyone have other ideas?

Mike

When you know the hole is dry do you keep drilling?



Someone that is a fan will have to answer that, Stan Honey is my choice.



Not the Pizza Hut or Domino's crap, the real stuff made by a bonafied Italian imported from New York! And it needs to be paid for by US Sailing not some volunteer beating the US Sailing drum, it simply won't have the same impact otherwise.



Yeah, get Liz Walker to serve the slices.

Okay, I need to stop now I'm starting to crack myself up.

Trust me, I have no personal budget for your pizza...

I'm sure Liz would be happy to serve in Pensacola, but again, that is a different event, and a better question for Bert.

Mike

1. Support multihulls in the olympics.
2. Value, get something in return for you membership.
3. Stop giving out your personal information ( I get cc offers for other F18
members with my address on it)
4.Stop sending all the junk stickers, calendars, posters it just waste money.
5. Give something back to the sailors without having to pay for it.
6. Help protect places to launch boats (not yacht clubs)

I find no benefit from US sailing as a member except the rules. I have started Mountain biking and what a difference in organizations. With the biking membership (IMBA cost 30.00) your local club gets some of the fees and you get Insurance, 10-15% discounts on bikes and parts, trail build crew ( people come and show you how to build trails free), youth support days, newsletter, support for trails across america, support for getting grants( we just received a 20,000 grant for our local trail) the list goes on. I just can't see anything I have received from US Sailing that benefits me and if a regatta forces you to get a US Sailing membership I don't think I would go unless you could get a weekend 5.00 membership.

Thanks for the general feedback. There is a long list of benefits on the website, and they include discounts on many products.

Further, if cat regatta organizers are keeping up their side of the MPP/GA agreement, members would get a discount on entry fees.

As for Olympics, it is early in the cycle, but we are being asked to be ready to provide input as to how the development program should look for cats...

Let's keep this thread focused on this event. What can US Sailing provide for the event that people would see as a good benefit?

So far, we have a visit from Gary and pizza...

Mike

I guess that is my point the F18 class is not really getting anything from US Sailing that I know of. Maybe some insurance and a listing on the website and a discount on membership, but not really worth the investment.

Here is the list of benefits: http://membership.ussailing.org/Page429.aspx

This is the list of additional benefits offered through the MPP/GA: http://membership.ussailing.org/Partner_Program.htms

If you have reviewed those lists, and there are other specific benefits that you want, you need to let us know what they are. Asking for "something" in return for your "investment" is too vague for action. There are already lots of benefits.

BTW, insurance and inclusion on the website are not worthy of investment by the class? Surely you're kidding.

Mike

Mike

I hate to say it but there are no membership benefits that interest me. I have to buy something to get a discount. It is just easier to spend my 50.00 that I save from not being a member on something I need. The boat insurance was more than I was paying, you can get a west marine coupon in there flyer, I don't read magazines, Hiltons don't ever seem to be around where I need to stay, PN numbers are online, The championship is too costly for the amount of sailing you get, I get group health through work. So if you were me would the membership be worth the $50. US Sailing needs to come up with something to really benefit sailors not just token discounts.

Off topic but...

Cut the membership cost in half and you will more than double your membership; not because it's all about costs and benefits but because it will say something about the organization and its ability to change for the better. The key is to create an organization that people will be proud to be a part of. You don’t do that with coupons. If you have to present someone with an argument explaining why they should join you’ve already lost them. You need to connect on an emotional level.

David, it's ironic that you listed discounts and insurance as worthy benefits of another organization that you're happy to join... Yes the PN numbers are online, as a service to members. Would you prefer that to only be accessible to members?

Good points Bob, I certainly have zero input on the balance sheet at US Sailing, other than occasionally asking for more stuff...

Which brings us full circle. I entered this thread with an offer to go to bat for some additional goodies for the sailors and event. Rather than getting (A) thanked or (B) real requests, I just hear all the reasons people don't want to join. When confronted with facts to the contrary, I get more non-actionable input.

BTW, for those that didn't believe the survey results, David just said it again. There are lots of people that avoided the old Alter Cup because of the format. Sadly, David hasn't kept up and noticed that this year's event is BYOB, and sailors will race in all races.

Mike

Mike,

I thank you for your work and efforts and I am just having a discussion on how to make US Sailing a better value or making sailors wanting to join. The biking sport is different than sailing just trying to find things that have worked for them. The membership for my local bike club 30.00 includes me in the national association IMBA for the one fee and includes some insurance for the club with no additional fee. The discounts I get are 10-15% at the local bike shops on all merchandise which more than makes up for the 30.00 membership. That is a big difference than US Sailing for 50.00 I get access to buy insurance and some coupons to buy something I may not need. Why doesn't US sailing work something out with the groups like F18,F16, Acat that you just join that group and then some of the money goes to US Sailing so you are a member of both.
I did notice the change in the Alter cup venue and yes you get to sail more but the cost is more. I think I said value for the time sailing. The entry is still 350.00 and you bring you own boat. I don't have a F16 so boat charter 1,000, entry fee 350 and I kept travel out but If driving to pull boat would more than likely cost more than flying. That format just does not work for me unless I live close to the venue and have the type of boat being sailed. I don't have an answer but maybe just get 10 sailors ten boats and switch boats some but not after every race as to get more racing in.

Thanks David. I hear what you're saying. The marketing department handles negotiations for discounts.

We have discussed coming up with a combined membership option, two issues exist. One: coming up with a fee that all groups would be happy with; Two: sorting out logistics. Regatta Network would most easily solve the latter.

Mike

Hello everyone!
The 2012 GLOBALTECH F18 Worlds FB Page just went live. Be sure to like it, dig?

F18 Worlds

Cheers!
Jeremy

My crew and I need a ride from LAX to ABYC on Sat (8th) @ 12:00pm
Anyone else arriving and have room in their car?

If you can't find a ride Mike (or anyone else arriving at LAX, SNA or LGB), try www.primetimeshuttle.com - economical and door-to-door service.