T-Shirt Slogan Contest, Swim Tests, Spring Regattas

1) Post your T-shirt slogans in the comments section.

2) Should we do swim tests next week or postpone them until 1st week of Spring?

3) As you know, the races are on:

April 1-2 FUJ @ Iowa - 2 teams

April 8-9 - 3 Divison @ Wisconsin

April 8-9 - St. Francis Yacht Club Invitational in San Francisco (berth not yet confirmed)

April 15-16 (Easter) - 1 Division Regatta @ Minnesota

April 22-23 - Wet Willie @ Northwestern

4) Funding meeting for San Francisco regatta is this Wednessday. Any officers who can turn up to help our case for an airfare grant would be appreciated.

Buying Boats

I talked Adam Werblow who is a coach for Saint Mary's College
on the East Coast and is a consultant for Vanguard who deals
specifically with used and new boat purchases within the ICSA.

He clued me into a couple of deals:

Shipping costs from the East Coast are likely to be $300 per
boat.

Dollies must be difficult to obtain - from SEITECH, they cost
around $450 new, $400 in a bulk order and $125 used.

1. 2 2001 420s from the Naval Academy.
Condition: Fair, some spider-cracking in the bottom of the
hull. Mains are in good shape, jib is crap.
Cost: $2600 per boat, $3000 with sails.
Option: purchase used sails from St. Marys at $175.

2. Between 6-8 1998 Vanguard FJs from the Coast Guard Academy
Cost: $1600 per boat, $2000 with sails
Condition: full rail boats in good condition, must be
bought in even #s(2s, 4s), etc.
Option: The Academy might throw in extra boat parts.

3. Jack May - Sailing Program Director in Plymouth, MA:

"We will be turning over our fleet of 9- 2001 C420's. in August. All are in excellent condition and would be asking towards the top of your range($4000-$4500)".

See http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/classifieds/#wanted for my ad.

4. Joe Quick - Chicago Yacht Club (quick@chicagoyachtclub.org)

"My guess is that we would sell it for around $3000 since the boat is a 2002.

A recent deal that came from Aaron at Wisconsin was one where
we would have paid $2500-3000 for 2001 FJs in February. The Coast Guard Academy FJs are not exactly the same. They are 14 pds. heavier
and have industrial strength hulls. This means they would not
be evenly matched against other MCSA boats in a race. However,
they would be better for our novices as they would be tougher
against collisions.

Mr. Werblow doesn't think we're gonna find many better deals
before about May when other schools get out and there's a
further series of boat turnovers.

I gotta say, these sound like better deals than anything else
I've come across. The college generally takes the lowest cost
option(the Coast Guard one) and we could spend enough money to
get 4 of them at $10,400. Other money could go to a 420.

As for buying within the Midwest to cut towing costs, the
market out here is small.

So far, the boats would have to be stored at Jackson Park. But Imai is looking into talks with Burnham Park Yacht Club, Monroe, and Northwestern.

NB: We have to spend the money or we don't get any more.

Purpose of This Blog

I, Commodore Adrian Cook of the University of Chicago Sailing Club have decided to create a blog so that individuals in the University of Chicago Sailing Club can discuss more effectively the issues facing our club and what we intend to do about them. The most pressing issue to face our club at this point in time are:

- buying new FJs or 420s
- structuring our practices at the Columbia Yacht Club
- upcoming elections in late April
- our season schedule and who can go
- recruitment and fundraising

It is my hope that we will achieve our goals through a free marketplace of ideas and thorugh discussion about the future of our organization.

Cheers, Adrian.