Interview with US SAILING President Jim Capron

US SAILING wrapped up its Spring Meeting in Newport, R.I., on Sunday, March 17 and the more than 120 committee members in attendance have returned home with new ideas and fresh energy. As President of the national governing body, Jim Capron (a lifelong sailor from Annapolis, MD) presided over the three-day meeting. One of the more prominent issues discussed over the weekend was a possible new requirement for racing sailors to be US SAILING members. To bring more light to the ongoing discussion, we asked Jim Capron to answer a few questions on the issue.

Why do you feel it's important for US SAILING to get more sailors to join the organization?
Active competitive sailors expect a level playing field through standardized rules, offshore rating certification, trained and certified race officers, judges, and sailing instructors, and much more. All these services are provided by the national governing body, US SAILING. There is also a consensus among the Board of Directors that, in fairness to everyone, those who participate in the competitive aspect of our sport and benefit from these services, should be members of US SAILING.

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.

Why is US SAILING doing this now?
Frankly, we are one of the few national authorities for sailing in the world for which membership of all competitive sailors is not required. We are also one of the few U.S. sports' national governing bodies for which membership is not required, either directly or through clubs or regional associations. The majority of national governing bodies of U.S. sports require membership, such as figure skating, skiing, and tennis.

So, what is the next step?
A lot of details still have to be refined. The Board will make a decision in June on US SAILING Prescriptions for the new rule book. We are also looking at new membership structures to make it easy for members to follow any new requirements.

Jim Capron recently wrote a letter to Scuttlebutt providing additional background information.
>> Read Jim Capron's letter to Scuttlebutt