Minutes of Spring General Membership Meeting

Waikiki Yacht Club

Tuesday, February 18, 2003

1. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Commodore Doyle at 1810 hrs.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Commodore Dan Doyle, Vice Commodore John Myrdal, Rear Commodore John Spadaro, Executive Secretary Ken Morrison, Staff Commodores Susan Harper and Frederic Berg.

COMMITTEE CHAIRS PRESENT: Steve Thomas, Tom Pochereva, Mike Welsh, Guy Fleming and Caroline Heinrich.

CLUB REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT: Bob Armstrong, KYC; Todd Wyrick, WYC; Fuzz Foster, WYC; and Chip Barclay, HYC.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Moved, seconded and unanimously agreed to approve the minutes of the Fall General Membership Meeting Minutes of November 5, 2002.

3. TREASURER’S REPORT: Treasurer absent; no report.

4. COMMODORE’S REPORT: Commodore Doyle thanked Susan Harper and last year’s Board for their hard work and success with the website and Bulletin articles to increase HYRA’s communication with Hawaii’s sailors.

Commodore Doyle has been working with Steve Thomas and others to increase younger adult sailors’ participation via encouraging a more affordable fleet, and using Portsmouth handicapping systems. Steve spoke with Bruce Gollison to establish a national event here, inviting Mainland sailors to bring their boats, and which could lead into an Asahi Cup charter-style event. Commodore Doyle also congratulated Steve on winning the J-24 midwinter championship on the Mainland.

5. US SAILING REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORT: Joe Cochran is stepping down from this position in order to spend more time traveling to Mainland events as a Judge. Commodore Doyle will fill this position on US SAILING’s Board of Directors and attend the 2 yearly meetings.

6. COMMITTEE REPORTS:

a. Nominating: no report

b. Publicity: Ray Sweeney put out a Press Release about HYRA; he’s working with the Clubs’ Rear Commodores of Sail to get race information published in the local media.

c. Government Relations: We still need a representative.

d. Race Management: US SAILING Area Race Officer reported on two successful seminars—the Race Management Seminar, taught by Ken Morrison, US SAILING National Race Officer and the Race Committee Training class taught by Susan Harper, US SAILING Regional Race Officer.

e. Appeals: Ken Morrison reported there are no appeals at this time.

f. Racing Rules: Ken Morrison reported that ISAF has made minor changes to some advertising rules and eligibility rules and that the new ones are available on ISAF’s website www.sailing.org.

g. Safety: No report.

h. Offshore: Mike Welsh expressed concern re. the US Coast Guard’s permanent Security Zones, especially the area around the oil tanker offshore moorings. Susan Harper will discuss the matter with the USCG and determine if we can get special permission to traverse the zone during scheduled races.

Concern was expressed about HYC’s system of handicapping race entrants which goes against the HPHRF class rules. HYC Rear Commodore Barclay stated that his system of dividing the starters was so that all racers could arrive at post-race parties earlier. Discussion ensued with no resolution; Commodore Doyle suggested that this issue was between HPHRF and HYC and hoped it could be resolved between them.

i. One Design: Steve Thomas reported that the class fleets of J-24’s, Solings, Cal-20’s and International 14’s were thriving in Kaneohe. Melges still race on the town side.

j. US SAILING events: Tom Pochereva gave an excellent PowerPoint presentation on the nationals events in which Hawaii sailors may compete. We send Junior Sailors to national events year around; he suggested that Hawaii begin training adult HYRA Championship teams which could compete on the Mainland, using various established races to qualify. KYC is already starting some fund-raising and other clubs should be encouraged to do so. Tom will contact all the Clubs.

Guy Fleming reported that KYC will be holding the Sears Cup in May, and that they need boats. Martin Sterling placed 12 out of 70 in the 420 Midwinters.

k. Single-handed Championship: Guy Fleming reported that they could use some Race Committee support.

l. State Championship: See New Business

m. HYSA: Guy Fleming reported that the Laser and El Toro clinics were very successful, with Olympic hopefuls Paul Goodeson and Andrew Lewis instructing. The ILH sailing program is going very well, with 12 schools and 100 high school students participating here and on the Big Island. All Clubs are participating, and this is an extremely beneficial program not only for the students, but for the future of sailing in Hawaii as well.

n. Women’s events: Marian Westley’s position is being taken by Caroline Heinrich. HWYRA has 6 women’s events each year, and is fielding more women on J-24’s, Cal-20’s and Lasers. HWYRA is supporting our participation in the Adams and Leiter Cups.

o. Budget: no report.

p. Audit: no report.

q. Awards Banquet: no report.

r. Trophies: no report.

7. SECRETARY’S REPORT: Susan Harper reported for Secretary Ann Russell that 9 Clubs have paid their HYRA dues and sent Delegate and Officer lists; 2 have paid dues and sent only Officer lists; 4 have not paid dues or submitted the lists. Delinquent now are Hawaii Hobie Cat Association, Hawaii Laser Association, Hawaii Yacht Club, International 14 Fleet.

8. OLD BUSINESS: None.

9. NEW BUSINESS:

Ken Morrison presented the new HYRA prescriptions adopted by the Executive Committee. The prescription describing the old Alternative Starting System was deleted, as all the Clubs should now be using the Racing Rule 26 starting system. The prescription requiring the 720 degree penalty for classboats only and scoring penalty for offshore boats only was deleted. The remaining prescription applies only to RRS 44.3 and a boat who acknowledges an infringement prior to a hearing.

John Myrdal reported that the National Junior El Toro Championship will be held at KYC in August.

John also reported that the State Championship Committee has amended the HYRA handbook to read that crews need not be members of locals Clubs, but that the trophy will be awarded to the Club which the winning crew sails for.

HYC R.C. Sail Barclay thanked Ken Morrison and Cy Gillettee for their work on the HYRA Prescriptions and WYC for their furnishing a Race Committee boat for the recent KokoHead race. He reported that the Friday Night Races will continue, but with some changes allowing for postponement or abandonment while American Marine is conducting their dredging operations.

10. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 1910 hrs.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Jacquelin Harper

Staff Commodore