Hey Dave -

It's partially my fault if you think you don't have a say in what happens within US SAILING and particularly on the Multihull Council. This post is long-winded, but stick with me for a minute.

As a US SAILING member, you are automatically an associate member of the Council and are welcome and encouraged (begged, really) to attend any of the meetings. As a representative of the Performance Class Association, since you’re an I-20 owner, you can vote at those meetings. Your expenses for attending the meetings are tax deductible - you get the documentation you need for your tax return in your registration pack. Some examples of the sorts of things discussed and decided at the meetings can be seen at http://www.ussailing.org/multihull/reports.htm.

One of the biggest tasks the Council has is administering the ladder events that lead to the Championship and the Championship itself. Your participation in the Area Eliminations the last couple of years is what makes the Multihull Championship possible. I know that you aren't always able to travel to the qualifier, but we try to move the venue from year to year - this year it's in Melbourne in November (see http://www.ussailing.org/alter/alter05/elims0405.htm).

Tangible benefits at the regional level? People you know, and maybe you sometimes, compete in the ladder event to qualify for the Championship. People you know, and maybe you sometimes, go to the Championship. There are other US SAILING championships that you are eligible to compete for as well, assuming you could bring yourself to get on a dinghy or day sailor… Alex and Rick are Area D multihull sailors that have gone to the Championship of Champions.

When you qualified for the Alter Cup in Clearwater, US SAILING paid the charter fee on the boats used, saving you $500. Each year, the venue and boat to be selected for the Championship are discussed at length. Say, for example, you had an issue with CCSC or with Bimare, who was supplying the boats. As a member of the Council, you could have come to the meetings in Marina del Rey or Cincinnati and made your case. Can't make the meeting? Tell your Area Representative (that's me) what's eating you, and it's my job to take it to the table. I get e-mails and phone calls all the time, 90% of which are about Portsmouth numbers. Some of the calls aren't related to ratings - for example, the ARC 22 guys wanted to be able to compete in the Eliminations, but the rules stipulated "under 22-feet." The rule got changed. People in the Carolinas and Georgia complained that they couldn’t make the Eliminations. Area D got split.

That's all just related to multihulls specifically. Make a meeting and wander the halls a bit - as a member, you get to sit in for just about anything that's going on – choosing off the published agenda can be tough. Don't like one of the rules? Sit in with the rules committee. Safety equipment on offshore races bugging you? There's a group working on that, too. Seriously - one voice makes a difference within an organization of volunteers. I've been making the meetings since 2000 and I'm convinced that cat sailors could take over US SAILING if we just showed up. The meetings are scheduled pretty far in advance - http://www.ussailing.org/events/meet04fall/index.htm.

Education? You got it - it's a link right on the home page. Hit http://www.ussailing.org/training/ and take your pick - instructor training, judge and race officer classes and certification, now even power boat classes for people who use their power boats for race committee and coaching. You get free or discounted training, classes and merchandise – I know CCSC offers US SAILING courses. Need some shake-n-bake SIs or course diagrams? Got ‘em. Need a judge or a PRO? No sweat, where do you live? You get discounts on all regattas put on by clubs or organizations that are insured by US SAILING. In addition, you can insure your boat, your club, or your regatta for less.

There are lots of youth programs, too - I wish there were already a multihull-oriented youth program, but that might change now that there will be a multihull division at the ISAF worlds from now on... that happened as a result of volunteers who wanted to see a change. Harry and Tommy just finished up at the Youth Worlds in Poland - your annual dues helped send them there, and it's the first time for multihulls. When you see them in St. Augustine, let them tell you if it was an amazing experience, even if they did stink it up. Your dues send the Olympic team to Athens, too. And guess what – you get a say in how your dues get spent! I know it sounds incredible, but it’s true. All it takes is making the meetings or asking your Rep (again, me) to do it for you.

Let’s talk about it some more in St. Augustine – I don’t want anybody in my Area feeling like they pay their money and don’t get anything for it. Sure, a big box of goodies doesn’t magically show up on your doorstep, but your dues get you a lot if you’ll take advantage.