What’s in Name? Yacht Officials Say It’s Image

“Good morning . . . U.S. Sailing.”

That’s how receptionist Pat Lussier answers the phone at the United States Yacht Racing Union office in Newport, R.I. Delegates to the annual general meeting at Stamford, Conn., last weekend approved the name change, effective immediately, by a vote, 58-20.

Officially, it’s United States Sailing Assn., but U.S. Sailing for short. The change was endorsed by USYRU’s outgoing president, Bill Martin, and executive director John Bonds, primarily for cosmetic reasons. It’s still the national governing body for the sport, but, a news release states: “The new name more adequately describes the broader (nonracing) activity of the organization.”

Sailing also de-emphasizes the elitist image related to yachting-- a key point for many advocates who say the change will help their sport gain mass appeal.

It was a small surprise that most of the support for the new name came from the East Coast, where one would think traditionalism runs strong, while opposition was strongest in California, that bastion of change. The Narragansett Bay Yachting Assn., which rules Newport, R.I., supported the switch. Both the Southern California Yachting Assn. and the Yacht Racing Union of Southern California voted against it, as did the Yacht Racing Assn. of San Francisco Bay.

George Hively, commodore of SCYA, said afterward: “We felt that the sailing community would be better served spending its time, energy and money trying to change the perception of what the term yachting really means than changing the name. It . . . doesn’t address a lot of the other problems.”

What yachting means, Hively says, is “recreational boaters having fun.”

He added: “It’s not the blue blazers and white pants and paid crew. Most people think of yachts as the main channel at Marina del Rey. They don’t think of us guys with the little boats in the back.

“A lot of people have accused us of being traditionalists, but Southern California is as far away from that as you can get. We had a lot of reasons for opposing (the change), and tradition was at the bottom of the list.”

Hively’s larger objections are that the name change could cost USYRU from $100,000 to $250,000 in printing and other costs, and that a legal technicality could affect California yacht clubs’ standing as private clubs with the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Peter Huston of Balboa Yacht Club, who advocated the change, said his investigation showed that isn’t true, but Hively said a state official told him otherwise.

Boaters would have been better served, Hively suggested, if all the energy to change the name had been directed at a Congress that passed the new Recreational Vessel Fee, which taxes 80% of the nation’s boaters from $25 to $100 a year but returns nothing to their activity.

“That may be the one that galvanizes the boating community together,” Hively said.

Latest word from BOAT/U.S. in Washington is that the House Ways and Means Committee has recommended leaving the Recreational Vessel Fee in effect at least until Oct. 1, 1992, tying its future to whether adequate alternative revenue is generated by a new Federal Maritime Commission fee. If so, smaller boats might then be exempted.

The House voted, 412-6, on July 18 in a non-binding “sense of Congress” resolution that the Recreational Vessel Fee should be repealed. The recent move amounts to capitulation to the Office of Management and Budget, which created that fee as part of the federal budget and will determine the adequacy of all revenues.

Only about 10% of the affected boaters have bought their decals. Apparently, many hope they can escape Coast Guard citations through the end of the year, when they will have to buy a new set, anyway.

The Coast Guard is enforcing the law at about the same level the California Highway Patrol checks for motorists not wearing seat belts--incidental to other violations. The Coast Guard Commandant has recommended that fines be assessed at two to four times the fee for the decal required, according to boat size--but they can, by law, be up to $5,000.

For information or to order decals, boaters may phone (800) 848-2100.

Sailing Notes

MATCH RACING--New Zealand’s corner on talent was evident in the all-Kiwi semifinals of the Omega Gold Cup series off Bermuda. Eddie Warden-Owen defeated Rod Davis, 4-3, in the final, and Russell Coutts upset Chris Dickson, 3-1, for third place. Warden-Owen is from Wales, but he’s the new “coach” of the Kiwis’ America’s Cup team. Davis is an American but is sailing in the Cup for New Zealand. Coutts is a native Kiwi, as is Dickson, although Dickson is skipper of the Nippon Challenge in the America’s Cup. Earlier, Warden-Owen had beaten Dickson, 4-2, in the semifinals, and Davis had a fiercely contested 4-3 edge over Coutts, his chief rival for the helm of the New Zealand boat off San Diego next year. . . . This week, all of the above except Davis stayed on to compete in the Mazda World Championship of Match Race Sailing--the circuit’s premier event. New Zealand syndicate manager Peter Blake told Davis earlier he would be needed back in Coronado. The only American entry, sixth-ranked Peter Isler of Jolla, was top qualifier for today’s semifinals with a 15-3 record through the round-robin, followed by Dickson, 14-3 (one default); and Coutts and France’s Marc Bouet, 11-7. In winds to 20 knots Friday, Denmark’s Jesper Bank beat Bouet without his mast. The spar blew down 20 yards before the finish and he coasted across. Finals are Sunday. . . . Il Moro di Venezia skipper Paul Cayard won the Knickerbocker Cup off New York, winning a 2-0 sail-off against Larry Klein of San Diego. None of the Omega or Madza skippers competed.

SHOWTIME--The 23rd Long Beach Boat Show--an all-sail exhibition until last year--will run only five days instead of the usual 10, from Wednesday through next Sunday at the Long Beach Convention Center and adjacent Downtown Marina. In-the-water displays are new this year. Hours: noon-10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Admission: adults $5, children under 12 free. Displays will include the new Swift rudder, a twin-bladed, inverted V-shape design that the manufacturers claim can add 27% to a sailboat’s speed and 10% to a power boat’s speed.

NOTEWORTHY--Malin Burnham, president of the America’s Cup Organizing Committee, placed second for the second consecutive year in the St. Francis International Masters Regatta off San Francisco. Skippers had to be over 55, crews over 45. Burnham, whose crew of four included Team Dennis Conner executive Jerry LaDow, was only one point out of first place. The event was sailed in J-24s. . . . NBC is said to be resistant to showing any sailing during the 1992 Olympic Games at Barcelona, Spain, although the venue is immediately offshore from the city. ABC carried only 11 minutes in ’84 when the sailing was off Long Beach.