Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
Over the years, the Star Class has been led by a variety of great people and committees from many countries and backgrounds. Some assumptions have been made that our membership is fully aware of how the Class operates. I think this assumption is probably not accurate. I have heard repeated requests for “more transparency” from Class membership and I think the request is well-placed and certainly reasonable. Our leadership team will ensure that the appropriate Class rules are followed by our appointed Officers and Committees and additionally, we suggest anyone who is interested to read about Class Governance in the Star Class Rules and contact our Central Office for a copy of our financials. Much of this info is either in the Log or available online.
I write this letter for three reasons. First, to provide more transparency as to the operation of our Class, secondly, encourage participation on the Annual meeting to discuss the direction and priorities of the Class, and, finally, to implore our membership to pay their dues, not just for this year but the years that may have gone unpaid. The fact that we collect a large amount of our dues only when a competitor shows up to a sanctioned event is clear indication that many Class members are not current with their dues.
In essence, we are an administrative body directed mainly by two committees: the IGC (policy and World Championship selection) and the CMC (daily administrative and financial duties). Elected officers are volunteers and are not reimbursed for the countless hours they provide to the class or travel expenses. We take in revenue of approx. $165k annually from membership dues (about 58% of revenue); other revenue is earned through participation (championship entries, sail and boat royalties, and advertising). Since losing Olympic status, the absence of the Star Sailors League and Covid, our membership revenue has dropped.
Probably most concerning, the percentage of members who currently pay dues has declined. This decline has increased since we changed to online dues payment and away from having our Fleet and District Secretaries collecting Class dues from the local sailors. Most years, we have a budget shortfall or “gap” usually around 10k-20k. Luckily, we have an accumulated investment accounts which are used to close the budget gap as necessary. The effect of this measure hampers our investment account growth.
This year we will see a growth of participation and membership by sailors over last year. Our World Championship will draw 100 teams. However, growth, which is connected to participation, only impacts our revenue temporarily. We still need to place a major emphasis on building new members and ensuring that current membership pays their dues regardless of participation in a major event.
I do want to recognize two special Class members who have come up with smart ideas and have contributed above and beyond: Enrico Chieffi and Rainier Wilhelm. Enrico is the CEO of SLAM and has provided jerseys to multiple events over the last two years and this year will be providing personalized jerseys to all dues paying members. Rainer Wilhelm as CEO of Robline has stepped forward and provided sponsorship for our Regatta Manager position to cover the expenses of travel for our Regatta Manager. These creative ideas are exactly what we need more of in our Class. Thank you, Enrico and Rainer.
We also have an associated organization called the ISCYRA Legacy Foundation. The Legacy Foundation’s mission is to raise money for the growth and development of the Star Class. It has its own Board of Directors and makes decisions as to where to spend its resources independently. To assure alignment with the Class, the Foundation reports annually to the CMC/IGC. Maintaining separation is important to earn donor confidence. Maintaining alignment assures we are all working towards the same goals. I applaud Larry Whipple for his leadership in creating the Foundation Board and the initiatives he and the Board have supported. We look forward to working with the Legacy Foundation in the future by communicating IGC approved funding requests.
Finally, as membership declines, we are charged with developing ideas and programs that will help build and grow our Class despite limited resources. Our annual meeting in Italy this September is a good place to have this conversation; we (Class leadership) are just sailors, like you, looking for the best answers. An open discussion at the meeting is probably a good time and place to develop these ideas. Many efforts to bring young sailors to the Class have already seen success in different regions of the world; both Germany and Austria have development programs with available boats and instruction that yielded great results. These are local efforts. It should be noted that longtime Star Class partner Bacardi Rum also provided $1000 scholarships for U-30 sailors that attended the Bacardi Cup. Bacardi also is sponsoring the top Bacardi Cup U-30 team to attend the World Championships this year.
The Class has numerous questions we are addressing. Among these is how should the Class be involved in supporting these regional efforts (like the U30 efforts in Germany and Austria) or efforts to draw sailors of all ages (like training and storage centers at Lake Garda)? The SSL brought a great amount of attention and publicity to our Class and events, how should the Class respond and fill the void left behind by the SSL? How do we maximize our social media presence with our marketing budget? How does placement of major events help grow our Class? Should we consider repurposing our events like the “Big Three” in Europe? How do we optimize logistics to create appealing and well-attended events? Should we develop a U-30 annual prospectus and raise money to be spent annually on the U-30 prospectus?
We need our members to contribute with their ideas and financial support.
DUES
We are not a large operation; our spending has been frugal and we cut costs with the move of our central office to San Diego but we are always entertaining ideas to spend our money smarter. However, we need our base support (58%) of our budget to remain stable and reliable. Please click this Current Dues Link to pay for your 2023 Class dues, if you have already paid, thank you for your steadfast support.
CATCHING UP WITH PAST DUES
Please consider clicking this Past Dues Link to step-up and pay any portion of past dues that you may have missed (please use your discretion as to what is appropriate).
STAR LEGACY FOUNDATION
Please click this Legacy Foundation Link to consider a contribution to the Legacy Foundation.
U30 SUPPORT
Finally, please consider a contribution devoted to Under 30 sailors support by clicking this U30 Support Link. Any contribution to U30 sailors support will be retained in a separate bank account and will not be distributed unless directed by the International Governing Committee and only for the support of U30 sailors. Any funds raised or spent for U30 sailors support will be reported to membership annually.
I look forward to seeing many of you in September and to enjoy another great Championship in Italy.
Tom Londrigan
ISCYRA Class President
