Revised:  01/21/2010

EAST COAST 12 METER CLASS SECRETARY REPORT              02/27/02

With 5 months passed in our 2002 Registration year, we have processed a total of 52 boat registrations, well ahead of schedule along our way toward our annual goal of 100.  While looking at the combination of skippers and boats it occurred to me that we have the opportunity to do a little more in the way of analysis of our registrations.  I would hope by so doing suggestions for class growth and improvement would have a further basis in reality. 

Below is a table of our 2002 registrations.  The skippers are divided into New Skippers who are registering a boat in the class for the first time, and Old Skippers, those who were already class members with one or more boats registered.  Similarly we can divide the boats into New Boats, those who are being registered in the class for the first time, and Old Boats, boats that were already in the class and having their registration transferred.

New skippers 33, Old skippers 19 - means 63% are skippers new to the class.

New boats 31, Old boats 21 - means 59.6% are boats new to the class.  This percentage is down from 75% a couple years ago.

We seem successful in attracting new skippers, in no small part as a result of the excellent work being done by Paul Proefrock, Rick West, Dave Brawner and other contributors to the three web sites that are featuring the class and its technical details.  If you haven’t visited these sites, drop what you are doing and get to the keyboard.

http://www.ec12.com  -  The “Official” Class Site

EC12 Building Site - Rick West’s site with lots of construction information

12Web - Paul Proefrock’s new site for the EC-12.

Additionally I have been receiving excellent assistance and support from our Authorized Manufacturers.  They are helping me carry out an intensive effort designed to register every new hull that is being produced.  If we keep up the present rate we should see the highest total of new registrations and transfers in class history.

I’d like to remind all skippers to check the Class Rules for the ISAF Requirements for sail numbering.  In almost every set of EC-12 photos I see on the web there are instances of improperly numbered sails.  We use 4” numbers and letters, spacing and location as indicated in the Class Rule attachments done by previous Class Secretary Jerry Brower.  Copies available by e-mail or on paper by asking the Class Secretary.

Trends in boat registration activity over the life of the class are shown in the following chart.  The bars along the top are periods when I have been serving the Class as Secretary, is there a recurring pattern to be see here?

We can see that in the last three years we have been able to arrest a rather steep decline in new boat registrations, and have been able to increase our annual total of transfers of existing boats from skipper to skipper.  It is absolutely critical that anytime a boat is sold, the information on the new skipper is provided to the Class Secretary.  I can help pursue those new skippers, but only if you give me the data.  I would also like to ask each skipper to recall if he has sold a boat in the last few years, and make an effort to help establish contact between the new owner and the class.

 It is my fervent hope that we will add manufacturing capacity to the class this year and do it in a way that reduces the average wait time for a hull.  If successful, we should be able to reestablish sustainable growth in new boat registrations in future years.