After two days of racing November 13-14 in Lake Pontchartrain's light and shifty winds, the Berkeley Prep of Belleaire, FL, decisively won its first major schools regatta. Sailing for Berkeley Prep were David Phillips/Scott Ashbaugh who had seven first places in the 17-race regatta. Runner up to the winners was the crew of Ryan Shaughnessy/Meredith Pelton from Community School of Naples, FL, who beat Newman HS of New Orleans by one point. Brothers Ben and Scott Montgomery sailed for Newman.

The 1999 Great Oaks Regatta was the inaugural of a new Interscholastic Sailing Association regatta for school teams which have been organized for less than three years. Teams from Hawaii to Connecticut, 16 in all, responded eagerly to the challenge. For many participants, this was their first national-level event in doublehanded boats. SEISA hosted the new Great Oaks Invitational at Southern YC in Club 420s loaned for the regatta by Southern YC, Tulane University and the University of New Orleans. SEISA Director Chris Clement was Regatta Chair, working with Principal Race Officer Lea Fisk , Chief Judge Jerry Blouin and an impressive team of volunteers. Southern Yacht Club was an outstanding host for these young sailors in their first meeting with new friends from all over, friends they will sail with for years to come.

After eight races, it looked as if the hometown schools might take all the marbles. Newman HS and Metarie's Rummel HS had solid positions, but Berkeley and Lincoln HS of Stockton, CA, were not out of reach. In fact, the top half of the fleet was still in contention.

The 2000 Great Oaks Invitational Regatta is expected to be again at Southern YC on the second weekend in November. Twenty six schools selected through district eliminations among teams less than three years old in ISSA's seven districts will be invited to participate. One doublehanded boat per team, with a total team of no more than four sailors, permits emerging teams to compete on nearly equal terms.

The results are as follows:

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE [back to index]

MDear Sailors and Friends,

We start the new year with a new partner. West Marine has just joined Vanguard Sailboats as a partner in the ISSA growth and development project. That means that these companies provide substantial support to ISSA members. Vanguard helps with fleets for national championships. See the article in this newsletter on West Marine's contribution. I'm sure you will be impressed. Our policy remains to develop relationships only with associates who share our goals.

Participation in school sailing is up again, with a high rate of return and new teams signing up. Since the Bemis regatta went to Hawaii with doublehanded racing, Hawaii membership in ISSA has grown to 13 schools so far, and doublehanded sailing is developing well. Nationwide our school memberships are ahead of last year at this time. As usual, we set no goals for membership numbers; we just do what we do and take a tally.

Economically the 1999 fiscal year ended more happily than the previous year. We came out a bit ahead while still passing through most of the dues in goods and services to members. Having an all-volunteer group makes this possible while keeping dues at a reasonable level.

The Annual Meeting of members is at Newport Yacht Club (RI) at 10:00 am Saturday, March 4, 2000. The agenda and slate of nominees is included in this newsletter. The ISSA Board of Directors represents the geographical diversity and range of interests of our members, with some turnover each year.

Our coaching seminar program is growing in effectiveness with several sessions held in 1999 and many more scheduled for 2000. Better coaching means better sailing for all. The seminars are free and if you would like one in your area, give us a call.

Local leagues - groups of schools in a single area - continue to lead development, making as they do such good sense. I've lost track of how many are now underway. We'd love to hear from more of them with results of races, innovative ways of organizing teams, etc. Our first - and still largest - remains the Massachusetts Bay League in the Boston area.

Our Spring national championship regattas are set: the Mallory doublehanded fleet regatta is at Long Beach (CA) May 13-14 and the Baker team racing championship is at Old Dominion University (VA) May 20-21. These two events are usually two weeks apart, but we could not manage such an interim this year. We again have a grant from USSAILING to help the Baker winners travel to the UK to compete this summer.

So, we're off to another great start for a new year, more fun for all.

My best to you all,

Larry White, President

AGENDA SET FOR
2000 ISSA ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS [back to index]
The Annual General Meeting of ISSA members will be at 10:00 am at the Newport Yacht Club, Newport, RI, Saturday March 4. The meeting - legally the meeting of the corporation - is called as required by the by-laws and is open to all members, who may be individual members or representatives of schools that are members of a district association. Members who cannot attend are urged to send items they wish the meeting to consider and voting proxies. Traditional the annual meeting of ISSA has also been open to non-members interested in school sailing and wishing to observe and comment on but not vote on issues.

The following is the agenda for the annual meeting:
1. Minutes of the March 6, 1999 AGM
2. Reports of Officers
3. Treasurer's Report and presentation of the 2000 budget
4. Reports from the Districts
5. Discussion of the 2000, 2001 and 2002 national championships
6. Discussion of projects underway or planned
7. Old Business
8. New Business
a. Advisory Council Report
b. Exchange of ideas on running a district
c. Proposed changes in ISSA By-laws
9. Special awards and recognition
10. Election of Officers and Directors for 2000-2001
11. Adjournment

Immediately following the meeting of members the Board of Directors will have a brief meeting to elect an Association President and the Executive Committee and to discuss and act upon any items arising at the meeting of members that require consideration by the Directors. Members and guests are invited to attend this short meeting.

Following the meeting of Directors there will be a light buffet lunch to which all those attending the annual meeting are cordially invited. An afternoon session will be held if necessary.

POSSIBLE BY-LAW REVISIONS ON
ISSA ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA [back to index]
Among the items of new business to go before the members at the Annual General meeting are several proposed changes to the ISSA By-laws that could change the way ISSA is structured. For immediate action are the following changes, the wording in italics:

1. Change 3 to 10 in Article III - Members, Sections 5 and 6. As ISSA began its expansion nationwide, it encouraged formation of district associations by permitting as few as three schools to apply as a district association. Now, with seven districts thriving, proponents argue that increasing the number to 10 is reasonable.

2. Add to Article III - Members, Section 5 the sentence District boundaries shall be set by the Board of Directors. The By-laws make no provision for defining the boundaries of districts.

3. Add to Article VII - Rules, Section 3 stating The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order (current edition) shall govern the corporation in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the By-laws of this corporation. Again, the rational is that the absence of procedural guidelines for meetings is an unwarranted omission.

Other changes to the By-laws will be proposed under new business at the AGM. Foremost is the proposal that the Annual Meeting be moved from the Spring to the Fall. The Spring meeting - held the first Saturday in March as a legal requirement of incorporation - dates back to the earliest days of ISSA (nee ISYRA) when the only regatta on the schedule was an early summer event featuring private school sailors in large one-design boats. Then a Spring meeting was intended to plan the regatta.

As ISSA has grown, more and more of its activities take place during the whole school year and having a meeting at the beginning of the Fall term seems a logical step. The proposed change in the By-laws would set the standing date for the AGM in September or October. The intention of those proposing the change is that there would also be a meeting called early in the Spring, but such significant matters as the election of officers, adoption of the budget, and selection of venues for championships would be moved to the Fall.

Another proposed change is to more meaningfully define membership categories in ISSA. Again dating to the 1930s the sole "members" of ISSA, as defined by the By-laws, have been schools. The more complex nature of ISSA after 75 years has resulted in an expanded constituency that includes individuals, yacht clubs, community sailing programs, corporations, etc. While strongly retaining the primary membership of schools, ISSA seems to need additional categories of members defined by its By-laws.

There are other changes to be considered: raising the minimum number of schools that comprise a district from three to, say, ten, and spell out under whose aegis the boundaries of districts are established.

WEST MARINE JOINS THE PARTNERSHIP [back to index]
Last Fall I received an e-mail that asked, "How can West Marine become a partner to ISSA?"

After considering a number of choices, West Marine decided it could be most effective helping new teams get started. These new teams often need equipment and funding is not easy to find. Each new team that joins its district and ISSA will receive a $500 store credit from West Marine, which has over 200 stores nationwide stocking a complete line of sailboat equipment, safety gear, apparel, etc. as well as catalog mail order sales. When ISSA receives the names and addresses of new school member contacts from districts, we will send them the certificates of store credit.

In addition, ISSA will be mentioned in West Marine advertising, spreading the word about school sailing to a wider audience than ever before. West store managers, who are in many cases already helpful to school teams, will be encouraged to extend that practice. As a general rule, West Marine has no national discount policy, but individual managers have some discretion in this matter.

There may be more good news flowing from this new partnership which is projected for two years and is renewable.

The partnership arrangement which West Marine now joins and into which Vanguard Sailboats joined two years ago is consistent with the long-standing ISSA policy concerning sponsorship. That policy severely limits display of advertising or other commercial expression at our events where the focus remains strictly on the sailors and their sport.

- LAW

 

NOMINATIONS FOR 2000-2001 ISSA
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS [back to index]
PRESIDENT* : Lawrence A. White

VICE PRESIDENTS:
Tim Hogan, Ray Teborek and Roy Williams

SECRETARY: Roger Rawlings

TREASURER: Nancy Healy

DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES**
NESSA: Kevin Hart
MASSA: TBA
SAISA: Tom Monkus
MWISA: Richard Wolney
SEISA: Chris Clement
NWISA: John DeMeyer
PCISA: Ted Gazulis

AT-LARGE MEMBERS
John Adams
Nicole Breault
Guy Fleming (PCISA)
Steve Gay (SEISA)
John Gervais (SAISA)
John Pope (NWISA)

* The President is elected by the Board of Directors

** Each District nominates one representative to the Board of Directors and my propose additional at-large Directors. MASSA will name its representative and perhaps a district at-large nominee at its district meeting in late February and proposed nominations for at-large Directors from other districts have not closed.

Submitted by the Nominating Committee
Ray Teborek, Chairman

TEAM RACING BOOK AVAILABLE FROM ISSA[back to index]
ISSA has obtained a quantity of the new (1999) team racing book produced in the UK under the aegis of the Eric Twiname Trust. This is the book you want if you are going to team race. In fact, every member of your school team should have a copy.

The new book is called "Team Racing for Sailboats" by Steve Tylecote and is published by Fernhurst Books, a respected name in sailing books for many years. It's list price is $20, ISSA has obtained a discount that lets us offer it at $16.00, shipping included.

To order send $16.00 (checks made out to ISSA) for each copy to ISSA, Box 397, Niantic, CT 06357-0397.

DISTRICT ALLOCATIONS SET FOR ISSA 2000
MALLORY, BAKER AND CRESSY CHAMPIONSHIPS [back to index]
Based on membership totals as of January 1 the following are the final allocations for the 2000 Mallory and Baker national championships and tentative berths for the 2000 Cressy regatta next Fall:

Note: Cressy sailors elect which rig they will use for the entire series from district eliminations to finals.

The Mallory doublehanded fleet championship is at Long Beach (CA) Sailing Center May 13-14. The Baker team racing championship is at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA May 20-21. The 2001 Cressy singlehanded championship is at Sand Point (Seattle) WA November 11-12, 2000.

REPORTS FROM THE DISTRICTS [back to index]
MWISA
Midwest ISSA Secretary Chris Mitchell has announced the new district website www.missa.net is up and operating with all the info on the district, but looking for ideas for a distinctive district logo and/or burgee. Webmaster is Tom McGrath, reachable by e-mail at missa@missa.net with your input. For more specific information or to schedule a visit from district officers to discuss school sailing in your area, e-mail Chris at whychris@aol.com Chris is also hard at work developing a team racing clinic and schedule, introducing a form of racing that has been rare in the Midwest.

The district elimination regatta for the two berths in the Mallory regatta will be in CFJs April 29-30 at Lake Mendota, Wisconsin. Date and venue for the Baker eliminations tba.

MASSA
District Director Bill Schneider has called for the Annual Meeting of MidAtlantic ISSA for Sunday February 20 1300-1600 (2/20/2000!) at the Robert Crown Center at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. Bill has put a number of issues on the agenda. These include whether to have the district qualifying regatta for the Mallory a one- or two-day event, what to do if more teams want to compete in the championship than the 18 for which there are boats, what system should be used to determine district Mallory entries if weather prevents completion of the required minimum of three races, and how can school be encouraged to pay dues by December 31 when the penalty of being in arrears does not become a problem until the Spring season.

The meeting will also involve schools signing up for Spring regattas with each school choosing a regatta (in the order based on its position in the fall championship standings) until all slots are filled. District members will also elect district officers and nominate representative(s) to the ISSA Board of Directors. The district Mallory qualifying will be April 15 and perhaps 16 at USNA.

The Virginia League (VISA) based in Norfolk has been busy getting organized. At a meeting of coaches Randy Stokes was elected Director and the Board of Governors consists of one representative of each member school. The league should get a big boost this spring as the national Baker team racing championship will be sailed in its waters at Old Dominion University.

NESSA
Interest in the inaugural Great Oaks Regatta last Fall was such that next year NESSA will schedule a qualifying regatta for eligible new schools, perhaps incorporating it in the Fall Funfest Regatta. District President Roger Rawlings notes that burgeoning growth in southwest Connecticut, notably the success of the Fairfield County League. It is an area with many young sailors ripe for development of school sailing competition.

The league has already scheduled a coaching seminar with Pat Healy February 26 at Pequot YC to which any school coach is invited. For details contact Kevin Baker. The League is also working on a coaches and sailors' seminar with Tufts U. coach Ken Legler at a time and venue tba.It also is working on having as many as 18 420s among member schools by the start of the Spring season.

At its Annual Meeting NESSA named St. Sebastian School sailors Christopher Patterson and Patrick Rynne recipients of the Stephen B. Leslie Award for sportsmanship. Chris and Patrick dove into 40-degree water to rescue a rival skipper from Manchester HS during a dual team racing meet. The Manchester sailor had become entangled after capsizing and was being dragged under as his boat turtled. In order to get underwater to free him Patrick had to remove his PFD and fill his drysuit. The two heroes were nominated for the ISSA Bullivant Trophy and for the US SAILING Rescue Medal.

At the meeting Roger Rawlings (Hotchkiss School) was reelected President, Jim Terkelson (Barnstable HS), Vice President, and Rob Hurd (Tabor Academy), Secretary/Treasurer.

The schedule that has the Mallory and Baker just one week apart and the conflict with Easter weekend have forced NESSA to crowd its qualifying regattas. The O'Day doublehanded championship will be one two-day weekend event and a fourth qualifying site has been added. This year those sites are at Hotchkiss, Boston Community Boating, Barnstable, and St. George's School; the date is Saturday April 29. The finals for the George O'Day Trophy will be at MIT Sunday, April 30. The qualifying regatta for the Baker and for the Fritz Mark Trophy will be at Yale May 12-13. Since this will conflict with the Mallory, schools will have to spell out who in their required resume who sailed what and when to enable NESSA officials to better assess relative team strengths.

Other confirmed dates: Down East Regatta at Maine Maritime Academy May 13-14; Women's Invitational for the Herreshoff Trophy May 21 at UNH; Singlehanded championship for the Healy Trophy and qualification for the 2000 Cressy at Wadawanuck YC hosted by Stonington HS September 24; Fall Funfest Regatta for the Gleekman Trophy at Community Boating Sunday, October 1.

NWISA
of the Northwest ISSA met in November at Port Townsend where the members named John DeMeyer its representative to the ISSA Board of Directors and John Pope as district Chairman. Carol Pope is Treasurer. The members also set up a committee to draft district by-laws.

The Spring regatta schedule for NWISA consists of the following: Kick Off Regatta at Oak Harbor March 18-19; Team Racing Weekend at Poulsbo April 15-16; Mallory eliminations at Anacortes April 29-30; and Baker eliminations at Bainbridge Island May 6-7.

ON ISSA RACE COURSES… [back to index]
SACRED HEART ACADEMY WINS SUGAR BOWL REGATTA
Led by its B Division crew of Hartley Meric/Julie Guider, who had a perfect score with eight wins in the eight races, Sacred Heart Academy of New Orleans won the annual Sugar Bowl Regatta December 28-29. Four schools participated in an event hosted by the Sugar Bowl Committee. The first day was blown out, but nearly ideal conditions the second let 16 races be sailed. In A Division the Westwood HS of Austin, TX crew of Stephen Gay/Ryan Sparkman/Katie Danowicz took the low point honors while leading their school to second place. Mount Carmel Academy from New Orleans finished third.

NEWPORT HARBOR HS, CORONADO HS LEAD PCISA SERIES
After two of the five regattas to determine the West Coast championship Newport Harbor HS with two first places and Coronado HS with a pair of seconds lead 39 PCISA schools for the 1999-2000 district championship. Remaining in the series are the Cardinal Regatta February 26-27, the Gaucho Regatta, and the PCISA championship. The best three of the first four regattas count 10 percent and the district championship counts 70 percent toward the final score for each school. The top five schools qualify for the five slots allotted to PCISA for the Mallory Regatta.

NHHS and Coronado HS finished one, two in the Anteater sailed at Newport Harbor YC December 11-12 with The

Bishop's School third, U of San Diego HS fourth, and Pt. Loma HS fifth. NHHS crews were low point in both Division A and B as its A Division crew of Scott Hogan/Meredith Potter won five out of eight races.

The Rose Bowl Regatta at Alamitos Bay YC January 8-9 had the largest attendance in PCISA history, 37 schools plus JV teams (which were not scored). Newport Harbor HS again finished in first place with its A Division crew of Hogan/Potter and B Division of Tyler Haskell/Paige Thompson. Coronado HS took another second place led by B Division-low point winners Mike Anderson/Danelle LeFerer. The crew of Brian Lake/Cassandra Harris of U. of San Diego HS dominated A Division and carried their school into fifth place overall.. Woodrow Wilson HS of Long Beach was third and Marin Catholic HS fourth.

ODDS AND ENDS [back to index]

• The ISSA coaching seminar program for the current school year began in Florida at the NSTS led by coaches Roy Williams and Roger Rawlings and includes future ones in New England and MidAtlantic with Pat Healy, and in the Midwest (Holland-Christian area of Michigan) with Roger Rawlings. ISSA provides the transportation to the seminar for the seminar leader(s) who need local housing and a meeting site. This is a noteworthy service of ISSA and districts are urged to take advantage of it. Coordinating the seminar program is Sarah Davidson, e-mail tdavid3819@aol.com.

• The 12th annual Oyster Bay Sailing Foundation Advanced Racing Clinic is scheduled for Memorial Day Weekend (May 27-29) at the US Merchant Marine Academy. The clinic includes on-the-water drills with coaching from "top-level coaches" plus lectures, presentation on tactics, and other aspects of high performance sailing. For details or application contact Susie Trotman at 516-367-3238 or by e-mail to Strotman@compu- serve.com.

• Kevin Baker, director of the Fairfield (CT) League, has joined the ISSA Board of Directors as a representative of NESSA, replacing Hart Kelley, who resigned under the press of business. Kevin is working on program to increase awareness of school sailing particularly among yacht clubs. School sailing is currently the fastest growing element of the sport of sailing, but having the support of organizations with sailing facilities is an absolute must if that growth is to be maintained.

• During the first half of 1999 BOAT/US distributed more than 2000 life jackets free to boating organizations, in its loaner program more than 7000 since inception of the program in 1997. Schools forming sailing teams might want to look into participating in the program. For details call 703-823-9550, ext. 3200.

2000 ISSA CHAMPIONSHIPS [back to index]
National Fleet Racing Championship for the Mallory Trophy
May 13-14 at US SAILING Center, Long Beach, CA
Host district: PCISA

Twenty schools with two doublehanded crews racing CFJs in two divisions. Participants determined by districts per allocations.

Contact: Tim Hogan at 714-434-4400.

National Team Racing Championship for the Baker Trophy
May 20-21 at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Host district: MASSA

Twelve school teams consisting of three doublehanded crews racing as a team. Teams determined by districts per allocations.

Contact: Mitch Brindley at 757-683-3387.

CLASSIFIED ADS [back to index]
Readers of the ISSA Newsletter are invited to send us ads for our Classified Section. They must be of interest to school sailors, coaches, advisors, etc., and be subject to editing. Classifieds can be used to find or sell boats, give learning opportunities for school sailors, and offer sailing instructor employment. There is no cost to ISSA members for one-time publication of classified ads. All others: $25.00 pre-paid per issue.

INSTRUCTORS: Sailing/water skiing at top Maine children's camps offering Sunfish and master crafts. Contact Geoffrey Newman, 2914 Medinah St., Weston, FL 33332 (ws)

RACING COACHES/INSTRUCTORS WANTED: YMCA Camp Letts on Chesapeake Bay is looking for enthusiastic sailors to team youth 8-16 in Lasers, Bytes, Optimists, Flying Scots, windsurfers, and 25-ft. sloops. Offering room/board, competitive salaries, and pre- and post-season employment opportunities. Contact Ian Fallon, PO Box 208, Edgewater, MD 21037. Tel. 410-798-0440 or e-mail irfallon@annapolis.net (ws)

NOW HIRING: Sailing Program Director, Fishters Island YC (NY), mid-June to Labor Day. Entails organization/supervision of 7 senior and junior instructors, supervision/maintenance of 21 club-owned sail and power boats, organization of junior training, recreational, and racing program with 50-60 sailors per monthly session. Mature individual sought, capable of relating both to parents and juniors. For information, contact Monique Kinsolving at 212-493-4569 or moniquekinsolving@chase. (ws)

ABOUT THE ISSA NEWSLETTER … [back to index]

ISSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS [back to index]

THESE CAN HELP… [back to index]
ISSA offers plenty of material to help organize a sailing team, drum up support, improve competitiveness and run a regatta.