Hello Fellow MoWinders,

 

Jack wrote and excellent synopsis of last year and what we need to do for the upcoming year. 

Thanks Much Jack, your time and efforts in the last year are appreciated. You have done an outstanding job as President.

 

Hopefully all the Race Directors can participate in the annual meeting as this is where decisions are made that effect the upcoming year.  This where we have a chance to improve on the great thing we have going already.  No where else in the country is there an organization like MoWind.  We should be proud of what we have and continue developing it.

And it is great when someone like Phillip responds and wants to participate.  That’s what keeps MoWind alive.

 

I’m not exactly sure but I believe the first MoWind meeting was in 1990 at the Michigan City Yacht Club.  I should remember more for I was present.

But it’s exciting to see MoWind is almost 20 years old.

 

Scott Haas and Ulf did a great job on the new MoWind web site this year.  The web site really shows the world who we are and what we do.  Oh and How much fun we have.

Thanks Scott for offering to do the web site for 09.  A thought I have is to add some of the old pictures and race results to the web site.  I have some MoWind Regatta Year end Results on my computer.

 

Congratulations to Craig Bergh for USW Sailor of the Year.  He has done an outstanding job as MoWind treasure and insurance guy.  He has done such great job with the Mid-West Speed Quest it has made us known around the world.

 

Congrads to Carolyn Boersma also for all her hard work and dedication!

 

 

Insurance:

Insurance has been a big issue for over the last year mainly because of the addition of Kiting.  It’s too bad Kiting can be rather dangerous and it is going through the same insurance growing pains windsurfing did many years ago.  MoWind cannot forget the fact that the insurance is the main reason for MoWind.  We can not let Kiting jeopardize that.  I’m sure all the active race directors and officers of MoWind will agree we don’t want our insurance dropped.  It would be a blessing if someone in our group was or knew an insurance expert.  At this time I feel any event that wants to be a MoWind event but is not covered by our MoWind policy should have a rider to their policy stating MoWind as an additional insured.  Our Insurance officer would have to have a copy stating that before the event occurs.

 

Events:

Arnie has volunteered to do the calendar this year.  Kudos to him he has been doing an outstanding job so far.

As far as the number of Events go.  At this time I feel there are enough.  But to make room for another event or someone else to get the experience and reward of running an event I am not doing the Walleye Waggatta in 2009.  I do offer my racing equipment including boat to anyone who wants to run a regatta here on this end of Lake Winnebago.  I would even help by being a race officer.  The Wind Power Champs date to be decided yet.

It is great to see the Dam Jam doing so well in Iowa, a state we had not had a regatta in before.  The Crib Run in Chicago came back this year; hopefully it will stay and grow.  I believe it is due to new blood in the Evanston Windsurfing Asso.  Good job guys and girls.

 

Scoring:

DNF: the MoWind high point scoring has been working well since the birth of MoWind, Almost 20 years. The only issue I see that could be improved would be a DNF.  There are times such as the slalom races at the Dan Jam the last 2 years, where many racers opted not to race at all because of the conditions.  Others raced, tried their hardest but could not finish. Getting only 1 point for DNF doesn’t seem fair or really worth it, it that particular instance. So I agree the DNF point is not always fair.  I hope us as a team can come up with a just solution.  We have to be careful and look at all the possible scenarios.  I vote a committee to work on different options and then see how they work in all possible scenarios.  They would then present that to everyone and we would vote. 

20 Min. TIME LIMIT: As too the time cut off of 20 min Phil was talking about, I can comment on it as I was responsible for it.  As PRO for the USW Nationals in Worthington last year I had to write the race instructions.  I looked at the last few years Nationals and other races on the National Tour like Calemas Mid-Winters down in Fl.  They all had a 20 min cutoff.  Most big regattas have to; it keeps things flowing in a timely manner.  It seems like there was some confusion as to how it worked.  Each Fleet and the Formula Fleet had their own 20 min cutoff.  A fleet, Sport Fleet and Workshop Fleet, as well as the Formulas.  I feel the Nationals are a big event and that is standard of that caliber of an Event.  Many Nationals you have to qualify to attend.  I very well understand the frustration for I was in that boat in the 1996 Mistral World Championship.  Getting my but kicked in bid seas on the Mediterranean only to see the race committee pull anchor and leave just before I made the line.  I felt like a drowned rat and was not happy, but that is how big races are.  Only AT the Nationals, were the racers that didn’t make the 20 min. time limit scored as DNF.  All Other MoWind Regattas in 2008 the racers were scored where they were on the course at the time of the cutoff. I feel that’s fair and it helps keep things flowing and not really wear out the slower racers. 

 

Awards:

Jack took care of the year end awards for MoWind in 08.  Thanks much Jack!  I know there was some disappointment because there was a committee appointed at our 08 yearly phone conference.  Jack was not on that committee.  In the future maybe we need to setup a time table and have it posted on the MoWind site for all the committees and what’s going on.  That way others will help remind for I understand everyone is busy and things get put on the back burner and get forgotten.

 

Sponsorship and Raffle:

Craig did and outstanding job this year with sponsorship and supporting the raffle.  He donated a sail, wind meter and GPS to the raffle:  As of yet we have not raffled anything as we have not received enough monies to make it worth while.  I believe we raised about $300 so far and have a few finalists.  I feel we should raffle an item till we receive about the same dollar value as the product.  At this point we haven’t been getting much in terms of donated raffle items:  MoWind needs to get enough from them to make it worth while.  Those monies from the raffle have put MoWind in a position to pay for the Insurance with out borrowing till the race organizers pay.  It has also paid for the awards.  We need to make the most out of the raffle, so I feel when we get an item to raffle we should put a value on it (retail price) and get that before we raffle it.

 

2009 MoWind Officers and committees:

We need to elect new officers.  Jack has done an excellent job as president putting his heart into it.  But he has stated he will not be able to be president next year.  So we need nominees.  Hopefully all the other officers are good for another fun year.

 

I will be in Florida on the 20^th but I plan to make the phone conference.

I do suggest moving the meeting to Jan., say Sunday Jan. 11^th.  Reason be, we should hash over the above topics and any other topics anyone else has, before we have the meeting.  The more we hash things out before the meeting the easier it will be to keep the meeting around an hour.  The meeting should be final decisions not new information to process.

 

Happy Holidays

 

 

Kevin Gratton
Wind Power Windsurfing & Kitesurfing
920-922-2550
www.windpowerwindsurfing.com