The Chesapeake Bay Fleet has an addition to the J/30 Class Rules that does not allow drysailing. A conference call is scheduled for 7 PM Thurs Dec 3, 2009 to discuss and vote on a proposal to remove this restriction for the 2010 season. CB J/30 owners should have received an email with details.

Having no prior experience with a full fleet meeting or rules vote by conference call, I think it would be helpful if the case for or against this proposal were discussed here. A straw poll is included. Being unaware of a way to restrict voting, it would be helpful if those not in the Chesapeake Bay Fleet would refrain from voting, however comments from others are not discouraged.

Drysailing-Chesapeake Bay Fleet single choice
Allow drysailed boats to race	43%, 3 Votes
Boats racing should be in the water during the season, unless hauled for maintenance	57%, 4 Votes
Not sure	0%, 0 Votes
Total Votes: 7 Voting on this poll ends: 12/03/09 07:59 PM

Bobby Rutsch -- thanks for taking the initiative to ask this question and bring order to this debate.

Bob

Bob, et. al.

Thanks for your interest in this topic.

The dry sailing question has come up a number of times. The real prospect of additional boats on the line has changed my position on the topic.

I called the meeting at this time so that a decision for next season could be made before contracts for slips need to be renewed.

I don't believe that the CB J30 fleet has held a special meeting by teleconference in the past, however we did give boats the option to attend the last fleet business meeting by teleconference. I do believe that holding a meeting in this fashion will allow the greatest number of members to participate and make their views on this specific question known without taking a large amount of time. The J-30 Board of Governors has been successfully meeting in this fashion for a number of years.

If there is interest in a face to face meeting, we will set that up. For example, I can host five or six people at my office in Alexandria.

Please note that the straw poll attached to this tread is just that a straw poll. While it may be interesting, it has no binding effect on the the outcome of the vote that fleet members will make at the special meeting.

Tom Watson
CB J30 Fleet Captain

OK at least two people have found the thread and want to drysail, so what's the story?

I know of two boats with private lifts at their waterfront homes. Cannonball chooses to comply with Fleet rules and typically competes OD in AYC Wed Nights and this year did five weekend races after doing two each in 2007 and 2008. If the rule were changed they would certainly drysail, but probably no more or less.

Sage was in the water just long enough to get past our rules for the 2002, 2003 & 2006 NOOD and thereafter drysailed so did not compete in class the remainder of the year. In 2009 Sage drysailed legally in PHRF for Pirates Cove Wed series and did two weekend races in PHRF B--May's Pirates Cove and Fall Oxford.

Are their other J/30s at Jabin's or elsewhere drysailing that might be enticed to race OD if this change were made? Is this demand from existing members to begin drysailing? Will it attract encourage people to buy and race J/30s?

Wow, this is a tough one. If allowed I would be very interested into looking at what arrangements I could make down south. Most of yo know I spent 1.5 years and about 20K to dry my boat and redo the bottom.

I will try to make the Jan meeting.

I have been busy with my girls this year but hope to do more racing with you all next season.

Take care.
Dave

It's great to see discussion on a topic that seems unique to the Chesapeake District, yet watched by others all over the country. Other than trading off the cost of diving to clean the bottom over time versus the costs of a lift, I never understood if dry sailing offered a racing advantage over a properly prepared and cleaned bottom. My only experience with dry sailing was dinghy's.

I hope this discussion and vote encourages maximum J/30 participation in one design events.

Unofficial update from last week's meeting. After some deliberation over the competitive and cost issues of drysailing and considering the potential impact the change would have on the Chesapeake Bay J/30 Fleet, the question was called. The propsal to allow drysailing was defeated 6-4. Voting Yes (4): Watson/Avita, Putnam/Better Mousetrap, Christy/Big Kahuna, and Anderson/Insatiable. Voting No (6): Rutsch/Bebop, Wallop/Cannonball, Heldrich/Chaos, McGill/Mary Lou, Bardelman/Valhalla, and O'Malley/Late Bloomer.

Bob;

Thanks for posting the results. I was wondering what was decided.

Rusty