Greetings FWC Sailors –
 
I am excited to share some great news and exciting changes with you regarding the format in which the FWC holds regattas.
 
Currently, the FWC holds regional regattas, and a Championship regatta, and those are the only opportunities to accrue season points and are all 3+ day regattas.
 
We have feedback that there is a desire for 2 day options, and we have come up with a solution that will open up FWC sailing opportunities across the country.
 
Please see the document at the link below for full details and an explanation of how it works:
https://1drv.ms/w/s!Al8ZttwMFwUAgRweCpWUD64Qu-F5
 
Regattas will be broken down into three Tiers.
 
Tier 1 will be reserved for Championship and Special Event regattas. Sailors participating will earn double points and must be FWC members to attend.
 
Tier 2 will be our Regional Regattas. Sailors participating will earn standard points, and must be FWC members to attend.
 
Tier 3, which is our new option, looks like this:
 
Tier 3
The third tier can encompass any other regatta who wishes to offer a Wave start using the FWC rules and sailing format. Regattas who wish to do so will be given a copy of the FWC rules and will be allowed to use the FWC logo in promotion material. The FWC will not have any hand in planning but will promote the regatta on the class website and social pages. These regattas can be 2 day weekend events and paired with any other sailing class or regatta. The amount of frills offered at these events is completely up to the organizing group. FWC membership is not required, but non-FWC members will not accrue season points. Points will not be retroactive if a non-member races in a tier 3 regatta and chooses to become a member at a later point in time. Points will only accrue from time of active calendar year membership going forward. Regatta organizers will be required to provide results to the FWC scorekeeper within one week of the regatta ending, or season points will not be distributed to participating sailors. Regattas must have a minimum of 5 waves to qualify as a tier 3 FWC points regatta. The FWC will NOT be the Organizing Authority for any Tier 3 regattas. They must be paired with an existing event.
 
Tier 3 participants will earn half points at these events. Again, membership is not required, but it is encouraged. Non-members will not accrue season points.
 
I would encourage you to review the document in its entirety for all details regarding this new structure. There is a benefit for both sailors and any host clubs or fleets.
 
We are currently working on a re-design of our website to show participating regattas in each Tier. We will also link a document for updated season points that can be referenced at any point in time. We expect this re-design to be done by the end of January.
 
I would encourage you to share this with your local sailors or host yacht clubs or fleet. Spread the word!
 
If you have any questions about this new structure, or are interested in incorporating the FWC into your next regatta, please contact us and let us know. While this is new and subject to change as we see it play out, we are confident this will bring FWC sailing to more people and provide more opportunities to participate with the class.
 
Thank you!
 
Ben Wells
FWC - President

Greetings FWC Members and Happy New Year’s Eve to you –
 
Whether you are gearing up for a big party or a quiet night in, I hope you enjoy your day, and of course, wish you all the absolute best in 2023.
 
Voting closed for our ballot and election yesterday, so I wanted to share the results with you all.
 
First, this election has been the highest turnout we have ever had. I’m really happy to see the participation numbers and engagement with the class. Out of 74 eligible voters, 48 completed the electronic ballot giving us a 65% participation rate. This completely blows out the 39% and 36% from the two previous years. I sincerely thank you for your time and making your voice heard to help steer the direction of the class. Here are the results for the officer positions, including any write ins:
 
President 
Ben Wells 43
Bob Curry 1
Blank 4
 
Vice President
Chris Wessels 42
Michael McNeir 1 
Blank 5
 
Secretary
Wendy Rice-Larson
 
Treasurer
Andy Humphries
 
Rules Chairman
Eric Dorschner 35
Doug Seib 9
Jane Sherrod 1
Blank 3 
 
Event Coordinator
Krista Vind
 
Chief Measurer
Jane Sherrod 44
Bob Curry 1
Blank 3
 
 
Also on the ballot were updates to our Rules and Bylaws. Here are the results of those:
 
7Cii 
Nominating Committee appointed by: 
Vice-President  42
President 5
 
10P Backrests are allowed
Approve 46
No 2
 
2D Adaptive Sailor Modifications Rule
Approve 46
No 2
 
 
We will update our rules and bylaws document, and send out a fresh version to everyone soon, as well as update the links on our website and social page.
 
2023 will be the first year we have had some major transitions with officer personnel, but we will ensure it’s a smooth process, and continue to communicate out all needed information and the upcoming regatta schedule.
 
I want to specifically thank Doug for his time serving on the board the past several years as the event coordinator. We have had the opportunity to race at some great new locations and establish some strong connections with yacht clubs all around the country. This work was instrumental in our growth and will continue to help us grow in the future.
 
With that said, I would like to officially welcome and congratulate Krista Vind and Eric Dorschner as newcomers to the board. I’m lucky to have known both of these individuals for a while, and I have a high level of confidence they will bring a great deal of experience and value to the board. I’m excited for what we will work on and accomplish together in the upcoming years.
 
Finally, I’m going to be putting together a member feedback survey to help gather some data and understand the things that are going right, along with the areas we can improve. Look for that sometime very soon.
 
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please let me know, and again, have a safe, happy, and healthy 2023.
 
Ben Wells
FWC - President