June 16, 2020 Letter from Commodore Chrisy Hughes and NCESA Board
2020 NCESA National Championship Canceled

Hello E Fleet  -

 

The NCESA Board of Directors met last night to talk about the 2020 National Championship at Little Egg. Many pros and cons to moving ahead with our planned event were discussed, but at the end of the day we are all faced with too many unknowns to execute a first class regatta. I am sad to announce that the Board voted unanimously to cancel the 2020 NCESA National Championship at Little Egg.

 

Little Egg would like to thank the NCESA Board for its support during the planning of this regatta and agrees with the decision made. As a club, LEHYC has a strong tradition and great pride in hosting the National Championship and looks forward to hosting again in the near future.

 

The Board knows that everyone loves to sail at Little Egg and is working to create a schedule that will get us back to NJ as soon as possible.

 

Thanks for being part of an amazing class and supporting the leadership. The Inland and Eastern Championships have not yet been canceled and the class hopes that these events will be able to go on.

Call any one of us with questions or comments.

 

Chrisy Hughes and NCESA Board of Directors

May 2020 Letter from Commodore Chrisy Hughes - May 26, 2020

Hi All-

June is almost here, and I am sure we are all eager to get on the water. I hope you are all staying safe in the current constantly changing situation. As we get ready for the 2020 E Scow season, the NCESA Board has been working to keep the E Class strong while ensuring the health and safety of our sailors, families, volunteers, and clubs.

 

As sailors, adjusting on the fly is nothing new. Whether it’s the third-row start, discovering you rigged the kite upside-down, Winnebago chop, or Charleston tides, we find a way to power through and enjoy the boats we love. Little could have prepared us for our current challenges. But we are all learning, adjusting, and looking forward to getting back on the start line. During the 2020 season, we will all have to be more flexible.

 

Throughout this season we will be in touch to update you on next steps. The Board is in regular contact with our regatta hosts, including Little Egg for the Nationals. Those conversations are ongoing. In a few weeks we will be sending out a survey to gauge your thoughts and concerns regarding our National Championship. We hope to have an update in July. Needless to say, the well-being of our members is paramount.

 

The NCESA Board has been busy during the off season to make sure that we remain the premier one-design class in the country. This has included:

 

• Updating and amending the Constitution, By-Laws, and Scantlings to strengthen the definition of what makes an E-Scow an E-Scow.
• Updating the Regatta Bid Form to help hosts clubs organize top-level events.
• Rewriting the National Championship Regatta Host Club Guidelines with input from our regular PRO, Bruce Golison, and our Communications Director, Rachel Goetting.
• Creating a 100-year Vision Team to organize our celebration in 2023 of the first 100 years of E-Scow sailing.

 

Facing a sailing season unlike anything we have ever seen before, the NCESA needs your continued support. Boat owners and skippers, please renew your annual membership. To the crews that make E-Scow sailing possible, please join as an Associate, if you can afford to do so. A $15 Associate membership helps us maintain a strong E-Scow class for the teams that travel to regattas, friends that sail in club races, and families that win the party. And you get a Reporter!

 

You can join or renew your membership at:       e-scow.org       Click here to renew or join   

 

The health of our members is paramount. Without you, there are no races, regattas, socials, or stories. We appreciate your support now, and in the years to come. Please stay safe, and feel free to reach out to us—we are here for you.

 

Chrisy Hughes

612-940-2537

Spring Letter from Commodore Chrisy Hughes -April 20, 2020

 

Hi All-

 

Hard to believe its spring already. I am hoping that you are hanging in there and doing your best to enjoy your time at home. The NCESA Board has been hard at work. A few updates…

 

We, as an organization, have accomplished a lot since November.

 

• The transition from Lon to Julie was completed by the end of December. Julie is doing a great job and settling into her role as Secretary. The NCESA continues to be in great hands.

   

• Bruce Golison, Rachel Goetting, and I rewrote the host club guidelines. They are now more detailed and easier to follow. The host club guidelines are posted on the website and have been shared with LE, Torch and Mendota.

   

• The membership has voted on and passed the Constitution, By-Law and Scantling changes as proposed by the Rules Committee. HUGE THANK YOU’s go out to Matt Schmidt and his team who changed, questioned, proofed, and reproofed the wording to make sure it was accurate, clear, and legal. Not an easy job, Way to go!!

   

• Clay Johnson (T-18) has graciously taken on the National Rankings. He will be managing the results and spreadsheet going forward. If you are hosting an event, please make sure that results get to Clay and Julie. Let's make their jobs as easy as possible.

   

• The 100-year Vision Team was established by Jim Campbell and me in December and has been meeting via conference call and zoom since that time. There is great energy and excitement in the group. This committee will have a big picture plan and budget to present to the Board at our November meeting.

     Leading the Committee are David Lubchenco & Russ Lucas

     Marketing is led by Suzanne Melges

     Communications by Brett Hatton

     History is managed by Henry Colie & Lee Alnes

     2023 Activities on and off water led by John Porter

   

• The 100 Vision Committee recommended, and the Board approved the 2023 Nationals to take place at Mendota YC. Pat Heaney, Phil Zalog and their team are already working ideas for the regatta.

   

• The Reporter came out, and as usual, it looks great. Jon Schloesser works very hard and I think it is safe to say that our success in collecting regatta reports has improved, therefore making his job a teeny bit easier.

 

Obviously the Covid pandemic is affecting us all and has forced us to make changes in our lives. Unfortunately, our sailing seasons might also be affected. We are going to have to stay flexible about summer plans. At this point in time, Sarasota, Charleston, LHYC Heritage Spring and Geneva Spring have been cancelled. I have reached out to the fleet reps and regatta chairs asking to be kept in the loop. Julie is keeping the online calendar current; you can send her updates/cancellations at:

ncesa@e-scow.org

 

Derek and I spoke with the LE Chairs last week. They are on top of the details and logistics surrounding the regatta. We are a long way from any action regarding our National Championship.

 

Lastly, if you have not yet renewed your membership, visit e-scow.org

 

Fingers crossed that we are all able to gather with our teams, enjoy our yacht clubs and sail these beautiful boats.

 

That is all for now, call me with your thoughts & stay healthy.

 

Chrisy Hughes

612-940-2537                                    

Letter from Commodore Chrisy Hughes - Nov 27, 2019

Seasons Greeting E Fleet -

2019 has been a very successful year for the E fleet. As the season closes E boaters competed in twenty-six regattas with over 430 boats represented. Eleven new boats were on the starting line this summer, and our used boat market remains strong. 

This fall also marks the passing of time as Lon and Donna Schoor have retired. Since 2006 Lon and Donna Schoor have been acting as Secretary of the NCESA. For the last thirteen years they have made sure that the by-laws have been followed, scantlings are maintained, taxes are paid, budgets are balanced, investments keep growing, members pay their dues, National regatta is organized, trophies have beautiful boxes, Road Warriors are awarded, communication is sent, and the annual Board meeting happens with efficiency. On November 9th we had our Board meeting and we toasted Lon and Donna for their tireless commitment to the E fleet, their history with the class, and all the other odd jobs that we know nothing about. As a token of our thanks the NCESA presented each of them with a Shinola watch. Lon and Donna have done an amazing job and we appreciate all of their hard work and dedication. Please thank them when you see them skiing in CO this winter, or on the water next summer.

The Board is thrilled to welcome Julie Navin as Secretary of the NCESA. Julie brings a wealth of experience to the fleet. She, her husband Dave, and her son Kyle, all race E Scows, out of Delavan and Geneva. Julie has been the office manager at LGYC and currently also works at a local financial office. Julie knows our culture, she appreciates our commitment to high quality racing, and is a lifelong member and supporter of the E Fleet. We are in very good hands with Julie. I’m looking forward to an exciting few years working with her.

If you need to reach Julie, her email is: NCESA@e-scow.org

A bulk of our time at the Board meeting was spent debating and discussing the technical aspects of E Scows. We have a solid base and competitive fleet that the Board intends to support. The reason we are so strong is due to the fact that the boats are all the same. We have asked Committee members to look closely at the scantlings and by-laws to ensure that we are continuing to operate on a level playing field.  

Right around New Year’s there will be a by-law and scantling vote. Please watch your emails and get your votes in right away. 

In three short years it will be the 100-year anniversary of the E Fleet. We are currently putting together a team of volunteers to work together over the next year to create a vision, mission and strategy of what our 100th celebration will look like. There will be all kinds of committees and volunteers needed in the years to come. Stay tuned. 

Rachel Goetting will remain on the team in 2020 as Communications Director. Rachel is handling all social media reports and coordinating with regatta chairs to get information online. If you have photos or things you would like to share, please send them to Rachel at escowclassmedia@gmail.com

Nationals at Muskegon was a great regatta, 78 boats exceeded everyone's expectations and Brett Hatton and Tom Munroe did a fantastic job. We are continuing to work with Bruce Golison and Charlie Harrett on ways to make our on the water regatta even better. We are one of the best one design fleets in the country and we are committed to having near perfect races.  Already they are deep into plans for improving race management at Little Egg.

Winter can be long for most of us, but please don’t forget that there are two great regattas happening while the water up north is frozen.

Sarasota One Design E Regatta - March 20-22.  Warm, sunny beautiful water - Friday- Sunday. Maybe leave your boat in the sunshine then you can retrieve it a month later and head to Charleston for their Annual Spring Regatta - April 24-26. I personally like the idea of E boating in four months, this season went too fast for me.  

May 16-17 brings the Geneva Spring Regatta, where Melges will once again be hosting a one-day E Scow clinic. Look for registration midwinter. 

Lots of E boating to talk and think about over the winter. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. If you have any E boat ideas or questions, please reach out to me or anyone on your NCESA Board.

Cheers,

 

Chrisy Hughes
NCESA Commodore
cbhughes@hotmail.com

Thank you Donna and Lon!                                        

NCESA's RC Trailer with New Graphic