Learning to sail the USA way.
 

I learned to sail the USA way - in the Navy!

I'm a Korean War Veteran and damn proud of it!

Vote for Bush!

Lloyd Bonafide

"ARG" wrote in message
...
Learning to sail the USA way.

The governing body of sailing within the
USA, the American Sailing Association,
has designed a number of courses aimed
at differing levels of sailing ability.

It is worth pointing out that these courses
are not only available within the USA.
Because it's fine reputation, recognised
worldwide, many sailing companies across
the globe offer these courses with the
approval of the Association.

Read Full Article
At: http://tinyurl.com/r5ky3

Learning to sail the USA way.
 

Lloyd Bonafide wrote:
I learned to sail the USA way - in the Navy!

I'm a Korean War Veteran and damn proud of it!

Vote for Bush!

Lloyd Bonafide

"ARG" wrote in message
...
Learning to sail the USA way.

The governing body of sailing within the
USA, the American Sailing Association,
has designed a number of courses aimed
at differing levels of sailing ability.

It is worth pointing out that these courses
are not only available within the USA.
Because it's fine reputation, recognised
worldwide, many sailing companies across
the globe offer these courses with the
approval of the Association.

Read Full Article
At: http://tinyurl.com/r5ky3




Which one? Jeb? W is a lame duck and can't run again.

Learning to sail the USA way.
 

How dare you insult the President by calling him a duck, let alone a lame
one!

I'm a Korean War Veteran and I'm voting for Bush!

Lloyd


"katy" wrote in message
...
Lloyd Bonafide wrote:
I learned to sail the USA way - in the Navy!

I'm a Korean War Veteran and damn proud of it!

Vote for Bush!

Lloyd Bonafide

"ARG" wrote in message
...
Learning to sail the USA way.

The governing body of sailing within the
USA, the American Sailing Association,
has designed a number of courses aimed
at differing levels of sailing ability.

It is worth pointing out that these courses
are not only available within the USA.
Because it's fine reputation, recognised
worldwide, many sailing companies across
the globe offer these courses with the
approval of the Association.

Read Full Article
At: http://tinyurl.com/r5ky3




Which one? Jeb? W is a lame duck and can't run again.

Learning to sail the USA way.
 

Lloyd Bonafide wrote:
How dare you insult the President by calling him a duck, let alone a lame
one!

I'm a Korean War Veteran and I'm voting for Bush!

Lloyd


"katy" wrote in message
...
Lloyd Bonafide wrote:
I learned to sail the USA way - in the Navy!

I'm a Korean War Veteran and damn proud of it!

Vote for Bush!

Lloyd Bonafide

"ARG" wrote in message
...
Learning to sail the USA way.

The governing body of sailing within the
USA, the American Sailing Association,
has designed a number of courses aimed
at differing levels of sailing ability.

It is worth pointing out that these courses
are not only available within the USA.
Because it's fine reputation, recognised
worldwide, many sailing companies across
the globe offer these courses with the
approval of the Association.

Read Full Article
At: http://tinyurl.com/r5ky3



Which one? Jeb? W is a lame duck and can't run again.


Only in your own mind, Lloyd....what little of it there is left...

bogUS Sailing is NOT the governing body of the sport.
 

"NotPony" wrote

Bart,
What's your gripe with US SAILING? Sounds like a
personal issue.

You have made the correct assumption Steve.

There are lots of reasons I don't like US Sailing. My blood
boils when I think about it. They should change their name
to bogUS Sailing.

The main issue is a grievance I made to them a number of
years ago. US Sailing would not address my complaint, give
me a hearing on the matter, schedule a meeting on the subject,
or give me the refund I demanded.

They never put anything in writing. If you check bogUS Sailing's
By-Laws, there is NO process for instructors to file grievances.
It is the singular exception in the grievance process.

Foolish me! I never thought their management would want to
stifle the whole thing. Being a military man, I did not adapt
well to civilian life at first. I had come to expect much better,
a standard of excellence. I should have taken more aggressive
action immediately, but I honestly expected better of them.

Perhaps at first, bogUS Sailing simply didn't know how to handle
my complaint. Later it was probably easier to ignore me and
hope I'd go away. Certainly their were forces within US Sailing
that wanted to bury the incident and protect some of the people
involved.

Here is a brief summary of what happened and how it started.

I was taking a Coastal Passage Making ( CP) Instructor
Certification Course. This would simply allow me to sign the log
books of the students I was teaching in this subject.

During this course, I was harassed, put down, pushed off balance,
non-stop for a week simply because I stood up for my rights on
the first day. They were unable to bully me and I think that ****ed
the lead Instructor Trainer (IT) more than anything.

It was a clear cut case of bias, and blind stupidity. One "student"
happened to be the Naval Academy's Sailing Program Director.
He was taking the same course I was taking. From my perspective
though, he was another CP Instructor Candidate.

Here is what was going on behind the scenes.

US Sailing wanted to gain credibility. If the Naval Academy joined
their training program it would be a big boost for them. So they
greased it for this fellow--he was pre-selected to become an IT, and
the two ITs running the course, kissed his ass, made it easy for him,
didn't evaluate him, and offered him cigars. Meanwhile I was badgered
and humiliated, constantly put off balance, after I simply demanded
fair and equal rights.

He didn't want or ask for special treatment, yet he received special
treatment. I wanted to be treated fairly and was blasted like a
target in a shooting gallery and not treated fairly.

It started with a simple lottery for selecting berths on the yacht,
and I was punished for drawing the best remaining berth.

The IT announced he was taking the best cabin and told us to
decide amongst ourselves how to divide up the other berths.
We gave the one woman aboard the V-berth, and the rest of the
group decided to use a lottery format. I was lucky and drew the
aft port cabin. The Navy guy got the comfortable dinette berth
and the last guy drew the uncomfortable berth.

After making a big deal about letting us chose our own methods
of assigning bunks, the lead IT now told me I should cede my bunk
to the Navy guy--even though he had announced loudly that he was
perfectly happy with the dinette berth he drew. I declined the
suggestion. We drew lots--the matter was closed as far as I was
concerned.

Next I was taken aside privately in the clubhouse, this time by both
IT's. They sat me down in a tiny room isolated from the others.
This time the second instructor started pressuring me to cede my
bunk to the Navy guy. I pointed out we were both students. He
agreed. I stated I had equal right to the cabin, drew it in a fair
lottery. He stated I could make that point. He still said I should
give up my cabin but did not give me any valid reason to do so.

I refused to give it up. I fault myself for not going on the offense
at this point. Frankly I was confused about why they made an issue
of it. We followed the lead IT's suggestion to chose our own
method. It worked for us, so why did they care? It made no sense
to me, put me off balance, and was the beginning of my confusion
over the whole event.

Can you believe this sort of nonsense would happen? I laugh when
I think about it. You just can't make this stuff up!

The Lead IT was English. You know how the English love their
royalty. I think he viewed the Navy guy, who was an O-6
(Navy rank of Captain in the Reserves) as royalty. That was
exactly they way he was treated--like royalty.

Starting from that point the lead IT had it in for me. He made the
course into a daily hell for me. Any task I was assigned included
harassment, distraction, disruption, and rude patronizing comments.
How could I focus on the tasks at hand when I was constantly
fighting down the urge to push the guy overboard? I'm an easy
going guy. To set me off it takes a lot, and I was constantly being
push to the edge of my tolerance.

It seemed clear to me from the start the lead IT meant to flunk me
one way or another. His strategy worked. He did put me off and
my performance suffered. Right off the bat, I blew two backed in
docking approaches when he made sudden distracting motions at
the most critical instant of the maneuver. The slips were a little
tight--no sweat going in forward, but a narrow alleyway, and a
wide transom meant it had to be perfect to make it in.

When I fought back, he piled on me harder. I spent much of my
time thinking about where the next shot would come, rather than
the task at hand.

I could go on and on with you tons of examples. I was dinged
for not motoring down the exact center of max ebb of the Golden
Gate while the other boat sailed within a biscuit toss of the rocks on
the south side. Another time I brought the boat into the dock as
perfectly as it could possibly be done. It was a beautiful thing. So
what happened? I was dinged for shutting down the engine before
my three hands on the dock, holding me in position had cleated us
off. Talk about overkill. Three dock lines and the boat was stationary!
There was no forward motion, no current, and no wind. Where was
this coming from? A book? I felt sure this guy have never docked
under sail as it is not a big deal. I've sailed larger boats into slips in
such light conditions.

It was do this, do that, how come you haven't done this, while the
other guy had no pressure, a crew to help him, and GPS navigation
I was kept off balance constantly. The bottom line is I was set up
to flunk. And that is what they did to me.

The fellow who was head of the Naval Academy's sailing program
became an IT shortly after he completed the course. He later
changed my status to passing. That was nice of him, however, as
I thought about it, it ****ed me off further! I guess US Sailing
thought I'd be satisfied. No. The root problem remained and was
never addressed.

I have seen all sorts of things like this happen in other IT clinics.
I have little respect for the US Sailing IT's because they have no
quality control function to check unprofessional, or incorrect
behavior of the IT's. Without a feedback process that eliminates
and culls, rude, poor performing, or unfair IT's, the training program
will remain mediocre at best.

US Sailing's Training Program is run by a few sailing schools, who
put their own people in positions of power and together they control
the training program for their own financial benefit and to satisfy their
own egos and agendas. Some IT's are protected by virtue of the
relationships they hold with the sailing schools. People so entrenched
cannot be dislodged. The cure is to turn them over and create a
standards based process with performance feedback and the real
possibility that an IT will be removed and replaced with someone
better and more qualified.

What is left for me to do regarding bogUS Sailing? I'm thinking
about writing some editorials. US Sailing does not deserve our
support. They do not deserve the quasi-governmental position
they have, and they do not deserve being granted an unfair
competitive advantage over the American Sailing Association.

I have been looking for an independent film topic and it suddenly
occurred to me, my story would make a great topic for a film.

The film "Open Water" cost only $120,000 to make and grossed
$52 million. Panasonic makes a nice HD video camera for
about $10k. I think my story would be a winner. Most people don't
understand sailing, but they do understand, assholes with power,
bias, harassment, and conflict.

There is a lot more to my story. It would make a great screenplay--
easy to shoot, small cast, one or two boats and few props. The
stupid close-minded Englishman would make a great character study
that you would love to hate.

What would be a good title for the movie? My idea for a title is
"Contempt" or maybe "Five Sailors, One Asshole, and a Cover-Up".

US Sailing is NOT the governing body of the sport.
 

I'm in favor of US Sailing, provided the members have
a voice. They don't.

"Bob Crantz" wrote

Jean presents a very good point. If one or both of the sailing
organizations are bad, then what is the alternative?

I'm anxiously waiting to see if anyone can dissect that one.

Amen!

US Sailing is NOT the governing body of the sport.
 

"Jean Pudl" wrote

I do wonder how autonomous the "commercial" sail training committee is.
The impression I've had (based on little real evidence) was that it was
created by and for one group of schools because they didn't want to pay
ASA for an "official" piece of paper.

Correct. It started with three school in the SF Bay area. The Training
Chairman owns one of these schools. He has several of the IT's on
his staff and in his back pocket. He pays there expenses and owns
their votes. One of them should be fired from his position as an IT
on ethics charges.

I have some hope the Training Chair will implement some changes.
However, nearly everything I've discussed with him has been brushed
off. I am unwilling to travel to their event at my expense just to be
ignored after I'm gone.

I dropped my membership and asked for my certification money back.
Which reminds me, I need to write them about that again. I'll have to
send it certified mail this time. They gave me a "screw you" on the
telephone when last I called them.

Does this make any difference to the student? Does it make any difference
to the charter companies?

Nope.

Actually, it seems it only makes a difference to the instructors who have
to go through the process of being certified by one or the other, or both.
Just curious, when someone pays $400 for a basic keelboat course, how much
of that goes back to ASA or USSa?

Schools pay a flat rate for membership. They have to join to be competitive
now that the "Certification" paper is what they are selling. Students feel
the paper means something and don't understand it is the skills that are
important and the paper is meaningless.

Student fees include book costs, tests, and the log book. I'll can only
guess what the total is.

Insurance is a muddy issue. Instructor are forced to pay for insurance.
This is a scam since the schools already have insurance. bogUS Sailing
both claims this fee is both insurance and not for insurance, but insists
instructors pay it anyway to be recertified. I lost my cool over this
last year. How can they say it is and that it isn't for insurance? What
hogwash! I want a written answer on this one.

When I signed up the only requirement for recertification was up to date
First Aid and CPR certifications. Now a bogus insurance fee is attached.
Again, they say it is not for insurance, but that is what it pays for--so
that
is what it is. Try to get a straight answer out of them on that one. And
they won't put and answer down on paper either!


As to the "governing body" issue, this is a byproduct of the Olympic
Committee process, where one and only one group (and I assume it must be
non-profit) must be designated as the governing body for each sport, and
is responsible for the Olympic and Pan-American teams, plus certain other
functions. For better or worse, USSailing is the organization the fits
this role.

I don't think it is perfect, but it works, and you get something for your
money--race committees. However, I refuse to take a Safety at Sea
seminar from someone who knows less about it than I, when I know
the reason they won't place people out of such things is because of
the profits they make on these courses. I'd prefer to race unofficially
and display a "Boycott USSailing.org" decal on my boat, and offer to
take only it off if they pay me.

Did you know someone recently proposed raising the grievance fee
to raise more money at US Sailing? How could they even consider
such a thing. In the spirit of fairness there should not be any fee
associated with filing a grievance! Screw them. What a bunch of
asshole. It is clear US Sailing is all about money, not about improving
the sport.

I agree with Doug that there is an appearance that they support
and recognize certain sailor that are "in". Those can do no wrong.
The more awards the heap on them, the more valuable they are to
the organization. It's like blowing up a balloon. There is little to
back it up but what was already there.

All of the behind the scenes ego trips, back stabbing, conflicts of
interest, power plays, pseudo-scandals, etc. seem to be par for the course
with large (or small) non-profits. As opposed to for-profits which have
the same mishigas, but its called "business."

I disagree. Such an organization should have a standard of excellence.

I'd prefer to see US Sailing have delegates that actually represent
members. If I can sign up 1000 members I could then represent them
and fight their agendas. Does anyone want to be first to sign my list?
I'd love to battle US Sailing in their den. I'd love to fight to make them
change the ridiculous way they operate. They are so inept.

US Sailing is NOT the governing body of the sport.
 

"DSK" wrote

Jean Pudl wrote:

And does US Sailing offer anything to the 'cruising education oriented'
boating community that ASA does not?

ASA was there first, in fact at one point US Sailing stated as their
official policy that they would rather not get involved in certification
for keelboat sailing & cruising education, since there were so many other
groups already doing this (ASA and the Power Squadron). Then they saw the
revenue potential and changed their minds.

The US Power Squadron at the upper levels is just as much
as mess as US Sailing. However at the Squadron level
they do a fabulous job of training people at minimum cost.


The rest of your material is interesting, but misses the point. US
Sailing IS the "National Governing Body" of the sport according to an act
of Congress. That is a matter of fact.

Big deal. Other than changing the rules unecessarily and mismanaging
protests, what do they actually DO? Collect money. Yeah, that's a
"service."


Don't get me wrong on this, the U.S. Olympic sailors are great athletes
and very skilled... but I would describe USSA's role in the selection
process as interfering, money-laundering, and playing favorites.

If this is true, it should be documented and hammered
home until the lose their "Governing Body" assignment.

Don't get me started on that. I struggled on correcting their race
committee training for years. USSA has a habit of producing inflexible
big-headed tyrants for PROs.

Tell us more Doug. I'd love to hear about it.


USSailing IS the "National Governing Body" by act of Congress.

And I guess the benevolent Congress awarded them this distinction out of
recognition for their outstanding service to humanity?

No, US Sailing paid some lobbysits to get it done. A comment on the state
of both the Congress and US Sailing.

I believe you Doug. I'd like to know more about how US Sailing
spend their money.

I'd like to see them publisize report with content in them instead of
fluff. What do they actually do? Why won't they put it down
in writing?

Where do they spend all the money?

Learning to sail the USA way.
 

Dave wrote:
On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 21:48:22 -0500, katy
said:

Only in your own mind, Lloyd....what little of it there is left...

Katy, in case you hadn't guessed, Lloyd, Crantz and "Steve Dooley" are all
puppets dancing to the same puppeteer.

The spirit of the game, Dave. I know who Lloyd is. Just one more
unintegrated personality seeking a home....

US Sailing is NOT the governing body of the sport.
 

Bart Senior wrote:
The US Power Squadron at the upper levels is just as much
as mess as US Sailing. However at the Squadron level
they do a fabulous job of training people at minimum cost.


IMHO a lot of that has to do with personalities. The people
who are attracted to the upper levels of these types of
groups are either service driven (and their idea of
"service" may not be the same as yours or mine) or ego driven.

Another factor is that you can't fire volunteers. I think
that was part of Jean P's point- that USSA is better than
nothing at all, which is what would be in place if we
"fired" them.



Don't get me wrong on this, the U.S. Olympic sailors are great athletes
and very skilled... but I would describe USSA's role in the selection
process as interfering, money-laundering, and playing favorites.


If this is true, it should be documented and hammered
home until the lose their "Governing Body" assignment.


That will never happen, or at least not until the New
England Sailing Mafia has grown more distant from the Int'l
Olympic Committee. And when that happens (unless some other
sailors jump into the breach) sailing will probably cease to
be an Olympic sport. It simply doesn't command the numbers
or the money that is expected in the Olympics nowadays.

But the US Olympic sailing selection process should
absolutely be open, ie the process & the priorities of the
selection committee should be known to the competitors. This
"secret probation" malarkey is right out of Animal House.
They claim they don't want competitors to 'game the system'
but it's obviously (IMHO) being gamed from the inside.

It's not like there would be an unmanageable stampede of
people trying to get into the Olympics. And imagine what
would happen if participation at high level sailing
competition increased!

Don't get me started. It's been bungled from long ago, for
one thing the Hobie Cat and the Laser should have been
selected as Olympic classes long ago.


Don't get me started on that. I struggled on correcting their race
committee training for years. USSA has a habit of producing inflexible
big-headed tyrants for PROs.


Tell us more Doug. I'd love to hear about it.


It's a question of goal oriented management. I'm sure that
the USSA Race Officer training intends to produce PROs who
keep in mind fairness of competition & enjoyability for the
competitors; however when we attend a race and the Race
Committee signals delay after delay while the PRO screams
into his radio trying to get the mark boat to adjust the
starting line so it is ultra-perfect, I know exactly where
he learned this procedure.

Again, it's a question of personalities... I think that some
people probably would refuse to serve on Race Committees if
they didn't get the chance to tyrannize the racers with
their majestic authority. But USSA certification magnifies
this tendency when it should minimize it, IMHO.




.... I'd like to know more about how US Sailing
spend their money.


A lot of people would. The dinghy classes are sure that
their dues & fees are subsiding the keelboats & offshore
racing, the big boat guys are complaining that they are
****ing away money on the little boats.


I'd like to see them publisize report with content in them instead of
fluff. What do they actually do? Why won't they put it down
in writing?

Where do they spend all the money?


I bet they do have an annual treasurer's report, but I don't
know where it's published.

As I said before, my solution was to pretty much shrug off
involvement... except when pulled into it by the clubs where
we sail.

Fresh Breezes- Doug