Page 5 - 2024-eca-yearbook-final

• Main sail headboard width more clearly defined.
• Common gooseneck hardware approved.

The Publicity Committee (Dave Willner, chair) instituted a Fleet-level social
media position, the Fleet Reporter, who sends images and reports to their
Regional Commander, who in turn forwards the information to Michelle Macina,
who is doing a fantastic job of promoting the Ensign on social media. If your fleet
does not have a Fleet Reporter, please establish one! The Ensign Class needs
all the publicity it can get!

In very uplifting news, Ensign Spars has committed to build two new Ensigns in
2024! With the knowledge-base and help of the experience-rich Technical and
Ensigns Forever Committees, the boats should be of Pearson quality or above,
be offered at a reasonable price and should maintain the ECA’s one design
standards.

The 2024 racing schedule is complete, with planning for all four Regional
Championships well underway and planning for this year’s National
Championship in Niantic, CT well ahead of schedule. The Midwinter
Championship has just been completed in Irmo, SC, with the Columbia Sailing
Club on Lake Murray (and our own Fran Trapp) doing a fantastic job at planning
and organizing. Great food, friendly hospitality, varietal sailing conditions, Billy
Ray’s Party, fantastic trophies (thanks, Ray Gresham!)… just can’t say enough…
You should plan to attend the Ensign Midwinter Championship next year!

And there is a very special effort underway encouraging youth and JAM (Jib and
Main) teams at this year’s Nationals. Already, there are discussions of youth
teams from Toms River, NJ, Sayville, NY, Niantic, CT and Lake Murray, SC with
partial funding available from the ECA!

No message from me would be complete without an appeal to grow your fleets
and refurbish the boats. A beautifully restored Ensign is such a sexy boat! Invite
your friends for a sail! Throw fun cookouts at your club! Attract others into our
class!

Finally, I’d like to give some airtime to some very solid people in the class who
work hard behind the scenes to fulfill our Mission Statement.

Yearbook - Teresa Coronado
Newsletter Editor - Anna Gorbold
Boat Listing - Mike LaHaye
Webmaster - Vic Roberts
Membership - Marsha LaHaye
Ship’s Store - Lythia Metzmeier

Many thanks to each of you for the contributions you make! Make 2024 a
fantastic year of Ensign sailing!

Bud Brown

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