Questionnaire for USA Sailors – please respond before June 15, 2020

USA Sailors ONLY – help the USOKDRA make decisions and provide your opinion / answers to the following questions.  Your answers would be appreciated by email to jfbland at me dot com.

If you are not a member, please consider becoming one. $50 for an Associate Membership.  See the rules/procedures.

All OK sailors – if you’d like to participate, please list your country organization first in your reply.

Individual helpful comments, please reply directly here – with your country if not the USA.

1. Do you currently own an OK Dinghy?

2. Are planning to own an OK dinghy in the next two years?

3 When do you think you will build or purchase an OK Dinghy?

4 Which would you prefer to buy, New or previously owned?

5 How much would you pay for a new boat of any kind? – For an OK Dinghy?

6. How old are you / year of birth?

7 How would you rate your Physical fitness / ability to sail.  ->  Excellent [works out]; Good [I like to take long walks on the beach] ; Fair [Walks to local bar].;  Poor [my idea of aerobic exercise is walking from the couch to the refrigerator to get a beer. ;  Lastly – Physical Fitness , what’s that?

8. How would you rate your sailing ability, or Sailing Experience. [Novice – Experienced – Advanced – Semi Pro – Professional ]?

9.How easy would it be to start a fleet on your home Lake / Beach on a scale of 1-5 . 1 impossible to 5 we’re ordering boats now.?

10. Would you ever consider going to a World Championship in Europe or Southern Pacific [Outside USA ] – yes or no ?

11. Would you ever assist either financially or with volunteer time with a World Championship held in the USA.?

12.How important is a custom OK to your sailing plans on a scale of 1 to 5.? 1 not important -> 5 Won’t consider anything but a custom boat.?

14. Do you prefer plywood or composites as building materials for your OK dinghy?

15. Do you prefer to build your own boat, or purchase a composition hull, or purchase a ready to sail package. If none of these what would you do when purchasing a new boat.?

Newest OK Dinghy being built in Michigan by Ken Biddick for Chicago Star Sailor

Ken Biddick, a professional boat builder, has completed the newest USA fleet member.  Ken and the owner are currently measuring the boat and foils for membership.  When the going gets tough, the tough build a new boat.  Ken was graciously helped by many of the OKDIA builders in various countries with his questions.  The international membership is invested in the USA’s rebuilding and success.  The OK class is one of the friendliest in the world.  Join now!

 

2020 Memberships are rolling in !

Please welcome, and welcome back in many cases our first 2020 Members.  Nationals are Oct 24, 25 ,2020 in Austin TX on Lake Travis –

Paul Henderson, FL USA 457

Dennis Clark, WA

Fritz Mueller, FL

Paul Guidi, FL

Rick Peyran, CA. USA 288

Gil Greenwood, OK

Of course Rob Coutts, CA ,President, USA 9 and James Bland TX, Executive Secretary, USA 8 [NZL 585] are all signed up.  Rob has found the sister boat, a Pedersen?  design, ISAF 1841 / NZL 518 a sister to NZL515 which I sailed in the last Worlds and Rob won the 2005 ? Worlds in India.

I was given a 1972 USOKDRA newsletter.  In that newsletter, you could read of growing fleets, over 800 registered boats and new members added by the score.  It’s time to regain that participation.

US OK Dinghy Racing Association has not collected dues for a few years, so the cupboard is kind of bare.  Memberships and donations are necessary to pay for administrative items, prepare for the Nationals, and start to look at low level advertising in the Harken Showcase or Scuttlebutt online.  Participation at any level is appreciated.