ILCA gives LPE the boot... seeking new Laser builder

[Xeon]

Wess has an interesting lens through which he views the sailing world. Perched mightily aboard his ocean-going trimaran, he sees the common man (grass roots sailor) yearning for cheap brand new boats and lamenting ILCA’s existence. My experience is soooooo different. I much prefer what I see. #longlivequalityusedboats #myclubrocks

Snap 😀

 

[Bill5]

Oceans are scary Bill. You should never take a trimaran or ILCA into the ocean. You could die or something worse.

Huh? You lost me. My favorite place I ever sailed a Laser was Santa Cruz. A couple PCC’s. Loved it.

 

[Wess]

I should have typed in the purple font apparently…

 

[Bill5]

Nope. No matter how many words I change to purple, I still have no idea what you are saying.

 

[Wess]

Starting to think Tiller was right after all about you exclusive single handers!

 

[RobbieB]

I think time management is the largest barrier to spending time in more than one class each season. Several sailors in our district also compete in the VXOne class, (myself included) the M-15 class and others. The diversification has meant less regattas for most of these sailors in the ILCA class, but they are still sailing their ILCA's.

 

[tillerman]

I think time management is the largest barrier to spending time in more than one class each season. Several sailors in our district also compete in the VXOne class, (myself included) the M-15 class and others. The diversification has meant less regattas for most of these sailors in the ILCA class, but they are still sailing their ILCA's.

It is questioned whether human beings are built to be monogamous.

 

[WCB]

Being serious for a moment, no I don’t think it has anything to do with traits associated with single handed sailors. There are lots of fantastic people in Laser fleets. And as in life some % are assholes but no more of less than you will find in crewed boats.

If you really want to be honest, what got you to the problem Gouv laments about was a class association didn’t do much for the grass root level and attracting, retaining, and expanding access to youth, but instead focused efforts around Olympics (and thus bowing down to WS) and older master class sailors and those events. So fewer and fewer grass roots and youth join ILCA and the association become more and more top heavy with masters sailors and or blue blazer types that just like being an Olympic class and at that stage it’s a spiral that they can’t escape from. The class association doesn’t care about the things Gouv talks about because the class (those that join) is now almost solely made up of sailors that don’t care about that. They want and the class association therefore caters to Olympics and elite/masters needs and wants. That ain’t youth, grass roots, expanding access (cheaper boats), club level fleets.

You make a fair point about the Olympics and World Sailing and you'll be happy to know that all of us ILCA District Secretaries have been asked to share the news that the class, under its new leadership, is going to offer $20,000 to help the Districts support growth and events in their areas. There's the ILCA fees at work...

 

[atnan]

...the class, under its new leadership, is going to offer $20,000 to help the Districts support growth and events in their areas.

How that $20k is being distributed, for those interested in the details:

2023 Budget for District and Regatta Support

The ILCA-NA Executive Committee approved a $20K budget for District ($12,500) and Regatta ($7,500) Support in 2023! District Support begins with as much as $300 in reimbursement to offset expenses for each district championship. If every district holds a championship, that amounts to $7,200 of...

docs.google.com

 

[Wess]

You make a fair point about the Olympics and World Sailing and you'll be happy to know that all of us ILCA District Secretaries have been asked to share the news that the class, under its new leadership, is going to offer $20,000 to help the Districts support growth and events in their areas. There's the ILCA fees at work...

Really and honestly pleased to see that. But you know I have to ask (and again seriously its fair to ask and I guess you and I already know the answer)...

* what % of ILCA revenue does that equal?

Respectfully I don't think their priorities have changed.

 

[Gouvernail]

That’s pretty good. In 2002 I sent out $12,424 to the district secretaries, plus we hosted websites for each district, sent 25 extra newsletters, a string of mailing labels for every current and recent member, then and a wad of bumper stickers to each district Secretary every quarter.
We made certain the quarterly newsletter had at least one picture of at least one sailor from each district in each edition. We published contact info in every newsletter for every fleet we could find, a list of every Laser friendly event we could find with dates and pcontact info,
Further we did our best to examine every NOR and set of sailing instructions for any event whose hosts would let us have a look.
We also made certain at least one class officer was on site at every major regatta, and time permitting, we atttended many district events..,,
As we hard scheduled three years ahead as nd soft scheduled as many as five years ahead, we made it a policy to have NEXT YEAR’s NOR posted at every major regatta. Whenever possible, next year’s hosts would give a brief presentation and invite everybody to come to next year’s event.
I know the new enthusiastic class officers will be doing much more than we ever did before!!!

 

[WCB]

Really and honestly pleased to see that. But you know I have to ask (and again seriously its fair to ask and I guess you and I already know the answer)...

* what % of ILCA revenue does that equal?

Respectfully I don't think their priorities have changed.

Thanks to @atnan for sharing the budget details.

It's going to take some time but the new US President is more focused on development than anybody has been in a while. Already that's a nice step to support the districts to hold better events for ILCA sailors. For a long time we've all been leaning on the builders and retailers to make events happen or to be better. We've asked for free prizes, boat give aways...etc. It's nice to see the class stepping in front now, as it should be.

 

[WCB]

That’s pretty good. In 2002 I sent out $12,424 to the district secretaries, plus we hosted websites for each district, sent 25 extra newsletters, a string of mailing labels for every current and recent member, then and a wad of bumper stickers to each district Secretary every quarter.
We made certain the quarterly newsletter had at least one picture of at least one sailor from each district in each edition. We published contact info in every newsletter for every fleet we could find, a list of every Laser friendly event we could find with dates and pcontact info,
Further we did our best to examine every NOR and set of sailing instructions for any event whose hosts would let us have a look.
We also made certain at least one class officer was on site at every major regatta, and time permitting, we atttended many district events..,,
As we hard scheduled three years ahead as nd soft scheduled as many as five years ahead, we made it a policy to have NEXT YEAR’s NOR posted at every major regatta. Whenever possible, next year’s hosts would give a brief presentation and invite everybody to come to next year’s event.
I know the new enthusiastic class officers will be doing much more than we ever did before!!!

I think that you'll see that they're headed back exactly where you had the class back then. Lots more district support.

 

[Bill5]

Really and honestly pleased to see that. But you know I have to ask (and again seriously its fair to ask and I guess you and I already know the answer)...

* what % of ILCA revenue does that equal?

Respectfully I don't think their priorities have changed.

About 21%

 

[Wess]

Slow down there partner. Is this an ILCA (as originally stated) or ILCA-NA policy? And added support at the district level for - and I quote - Grand Prix regattas (you know like NA championships) is far from the bottom up club level support that increases access. That does not appear to be this. This appears to be more spin and more support for the elite.

 

[Xeon]

Slow down there partner. Is this an ILCA (as originally stated) or ILCA-NA policy? And added support at the district level for - and I quote - Grand Prix regattas (you know like NA championships) is far from the bottom up club level support that increases access. That does not appear to be this. This appears to be more spin and more support for the elite.

 

[shebeen]

Slow down there partner. Is this an ILCA (as originally stated) or ILCA-NA policy? And added support at the district level for - and I quote - Grand Prix regattas (you know like NA championships) is far from the bottom up club level support that increases access. That does not appear to be this. This appears to be more spin and more support for the elite.

Thought I'd do something constructive, here's the first sentence of your signature, with the grammar nazi treatment:
"Join The Laser Class. It's for grassroots Laser sailors."

 

[RobbieB]

Slow down there partner. Is this an ILCA (as originally stated) or ILCA-NA policy? And added support at the district level for - and I quote - Grand Prix regattas (you know like NA championships) is far from the bottom up club level support that increases access. That does not appear to be this. This appears to be more spin and more support for the elite.

The $20k has been presented as an amount available for all districts to draw from through application to the NA Secretary as needed. We'll use it to cover our annual schedule mailer and possibly support some clinics. Other things will probably come up during the season. It's great to have access to. It also shows the "re-build" after the transition is going well! Certainly has in our district. In 2018 we had 15 class members participate in our annual series. This year we had 76 class members participate, (We came really close to having 100 class members overall). Numbers don't lie Wess.....I bet the class would reimburse you for the rum you owe me because they are good sports. ;-)

 

[Wess]

You folks really do crack me up with your inability to face facts.

Its ain't ILCA doing it, it ain't 20%, and the money ain't going to build from the bottom (club sailor) up or to improve access. Its NA doing it, it still ain't 20% and a significant portion of it is going to "Grand Prix" regattas that the vast majority of club sailors ain't going to.

Its a bit like saying you won a bet when 1.) it wasn't "soon" (it was years), 2.) the boats ain't cheaper (they are FAR more expensive), and 3.) you STILL don't have a US manufacturer half a decade or so later.

 

[RobbieB]

You folks really do crack me up with your inability to face facts.

Its ain't ILCA doing it, it ain't 20%, I'm not aware what this 20% has to do with antything?

and the money ain't going to build from the bottom (club sailor) up or to improve access. Pretty much what we do in our district

Its NA doing it, Well, the class has segmented areas. I think it's cool each area can make decisions like this. it still ain't 20% and a significant portion of it is going to "Grand Prix" regattas Nothing will go to our annual GP event unless we ask for it. that the vast majority of club sailors ain't going to.

Its a bit like saying you won a bet when 1.) it wasn't "soon" Given the lengthy legal process the class had to go through and then the process for approving new builders, (Thankfully they didn't stick with the "one builder" model) what would you consider "soon", (and please be reasonable).(it was years), 2.) the boats ain't cheaper Name 1 brand of boat that is less expensive now that it was 3 years ago. (they are FAR more expensive), and 3.) you STILL don't have a US manufacturer half a decade or so later. Lastly, how are things working out for the Sunfish class?