Well it seems we just finished another great season of racing fun and we are already to start another one. That’s because we are. The Florida sailing season is different from the rest of the country because of our warm winters and sweltering summers. We do 3 or 4 regattas in the first 4 months of the year and then take a break during the hottest months. In the fall we start back up again to complete the year. It might make sense to have a racing season that begins in September and ends in April. But that would mean we would be on different schedule from everyone else in the country. So we will have to stick with it. However we will do a better job this year of planning our events for the 2007 season earlier. I plan to get all the clubs onboard with their preferred regatta dates long before the final regatta of the season.

The Palm Beach Gardens regatta will mark the beginning the Two-Fleet system. The complete description of the system is posted on the site, just follow the link above. This new system was voted in by an overwhelming majority. It is clear that folks want to compete with others in their same skill level and to have a chance for trophies as well. I am very excited about the potential of this new system to make the regattas more enjoyable for everyone and hopefully bring more skippers out to the pond.

The Association treasury has approximately $1,450 and some change. The special savings account I set up does pay a little interest, but I have not checked to see how much has gone in lately. I do expect another $200 or so in dues still to come in. The purchase of name tags for new members has been put on hold for the time being. The vendor I was using has upped the price to a ridiculous amount and I am looking for another vendor to provide the same tags at the price we are used to. This year I hope to get a shirt order in with embroidered logo. These will cost much more than the name tags, so we will not be providing them with your membership. I hope to have a couple of shirt colors to choose from and we will take orders for them. Many of you have asked for this and I hope to get a good deal, somewhere in the $15 to $20 range.

There is a fairly new, and very much welcomed, trend of skippers from the local clubs opening up their homes to traveling skippers coming to their events. My wife and I have always had guests in our home during the Jacksonville regatta, but more of you are doing it around the State now and many of you have been doing it for years as well. I know we cannot put everyone up in our homes at all the events, but it is a great way to spread a little hospitality if you have a spare room or a comfortable sofa. It also helps make a regatta a little more affordable once in a while. I encourage all of you to invite a skipper to stay with you at your club’s event if you can. At the very least, your guest might give you room at the windward mark.

As always, I want all of you to remember that this is your Association. Your opinions do matter and you are always welcome to email, call, or tap me on the shoulder at the lake to share your thoughts and ideas to improve this great organization.

See you all at the lake.

Joe Walter
Chairman

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This is a subject I have spoken and written about many times, yet it seems every year we have a few folks that just seem to get riled up on the race course. This, in turn, riles up more people or worse, drives them away from the Association. It is so very important that we sail within the rules and that we act like gentlemen on the water.

Yelling and screaming should not be the norm and it will not be tolerated anymore. Just because you were involved in a foul at one end of the course does not mean you have the right to be angry with every other skipper on the lake. When we sail within the rules, everyone wins. But when we forget, or worse, ignore the rules, we all lose. When tempers flare, everyone on the lake is effected by it.

The yelling also serves no purpose. It rarely changes the outcome of the situation and, in most cases, spurs more yelling and anger. When you are involved in a foul, all that is required is polite conversation on the matter followed by one party protesting and the other acknowledging the penalty or requesting it go to committee.

Even the best sailors will once in a while put their boat in a situation that results in being protested. Acknowledging the mistake and doing their penalty turn is usually the outcome and often that skipper will call out that they completed their turn.

This Association is about having fun with our friends. Winning races in friendly competition is just the added appeal. Charging through a fleet and aggressively yelling at all in your way is not part of what we do and it will not be accepted from anyone. If you have an issue with another skipper, you should bring that to my attention or to the attention of one of the advisory board members or the commodore of your club.

Skippers who create an atmosphere of uneasiness or anger will be taken aside and talked to by me or a member of the advisory board. They will be asked to control their actions and understand what it is they are doing. If their actions continue to be a drain on the morale of the rest of the skippers, then there can, unfortunately, be only one option left and that is to ask them to leave the Association.

Please remember that we are not competing for money or great rewards. This is a hobby to be shared with friends. Competition is good and a winning attitude is encouraged, but not when it is thrust in your face. Sail like gentlemen and we all win.

The Advisory Board Members

John Bottensek, Doug Bowe, Bill Gale, and Earl Mills are your current Advisory Board members. They communicate with the Chairman often and help with the decisions.

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This page will be updated on a fairly regular basis, be sure to check back to it often so that you can stay up to date and well informed on everything that is happening in your Florida EC-12 Association.