I announced this at yesterday’s annual awards meeting but want to get it out on the forum so that it reaches a wider audience. As we approach the end of 2022, we’ve been working on our financial plans for 2023. This year has been a challenge to break even financially. There are a variety of reasons, but one of the big ones is the cost of supplying t-shirts to all race participants. Long gone are the days of $5 t-shirts – providing free t-shirts to skippers, and their crew for doublehanders, has put a real strain on our finances. This is acutely the case for members who race doublehanded – two t-shirts times eight races quickly exceeds the $170 annual membership fee. This loss ends up being subsidized by members racing singlehanded and single race entrants. Fortunately, we’ve had good single race entrant turnout in the first three big races each year (Three Bridge Fiasco, Corinthians, and Round the Rocks) which, while it has allowed us to squeak by financially, has masked this inequity.

Race t-shirts have been a long-standing tradition at the SSS and we don’t want to eliminate that. However, true to our roots as a SINGLEhanded organization, going forward t-shirts will be free to skippers (SH or DH) only. If you race DH and want a t-shirt for your crew, you’re going to have to pay extra for it. Annual membership will continue at $170/year and single race entry (SH or DH) will be $50/race. In either case, if you race DH and want a t-shirt for your crew, it will be an extra $20 each race.

This is how it will work in Jibeset: You sign up for season membership at $170, either during your registration for 3BF or later. During registration you will be asked as skipper if you want a t-shirt. Like this year you will have the option to ‘donate’ (ie, don’t want a t-shirt) which saves us the money to buy and print you a t-shirt and we will add that savings to our fund to support local youth sailing programs. If as skipper you want a t-shirt, you select a style/size and there is no cost to you. If you are registering as DH, you will be asked if you want a t-shirt for your crew. Your options will be no t-shirt ($0) or select a style/size for $20.

If you register as a single race entrant, the same rules will apply. You sign up at $50 for the race. As skipper you can select ‘donate’ or a style/size t-shirt, and we either add to our youth sailing fund or the t-shirt is free, respectively. If you are registering as DH, you will be asked if you want a t-shirt for your crew. Your options will be no t-shirt ($0) or select a style/size for $20. Surprise! In total back to the $70 for DH single race entry as was the case in 2022 if you get a t-shirt for skipper and crew.

We are hoping this approach will stabilize our finances a bit and cut down on waste as often t-shirts get printed only never to be claimed. This will be rolled out starting with the 2023 3BF registration.

Thanks for your ongoing support of the SSS.

Tracy Rogers
SSS Treasurer