Fleet 20 Fleet Captain Duties

Duties include being a: Secretary, Treasurer, Race Captain, Writer, Editor, Bill Collector, Cruise Director, Cruise Leader, and Recruiter.

Skills used include: delegating, coordinating, listening, following-up, motivating, reminding, referring, and railroading.

For a good year:  Involve people, help them to succeed, and give them all the credit.

Remember: Fleet 20 sailors tend to be thrifty, and thrive on simplicity.

Schedule Activities. A mix of events should include traditional events and some new adventurous ones.  Some traditional activities include:

January

  • Portland Boat Show
  • Seattle Boat Shows

Spring

  • Fleet 20 Spring Meeting (March)
  • Fleet 20 Launch Day (March/April)
  • Fleet 20 Spring Rendezvous - raft-up at Government Island, Lemon Island, or Canoe Bay (May)
  • Memorial Day Weekend cruise to Martin Island
  • SYSCO Spring Race Series

Summer

  • SYSCO Summer Race Series
  • CYC Summer Race Series
  • Fleet 20 Summer Meeting
  • Fleet 20 Summer Cruise - San Juan Islands or Columbia River
  • Fleet 20 Beacon Rock Cruise (August)
  • SYSCO One-Design Regatta (August)

Fall

  • Fleet 20 Race/Cruise with SYSCO - St Helens (September)
  • Catalina Rendezvous (September)
  • Sail for the Cure (September)
  • SYSCO Awards Banquet (October)

December

  • Holiday Party and election of new Fleet Captain (early in the month)

Publish a Newsletter

As soon as possible, publish a Fleet Newsletter with a calendar of the events. Include cruising and racing events from: the C22 fleets -- local, regional, and national, OCSA, and SYSCO. Include the December Holiday party, and interesting fleet events from Seattle, Idaho, and California. Networking with other fleets will give you new ideas. Include the SYSCO race notices.

Send out FREQUENT Newsletters. Motivate members to write.

The fleet newsletter is the corner-stone to a successful fleet. Communication and the sharing of knowledge are essential to keeping members interested and active.

For events to be well attended:

  • Publish event dates well in advance and in a form that is easy to "stick on the fridge."
  • Give many people specific responsibilities, e.g. bring a barbecue, make sure some new member gets there, etc.
  • Make sure everyone is called to remind them of an event 2-3 weeks prior to it.
  • Call again 4-5 days prior to the event.

To recruit new members:

  • Talk with local yacht brokers who sell C22s. Find out who has recently bought any. Ask brokers to tell new C22 owners about the club. Leave some information or a card. Stop back periodically.
  • Leave Catalina 22 "calling cards" on boats.
  • Stop to talk to anyone in a C22. C22's really get passed around in Portland.  Many new owners don't know there is a club.
  • Follow up quickly on leads club members will give you. Fleet Captains seem to have the clout.  Be charming, informative, and enthusiastic. TAKE GOOD NOTES.

Needed Communications

Write and send fleet reports to MainBrace Editor.

Send an official "Welcome Packet" to all new members. Let them know who we are and what we do. Send a newsletter, roster, and a calendar of events. Include the SYSCO handout and explain why the Catalina 22 fleet is closely involved with them.  The Fleet Captain is the "Welcome Wagon." Find out the new member's needs and do what you can (e.g. information on OCSA or moorages, yacht clubs, whatever is relevant.)

For a class to thrive, the fleets must thrive. The Fleet Captain is the critical position for the health of the class.