2015 is looking to be an exciting year! For starters …
You’ve likely heard the rumors and rumble, but it’s official now! Beginning 2015, the OCSA Racebook will be available electronically through our site for everyone to freely download. That’s course charts, General Sailing Instructions, club and fleet pages, advertiser information—the works! Yes, you can still get a printed copy of the OCSA Racebook and Course Charts with your OCSA membership as before, but we’ll be offering a discount on your annual dues for an electronic-only (print-free) version with membership.
By making this bold move we can make race information free for everyone, but of course we ask for your continued support of OCSA (Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association) through your membership. By doing so, you’ll help us continue to provide all the wonderful services that you’ve come to rely on and also make racing happen in our area: the SailPDX website, the race calendar, NORs, General Sailing Instructions, educational seminars, the protest committee, Otto Horn, the year-end Tropical Party and more. Check out this great article by Tod Bassham for additional insight!
2015 OCSA Membership will be $30, which includes a printed copy of the Racebook and laminated Course Charts, and will be available at the same locations as 2014, starting with the CYC table at the Portland Boat Show on January 7th. Go “print-free”, with the electronic-only versions, and receive a $10 discount on your membership (available only by visiting our site beginning early January 2015).
(Note: To race your boat in any CYC, PYC (Portland Yacht Club) , RCYC (Rose City Yacht Club) or SYSCO (Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon) event, you must be an OCSA member. Non-OCSA members will be assessed $10/race event when signing up to enter a regatta.)
BTW, it’s not too late for your business to purchase an ad in the OCSA Racebook for 2015. Email me at Commodore@SailOCSA.org for information to become an OCSA supporter and reach a target audience of racers and sailing enthusiasts.
Be sure to join or renew your US Sailing membership through OCSA as well—you’ll get a discount and we’ll get credits to use on educational events and cool swag that we can then pass onto you. To take advantage of our partnership, go to our Homepage and click the “Join U.S. Sailing” button on the top right, or go directly to our US Sailing Member Partner Program page to sign up—it’s win-win for all of us!
But wait, there’s more…
A one-day Safety at Sea (SaS) seminar has been scheduled for March 14th! This course will comply with CYC’s (Corinthian Yacht Club) safety requirement for the 2015 Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race, and will offer excellent training for any sailor or boater considering participating in distance and offshore races and passages. Participants who successfully complete the seminar will receive a certificate, valid for five years. Mark your calendar for an all-day affair and stay tuned to “Latest News” for further updates!
(Note: Portland’s one-day SaS seminar will not include hands-on training with safety gear, thus may not meet safety requirements for some ISAF (International Sailing Federation)-sanctioned races. To find a seminar with the additional practical training, go to the US Sailing or West Vancouver Yacht Club websites.)
And that, my fellow sailors, is just the beginning of what’s in store next year.
Fair Winds,
Anna Campagna
2014 OCSA Commodore
