Minutes from the Nov. 9, 2013, Y-Knot Board of Managers’ meeting at Camp YMCA Chingachgook, Pilot Knob, NY, are submitted as follows:
In attendance were: Mark Carnevale, President, Keith Edwards, YMCA Camp Chingachgook Liaison, Don Miller, Vice President, Rick Irvine, Treasurer, Dave Whalen, Spencer Raggio, Dan Kennedy, Scott Stewart, and Dan Byrnes, Secretary. Also in attendance was Bob Chodkowski, an emeritus member of the Board and long-time friend of Y-Knot Sailing.
Minutes were read and approved from the June 17, Aug. 20 and Oct. 8 meetings.
For the Treasurer’s report, Keith Edwards said that the program is still showing a positive operating balance of $1,400 for the year. We are reworking the organization of the budget, so the membership fees line item will go away for example and ROFY will be its own income category,
Other revenue lines will be entry fees for the annual Y-Knot Regatta, Sailabration Banquet, donations, the annual fund raising campaign, and retail items.
As for expense items, we will be eliminating charter fees, and keeping boat repair equipment, regatta expenses, and administrative overhead. The community sailing line item will no longer appear ( or show up as Learn to Sail). We will keep marketing items whereby we purchase retail merchandise and of course regatta travel will be kept as a category.
Don Miller asked if there have been any changes concerning sailing days. Keith said the only difference is that we’re going to be doing Freedoms on Tuesdays, Martins on Saturdays—with one exception in August.
Spencer Raggio suggested that we require a sailor to participate in a certain number of days training before we let them participate in a Regatta with one of our boats. Don asked how many. Spencer suggested 2 on-water sessions and 2 classroom sessions, adding the thought that classroom training we could do any time, even before our first sailing day.
Training topics should now include helpful information for volunteers and companions.
The calendar looks like this:
Volunteer training day: Saturday May 10
Sailing dates: Sat. May 17, Sun. May 25, Sun. June 1, Sun. June 8, Sat. June 14 (Ti Race), Sat. June 28, Sun. Aug. 10 and Sun. Aug. 17. The last regular sailing day before the September Regatta will be Sat. Aug. 23. The last day of sailing will be Sun. Sept. 14.
Group sailing days (using the Freedom No Limit) will be held Tuesdays July 22, Aug. 5 and Aug. 12.
The Y-Knot Regatta will be held Sept. 6-7. There will be an out-of-town regatta in Ottawa July 4-7, AQVA will be in Montreal July 26, and Malletts Bay will be Aug. 2.
For the last day of the sailing schedule, Keith asked everyone to show up and get the volunteers out Oct. 4 to pull the boats out and put them away.
This schedule increases the number of sailing days overall compared with previous years and we will have 3 Martin sailing days in Aug. which we can use as race training or clinics.
Billy Rankin said the camp would aim to have 3 staff members, so we’ll know we have people who can drive the support boats and operate the lifts.
Spencer asked if it’s convenient for groups to use Tuesdays. Billy said yes, that’s what they prefer. We will have no Martins on the water Tuesdays when it’s just No Limit that is being scheduled. Tuesday Aug. 12 does not count as a no Martin day.
As to merchandising activities, Rick Irvine said the vendor is sold out of seat cushions now. Keith said he has a box of white cushions for Rick to screen print.
As to boat repair on boat number 13, Keith said YMCA Camp Chingachgook hasn’t heard back from the insurance adjuster about how much of the repair is going to be covered, something he’d like to know before we authorize the $3,200 repair.
Boat 74 made a complete recovery by Keith for about $500 out-of-pocket.
At the next meeting, we will pick a date for a Fundraiser at Coopers Cave, a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday when there is good weather and people start thinking about sailing.
Under new business, the topic was raised of forming a safety sub-committee, to consider important details such as whether the dock would benefit by having toe rails for example on the northern edge of the main level. Don asked if anyone wants to be on the subcommittee. Keith and Dan Kennedy agreed to serve.
Billy said that US Sailing has inaugurated a program to establish certified accessible sailing centers around the country, and there may be an opportunity for Y-Knot to qualify. Billy said the Camp already has 3 people who participate in the association’s training certification program and regional instructor certification classes are held at the camp regularly. Centers agree to offer sport recreation programs a minimum of 40 days per calendar year. Although we have only 18 organized days on our calendar, if we start to look at related programs, something for the blind and chartering, we might piece enough activity or sailing days available to qualify.
Don pointed out that qualifying would enhance our program if only by allowing us to use the US Sailing logo. Billy said it would benefit the the Camp as well and that he’d like there to be a keel boat program. There might be opportunities for example to take an adventure trip to Florida.
Dan Kennedy said it would be easier to attract people to the program. Everyone agreed that if the Y-Knot Regatta is to become a ladder event in training for Para-Olympic sailing, this is a natural fit.
The Board welcomed returning member Bob Chodkowski who gave a presentation about a the Challenger sailboat, a trimaran that he has been working with in England to develop the fleet there. He asked would Y-Knot have any interest in receiving a boat as a donation. Steve Mintz and Dave Whalen have already been to sail the boat in England and Dave was positively impressed.
Challenger Sailboats has built a few hundred, mostly in the United Kingdom, but also Greece and elsewhere in Europe. It operates under main only, with no jib or spinnaker, and can handle up to about 300 pounds of crew. The boat weighs about 5500 lbs.
There’s one already being sailed in Ottawa, Canada.
Spencer asked if the boats are trailerable. Bob said, yes, but you have to disassemble them for trailering. The boat can be beached. They typically require docks that are lower than ours, so you can pull the ama up onto the dock and put a sailor in the boat.
Keith said we can just launch the Challenger from the beach and use the Hobie cart to move it around.
Spencer asked if there was any time frame yet for the donation, and Bob said there was not. He said he was willing to make a donation to help with shipping and Dave Whalen also expressed a willingness to help underwrite the cost of shipping.
Our next meeting will be January 21st, 2014, at the Clifton Park YMCA.