US Sailing = US Olympics

[BrightAyes]

Once again, I receive yet another email invite from US Sailing to listen to a bunch of collegiate and former Olympians yak about their plans and opinions to promote the US Sailing Olympic effort. Excuse me for sounding like a repetitive whiny little bitch from the remote corners of the sailing world complaining about US Sailing. I think you do have to ask:

1. Who does US Sailing serve exactly?
2. What benefits does the average sailor receive from their membership?
3. Has US Sailing really got the message a significant number of their members could give a rat's arse about the 5 Ring Circus and are more interested in their local sailing season?

Live in San Francisco!
Join Us This Friday

Special, one of a kind, in person panel event! If you're in the San Francisco area this weekend come join us this Friday, August 12th, at the Sausalito flagship West Marine store for US Sailing and West Marine's Olympic Panel. 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist and current US Sailing Team Coach, Anna Tunnicliffe-Tobias, will share her knowledge and expertise. She will be joined by 2024 Olympic hopefuls Geronimo Nores (iQFOiL), 3x Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, Daniela Moroz, and 2020 Olympian Anna Weis. This eclectic group is sure to provide insight, new perspectives, and inspiration to all in attendance.

 

[Gigantasy]

Live in [a town one bridge-length away from] San Francisco!

Well, at least I get a little discount on regatta entry fees with my USSailing membership.

 

[sunseeker]

Once again, I receive yet another email invite from US Sailing to listen to a bunch of collegiate and former Olympians yak about their plans and opinions to promote the US Sailing Olympic effort. Excuse me for sounding like a repetitive whiny little bitch from the remote corners of the sailing world complaining about US Sailing. I think you do have to ask:

1. Who does US Sailing serve exactly?
2. What benefits does the average sailor receive from their membership?
3. Has US Sailing really got the message a significant number of their members could give a rat's arse about the 5 Ring Circus and are more interested in their local sailing season?

Live in San Francisco!
Join Us This Friday

Special, one of a kind, in person panel event! If you're in the San Francisco area this weekend come join us this Friday, August 12th, at the Sausalito flagship West Marine store for US Sailing and West Marine's Olympic Panel. 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist and current US Sailing Team Coach, Anna Tunnicliffe-Tobias, will share her knowledge and expertise. She will be joined by 2024 Olympic hopefuls Geronimo Nores (iQFOiL), 3x Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, Daniela Moroz, and 2020 Olympian Anna Weis. This eclectic group is sure to provide insight, new perspectives, and inspiration to all in attendance.

The simple fact is that US Sailing is the congressionally appointed entity to provide sailors to the US Olympic team. It is their reason for being.

That said, i understand the frustration with US Sailing. They have become a licensing and regulatory entity for the purpose of teaching sailing.

They don’t do much to help recreational racing. Probably we should be thankful for that. Let clubs and classes do their own thing.

We are better off with US Sailing in the background, providing infrastructure support for judges and rules.

 

[nolatom]

Without intending to, I’ve taught basic sailing off and on since about 1970 without a ticket from USSA or ASA (the latter didn’t exist back then). Along the way I picked up a 100-ton license with the sailing endorsement.
Now that I’m teaching part time at our community sailing center, it looks like we instructors are going to get the USSA basic instructor qual. Thing is, these private certificates don’t let you take out paying passengers, unlike in the UK and some other countries (at least as I understand it). So I didn’t see the point in getting one.

Hope I pass ;-)

 

[Glenn McCarthy]

At one time, they had masses of volunteers who were connected to the common sailors and provided feedback into the loop. Then they changed to a for-profit corporate management model (while keeping their charitable status) and have focused exclusively on profit centers. What makes money stays, what doesn't make money goes.

Don't go fishing for idealism, it has long passed.

 

[Santanasailor]

So many national organizations. Seemingly dedicated to nothing But the Olympics. (while they totally ignore the sports their organization is supposed to sanction)

Olympics, the worst contribution the Ancient Greeks ever gave to the modern World. It's been a drug and money fest since it was reinstated 120 years ago. I am beginning to think what a better place the world would be if we kept the winter games (Since they often use existing infastructure (hard to build a new mountain though I am sure the IOC would prefer it) and just dump the summer games

A real life solution, pick a site, or maybe at most three sites, let the entire competing world contribute to the building (and managing and promoting) these sites and be done with it. Frankly, keep the original sports used by the Greeks in the ancient games and be done with that too. None of this twirling crepe paper streamers or synchronized attempted drowning. Better yet, if the results can't be measured, it ain't a sport. (Subjective judging is the PITS!)

Oh, in case anyone isn't sure, I am not a big fan of the olympics.

 

[Roller Skates]

I feel like this is just the other side of the wave. Last summer everyone was bashing US Sailing for not getting athletes medals. I'd note that of the four folks on the invite, other than Anna, they are all either windsurf foil or kitefoil athletes. I'd say it's a better picture of where our sport is heading at this point than your yacht club... arguably seems pretty relevant to me?

When people ask what benefits they get, its sorta like what you decide to use. Here's my list that I personally use:

• Rulebook, and some sort of advocacy about changes?
• Access and training to test rules / new rules before release
• Certified instructors for the junior program I'm involved with
• Accreditation for the overall junior program I'm involved with
• One design racing insurance for my 22 that gives me real coverage (you'd be amazed how many don't cover saltwater)
• Insurance for the overall junior program I'm involved with, which wouldn't exist at the level it does otherwise
• Certification & training of the judges I use for racing
• Certification & training of the umpires I use for racing
• Community sailing & promotion of inclusivity activities within sailing
• Skill up app for teaching

 

[Svanen]

I'd note that of the four folks on the invite, other than Anna, they are all either windsurf foil or kitefoil athletes. I'd say it's a better picture of where our sport the Olympics is heading at this point than your yacht club.

Fixed.

 

[bgytr]

US sailing function is to interject themselves as much as possible into recreational sailing, extort money by any means possible, then give the money to Olympic sailors and US sailing officials to go on worlwide paid vacations to exotic places to "run" races.

 

[Rum Runner]

My big argument with US Sailing, like most of you who have published comments above, is how they spend the limited funds they have. Most of the money they spend goes to supporting a small group of (mostly white, upper middle class) sailors chase their Olympic dreams. These kids have been funded by wealthy friends and family members most of their lives.

All of this while USS membership continues to decline because people see no reason to pay an annual fee to get nothing.

 

[TPG]

Do they even pay for their office space on Roger Williams' campus or is that a writeoff for the school?

 

[BrightAyes]

US sailing function is to interject themselves as much as possible into recreational sailing, extort money by any means possible, then give the money to Olympic sailors and US sailing officials to go on worlwide paid vacations to exotic places to "run" races.

What he said...under the guise of "We're from US Sailing....how can we help".

 

[BrightAyes]

My big argument with US Sailing, like most of you who have published comments above, is how they spend the limited funds they have. Most of the money they spend goes to supporting a small group of (mostly white, upper middle class) sailors chase their Olympic dreams. These kids have been funded by wealthy friends and family members most of their lives.

All of this while USS membership continues to decline because people see no reason to pay an annual fee to get nothing.

Correct and if, per chance, the US wins LOTS of medals, we still won't care.

 

[nolatom]

To go halfway off-topic from elite racing to plain old sailing, how's ASA in being "worth it"? I've always felt that ASA was for "sailing" and USSA for racing. And I never got an ASA qual either. I assume it exists in part to make charter companies more willing to set you free on their boat, and possibly a break on your insurance premiums, so it's at least useful in that respect.

And to go way off-topic, do certificates from either program help with, or obviate the need for, the State boating certificates that every state now has? Never got that either, but the requirements I've seen are typically for those born after 1980 or thereabouts. Boomers and Gen X get a pass, which makes it easier for me, i guess. But I don't get it from a safety standpoint if that's what we're shooting for in general. Or is it just, or in part, about raising money?

If we were starting from scratch, it would have been simpler to have a single educational/qualification/regulatory program as an amateur or professional ladder to climb. As it is now, you have Federal requirements for the Coast Guard license, different requirements for USSA or ADA, and yet more and sometimes different requirements for the State certificates.

 

[BrightAyes]

Only thing I can compare is crew finder. Us skippers never have enough crew. We REALLY never have enough EXPERIENCED crew. I can look to US Sailing and get ZERO help recruiting crew. They have no crew website, roster or social media forums. Nuttin. The clannish 5 Ring Circus crowd are all interbred, so they have no need for such an animal.

Now, ASA. They have a national network of crew training sites for the WANNABE sailor. Joe Sixpack, with a dream and little ca$h. Once you complete ASA 101, they encourage you to register on their (surely lame) GOSAILINGAPP.COM website/App. Take a look. There are dozens of free walk-ons sailing opportunities for newbies. It's been my largest source of new crew for 5+ years. I can recruit walk on anywhere. Just spend a month in another state, knew ZERO locals, but was able to recruit many nice people to race with. They all need talking through, but they were there.

How much assistance from US Sailing? ZERO. NADA. ZIP.

See my bitch?

 

[Roller Skates]

Fixed.

If you can find anyone under 30 buying a boat, let me know. The rest of us are having a having a great time.