Membership Enhancements for 2008!!!

Your Class Association Board has been working very hard over the past three months to solicit input from all of our members on ways to change and enhance the membership experience of joining the Class Association. We want to provide you with a membership product that you think will be worth the cost of your dollars.

There are three areas of improvement for you. One - You will get more bang for your buck. Two - The Association will be more responsive to the needs of the average sailor. And Three - The Association will be better at supporting the individual Fleets. Here’s how we’re gonna do it:

Bang for the Buck

Effective immediately, your $50 fee will cover not only the owner, but will include associate memberships for your crew as well. A lot of S20 owners began as S20 crewmembers, and it’s a great way for your crew to get the same newsletters, notices, training aids, as well as the feeling of “community” that will help them become better crewmembers for you. It’s a great 3-for-1 deal.
With each membership fee you will receive one free royalty tag, which will save you $15 when you buy any new sail, and will help you with the replacement of that baggy ol’ main that you’re getting tired of looking at.
An improved website with a revamped layout that is visually more impressive. We will also feature a sailor and action picture “of the Month” to highlight the great people and boats that make up our class. This will also help sell the boat to visitors that might be thinking about buying a boat and joining the class too.

Supporting the Middle of the Pack

These sailors are the backbone of our Class. We all learn by doing, and future newsletter articles will focus on the things that turn middle-of-pack sailors and new S20 sailors into front-of-the-pack and winning sailors. We’ll focus on the basics – things like crew choreography, roll tacking/gybing, division of labor during mark roundings, i.e. “things I wish I knew when I was new to the boat”.
Our “technicalities” video will be re-done at this year’s Nationals when Andrew holds his annual clinic and will be in a DVD format.
S20 Maintenance issues, how to trailer your S20, how to trailer launch your S20, the new backstay modification for the classic-decked S20’s, PHRF racing your S20, cruising/overnighting your S20 (it is doable and fun), and Fleet and/or Sailor profiles will all be subjects on upcoming newsletters. Basically, articles that will help you gain more pleasure out of owning our great little boat.

Support to the Fleets

This Board intends to be a lot more supportive of our individual Fleets, especially the smaller ones. Usually, each fleet has a “sparkplug” type individual that provides energy and leadership. However, burnout is always a problem if you feel you’re all alone in your efforts. The smaller and up-and-coming Fleets will be receive better attention and support from the Board and from newsletter articles that showcase the good work of these “sparkplugs”.
Encourage local Fleet “clinics”, either with your local expert, or with Andrew, or with an acknowledged expert such as Pete Hunter or Mark Forrest, who do travel with their businesses and have experience and training in building their Fleets.
Encourage visibility of local regattas within the class. Encourage people to travel to participate in these regattas. This has a synergistic affect that improves the skill of those who participate, enhances class camaraderie, both that helps keep the smaller Fleets afloat.

We hope that you will like the changes we’re making to the management of our Class and will show your support by joining or rejoining the Association. We are also tweaking the fiscal and administrative management as well, to make sure that we remain “in the black” and that member’s records of payment and membership are better kept.

REMEMBER – MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS US ALL – PLEASE JOIN US!!