SEASON'S GREETINGS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2006 HIGHLIGHTS
December 20, 2006

Dear US SAILING Members & Sailors,

Thanks to the good work done by our volunteers, members and staff throughout the year, US SAILING had a very fine and successful 2006. We’d like to share with you just a few highlights of these accomplishments:

• 2,300 members participated in 17 U.S. National Championships.
• Over 4,500 young sailors took part in 25 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festivals held across the country.
• US Sailing Team members captured 29 medals at ISAF Grade 1 Olympic Class Events and Paige Railey was named ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year – the first U.S. woman, as well as the youngest, to have been awarded this honor.
• 1,400 Certified Sailing Instructors were trained and in turn taught 60,000 students.
• 6,500 sailors graduated from our keelboat training program.
• 56 Race Administration seminars and workshops were held across the country. As a result, we currently have 564 Certified Club Race Officers, 290 Judges and 45 Umpires all helping to maintain a level-playing field and ensuring that our sailors can enjoy good, high-quality racing at events nationwide.
• 1,700 Offshore Rating Certificates were processed.
• Sponsorship has generated record support for our programs.
• Fiscal year 2006 has generated a surplus.
• $44,000 has been donated to date for our Annual Appeal, the “Gone Sailing” campaign for disabled sailors. We are thankful to all donors for their generosity.
• The Medalist fundraising program generated $740,000 this year for the US Sailing Team, bringing the total raised since the start of the program in 2005 to $1,660,000.
• A new brand will be launched in 2007.
• Members approved a new Board of Directors structure with a smaller, elected Board of 14 directors.
• Sincere thanks to our past president, Janet Baxter, and a warm welcome to our new president, Jim Capron.

As we celebrate this successful 2006 year, we look forward to continuing this trend in 2007. We thank all of our dedicated volunteers and members for their ongoing support and commitment. And to all our passionate sailors out there, we wish you the happiest of holidays with fair winds and a following tide in 2007!



Executive Director Charlie Leighton and the crew at US SAILING