Janet Baxter

As most of you know, US Sailing has been oft-criticized for a number of issues over the years. Frankly, we rarely pay much attention to what they do or don't do, but we know that our crappy apathetic attitude does not generally mirror most of the sailing community. The new President of US Sailing is Janet Baxter, and I knew that a lot of you had questions for her, so for this InnerView every question came from you readers here at SA. Nicely done. -Ed

Who is Janet Baxter? What's your sailing background and more importantly, what's your management/leadership experience?

JB
I am the new president of US SAILING, which a volunteer, unpaid position. I am a lifelong sailor from a sailing family. My parents met at the harbor where I now sail and learned to sail at Chicago Yacht Club's junior program. My father was very active with Race Management, handicap rules, and with US SAILING and the internationally. He always told us we should give back to the sport that gives to us, so I've been going to US SAILING meetings since I was still in high school. I raced dinghies in college and frostbiting, but mostly have sailed keelboats, both offshore (IOR, IMS, PHRF, Americap) and one design (Etchells, Tartan Tens).

In college I was president of the Northwest district, and have run several regattas including the 50th Timme Angsten and the Farr 40 NAs. I joined the Board of US SAILING in 1987 and have been on or chair of the General Services Committee, One Design Class Council, Budget Committee, Executive Committee, Communications Committee and various task forces. I am a business consultant and help businesses improve their internal processes and customer interactions. I have been a manager at a bank and on many projects. I have an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago.

Is US SAILING looking at a replacement publication for SW, and if so what will its focus be?

JB
I don't think there is a replacement for Sailing World. It is the magazine for performance sailing in the US and I am as big a fan of that magazine as any sailor out there. US SAILING and the publishers of Sailing World and Cruising World decided not to renew the contract and that was a difficult decision for all of us to make. We have been working together to ensure that our members will receive discounts on SW or CW subscriptions. You won't find a cheaper subscription to your favorite magazine anywhere.

If you renew your membership before Dec 31, 2003 you will receive a Sailing World subscription for as long as you sign up. Three years is the best value, at $40 per year plus 3 years of Sailing World. Just go to the website at ussailing.org or use this link: https://secure.ussailing.org/forms/memind.asp People at higher membership levels will continue to receive the magazine as part of their membership package. This is one of the few extras for people who choose to donate on top of the regular membership.

PHRF, like any handicapping rule, is going to be on the receiving end of endless complaints. However, it seems like there are some obvious improvements that could be made to improve PHRF that only a national authority could make. An easy example of it would be instituting rules about conflicts of interest (e.g. handicappers initiating, or involved in, handicapping boats in their own class/division/fleet). Will the National take up any of these issues?

JB
PHRF is administered locally and they don't like US SAILING to "stick their nose in". But fleets can join US SAILING and we do have a national PHRF committee that attempts to provide information to PHRF handicappers across the country. They also process Appeals for sailors in member fleets. Findings are binding on the local fleet.

There has been some standardization in the past few years as the national committee has encouraged fleets to set the J-35 rating at 72 and index their local ratings off that standard. This year we plan to issue a few other "standardized" ratings for a few boats slower and faster than a J-35, again with the concept that local fleets can have a benchmark to compare their ratings too. Since PHRF is a "one number" rule, the ratings are dependent on both course configuration and wind strength so it makes sense to have local variation.

The problem of favoritism is a concern for any performance handicapping, but US SAILING has no control except through the appeals process. Those who feel that local cronyism is a problem should follow the appeals process (of course if the local fleet is not a US SAILING member, this is not possible). Prohibiting handicappers, designers, sailmakers, etc. from having any involvement in boats in their fleet/class may remove the folks who best know the performance of the boats sailing.

If one were to tackle the oversized and bloated governance structure of US Sailing, how would one go about such a challenge? Would this require a threat from Congress a la the USOC, or can it be accomplished in another way?

JB
Changing the structure first requires agreement that it needs to change and how it should change. That means we have to understand the current US SAILING structure, which was based on the North American Yacht Racing Union which was created a long time ago. Voting members of the organization are associations, local YRAs, classes and councils. All sailors are represented on the Board of Directors by geography and type of sailing.
The following Councils have one or more seats on the Board:

• Community Sailing Council
• Council of Sailing Associations
• Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association
• Multihull Council
• National Offshore Council
• One-Design Class Council
• Sailor Athlete Advisory Council
• US Windsurfing Association
• Cruising Council

Individuals don't vote, but can influence their Board reps and the voting members. Article 3 of our By Laws has the full story: http://www.ussailing.org/bylaws/bylaws-2002.pdf

Congress may cause some changes if they change the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. It governs how we act as the National Governing Body. http://www.olympic-usa.org/about_us/documents/amateuract.htm

Your real question may be about my view of the current structure. I think it could be streamlined. A Board of Directors with more than 50 people may seem representative, but it's difficult to hold discussions and make informed decisions. The burden often falls to the Executive Committee which made up of 15 people who meet via phone once a month to monitor finances and discuss issues and policy. Decreasing the size of the Board of Directors may work better but we have to make sure we keep the representative component active. Our volunteers are our biggest asset.

Where can US SAILING have its greatest impacts? Youth sailing? Rules? Standardization of skills amongst race officials/organizers? Handicapping rules? Olympic funding? In a world of finite resources and "pick your battles", how does prioritization amongst these different areas impact budget decisions?

JB
The challenge of having too much to do and too few resources is common for most non profit organizations. Where we have the biggest impact is of a matter of opinion. Such opinions are debated frequently and at length. If you race, you'd be interested in the race officials programs. If you have kids, you might be most interested in youth issues or certain training programs. If you are unhappy with your Americap or PHRF rating, guess what your issue is?

Managing all these interests is the toughest job for the President. We review all current programs for contribution to mission and financial results. Some programs are subsidized by members' dues, others provide a small surplus because they sell specific goods and services. For example, Race Administration does very well when the new rulebooks come out, but often needs a subsidy in the last year of the cycle while our volunteers draft the new book and update the related materials for race officials.

Every year we discuss the strategic plan and select priorities. Last year the focus was on communications. We hired two new full time staff, started a newsletter and have crafted better marketing messages. Communication was the number one priority for several years before we really improved it. Last year we chose to focus on membership, the web site and fund raising as priorities. The budget is based on needs, opportunities and priorities.

What is the greatest challenge facing sailing in the US?

JB
I see a big challenge in getting people attracted to our sport and keeping them active. The latest statistics show that people are participating less in sailing than in previous years. We get good data from the Sailing Company, publishers of Sailing World. They do an extensive survey of boat manufacturers. We also review stats from various trade groups and have access to data collected by the Royal Yachting Association, our counterparts in the UK.

We work with the sailing industry and support community based sailing programs and sailing schools of all types. We have a great symposium for sailing programs, the NSPS, every year where the big topics are growth and grass roots. We also participate in international programs to support sailing.

Where do you see competitive sailing heading in the US, and how does that converge or diverge from the direction of sailing in the rest of the world?

JB
I think we align pretty closely with the rest of the world. We are all concerned about the "grass roots level" and about youth. IMS is big in the Med and US sailors seem to want measurement rules more than some other countries. Europeans can attend many high level events because those countries are very close. Americans must get into those excellent competitions by first shipping the boat overseas and buying a plane ticket to get there. This is very obvious when we look at the Olympic classes. Our sailors MUST train in Europe because that's where the action is.

Any new ideas about alternative sources of financing for US Sailing?

JB
US SAILING gets all is revenue from:

1. Dues
2. Selling goods and services
3. Sponsorship and donations.

We have a few funds restricted for specific purposes where we usually just spend the interest earned. We get no government funding unless we are approved for a specific grant which must be spent on that project only.

The US Sailing Foundation is a separate organization and its job is to raise funds to promote U.S. excellence in international competition. They fund One Design sailors such as Optis, Lightnings, Sunfish, and sometimes do projects for the Offshore Community. They help fund the US Olympic Sailing Team and the US Disabled Sailing Team.

The foundation has launched a new campaign, Voyage to Athens. Check your mail or visit http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/2004/Winning/index.htm Early returns are quite promising.

What will the travel policies be for US Sailing officials under your watch?

JB
Our officials are volunteers and pay their own way, so we don't control where they go or how much they spend. A few are paid by event organizers. Our international delegates get reimbursed for part of their expenses if they request it, which allows us to include some sailors who are not rich. Taking a week's vacation to sit in meetings is enough to ask!

For our sanctioned events we do require good officiating. That usually means certified judges and race officers, but there are some good ones out there who have not been certified. We encourage them to go through the process (training seminar, test and practical experience).

Some events have a small budget to bring in volunteers or other experts. If I had the time and the money, I'd be at every major and minor event, and visit every area of the country. I'm going to be a tourist at the Olympic games, but I don't think you'd like my to use your dues for such a trip.

Does the new grand prix rule replace Americap II? Where and why has Americap II failed in gaining a following?

JB
The new Grand Prix Rule is intended to be a high end rule for specific type or size offshore boats. US SAILING is one of the 3 stakeholders of the new rule, with RORC and ORC. It is still under construction, but is exciting because it is being attempted on an international level. Many technical people from various countries are involved.

Americap II was created to answer the requests for a less complex alternative to IMS. It's based on a VPP that is not available to the public, so it's not a "design-to" rule. Whatever form the Grand prix rule may take, it will be a "design-to" rule and will, therefore, serve a very different group of sailors from those who compete under Americap.

What are your goals as president? What are the two, three or four things you want to stake your reputation on while in this role?

JB
I'd like to see our membership grow, as it did for many years. That is the best measure of how we are doing. You'll join if you support us and think we are using your dollars wisely. That means I have financial goals too. We have done quite a bit of deficit spending and need to build up our reserve accounts. It is an Olympic year and our performance in Athens is very important. The USOC funds our team based on performance. We gain exposure and the ability to attract sponsors if we do well, which benefits all of sailing. Our athletes have given up almost everything in their normal lives to reach the podium. There's no time for jobs, so there's not much money and only limited time with family and friends. Their privacy is even at stake as they can be pulled for a drug test at any time. The image of our sailors eating baloney sandwiches and living in the back of a van is not too far off the mark, but it is embarrassing. Our team members are not doing it to get rich, just to be the best and to represent the United States. Seeing people set and achieve such a goal is very inspiring to me.

Is US Sailing is willing to change their stance on the realistic utility of their new laser measuring system considering that the rest of the world either has opted out of them or can not afford them? Tied to this is the now proven, unnecessary need for a rule to mandate wanding (IRC does not require it).

JB
"Wanding" has become a dirty word, as the measurements are difficult and the machinery is 1970's. But don't confuse Laser and wanding. Whatever happens in terms of any rules, simple, accurate, repeatable measurements will be useful. That's why the US continues to explore the laser technique, and that's why others, ranging from Olympic dinghies to international offshore measurement systems, are looking at what we're doing.

In light of the balkanization created by their tremendous investment in Americap and the resulting "it's the only way to go" attitude; what is US Sailing going to do to support a new International rule? Where does it appear on her list of priorities?

JB
Americap is still growing, showing the popularity of measurement systems for racing at certain levels. It's more sophisticated than an entry-level system, but people won't design new boats for that rule. We have great confidence in Americap's underlying VPP and in the speed predictions it will provide, but there are some challenges-- boats with unusual ballasting systems, and rating boats when wind speeds approach zero with strong currents. We are working on those issues, and the good news is that Americap is designed to be more nimble and responsive to developments and requirements than IMS. IMS is still popular in a few areas, mostly foreign, and IRC is another option. Our priorities remain on serving American sailors, but that doesn't mean we won't consider a rule created outside the US.

With all the other challenges at US SAILING, does you really have the resources to end the relationship with Sailing World and become a media player?

JB
We are not ending the relationship, just changing it. We do not intend to become a "media player".

What is US SAILING's role to increase participation in sailboat racing? What steps are being done to get more boats on the line in weekend regattas all across the US, not just at Mallory's, Rolex's, OCR's etc?

JB
We can help organizers do a better job. We host relatively few events, so the growth must be spearheaded by local sailing organizations. We have volunteers at all levels who have had great success. We have some excellent publications, such as the Race Management handbook. It is a treasure chest of great ideas for organizing and promoting events as well as technical information. The road to growth in racing is to put on excellent regattas, making it fun for everyone.

How did you get elected US SAILING Prez? Some don't recall getting a ballot in the mail.

JB
I was nominated in the spring, then elected at the Annual General Meeting in October by the delegates from Voting Members. See my comments about structure above.

Budget Questions:

US SAILING spends roughly 56% of its budget on Admin, membership (I assume recruitment), and training. Yet less than 8% goes into the offshore budget, which I assume encompasses the PHRF masses. Explain.

Please explain the nomenclature of the different cash outflows? Why have a "keelboat" division with a separate inshore and offshore. Keelboats are raced both in and offshore. Where do dinghies, multis, skiffs, sailboards, etc. fall into? What kind of "training" is all that $$ being spent on. Training for whom?

What % of member dues money goes into programs that directly benefit rank and file PHRF and Non-Olympic OD class racers? More specifically, is there a budget breakdown we can access on the web?

JB
Visit http://www.ussailing.org/budget/2003budget.htm for details on the budget.

We don't spend money or specific types of sailing or sailors, but on providing goods and services. The revenues and expenses are related to that.

We have a large training division that services two groups. The original dinghy based training programs are called "Training." That's where most summer sailing instructors are trained at various levels. The other program is called "Keelboat" and covers the full program of certified keelboat training, also with various levels. Basically we train and certify instructors that teach people to sail at all levels. Be sure to look at the net amounts for those programs. They provide a surplus (more revenue than expenses). The large expense is needed to provide the instruction and books.

"Inshore" includes many things and has grown over the years as new projects come on line. The 2003 budget includes taking care of class associations and several services such as Junior Olympics and Insurance. Offshore includes handicapping services, and Safety at Sea. It used to have a large surplus when IOR and IMS were popular, but now is subsidized by member dues. We will have some new and expanded programs in that area next year that may bring the budget a bit better than break even.

The size of each department budget reflects the amount of goods and services they provide. Membership is the biggest because taking care of 45,000 members takes a lot. The money marked as membership for both revenue and expense is for recruiting, renewing and providing member benefits such as rulebooks, magazine, newsletter, etc.

Do you agree with the decision about the recent changes to the rules with only nine months before the Olympics?

JB
I assume you mean the changes voted in at the recent ISAF conference in Spain. My opinion is that the process needs some improvement. Submissions are supposed to be out for full discussion many months before the meeting. The documentation our delegates had to sort through was hundreds of pages long. It is truly overwhelming, especially when you get to the racing rules of sailing. It is a real challenge for those with English as a second language.

The original submission to change the "drops" was not to eliminate them. It was a result of people (especially the winners) not racing the last race at the various world championships in Cadiz last summer. Of course this doesn't help to increase the visibility of our sport in the media. The elimination of drops was suggested during discussion as a better alternative to the submission that was on the floor, and was approved by the Council. There was no time to check opinions with anyone, much less our Olympic athletes, many of whom were already at their Trials. The decision was not bad, given the choices and the timing. Personally, I like to race without a drop, but that is totally irrelevant because I am not sailing in the Olympic games.

The discussion continues and it is possible that the Council at ISAF may change the decision, so keep listening. I can't predict where it will end up.

Why is there never any discussion about the biggest money losers U.S. Sailing has? What are the top 10 money losers? Why does US SAILING keep them? Why isn't there a dedicated program to identify and eliminate the money losers?

JB
US SAILING always discusses money-losing projects at every meeting and year-round. US SAILING volunteers and staff spend many hours working to improve projects that don't support our budget.Regardless of the money, we sometimes have toprovide services that just plain cost money - like answering the phone when you call.

Will US SAILING ever report on how well it did/or didn't meet is publicly announced goals and objectives from over a year ago? Much was made that the Board of Directors established a series of objectives, yet I don't recall ever seeing them and their outcome completions.

JB
Sometimes our publicity doesn't cover the obvious. I assume you are talking about the communications goals that got a fair bit of press. That was ground breaking because we really spent some money in that area. You can tell us if we have improved. Plenty of people tell us when we don't!

Can't US SAILING break down into two (or more) separate groups, so that if we are interested in racing, we don't need to read the cruising B.S. - or vice-versa? The decision to combine and try to meet both interests was a stupid idea when it was originally done, and as a former member (no more) I got tired of wading through the cruising stuff to find info and articles on racing. If I want to read cruising stuff, I'll subscribe to "CRUISING WORLD" but in the meantime, if I want to keep up on the latest in racing, it sure would be nice to select that "specific" subscription.

JB
There is a lot of cross over. Our records show that most of our members do racing and day sailing, cruising, chartering, etc. Our cruising members do read Cruising World, and the racing sailors read Sailing World. We cannot compete with either magazine. We use our Newsletter to provide information on what's happening with our organization-what programs are out there and who the people are. I think our sport (some call it a lifestyle) is too small for more groups.

What will US SAILING provide for the actual, local, beer-can racer? Considering that rulebooks are available for purchase by anyone, what are your listed benefits? Don't list all the big boat championships - since that just makes it even more obvious that US Sailing is all about the big guys - maybe a Title IX for all classes is needed?

JB
We provide benefits for organizations and for individual members. I'd have to list everything we do for a complete list, but basically we help to provide better racing, safer sailing and an enjoyable environment. Local sailing organizations may use our insurance programs (some events could not be held without it), our certified sailing instructors, our safety boat techniques, our certified race officials or the publications which share best practice techniques. Individual members receive the Newsletter, discounts at regattas and on merchandise (check your renewal package for deals from some new sponsors), and have access to certain features on the US SAILING website. Some members will clearly gain more than they pay in actual dollars. Some are happy to join just because they want to be a part of it. Membership in US SAILING is a clear way to say, "I am a sailor."

Our web guy is a disabled sailor and wants to know why US Sailing doesn't do anything to bring any competitions to the west coast. It appears to be an east coast affair?

JB
There are some programs for disabled sailors on the west coast, but no clubs have expressed intrest in hosting such an event to date. Any club so interested should contact Katie Richardson or Serge Jorgensen to set dates and pick a class

Why are multihulls overlooked in the "number" of championships offered?

JB
Multihulls have their own championship for the Alter Cup. http://www.ussailing.org/Alter/ Sometimes multihulls are used in other championships also.

I'm paying $40 per year in membership (I take the 3 year option so I don't get as much junk mail from US SAILING). If the SW benefit just went away, I'm losing $28 a year (subscription price) in benefit that US SAILING used to provide me. Will US SAILING be reinvesting those funds in a way that provides the same direct benefit to its members? If so how; if not why?

JB
Saving you a dollar does not necessarily mean that US SAILING gets that dollar, so no, we won't be "reinvesting" exactly that amount. We do expect to save a lot of money by not offering the magazine, but how much will depend on how many people take advantage of the special offers that are out there now. We won't save $28 per person and confidentiality prohibits me from saying what we do pay per issue. We have considered programs with other publications. You have to consider the total budget as well as deficits from prior years and capital spending to see the total financial picture. The best answer is in the budget details that you can get on the website.

I haven't sailed a handicap race in at least 5 years, probably more. I also belong to multiple class associations that administer my class racing. A significant portion of the US SAILING budget goes to support PHRF, Americap, and other handicapping fleets. Aren't those really class associations? Why should the general membership be supporting them if class associations don't get the same funds? Shouldn't those classes be supporting themselves as any other class has to?

JB
When you pay dues to your class association, you are supporting the work for that specific class. Some classes do a lot and have high dues, like the Farr 40 class. That works for those owners. Other classes struggle to keep dues low so people will stay in. National Offshore Council (NOC) is made up of groups like class associations-e.g., Americap, IMS, etc.

The stated funding for the US Olympic sailing team is pathetic. Why, with all its resources doesn't US sailing have a war chest like the International Yachting Trust in New Zealand, which can step in and provide substantial development and campaign funding to those who are falling outside the "official criteria"?? This fund which now has assets of several million dollars has provided funding for young sailors at critical stages of their careers and continues to do so, until they make the NOC funding criteria. It is administered outside Yachting NZ (US Sailing equivalent) and takes money from investments, bequests, donations and other fundraising schemes. This fund was set up several years ago by older sailors to help develop the next generation - sailors helping themselves instead of being reliant on gambling profits etc. Isn't it better for sailors at Olympic level to be substantially funded, and able to concentrate on sailing faster than spending valuable training time on fundraising?

JB
No question that substantial funding would encourage more sailors to participate and help our current sailors to do even better on the international level. It would probably improve the final results, too, as sailors can sail and practice instead of raise money. That's why we kicked of the fundraising campaign "Voyage to Athens." This is the first time in many years that we are asking our members to give us money to support our US Sailing Team and U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. Go to http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/2004/Winning to find out more about the campaign.

Thanks very much Janet.

JB
You're welcome. I enjoyed this opportunity to interact directly with sailors.