USS organization - multihull council

You already did. Thanks.

Having fun yet?

Yes. I learned what I needed to know.

I may be way off on this but I think Pete wants more transparency(publically available info to what's happeneing) and his and other member's opinions to count for something tangible. The survey is a great first step and it will be seen whether the opinions stated in the survey are heeded or whether the survey was just a token with no real meaning. Am I right Pete? I feel the same way and am hoping for the best.
I feel that USS has to be accountable for the past and the slate can't just be wiped clean. The respect and loyalty has to be earned and the survey is a great first step ,if it's used.

Spot on.

My job is to focus on improving things for the future of the MHC, and will try to fix as many issues as possible, but we're going forward.

There is nothing that I can do about the past, particularly if you are referring to decisions made by Gary or the Board. You need to contact them directly.

You are all welcome to join me as we move the MHC forward, but please try not to be an anchor...

Mike

Nothing has changed. If you want to know where you're going just look at the last guy that held your post.

There must be a reason that something so elementary as an organizational table is absent from USS. Their website is confusing. Imo, this is crafted to discourage involvement by the membership while pretending to meet the mandate of public service. There is an inner circle at USS which controls the organization and few outsiders are permitted in.

I feel bad for those who invested time and emotion in something that was never theirs and of which they could never have been a part.

Nothing has changed.

I find the website pretty easy to navigate. The little site-map thingy at the bottom of the home page is really handy.

There's a neat little search box at the top, too.

Not conspiracy,just an autocracy that wants to return amateur sailing to the purview of yacht clubs and ignore the rest of its mandated constituency.

Happily, the majority of catamaran sailors don't care.

Actually Pete, this discussion has brought out a lot of positive comments.

I know.

Earlier, JW

accused

me of not really caring about USS. That's absolutely true! USS depends on volunteers because they're cheap, plentiful and disposable. I would never permit myself to invest emotion supporting an organization I've no vested interest in. I'm a paid up member of USS because they do a good job with rules and race officials. My dues represent good value to me.

What is obvious to me is most sailors don't care about USS because USS doesn't care about them.

The salient point is that organized sailing had little use for catamarans until they proved themselves as a type. With the upcoming AC to be run on Cats, USS will now to try to take them into the mainstream and impose its monopolistic control. That will undoubtedly lead to regulations regarding seaworthiness and in the end, who is allowed to sail and on what. American yacht racing has always been the purview of so called

upper class

yacht clubs. USS is trying to reimpose that superficial standard. Today your membership in USS is voluntary, soon it may be a choice of belonging (if they accept you) or not being permitted to sail at all.

Pete, you and I have been over this before. Back when I sat in Mike's chair, you had this same go and I tried to explain things, answer questions and listen to your concerns. You very quickly lost interest. I saw you do it again with Dave when he was Chair. I'm not

accusing

you of anything; I'm basing my view of your interest on past experience.

There is a difference between losing interest and knowing when you're being stonewalled.

As it happens, USS has prepared special reports regarding three tragedies. They may be found here: http://about.ussailing.org/US_SAILING_Meetings/USS_Reports.htm for those interested in them.

What we see is that USS is an uregulated Federal monopoly and it's shaping up to be a regulatory agency with the Coast Guard as a likely enforcement arm.

Pete,

I have to admit, you win the extremely coveted

Race to the Keyboard in the Morning

trophy for 2012! I know of no one who does it better and no one will be able to match your profound skillset!!

Live long and prosper.
<img src="<>/wink.gif" alt="wink" title="wink" height="15" width="15" />

Have you read the report on the Severn River drowning?

I went over it quickly but it seems the girl drowned because her trapeze hook got caught in a position which was difficult to undo.

My assumption is that in ponderous due course someone will go to the trouble of announcing the things can kill you. I have no trouble saying it straight out, trapezes hooks can drown you, convert to the Bethwaite system.

No doubt the Coast Guard will consider these reports, come out with their own findings and eventually the

hook

system will be outlawed. My problem with all that is noone who actually sails will have any input into the matter.

Imo, USS is well on its way to transforming itself into another mindless bureaucracy. That will certainly solve their funding issues. Everytime they need more money they'll simple find something you must buy. Don't be too surprised to find you must attend a USS class for your sailing license or risk getting a ticket. Coming soon to a body of water near you.

The level of conspiracy that you are prophsizing is nothing less than spectacular. If what you say is true, you should be on guard for the black helecopters hovering over your house. USS will not stand to have their agenda exposed and they will stop at nothing to have any potential whisleblowers silenced!!!

I don't know why you'd call it a conspiracy. It is the nature of organizations to expand, USS is taking a logical path toward growth. They will experience less oppostion if they do it quitely. They mention something about their congressional monopoly

giving them a broader mandate to serve the public directly

or some such verbiage.

Have a nice day.

From the horse's mouth: http://about.ussailing.org/History.htm

According to the original constitution, NAYRU's authority stemmed from consent of its members and member associations over which it exercised jurisdiction in an advisory capacity. Today, its authority comes instead from an act of Congress (the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act of 1978) and a much broader charter to serve America's sailors directly

The only real change here is they no longer need your consent to serve you.

All right, I think we've all had just about enough of this. I hate to do it, but you leave me no choice: I'm calling in the blue blazers, and they know where you live (although the black helicopters are really more the style of ISAF, so they'll probably just arrive on foot like the mere mortals they actually are)...

Mike

<img src="<>/laugh.gif" alt="laugh" title="laugh" height="15" width="15" /> They all ready don't care! I'm well past 30, they'll just wait for attrition to take it's toll.

And soon there will be a movie with Denzel playing Gary Jobson. <img src="<>/eek.gif" alt="eek" title="eek" height="15" width="15" />

No no no, strike that. Christopher Walken will play the evil Gary Jobson and Denzel will play Pete.

Jason Alexander, Denzel is too intense and doesn't have my body.