Membership and Race Registration Fees

Greetings,

SSS has human, not boat, members. If someone enters a race as the skipper of a boat that belongs to an SSS member, the non-registered person needs to register for the race or as a member.

Skippers have the option of registering as an SSS member $135 for the season or in individual races ($60 SH; $75 DH). Membership includes the fees for 6 SH entrees or 5 DH entrees (or some combination) during a given season. Registering as a member saves beaucoup bucks but needs to be done at the start of a season.

The SSS board is doing its best to keep fees as low as possible. We do not want to complicate things because we have to close loopholes and address exceptions. If anyone's idea of fun is looking for and exploiting loopholes please consider a career in litigation also, please look elsewhere.

Bill Merrick
SSS Commodore

Well, our family used to belong to the Nakoma Golf, Pool and Tennis Club in Madison, Wisconsin. It was a lovely club with lush green acres, well maintained pool and tennis courts. There was a tennis pro and swim coaches for the kids, valets in the parking lot and a separate grill down near the pool so if you didn't want to dress up you could still give them your number and eat well. The clubhouse and grounds were swanky, the members were beautifully dressed, incredibly agreeable people, and as the saying goes: you get what you pay for.

And YET! For a mere $135 in dues ...

Here I am a member of the Singlehanded Sailing Society. In January I found myself on the race committee overlooking all of the gorgeous San Francisco bay as I sat on the deck of the Golden Gate Yacht Club! How cool was that? Last Saturday I participated in the Corinthian Race, at the end of which I was welcomed to the finish with a loud horn from the very gracious race committee. I was able to go into yet another host yacht club for a drink and warmup in the bar overlooking Angel Island. Last fall I participated in the SSS Vallejo race, where we were given an incredibly warm welcome by the Vallejo yacht club.

WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE? New to the Society, it is obvious to me that the long term members have acquired a lot of legitimacy with sailors and sailing venues around the bay. Members are able to piggyback on that gravitas without necessarily earning it themselves.

In Latitude 38 I read its editors' appreciation of what they referred to as the "sail what you brung" attitude of the SSS, which I certainly appreciate. I would appreciate this attitude even if I had a fancier boat. It's part of what appeals to me most about sailing - that old Nike motto: JUST DO IT.

So, to those of you who do all the work behind the scenes, and make the decisions that benefit us all, I'd like to say thank you very much. I appreciate all that has come before today and look forward to tomorrow.

Jackie Philpott
Dura Mater