Board of Directors Minutes
March 14, 2004
Spring Meeting in Mobile, AL

President Janet Baxter called the meeting to order at 9:10 a.m. following a special meeting of the United States Sailing Foundation.

Directors present were: Janet Baxter, Betsy Beddow, Faye Bennet, Stan Betts, Dean Brenner, Norton Brooker, Jim Capron, Clark Chapin, Ruth Creighton, Dan Doyle, Peter Durant, Don Durant, Bruce Eissner, Susan Epstein, Art Fox, Louise Gleason, Fred Hagedorn, Dick Hanneman, Joey Harris, Tom Hubbell, Charles Ivey, Leslie Keller, Patty Lawrence, Dan Mangus, Joe Melino, Clay Mock, Ken Morrison, Jim Muldoon, Bill Munster, Joni Palmer, Bill Ross, John Rudy, Betty Sue Sherman, Bill Stump. Absent were: John Amos, James Appel, Terry Bischoff, Jerelyn Biehl, Mitch Brindley, Craig Brown, Larry Bulman. Paul Callahan, Tom Carruthers, Means Davis, Mark Herrmann, Hart Kelley, Gene McCarthy, Greg Norwine, Martha Parker, Mark Reynolds, and Adam Werblow.

A motion to approve the corrected Minutes of the March 13, 2004 Board of Directors meeting was made, seconded and carried.
David Sprague, President of the Canadian Yachting Association, was recognized and introduced by President Baxter. She also recognized and thanked US SAILING staff members who attended to the administrative needs of the meeting: Diane Walker (meeting planner), Ellen Gallagher (Membership), Lauren Goldenberg (Membership) and Julia Langford (Publications).

Action Items:
A Motion to ratify actions of the Executive Committee since the October, 2003, Board of Directors meetings in St. Louis, Mo., was made, seconded and carried.

A Motion to approve a $40,000 budget variance in Membership expenses for 2004, and a corresponding net revenue increase of $105,000, was made, seconded and carried.

Jim Muldoon, chair of Training and Government Relations, reminded members to take an active role in harbor security issues to insure that boater's rights are not overlooked when these issues are addressed by government agencies. He also announced that 70 Power Boat Instructors have been Certified to date, and that the Canadian Yachting Association had expressed interest in sharing that program. The US SAILING Training web site now includes 80 videos, and receives 17,000 viewers each month. A $213,000 training grant from the US Coast Guard is in the application process.

Offshore Committee Chair Bruce Eissner reported that the Americap II measurement program is growing, and that Safety at Sea programs, now being directed by Offshore, have increased four-fold in the past year. The Committee expects an operating surplus of $43,000. He announced that the Executive Committee had approved the Memorandum of Understanding with the RORC for issuing IRC Certificates in the United States.

Action Item:
A motion to exempt boats of greater than 20 meters from IMS regulation 206, Halyard Locks, was made, seconded and carried. The exemption will allow US Bermuda Race entrants with LOA greater than 20 meters whose designs require masthead halyard locks to legally participate in that event.

National Offshore Council Chair Ken Morrison distributed a written report of the Council meeting and thanked JimTeeters, retiring research director for his contributions developing handicapping systems for US SAILING.
CSA Chair Bill Ross circulated minutes of the CSA meeting and reported that both Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands had asked to be included in US SAILING Championship events. A formal proposal will be presented at the Annual US SAILING meeting in October, 2004.

Susan Epstein, Women's Committee Chair, reported that all Women's championships have been booked two to three years out, and that six US skippers have been named to the ISAF Women's March Racing championships scheduled for the USNA in June. She reported raising $1000 this weekend from members who signed a US SAILING banner to be taken to Athens. The money will be used for the US athletes' Victory Party!
Multihull Council Chair Dan Mangus reported that the Council supports a ban on inflatable life jackets and has enforced that ban at youth multihull events.

Action Item:
A Motion to recognize and to thank past Chair Art Stevens for his years of dedicated services as Chair of the Multihull Council, was made, seconded and carried.

A Motion to release $5000 in restricted funds to support the 2004 Alter Cup, and annual request, was made, seconded and carried.
Sailor Athlete Council Chair Dean Brenner urged sailors to register as Athletes and reported that the base of Registered Athletes is expanding and adding new members to US SAILING.

US Windsurfing junior coordinator Carolyn Boersma and youth coach Charles Ivey announced that the Formula Experience World Championships will be in the US in 2005, and encouraged the Olympic Committee to support the Z-Class in future Olympic events.

US SAILING Olympic Committee Chair Fred Hagedorn announced that equipment selection for the 2008 Olympics is underway and will be completed in November, 2004. The Olympic coaches have recommended the new US SAILING Power Boat and Safety Boat Courses. The Board recognized the efforts of staff members Katie Richardson and Jonathan Harley and Coaches Gary Bodie, Luther Carpenter and Skip Whyte on behalf of our Olympic athletes.

Inshore Committee (Patty Lawrence) and One Design Class Council chairs (Bill Stump) announced that their groups expressed support for a reorganization of US SAILING and for the possibility of combining Inshore and One Design. They will co-sponsor a fleet building symposium later this year under the direction of a sub committee consisting of Jerelyn Biehl, Patty Lawrence and Joni Palmer.
Race Administration Chair Jim Capron announced that the first draft of the 2005-2008 Rule Book will be ready for review in June. Both race management and judges' seminars will be held in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting in Portland, OR, next October.

Action Item:
A Motion to reaffirm the "US SAILING Policy for Race Officials at US SAILING Events," as originally adopted by the Executive Committee in September, 2003, was made, seconded and carried. The Policy is attached.
A Motion to amend that policy to delay implementation until 2005 was made, seconded and defeated.

A proposal from the Appeals Committee concerning Area appeals process has been referred back to the Appeals Committee for further discussion.
Race Management Chair Tom Farquhar announced that 586 race officers have been certified to date. A proposed prescription, 75.3, on indemnification, has been referred back to the Rules Committee for rewording based on input from the legal committee. He also recognized and thanked Ken Morrison for his 20 years of service to the Race Management Committee
General Services Chair Ruth Creighton commented on the results of a membership marketing meeting and on efforts to revitalize the Golden Anchor Program.

Karen Reisch, Championship Committee Chair, announced that committee minutes had been posted, and requested the following actions:

Action Items:
A motion that Risk Management and Legal committees review all medical and other confidential information requested on youth registration forms and review the use of these forms, was made, seconded and carried.

A motion to authorize the transfer of $10,000 for restricted funds for the 2004 junior championships was made, seconded and carried.

A motion to accept a new Sportsmanship Award, funded by the Interlake Yachtsman's Fund, for the Junior Double Handed Championships, the F.Gregg Bemis Trophy, was made, seconded and carried.
Vice President Tom Hubbell, head of the Structure Task Force, reported that meetings held with councils and committees during the past three days had generated both enthusiasm and new ideas. A Task Force page will be created on the web site and widely communicated when it becomes available.

The Meeting was adjourned at 10:55 a.m., C.S.T.

Dick Hanneman
Secretary