J/30 Sailors,

Dave and Bill here welcoming you to the start of a promising 2010 season.  Over the past couple of years we’ve seen a resurgence of excitement across the globe as J/30 sailors get more “connected”.  This is evidenced by the pictures we see and stories we read about on the J/30 forum.  The class is all about people and that’s the focus we’ve tried to capture with our website update in late 2009.  The J/30 North American Championship is the primary event where we get people together, and have the largest collection of J/30 sailors competing and having fun in one place.  In both 2008 and 2009 there were boats competing for the first time, with many boats who formed crew with multiple J/30 owners.  In addition there were events on the Great Lakes and Gulf Coast that had crews participating from out of area.  This kind of dedication only happens when the bond of friends are made by connecting such a diverse group of great people – J/30 sailors!

In early 2009, class co-presidents John McArthur and Carl Sherter declared the J/30 Class web site and J/30 Class Forum as the “official” mechanism for J/30 Class communications and the vehicle to conduct class business.  This has proven to be a very effective method to promote efficient multi-faceted communications. The class has not mailed a paper news letter in a number of years, as this is expensive and does not effectively meet the majority of people’s communications needs in the digital age.  The J/30 forum and class web site have effectively replaced the news letter.  The J/30 Board of Governors (BOG) met at the 2009 J/30 North Americans, and augmented meeting attendance via conference call.  The meeting agenda and discussion items were all reviewed by the BOG in a reserved section on the forum for “real time” access.  The meeting minutes are posted on the forum for the entire class to read.  Additionally, there are a number of items where discussions are held and polls are posted to determine how class members feel about topics.  It’s safe to say that there are lots of differing opinions out there for most any change to class rules, and the only way to promote change is to discuss things openly amongst the class to gain consensus for change.  The forum is your opportunity to be heard.

We added sections to the forum so that each J/30 district has a means to discuss items of interest to their region.  J/30 owners who are registered on the forum have been added to their respective district groups, and receive automatic notification when a message is posted in their district forum.  As new members register on the forum, they are added to the appropriate district group.  The J/30 District Governors are “moderators” for their respective forums.  There is contact information for the district governors both on the class web site and as a posting at the top of every district forum.  Feel free to contact your district governor to help organize a social event, cruising, one design event, or get J/30s in your area together at a PHRF event.  Many districts schedule social events with their annual district meetings, and this is a wonderful opportunity to meet and connect with other J/30 owners in your area.

As our boats continue to age, there are many who have taken extra steps to preserve the legacy and material condition of their boats.  There is a wealth of information on the J/30 forum made possible by people who have shared information on core replacement, engine rebuilding, running rigging upgrades, deck repair, and the list goes on.  There is no better place to look for your J/30 information than the class web site and forum.  If it hasn’t been posted before, you’re guaranteed to get a quick response from somebody with an answer or idea for your question.  If you have not registered on the J/30 forum, you’re missing a great resource available at no cost for your use.

The 2010 J/30 North American Championship is announced on the class web site. It will be held 6 – 8 August, at the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead, MA. This is a great venue and we expect a substantial turnout. Please consider racing with us at the J/30 North American Championship if you have not recently done so. More information about the logistics and loaner boats will be available as the organizing committee firms up the plans.

Finally, we will be sending out an email with a request for 2010 class dues by the end of January.   Class dues will remain at $50 for each owner/co-owner and $25 for associate membership (crew members).   If you have not received an email message by 1 February, please contact us to be sent a custom registration link for your boat.  We ask that everyone please support the class and pay dues, so we can continue to build the momentum with resources such as the web site, forum and National Championship.

Happy Sailing!
Bill Kneller & Dave Erwin,
J/30 Class Co-Presidents