Tom Hubbell Signing off as President of US Sailing

by Tom Hubbell

   
This week I’m going off watch. Bruce Burton takes his post at the weather rail of the quarterdeck and I’m confident we are in good hands with him as the next President of US Sailing. Bruce has a sailing, engineering, and business career that demonstrates leadership ability. He has talent in analysis, creativity, planning, people skills, and meticulous execution. He also knows the art of course corrections en route. 

It is always fun being with sailors, sharing stories of our shared passion for boats, water and wind. I’ve sailed Thistle regattas with my team this fall at Atwood Yacht Club in Ohio, Pymatuning Yacht Club in Pennsylvania, and Cleveland Yachting Club on Lake Erie, followed by a moonlight sail on a Yankee. We raced at Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis and last weekend we raced boats in snow showers at our place on Chautauqua Lake in Western New York. Earlier this month, I enjoyed talking with sailing legends at the National Sailing Hall of Fame induction weekend at Bay Head Yacht Club in New Jersey.  

Though no leadership tenure is without its challenging moments, I have had a lot of fun working with about 150 sailors who represent the core of our dedicated volunteer base and the 35 very committed, hardworking, and talented staff at US Sailing. The sailing and life accomplishments of our US Sailing Board of Directors are extraordinary and I salute their engagement in our cause. Our cause is growing sailing, educating sailors, teaching seamanship and safety, making racing fair and fun, and raising Olympic and Paralympic winning teams. No one likes three-hour phone sessions or to travel to all-day in-person meetings, but that is what it takes and I think we got a few things accomplished.

The board, staff, and key volunteers share the passion for boats, water and wind, plus one more thing, enriching the sport. The new folks coming on board are at least as strong. We are led tirelessly by the steady hand of Jack Gierhart, Executive Director of US Sailing. Our collaboration has been easy and fully-aligned. Thanks Jack! And thanks to Past President Dave Rosekrans for pulling me on board for this adventure 15 years ago. 

If you are itching to do more for the sport, give me a hint and I will find an interesting position to apply your talents.

Sailing is an into-the-elements experience. The most committed, life-long participants seem to come from the ranks of those who were immersed (probably literally) in sailing by the time they were 14. I hope your club or community sailing facility or camp or Sea Scout ship welcomes those kids with their exuberant voices, wet clothes, and boating misadventures as warmly as visiting royalty, for they are the future of our sport. Help them learn everything about sailing and a good way to live the sailing lifestyle.

Tom Hubbell

President of US Sailing

Reflections from the President - Soaking Wet

by Tom Hubbell

I’m actually a fan of formal dining. My parents were pretty formal and although we lived on an engineer and a social worker’s income, they routinely enjoyed formal meals at home or occasionally in restaurants. But with a few fantastic exceptions, a club that focuses on white tablecloth dining rooms is missing the ingredients it takes to have a vibrant sailing hub.

I submit that the single best indicator of a vibrant sailing institution is whether it is normal to see a soaking wet 12-year-old in a life jacket gadding about in the common areas of the club - not the junior sailing hut, but the club’s primary facility. 

I have enjoyed sailing and visiting many clubs and community sailing centers each year all over the country in my 14 years of involvement with the US Sailing Board of Directors. When junior sailing is active and welcome within the ‘adult’ spaces it is much more likely to become a multigenerational club. When kids are in this space there is a level of excitement that is contagious. Junior sailing encourages more training programs offered by these organizations. Clubs that discover the value of training for all ages and skill levels, including race management and safety, quickly see increased participation across the board.

If you can’t wait for the kids to grow up and populate your club, then you’ll want to recruit young adults and former collegiate sailors looking for new opportunities. I don’t hear them clamoring for white tablecloth dining either. I believe they are looking for a welcoming place, lower membership costs, access to club-owned boats, reasonably priced burgers and beer, and a shower.

And while solo boats and couples boats are fun, it may be that three-person one-designs and three or four-person boats in PHRF fleets are a necessary backbone for sustainability. There must be a reason that Thistles, Flying Scots, Lightnings, J/22s and J/24s are practically everywhere and I suspect the reason is the social glue for which they are famous. They are inviting to mixed-gender, multigenerational teams. They offer local, regional, and national levels of competition.

Out of necessity, community sailing centers have been getting this right and, guess what, they are booming. Informal, inexpensive, welcoming, focused on training and fun – those are the buzz words for growth. You can still have a nice dining room upstairs as long as it doesn’t compromise having young sailors having the run of the place.

Tom Hubbell

President of US Sailing

Reflections from the President

by Tom Hubbell

A Tale of Two Teammates

I struggled to return to reality after the second Florida Thistle regatta. We had so much fun! Kathy, at 24, perpetually happy and energetic kept the old guys on our toes. Mark, our rock star teammate, started thinking and planning the day on the water as soon as his eyelids popped open in the morning.

After a not-so-great weekend long ago I realized that the first step to enjoyable racing is a compatible, enjoyable team. No matter how intensely you race, there is a lot of time to pass in the boat, in the boat-park, and on the road with your teammates. I became aware that it’s the playmates that count and everything else is secondary.

Reflections from the President - Tale of Two Meals

Tom Hubbell w/Alicia Martorella (Outstanding Community Sailing Director Award)

by Tom Hubbell

Scene 1:  We had a record 340 people in New Orleans two weeks ago for the National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS) which is our premier training and community sailing event. A remarkable majority of the group grew up after the ‘60s; they are younger people engaged in teaching and sharing the sport.  Their enthusiasm spread throughout the symposium sessions and into the social functions some of which made New Orleans proud to host us along with our NSPS mascot, Marvin the Gator.

Reflections from the President - 2014 in Review

by Tom Hubbell, President of US Sailing

The Sailing Leadership Forum in San Diego last February brought over 600 sailors together to share ideas and inspiration. There are a lot of savvy volunteers and US Sailing staff who know about strong programs. US Sailing creates the foundation for sharing that intellectual wisdom. This chemistry gelled into a three-day festival of ideas and sailing enthusiasm. 

The US Sailing Board, consisting of six women and nine men, meets three times a year in person and monthly by phone. The typical phone conference takes two hours! Sailors on the board have distinguished backgrounds that represent all areas of the sport. They are engaged in growing the sport and supporting racing, and they are simply good people with whom to work. Membership is growing and we only use black ink for the bottom line.

Reflections from the President - Meet us in Milwaukee

by Tom Hubbell, President of US Sailing

   
Are you going to US Sailing’s National Conference in Milwaukee on October 23-25?  If growing sailing and supporting racing is important to you, I want to see you there. Let’s have a good time and talk sailing.

Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend US Sailing’s National Conference...

Reflections from the President - US Sailing by the Numbers

by Tom Hubbell, President of US Sailing

I am used to people being a bit off balance when they encounter their doctor, me, around town outside of the medical setting. I have a strategy for dealing with that.  Now I’m learning a strategy to answer the quizzical expression leading to the inevitable question, what does it mean to be the President of US Sailing? 

Here is the answer: What it means is spending some serious time around enthusiastic sailors engaged in the sport. 

What are “we” doing? We are fully engaged to make US Sailing the leading source of expertise ready to assist local clubs and sailing centers. All of us who commit to being members are doing that.

Here is a capsule of examples that represent US Sailing's involvement and influence on our sport:

Reflections from the President

By Tom Hubbell, President of US Sailing

On Father’s Day I got to race my Thistle at the home fleet with my daughter, Sophie. That was fun! For the three weekends before that I raced Thistle regattas in Ohio and New York, and one day of a C Scow regatta on Cuba Lake in New York. One woman said she heard the President was coming to the regatta and that she expected to see a guy in a blazer and regalia; guess she was pleasantly surprised that presidents of US Sailing wear dinghy sailing clothes and actually go sailing.

I keep a tally just for fun. I have gone sailing on 32 days, experienced seven kinds of boats, competed in 29 races, in 10 locations scattered coast-to-coast in six states. There is a recurring theme at all those venues: energetic, outdoor-minded people who are fun to be with and who are nuts about trimming the sails and making the boat go. Many are so full of the sport that they desperately want to share it, to bring in new people. You might be one of those spark plugs. We are lucky to have a bunch of them on the Board of Directors and on our staff at US Sailing. Check out our Board of Directors’ roster. It is quite remarkable the depth of sailing talent, insightful leadership, and commitment to the sport of sailing represented on this Board of Directors. Our staff is a parallel world of excellence as well.

We saw and heard a lot of you spark plugs at the Sailing Leadership Forum in San Diego in February. That was such great karma at the SLF that we are changing our fall get-together into a National Conference (formerly the Annual Meeting). You are invited to Milwaukee this October. Every member of US Sailing is welcome to join the discussion and the fun of this conference.

The three days will include sharing of ideas, a deeper dive into current programming, and informal social breaks and parties. We will hear about several very successful events and programs. We will visit the Harken factory and recognize our outstanding sailors at an awards banquet. There is time for committees to meet face to face along with any interested sailors in attendance. It is a time for us to welcome potential new leaders and volunteers to the national discussion. The very brief Annual General Meeting and Board meetings will get the official business done. The real business consists of getting all you spark plugs connected to each other to energize our wonderful sport. It won’t be as good if you are not there, really. If you can’t make it to Milwaukee, push hard for your other enthusiastic sailing buddies to make the trip, especially from your yacht club or sailing center. I promise that being there will change the future of your local sailing experience for the better.

We have a new US Sailing website and we are building a new US Sailing for the 21st Century. We need all sailors on board as members supporting this adventure.

See you on the water and in Milwaukee,

Tom Hubbell
President of US Sailing

Reflections from the President

By Tom Hubbell, President of US Sailing

For years, my sailing activities consisted of 95% racing, usually with my wife, Pat, and our friend, Punch.  But that changed one evening, after a full day of racing. During the social hour I saw that my friend Charlie’s boat was still rigged. I asked and he replied that it was just too nice an evening to put the boat away and he was looking for someone to go for a sail. I accepted and the next hour changed my perspective forever.

Charlie had been the Thistle Class President and National Champion. He was an icon. Time stood still as we sailed his Thistle on our little lake as twilight approached. We missed the regatta dinner but we solved the world’s problems and shared family stories. 

I’m still racing - three regattas and 16 races so far this year. But that day Charlie rekindled my awareness and enjoyment so that I can also make time to just go sailing for an hour, or an evening, or a day. I wish I had learned this when the kids were still small.

I have enjoyed reading the sailing commentary lately promoting the adventure, the recreation, the pure fun, and the idea of not pushing new sailors so much into the competitive side of the sport. Nevin Sayre speaks to the issue enthusiastically in his presentation from our Sailing Leadership Forum in February. 

A number of creative sailing educators and entrepreneurs have long been aware of the reality that most sailors enjoy the sport without racing but as an adventure, an escape, a lifestyle, or simply open sailing.  And they know that many very active racing sailors also relish adventures on the water with no scorekeeping. I’m one of those. Most of us are not just one kind of sailor.

A 2003 McKinsey study about the sport kindled our restructuring and the beginning of our new approach to recreational sailing. Since then, US Sailing has been looking for ways to support the work of instructors and the play of folks whose focus is the enjoyment of going sailing. It’s a fact that pure enjoyment of wind and water is the glue that binds all sailors. Community sailing programs and sailing clubs succeed when they create sailing activities that build collegiality of their sailing community, more so than working to define the hierarchy of competitive prowess. It comes down to helping build a community of sailors.

Through US Sailing, we’re providing forums and seminars for networking and sharing best practices to support local sailing organizations (Sailing Leadership Forum, National and Regional Sailing Symposiums.). A recurring theme at those sessions is that we must share our enthusiasm about boats without prematurely pushing a racing agenda.

We’re providing training programs at multiple levels, offered at many places that bring sailors together to raise their skills, while improving safety and seamanship (Safety at Sea, Bareboat Cruising, Safety, Rescue & Support Boat Handling, etc.).

We have a fabulous means to connect young people to the water. The Reach program is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education pathway for teaching science and math using the maritime experience as a platform. And there is much more that US Sailing offers for individual sailors through local sailing programs.

I believe we are also fostering an inclusive culture that celebrates the incredible variety of ways that sailing can be enjoyed. There is no “one best way.” It’s up to all of us to find ways to support each other’s time on the water. As we do that, we can share the magical experience with youth, young adults, and anyone who enjoys being outside.

It is a challenge for US Sailing to address the needs of this incredibly broad-spectrum of our sport. If you have ideas or comments about supporting or promoting adventure sailing or recreational sailing, please send me a note. The future of sailing in the U.S. depends on our achievements in growing the sport, for the recreational sailor as well as the racing sailor.

See you on the water!

Tom Hubbell
President of US Sailing

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @TomHubbell

We want to hear your thoughts on cruising and how US Sailing can support this area of the sport. Submit your comment below...

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US Sailing at Charleston Race Week

US Sailing had a blast last week with the competitors and organizers of the Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week. Here is a rundown of US Sailing’s participation in Charleston:

• Groupe Beneteau sponsored scholarships for 21 educators working in at-risk schools in Charleston and Marion County South Carolina for the US Sailing STEM Educator Course held last Saturday in association with Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week.
  
• At the welcome reception, US Sailing Executive Director Jack Gierhart discussed the benefits of Reach and the program’s long term goals. 
   
• US Sailing served free coffee and espresso to competitors each morning at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina's Reel Bar. US Sailing President Tom Hubbell was on-hand meeting sailors. Coffee and espresso was provided by Francisco Davila’s Coffee Roasters of Charleston. US Sailing members were given one pound of fresh roasted coffee. We served 970 cups of coffee over three days!
   
• Race committee volunteers Carol and Ken Small of Oriental, N.C. won the the GoPro Hero3 raffle prize.

Check out our photos from Charleston Race Week on Instagram.
 
Learn more about Charleston Race Week.

Reflections from the President

By US Sailing President Tom Hubbell

Prepared For the Future

Prepared to gybe
I’m not sure just exactly how I managed to fall out of the boat. A Thistle on her side, spinnaker nicely woven through the standing rigging, it’s not pretty. We accepted help to retrieve vital gear and a DNF in that race at Thistle Midwinters East. In the debrief, we realized why we got to swim. I had called the gybe but did not allow time for us to prepare. To my team’s credit, we literally shook off the big negative and 30 minutes later had our best race of the week.

Prepared to support the sport
There’s another message in that story. US Sailing has had a few blown gybes in its history and it has had some great come-backs. Coming in as president and taking the helm of US Sailing, I did prepare and so did the team. I’ve witnessed four presidents up close. But, as much as one can learn about US Sailing, there seems always another layer of detail, another avenue of engagement, another deeply committed volunteer, and another area of expertise among the staff.

You should be confident in knowing that our current board of directors actively engages to steer the organization and the sport to take the lead at the top mark. We won’t be capsizing. The leadership is dedicated, prepared, and knows the sport. US Sailing is looking for teammates to be a part of the 21st Century growth of sailing. The sailing community needs all of us on board as supporters of our national sailing organization. Every sailor needs to hike-out to keep this boat on her lines and going fast.

Reflections from the President

By US Sailing President Tom Hubbell
   
The reviews and feedback we have received from the Sailing Leadership Forum in San Diego earlier this month reveals that a lot of good people have a variety of good approaches to strengthen and grow the sport. They’re excited. I’m delighted to see this energy and creativity flowing into sailing.
What follows is one thoughtful commentary from Lou Sandoval's blog, Co-Owner/Co-Founder Karma Yacht Sales, with permission, slightly condensed.

Reflections from the President

Two Lives.  So, what are you doing with yours?

This year, two of my favorite sailors have “crossed over the bar,” as one had written.  Both lived and worked to make sailing more accessible, more fun, and more meaningful to people of all stripes.  We were travelers on the same path.  It made me wonder, what am I doing to advance the mission?

I met Greg Norwine in Colorado Springs at a US Sailing meeting about 12 years ago.  He was there encouraging the notion of improving the training of keelboat sailors and bringing them into focus through US Sailing’s binoculars.  A soft-spoken and personally engaging fellow, whatever he was selling you would buy and be happy.  We hit it off.  He got the Cruising Council launched and we started collaborating on related issues in US Sailing.  Over 3,000 people a year take keelboat courses, at schools like his, and they all join US Sailing to do it.  Greg’s contribution to the overall success of keelboat schools and the multiple levels of curriculum development via US Sailing remains undiscovered, because he took no credit.  Greg was a class act.

Two-hundred people attended Charlie Leighton’s memorial service on a gorgeous day in Newport, RI.   Appropriately, a brisk wind blew through the tent and ruffled the outfits and hair of all the sailors and friends present.  Charlie created the sailing program at Bowdoin College as a student in the 50’s, sailed all his life, excelled in business, led US Sailing as Executive Director in his “retirement,” and showered the people he cared for with an enduring encouragement that no one will forget.  His advice was clearly his own belief, “find something important, and make it better.”  I will not forget his conviction and encouragement to make something good happen.  He lifted our sailing organization by business wisdom, genuine personal inspiration, and the sheer force of his positive belief in the good people around him. 

I don’t have to tell you that sailing is something important.  It builds character and it’s fun, outdoors, green, frequently competitive, social, and much more.  Let’s keep working on making it better. 

I have a goal:  wherever we are having a meeting, there should be some sailing!  This week, the leadership convenes at Captiva Island, Florida for US Sailing’s Annual Meeting.  My team plans to win the Championship of Committees Regatta at the Colgate School next door.  Both the legacy of our sport and the promise of the future are on our minds.  From whatever backgrounds and sources of inspiration, people who are volunteer leaders and committee members love the sport and want to spread and enhance its enjoyment.  We each have been motivated by a Greg or a Charlie - people of unique stature.  Let’s get to work making our important pastime even better.

If you can’t be in Captiva this week but have been inspired to share and grow the sport, please join the sailing love-fest at Sailing Leadership Forum 2014.  Sailing is important and we need your engagement to make it even better. Join the party at the Leadership Forum in San Diego this February.  We need local spark plugs, regional organizers, creative people for national work groups and committees.  Learn, lead, and network with motivated sailors.  The first step is to just show up and see what is happening.  We need you!

Cheers,

Tom Hubbell
US Sailing President

Reflections from the President: My America's Cup Experience

My little grandsons don’t care what boats cost and they don’t yet know the game.  They’ve sailed with me in my Thistle, C Scow, and Laser. But now they’ve seen really, really big cats foiling like rocket ships aimed right at them and the first mark. They noticed and went back to the sand on the beach to play.  The Ellison gamble of bringing the mega-everything Cup races to the San Francisco shore has in fact, reached tens of thousands of spectators. Many must be new to our sport based on what I heard in the shoreline questions and chatter.

Reflections from the President

As part of an individual’s commentary in Scuttlebutt 3888, he requested that US Sailing explain what the organization is doing to grow grassroots sailing. He missed my January memo to members and interested on-lookers:

Our “mission consists of growing the sailing experience for anyone with a drive to learn, whether that person is a novice or a soon-to-be Olympian.” The Leadership Forum in February 2014 will connect leaders from all aspects of our sport such as sail training and education, yacht club and sailing organization management, racing associations and organizations including one-design and handicap classes, race officials, and industry professionals.

To single out a few of US Sailing’s highlights in 2013, so far this year we have...

Reflections from the President

by Tom Hubbell

July 4th is a good day to talk about volunteers. This past Wednesday evening I tagged along as the fire station horn sent my neighbor, the volunteer fire department’s chief, racing down the road. In a moment we saw a huge plume of smoke and flames coming from a lakefront house. He called in an order - “send everything.” Over the next few minutes fire trucks, support vehicles, and about 50 volunteer firefighters from surrounding villages poured onto the scene. The Chautauqua Lake area has a handful of year-round residents and many thousands of summer transients, like me. Tax dollars, donations, and hundreds of volunteer hours created the ability to serve the common good. That house was gone before the alarm sounded, but the one next door, 20 feet away, is unscathed. We sent one firefighter to the hospital to check his heart. And all of them gave up their first evening of the holiday to serve.

So, what does that have to do with sailing? Plenty. Think about the rescues of property (boats) and people that your club, sailing center, or regatta support boats routinely provide. We sailed Thistles at Sheboygan Yacht Club and Sailing Center on Lake Michigan last weekend. We were supported by a first class race committee, mark-set boats, and safety boats that kept a watchful eye as we enjoyed playing in 20 knot winds and 4 foot waves. The water was cold enough that most of us wore wet suits. Could boats have been lost? Absolutely. Could people have gotten in trouble? Definitely. Who was there to help as well as create our game board? People volunteered to perform in race management.

Take it to the next layer. Where did the training and standards for race management, for small boat safety and rescue, and for sailing center management come from? Those were created by hundreds of volunteers working under the US Sailing umbrella, for hundreds of hours, over many years.

Of course, we also have a dedicated staff that is a daily presence of collaboration and expertise and coordination of our organization. Their passion for sailing and our mission adds immeasurably to our work.

It is time that all kinds of sailors recognize and become supporters of US Sailing’s leadership of the sport.  And our sport will not work without all kinds of volunteers. 

Interested in being a volunteer? It's a lot of fun and great for our sport. Visit the US Sailing directory for a list of committees and contact information.

Be a member. Be a volunteer.

Tom Hubbell

President of US Sailing

Reflections from the President

A Q&A with Tom Hubbell, President of US Sailing

US Sailing: How are some ways one-design classes can overcome challenges in introducing newcomers to their boats?

Hubbell: Picture me about five years ago getting acquainted with a J/22.  Step one, how do you get up there to rig the thing as it sits on the hard? (Need a ladder.)  Step two, how do you safely get the thing into the water? (One big strap up to the hoist.) And so on… Step 10, how does the helmsman get across the boat and around the mainsheet-traveler complex without making a scene or hitting another boat? (Very carefully!)

Here are my keys to onboarding the new kids:
•    Get a mentor and get the videos to learn the basics. 
The Eibers were my mentors and I bought the J/22 video. I needed more help on steering a narrow lane upwind but that’s another story.  The proven strategy for introducing and keeping newcomers is very supportive, tireless, insightful mentoring. 
•    Limit failure. 
Adult learners don’t like failure any better than kids do so we need to anticipate pitfalls and coach them.  And we need to be quick to pick them up when they do fall. We also want to avoid throwing them into the pool over their heads until they’re ready. Going out in a big breeze in an unfamiliar boat probably is not wise. As I learned, sailing a major regatta in a still-unfamiliar boat is the formula for big disappointment, a good slice of humble pie.
•    Connect socially. 
Sailors are the only people who have any idea what we’re talking about when we talk sailing, duh! We need and naturally seek like-minded people to talk to. The new kids need to be pulled into the group and made to feel welcome. And please, use name tags!

US Sailing: Talk about the importance of mentorship programs at yacht clubs and how they keep newcomers to the sport or class engaged… How do these programs typically work?

Hubbell: It’s no secret that small boat sailing grew because of a few dozen charming people who not only promoted the sport but continued to support and encourage their recruits. It is a simple as service after the sale. My take is that people will enjoy and stay engaged in sailing as long as they are learning – and as long as their sailing social network is active.

The Thistle Class made seminars and coaching part of the routine many years ago. The format was a day or half-day of talk and some drills on the water just before a regatta. This is still happening at many Thistle regattas.

Since 1997, we have a seven-day coaching program mixed right in with the Midwinters East Regatta in St. Pete. Every boat that enrolls gets a coach assigned. Some coaches are sailmaker reps and most are top tier sailors in the fleet. They talk every day and the coach gets aboard for an hour sometime during the week. That’s in addition to 1½ to 2½ hours of talk, presentation, race review, or video review every day. We squeeze it in before racing and after racing, and whenever we’re postponed ashore. An intended secondary benefit is that newer sailors find that they are part of the social fabric that includes everyone at the regatta. The coaches often find that they also learn as they teach. 

A spinoff is what one Thistle fleet calls, CrewU. Several Saturday mornings or Wednesday nights they hold training sessions for newer sailors.

It has become routine for sailors to share their skills and knowledge with anyone who is interested.  That is very good for the class and the sport.

Reflections from the President

by Tom Hubbell, President of US Sailing

We are looking for 7,000 new sailors this year. Newcomers will discover sailing because of you, our members, who are wildly-passionate about being on the water and in the wind. 

Why?
Every sailor I know still gets a child-like, ice cream eating grin while retelling that really great day in the boat, even if the story is from 30 years ago. You relish the chance to share your great outdoor experience with the uninitiated. Sure, it’s a different task to sail your boat with rookies instead of your usual crack crew. But we have all seen the happy sailor smile appear on the first-timer’s face. It’s a validation of our own enjoyment. There is a thrill to be part of introducing a young person or an adult friend to our sport. Share the passion of sailing!

What? 
Any boat, any venue, any format will do. One thing I urge is that you not push people into racing before they are ready. It’s a rare new driver who is ready for navigating the expressway at 70 in heavy traffic. I doubt there is anyone who did a slalom race their first day on skis. Or if they did, did they ever come back? Some people compete all day at work, so they want an escape from competition. While many of us are Type A competitive people, we all like not to be thrown in over our heads, made to feel inept, or injured from a misstep. Oh, and need I mention, no yelling. Take some new people out for a good time, show them your sailing lifestyle in a new-user friendly way. Outside, fun, social – nail it!

How? 
You have done your bit on day one and now your “baby” sailor needs to grow. US Sailing trains nearly 2,000 sailing instructors every year adding to the thousands already certified. One of them is working in a club or sailing center or keelboat school near you. You can supplement, reinforce and encourage.  Share your story about learning the sport. It must be a good story because you are still in the game. And please make sure your newborn sailor understands that US Sailing has a training program for every facet of the sport, casual racer to international contender, sailing facility director to top gun race officer or judge. 

US Sailing, we do training to support and grow your sport.

Thank you and I’ll see you on the water.


Tom Hubbell






President of US Sailing

Reflections from the President

By Tom Hubbell

All of the staff and board members at US Sailing hope that you have good clean start on a happy New Year.  I'm hoping to match the fun we had in 2012.