Yes. It's true. I am running for Rear Commodore - Racing.
I was very excited to hear Keith was running for RC Racing as well. It is a great opportunity to discuss the current and future HHSA Racing program. I decided to run for the position this summer after being a member of HHSA and the racing program for years. It was clear to me that the post-COVID sailing environment has opened the door to several ideas for improving and growing our program.
Briefly though, to mirror Keith's Curriculum Vitae:
- Skippered or crewed with HHSA since 2000 in all classes (Mary Beth, Labyrinth/Jubilee, Julep, Coyote, Cantata)
- Currently racing on Fine Tuned and Happy Place
- Raced with Potomac River Sailing Association (2018-2016) Inland 20 Scow
- Past HHSA Commodore (2017-2019)
- Past RC HHSA Communications(2014-2017)
- Competition Committee - 2010 to present
- US Sailing -Club Race Officer Certificate 2015
My goals for the HHSA Racing Program are--
- Making entry into the racing program easier for new members
- Encouraging and improving new racing skills
- Incentivizing current racers to continue to participate
Along with the day-to-day work of RC-Racing such as maintaining the racing marks (haulout/drop, buoy maintenance, flags), racing calendar, course book/instructions updates, and race scoring, I am proposing several new initiatives for the race program. They are--
- Re-establish the Shorthanded Class with its own start
- Add a new Distance Race to Miles River
- Establish a new Cruising Spinnaker class
- Replace the current scoring process with an online app (e.g. Regatta Network, Yachtscoring)
- Monthly racing awards (possibly in conjunction with Dock Hops)
- Review Fleet Awards (Commodore Cup, Boat of the Year, etc) and possible expansion (New Racer Award, Shorthanded Award, etc)
HHSA Racing has the good fortune of growing its racing fleet in the last 2 years after a long period of decline. We have more boats racing on Wednesday and weekends than we have seen in years. By evaluating what has changed in the this period and using those lessons, we can continue to grow our club and pro-actively support sailing on Herring Bay.
Cheers!
Mark
