What would it take for you to join US SAILING?

I barely heard of the golden anchor program. And I haven't found the imformation easy to get.

Eliminate individual memberships and go back to the old way of requiring clubs and organizations to pay a portion of each member's dues to US Sailing, so each member is, by association, a member of US Sailing.

I got the nice few books (rules) but other than that I see no reason to join. I have not heard anything about the organization that really helps me at all (selfish, yes, realistic, yes).

Sorry for butting in on a US topic.


That is the way it works here in scandinavia. If you then are unhappy with how things work, you have a voice and will be heard.
I dont expect much back from our national assoc. I want them there to represent our interests with the government and to help grow the sport.

Jim Capron explained that this is how many MNAs (especially the Scandanavians do their memberships.
The US business model is closer to the Australian one.

1) Support Multihulls in Olympics 2012 and beyond.
2) Publically apologize for high-jacking the voting process that led to this decision.
3) Place a multihull member option online for registration.
4) Welcome new members who are multihull sailors to the association.


I am not a member of the golden anchor program because it is done by mail and I could not find it or an explanation of the program anywhere on the site.

How about voting for a multi-hull discipline in the 2012 Olympics? How about a multi-hull event in the '08 Youth Champs? Oh wait ... those are things they could have done last year BUT DIDN'T!

Cat sailors have put up with years of BS from US Sailing that our participation is valued, that we should "work within the system", etc. Yet at every turn, cat sailors are shunted aside. US Sailing has taken my dues for years and returned little. I am not renewing in 2008.

What would it take for me to REjoin US Sailing? Big changes, my friend, big changes.

For me: Give me the PRO certificate I earned by attending the class but was denied because I didn't belong to a YC.

For me: Give me the PRO certificate I earned by attending the class but was denied because I didn't belong to a YC.

Are you sure about this? I thought you just had to be a member of US Sailing. I'm interested since I'm taking the class in a couple of weeks.

Are you kidding me? Please tell me you are.... they wouldn't give it to you because you didn't belong to a YC?
I am in a pissy mood anyway, but that puts the nail in it for me.

Are you sure about this? I thought you just had to be a member of US Sailing. I'm interested since I'm taking the class in a couple of weeks.

The application requires the signature / recommendation of a "flag officer" of your home club.

In my case, it was CRAM. You need to belong to an organization that is a member of US SAILING. Scuttlebutt YC or Sailing Anarchy YC would probably work, although getting the signature on the form might be problematic.

That doesn't make sense. Scuttlebutt is a "virtual" yacht club, isn't it? Getting a card from them would be like getting a mail-order license to be a minister. (We have a friend who did that. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />)

What is the problem with online credentials ??????????????

Signed,
The Right Reverend Stephen, BA, MA, MD, PHD

How would US SAILING get more competitive sailors to join?
For several years, the leadership at US SAILING (the Board of Directors and numerous committees) has discussed the necessity and fairness of getting sailors to be members of the organization. The most likely method of obtaining membership would be through a new US SAILING Prescription for the 2009-2012 Racing Rules of Sailing that would require US SAILING membership of racing sailboat owners and skippers. This possible requirement is currently being reviewed.

This is a question that has been put forth at the US SAILING Spring Meeting.

To me it sounds like much of the trouble you have in the US is becouse the catamarans sailors usually are not members of sailing clubs. If you have "flag officers" and the like, I can understand why as it sounds very much like "stiff upper lip" clubs. But staying unorganized sounds like a loosing proposition over time, with beaches closing and more and more laws becoming troublesome. Representation and organization have great value when you need it.

Heaven forbid I encourage creating another internet organizational entity, but whats stopping multihullers from doing the same thing that Sailing Anarchy or Scuttlefutts has done?

A nationwide, online "yacht" club?

What do the membership dues fund?

Hey, how much does it cost teams to race in the actual Alter Cup? (not the qualifiers)
I know the individuals racing have to pay for insurance which is pricey (although not having insurance would certainly be pricier). They have to pay for their own accomodations (unless a local is nice enough to house them). So what does USSailing actually provide other than their name- and the requirement that you must be a member to sail in it?

What do I get out of it?


p.s. that was slightly sarcastic.

How/why does it cost 500/boat? What does that 500$ pay for?

imho USSA should focus on those few activities that require national scope and ignore everything else to keep costs low.

What USSA should do:

1) Represent the USA at the international level. The primary purpose of this representation should be to policially constrain the power of IYRU.
2) Assure that a common set of rules are used across the country(this was why NAYRU was founded, originally each area had its own set of rules)
3) Provide trained appeals judges.
That's it. I think USSA should be able to accomplish this with a staff of 2 and a budget of <$1M.

What USSA should NOT do:
1) Run any regattas (including championships). Regattas are run by clubs and sanctioned by classes. By sponsoring regattas USSA is in direct conflict with its own constituents. The USSA ladder events are pale imitations of the real championships most competitors care about such as the <insert classs here> National Championships.
2) Teach sailing. Clubs and classes have great training programs. Once again USSA is competing with its own constituents, and doing a comparatively poor job of it.
3) Create a unified schedule. This is (and should be) a class and/or YRA issue.
4) Fund any sailors or sailing events out of membership dues. This includes ladder events, olympic events, olympic sailors, handicapped sailors, etc. If USSA wants to establish a seperately funded subsidiary that's fine, just don't use the dues or any facilities/equipment that is derived from dues. I find it offensive a mandatory tax I pay to race sailboats is used to pay other people to race sailboats.
5) Train judges and/or race committees (this should be the job of the YRA).
6) Fund the development of a handicaping system. The VPP/IMS/Americap debacle was disgraceful. USSA using hundreds of thousands of extorted dollars to purposely undercut establshed classes.

Now, there is a caveat that I'm not sure is well known (I just found it on the website by accident yesterday). Technically, all clubs that have a GA program are required to charge the "differential fee" to non-members.

There has to be something else included under this umbrella. It is completely unfathomable that is costs $1,900,000 to train and certify judges and ROs, "administer" handicaps and publish rules.

Mike