US SAILING BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MINUTES, SUNDAY MARCH 16, 2003

CINCINNATI, OHIO

1          President Dave Rosekrans called the meeting to order at 9 a.m.

2          Board members present: Janet Baxter, Stan Betts, Norton Booker, Larry Bulman, Jim Capron, Ruth Creighton, Means Davis, Dan Doyle, Don Durant, Bruce Eissner, Susan Epstein, Arthur Fox, Louise Gleason, Fred Hagedorn, Dick Hanneman, Tom Hubbell, Stephen Jeffries, Patty Lawrence, Gene McCarthy, Joseph Melino, Ken Morrison, Jim Muldoon, Joni Palmer, Dave Rosekrans, Bill Ross, Jack Rudy, Ding Schoonmaker, Joan Thayer and Dick Tillman.  Not Present:  James Appel, Betsy Beddow, Melinda Berge, Stan Betts, Jerelyn Biehl, Terry Bischoff,  Dean Brenner, Mitch Brindley, Craig Brown, Paul Callahan, Greg Fisher, Mike Gebhardt, Joey Harris, Mark Herrmann, Hart Kelley, Bill Munster, Martha Parker, Mark Reynolds, Betty Sue Sherman, Art Stevens, Bill Stump and Adam Werblow.

3          Minutes to the Board of Directors Meeting of March 15, 2003, were approved as corrected.

4          Jim Muldoon announced that the Nominating Committee would place Janet Baxter in nomination as President.  She becomes the first woman nominated for president in the history of the association and it’s predecessor.  He also reported that the silent auction to raise endowment money for the Timmy Larr Award had raised about $2000.

5          Nominating committee Chair, Jim Muldoon proposed the following revision in the US SAILING By-laws:

Article Eleven-Committees.  7. Nominating Committee.  7(b) Duties---Delete the second sentence “The committee’s slate of nominees shall be published in the Association’s membership magazine in an issue mailed no later than thirty days before the annual meeting.”

Add to the Regulations:   “The Nominating Committee’s slate of nominees shall be made available on the US SAILING website no later than thirty days before the Annual Meeting.”

The resolutions were approved by the Board as presented, and will be voted at the Annual General Meeting in October, 2003.

REPORTS:

6          Hortensia Hacker announced that the budget committee would communicate through the website as much as possible.  A written report was distributed.

7          Patty Lawrence, One Design Class Council chair, stated that the Council had lengthy discussions on kinetics, and that the renewal rate for one-design classes was currently at 84% and those classes not renewing will be contacted.

8          Louise Gleason introduced a resolution from the Sailor Athlete Advisory Council to:

· Amend the USSAILING Bylaws to change the change the name “Sailor Athlete Advisory Council” to the “Sailor Athlete Council.”  New bylaws for the proposed Sailor Athlete Council were distributed, and are attached.   A motion to accept the revised Bylaw was made, seconded and carried.   A copy of the new Bylaws is attached.

She reported that some people have difficulty registering status on the web site, but the Association is in compliance with the 20% athlete rule, and the Council expects 500 registered athletes by year-end.

9        Jim Muldoon, Government Relations, reported the Coast Guard budget for boating

Safety was increased 30% this year.  The committee is requesting a Coast Guard grant to develop modules for a boating safety program, and the Committee is reinstituting a sub committee to work with state legislatures.

10        Larry Bulman, Legal Committee chair, restated the US SAILING position that no one should sign an indemnification or hold harmless clause when entering a regatta.  The committee has made recommendations on this matter and on qualifications under the Ted Stevens Sport Act, which are to be reviewed by the Executive Committee.

11        Bruce Eissner, Offshore Committee chair, moved four actions:

·Regulation 4.20.1(d): Extend the grand fathering of ORC Life rafts and Category 0 & 1 races to at least January 1, 2006.

·Extend all Category 4 US SAILING Prescriptions to the new ISAF Special Regulations Category 5.

·Regulation 5.02.5:  US SAILING prescribes that harnesses and PFD’s shall be worn on category 0 and 1 races from sunset to sunrise while on deck.

·Regulation 4.26.6 Mast Furling and Storm Trysails.  D) In the case of yachts with in-mast furling mainsails, the storm trysail must be capable of being set while the mainsail is furled.

Motion was seconded and carried.

12        Jim Capron, for the Race Administration Committee, moved that the current Regulation 6.08 be deleted and replaced with

·“Reg. 6.08: All published decisions of the Appeals Committee shall be made available on the US SAILING website.”  Seconded and Carried. 

He further moved that current regulation 6.09 be deleted and replaced with:

·“Reg. 6.09: All disciplinary actions by the Executive Committee under Article 14 or Rule 69 shall be made available on the US SAILING website.”   Seconded and Carried.

13        Dick Rose, Racing Rules Chair, issued a reminder that this is the last year to submit changes to clarify rules.  The committee is working on an alternative protest appendix; wants to keep Rule 16.2 in place in spite of European effort to eliminate it; and is working on Rule 42 with respect to roll tacking and skulling.

14        Bill Ross, Chair of the Council of Sailing Associations proposed action to:

· “Approve the Deep Creek Yacht Racing Association as an RSE within Area C of US SAILING and as a member of the Council of Sailing Associations.”

15        Karen Reisch introduced a resolution from the Junior Championships Committee to:

Withdraw $9800 from the Junior Championship restricted fund to support clinics this year.  Motion was seconded and carried.

16    The assembly issued special thanks for the work done by Connie Rosekrans and Wanda Tuck during the Mid Year meetings.

17        THE FOLLOWING COMMITTEE CHAIRS INDICATED REPORTS WILL BE POSTED ON THE US SAILING WEBSITE.

Ken, Morrison, National Offshore Council

Karen Reisch, Championship Committee

Fred Hagedorn, Olympic Sailing Committee

Tom Hubble, Inshore

Ed Theisen. Site Selection

Jim Muldoon, Training

Susan Epstein, Women’s Sailing Committee

Hotensia Hacker, United States Sailing Foundation

Kim Hapgood, Community Sailing

 18        The Board of Directors Meeting was adjourned at 9:45 a.m.  Next meeting will be in St. Louis, Mo, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003.

Respectfully submitted,

Dick Hanneman, Secretary

BYLAWS

Sailor Athlete Council

United States Sailing Associaton

October, 2003

Article I – Name

The name of the organization is the Sailor Athlete Council of the United States Sailing Association (hereafter "Council").

 Article II – Mission

1.Maintain an avenue to voice the opinions of sailor-athletes in US SAILING, and to provide a  forum and opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the future and direction of our sport.

f2. Maintain the effort to guarantee the US SAILING goal to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailing and racing in the United States.

 3. Ensure that each of the designated committees within US SAILING maintains 20% sailor-athlete representation.

 Article III – Definition of Athlete

 An individual must be a member of US SAILING to be registered as a Sailor-Athlete.

 “A” LEVEL ATHLETE:

 1. Represented the United States at the World Championships of an Olympic, Pan-American or Paralympic Class within the previous ten years and finished in the top half;

 2. Represented the United States at an Olympic, Pan-American or Paralympic Games in the last ten years.

“B” LEVEL ATHLETE:

 1. Represented the United States at an ISAF sanctioned World Championship within the previous ten years and finished in the top half;

 2. Placed in the top half of the US Olympic, Pan-American or Paralympic Trials within the previous ten years;

 3. Placed in the top one-third of a US SAILING Championship or the National or North American Sailing Championship of a US SAILING member class within the last ten years; or the International Women's Keelboat Championship;

4. Represented United States within the last ten years by sailing and placing in the top half of a Category 1 or 0 Offshore event as defined by the ISAF Special Regulations;

5. Competed in the Louis Vuitton or America's Cup in the last ten years.

 “C” LEVEL ATHLETE:

 1. Participated in any of the above events within the last ten years.

 Note: The purpose of designating Sailor-Athlete representatives is to increase the most active American sailors’ participation in the governing body of the sport and to meet the requirements of the United

States Olympic Committee as outlined in the USOC Bylaws, in conformance with the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. Age restricted events shall not be used to qualify an individual as a Sailor-Athlete.

 The following US SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS are not considered to be age restricted for the purposes of this definition: Women’s Sailing Championship, Men’s Sailing Championship, Match Racing Championship, Team Racing Championship, Multihull Open, Championship of Champions,

Offshore Championship and Singlehanded Cup, Independence Cup.

 Article IV – Membership and Election to the Council

1. All registered A and B Level athletes are eligible for membership on the Council (see Article V for Registration);

 2. The Council shall consist of a minimum of 7 members and a maximum of 14;

 3. A minimum of 50% of the Council shall be made up of A Level Athletes;

 4. A Council member’s term is 4 years, and will conclude with the adjournment of the US SAILING AGM;

 5. A maximum of 7 Council positions will be elected every two years;

 6. Elections will coincide with the Olympic quadrennium and half-quadrennium;

 7. Registered Sailor-Athletes shall elect Council members. Nominees can be self-nominated or nominated by other Sailor-Athletes;

 8. All eligible nominees will be posted on a voting site in the open section of the S-AAC web page.

 9. Voting will take place on-line, prior to the US SAILING AGM;

 10. Nominees shall be ranked according to the votes they receive. Members will be selected in order of ranking, except for the A Level requirement as provided in Article IV, paragraph 3. This may override the actual results:

11. The Council will certify the results.

 Article V – Officers

 1. The officers of the Council shall be Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary;

 2. Officers will be elected at the first meeting of the Council following the US SAILING AGM in the years of an election or at the US SAILING AGM on alternate years for a term of one year.

 Article VI – USSA Board of Directors

 When the US SAILING Board of Directors falls below the 20% sailor-athlete representation level through its normal composition, it will look the Council to recommend individuals to fill such vacancies. The Council will fill such vacancies in the following manner:

 1. Council representatives to the Board of Directors shall be elected members of the Council;

 2. Nominations and seconds will be accepted from any Council member;

 3. Voting will take place via electronic mail, with votes being collected and tallied by the Council Chairman, and verified by the Vice Chairman. The nominee with the most votes will be recommended to the US SAILING ExCom for approval as a Board member. For multiple Board vacancies, the Council member with the next most votes will also be recommended to the Excom, and so on until all vacancies are filled.