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(My apologies... Names Corrected 8/26/04)

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Proposed Changes to NA Rules
Both changes passed by mail-in vote of General Membership (8/04)

The following changes  have been proposed to the rules of NA’s. We are presenting this for a vote to the general membership by MAIL IN ballot. The outcome of which to be decided and take effect before NA’s in August 2004. 

Please read over the proposal and voice your opinion with the ballot included in the May Shovel Bulletin or you can down load the ballot above. Return your ballot  with your 2004 membership form and dues, no later than June 15, 2004. Only 2004 paid member’s votes will count.

Below are NA rule changes I would like to have voted on this year for the 2004 El Toro North Americans. Having rejoined the El Toro Association in 1989 and attended all but three North Americans since then, I would like to propose two changes in how we run our class championship: 

Change #1   The Silver Fleet

When the class had 50 or 60 seniors showing up for the NA’s having two fleets might have had some logic.  The reality is that our fleet, like many other classes, is not growing anymore and splitting the fleet into two groups with separate starts and trophies does not make as much sense anymore.  In the 2002 NA’s, at Huntington Lake, the fleets were less than 20 boats each. I feel this is a tradition whose time is up for now. 

The quality of the sailors we have in our fleet is improving and many, who would be in the silver fleet by splitting the fleet after the first day of racing, would still do well in some of the races. An argument I have heard at the various NA’s is that there would be more winners and trophies and chances for more sailors to do well. My response is to remind them that this is our annual championship regatta and that there are lots of local races to chase trophies.  Very few fleets split the sailors with qualifying races anymore, unless they get over a 100 boats in attendance (Lightings, and Optimist Prams).  El Toro’s are getting 40 boats on a good year and making two 20 boat fleets is hard to justify, except for tradition. After all it is a championship race.

When we promote our fleet it’s a little embarrassing to see our NA Championship determined by 18 or less sailors, especially when we are growing and attracting new and old sailors.  So my proposal is to only have a Silver fleet if we have over 65 seniors sign up and any less than that they all race together.

 Change #2  The Intermediate Fleet

Before the advent of some more “sexy” boats (Lasers, etc.) there was a fair amount of El Toro sailors in the 15-18 year old range.  Not anymore, in Hawaii (NA’s 2003) this year there were four intermediates and at Huntington (NA’s 2002) two or three. We are not attracting that age group… and I can not blame them, who wants to go race against 3 or 4 boats or even 7 or 8 in a championship event.  I like to think that the El Toro is a great boat, lots of good sailors, excellent tight racing, and people I like to visit with at the end of the day. Given that lets invite that age group to sail with the seniors. There is not that many classes that separate out the sailors by age anymore.  Who knows they might stay with the class or come back to us later on?  The El Toro Senior Fleet can always use some new sailors, and the lure of racing in the Senior Fleet may bring back some sailors we have lost. 

So my next proposal for a rule change for sailing in the 2004 NA’s would be to eliminate the Intermediate Fleet and turn them into seniors.  I thought maybe some exceptions like more than 20 sailors in that age group, but changed my mind, lets see if we can keep a few racing with us. How about this for a voting proposal.?  Nothing would be lost since there are no intermediate sailors in the El Toro group now, lets retire that fleet. And see if we can tempt a few of our young sailors to stay with the El Toro.

 Thanks for your consideration for both proposals, I believe they will help our fleet grow and besides who wants to sweat out the Monday qualifiers when we could just go racing..??

-Fred Paxton (11649)