ODCC Chairman James Appel presented the 2005 US SAILING One-Design Awards at the Spring Meeting, March 18, 2006 in Chicago, IL  
Below are the presentation comment

US SAILING One-Design SERVICE Award
for the
John H. Gardiner, Jr. Trophy
presented to
Nelson Weiderman

The John H. Gardiner Jr. Trophy recognizes distinguished service and leadership in the promotion of one-design sailing and class organization. This year’s recipient has been the Class Secretary and Treasurer for the J105 Class Association for quite some time. That in itself should not qualify him for a one-design award; however his never ending enthusiasm and willingness to do any job left undone should. An example of the results of his efforts is the participation of the J105 Class at Key West Race Week. Over the last three years the number of boats as increased from the upper twenties to forty. This individual’s begins working in August and continues to keep those interested informed of who is going, what they need to prepare and how to get logistics organized up until the day before the event. If that was not enough he then changes hats and becomes the Class's daily reporter, keeping the website up to date with what happened, how it happened, and what resulted. These are just a few examples. He continues to promote the Class, maintain its website and really steer the class through out the year. I am please to announce that Nelson Weiderman is the 2005 recipient of the One Design Class Council One-Design Service Award.

US SAILING One-Design Club Award
presented to
Annapolis Yacht Club, Annapolis MD

The ODCC One-Design Club awards recognizes the club that shows administrative excellence, fleet growth, creative programming, regatta support, and member contribution at regional, national and international levels in one-design racing. This year’s club has demonstrated excellence in all areas represented by this award. While this club has always strongly supported one-design sailing, the club made a special commitment to improve service and support to the one-design sailors about 10 years ago. At that time, the club acquired an adjacent marina property and began to convert it into a one-design center. Today this annex of the club features three separate cranes, dry storage for over 75 one-design boats and trailers and has a full-time support staff to assist the boat owners. Classes ranging from club 420's to Etchells are fully supported and actively race out of the center. The club has been a leader in the Chesapeake Bay in promotion and growth of the J-22 and Etchells classes. Over the past 10 years, the local J-22 class has grown from just a few members to over 75 boats actively racing on weekends, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. Likewise the Etchells fleet has seen growth from a non-existent fleet to over 30 boats racing weekly, all based out of the one-design center. This fleet is now the largest Etchells fleet on the East Coast and continues to grow. This explosive growth of these fleets was fueled by the club selecting the J-22 and Etchells as the "Club boats" and encouraging members to participate in both casual as well as "grand prix" level competition. This club has initiated many creative ideas in regatta organization and support from on-line registration to pre-arranging borrowed boats. As demonstrated in the recently completed ROLEX Women's International Keelboat Championship, all competitors whether local or visiting were provided with full support. From the time they entered the parking lot and directed to their assigned spot, competitors were whisked through registration, measurement, weigh-in and sail check stations by helpful, smiling and knowledgeable volunteers. On-the-water wireless scoring uploaded to the internet by the race committee allowed friends and families at home to follow their favorite competitors in near real time while completely doing away with the wait for results at the end of the day. The clubs members fully support each of the many regattas run during the year with over 200 volunteers covering every aspect from publicity and awards party planning to the actual on-the-water details of race administration. I am please to announce the 2005 ODCC One-Design Club award goes to The Annapolis Yacht Club, and I’m equally please to present this awards to Mr. Jim Capron.

US SAILING One-Design Leadership Award
presented to
Linda Leader, Granger IN

 One-Design Leadership Award is awarded in recognition of individual initiative, enthusiasm, organizing ability and leadership in creating an outstanding fleet building program. This year’s recipient is receiving this award for all of her hard work and dedication towards their local Sunfish fleet. Their fleet has expand rapidly into an extremely fun and competitive fleet. She is extremely accommodating to all new sailors and always introduces them to the other members of the fleet and makes them feel like part of their family. She personally helps them get all the proper equipment and teaches them how to rig their boats. She also holds clinics for the entire fleet where she has top sailors give tips on all aspects of racing from proper boat trim to advanced strategies of racing. Most of the fleet shows up to these clinics because they all realize the benefits they bring. She is also a strong advocate in promoting the juniors in the fleet. She lends all of her Sunfish to the sailing school, then volunteers her time during the sailing school to help rig and launch the boats. She sends out weekly emails congratulating all of the past weekends top racers, and welcomes all of the new racers. She sends out news on the recent week’s events, and notices about regional regattas and local clinics. As the fleet expanded, she identified the need for some adjustments. She wrote and sent a survey to all the fleet members so they could vote on how to divide and build the fleet. Again, her ideas worked and the fleet grew. I could go on and on. Unfortunately a family emergency prevented her from attending, but I am still very please to award the 2005 ODCC One-Design Leadership award to, appropriately named, Linda Leader.

US SAILING One-Design Creativity Award
presented to
Denise MacGillivray

 The One Design Class council’s creativity award recognizes outstanding individual creativity and contribution to the year's most innovative one-design event of national or international significance. This year’s recipient chaired the committee that ran one of the US SAILING’s Keelboat Championships. At this regatta this individual was assigned to recruit Int'l Jury, oversee the NOR and all aspects of coordinating with US SAILING. The regatta was considered by many competing as "the best they've ever attended." Sailed in J/22s, this even is the premier women's keelboat regatta in the world and Sally Barkow, and her crew of Debbie Capozzi, Carrie Howe and Annie Lush became repeat champions. Not since the early days of this event when Betsy Alison began her streak of five wins has this regatta seen a performance from one sailor and her team. Inaugurated in 1985 by US SAILING’s the International Women’s Keelboat Championship Committee led the charge to establish events to provide women keelboat sailors with high-quality racing. The regatta is credited with advancing the overall level of women’s competitive sailing and encouraging more participation in the sport. It also was the catalyst for the first-ever women’s only event in the 1988 Olympic Games. Approximately 500 teams from 30 countries have competed in this event and has been supported by the dozens of sailing organizations. As past chair of the International Woman’s Keelboat Committee, I’m please to announce Denise MacGillivray is the recipient of the 2005 One-Design Class Council Creativity Award.

Janet Baxter and

Annapolis Yacht Club and Janet Baxter