As we get underway for another exciting year of sailing, I would like to extend my thanks to the people who have donated to the USSCA Foundation as they are making it possible for us to expand our offerings to the class. One directed donation in particular is making it possible to cover the full entry fee cost and membership for 4 Young Adults (age 19-25) to attend the North Americans in Barrington (CLICK HERE - NA Young Adult Grant). Other directed donations make it possible to offer Youth Scholarships (under 19) to cover costs to attend multiple events including regionals and the North Americans (Youth Scholarship). Thank you to all of you for helping make this happen. 

Due to the very strong support for the Foundation Hank Saurage has increased his matching donation grant to $15,000 and extended the time this is available until May 1st 2026. Thank you, Hank for your generosity and commitment to the class (USSCA Foundation Donation).

I would also like to thank Eduardo Cordero and Steve Honour for donating their time to run clinics. Eduardo is running a clinic at the Gulf Coast Regional on April 10 and Steve ran his at the end of February

In addition, I would like to announce that Zim, our builder, has donated a complete ex-charter ISCA to be raffled off at the North American’s in June. The boat will be available for pickup at the end of the event, or whenever the winner would like to ship the boat (freight is not included and can be booked with Zim if necessary). Zim's commitment to the class has delivered high quality boats and their support for the class is unwavering. More details on this to come.  

One of the items that was requested in the survey completed at the end of 2024 was access to purchase USSCA/ISCA branded merchandise. We have now set this up with a storefront that offers many choices from tech tops to street wear to accessories. A very small portion ($2 per item) of the cost goes to support the USSCA Foundation. You can pick logos for USSCA or ISCA and can mix and match the logos on the same piece of clothing. If you would like free shipping you can pick this up at the NA’s in Barrington or you can order it to be delivered to your home (Apparel Storefront). 

Nominations for members of the board open on May 7 and close on May 21st with election ballots distributed online on May 22. Positions being elected this year are for President, Treasurer, Youth Coordinator and Regatta Committee Coordinators as well as for the Regional Representatives for New England, New York, Mid-Atlantic, Florida Peninsula, and the Southeast Region Please send any nominations to nominations.coordinator@sunfishclass.org. 

Nominations for the Presidents Awards are now open and will close on May 6. Please nominate people who you think are deserving of the Member of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Youth of the Year. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE.

Please take the time to renew your membership. This runs to January to January so the sooner you sign up the sooner you can enjoy our membership benefits including a discount from Zim Sailing! CLICK HERE for membership information.  

Feel free to reach out with any suggestions. I am always happy to hear from you.

Susan Mallows

President USSCA

ussca.president@sunfishclass.org 

USSCA is pleased to announce, thanks to an anonymous donor, that four grants are available for Young Adults aged 19 to 25 to cover the full entry fee for the USSCA North American’s in Barrington, Rhode Island on June 4-7, 2026 as well as the USSCA Membership Fee if needed. The Young Adult age group includes individuals who will turn 19 by the end of 2026 through age 25 and who will not turn 26 by the end of 2026.  A grant application form is available on-line at GRANT FORM. Applications will be reviewed to determine the grant recipients. The donor may also be able to provide an ISCA/Sunfish for the recipient to use during the North American's Regatta in June 2026. 

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the donor who is making this possible. This will help to raise awareness and interest in young adults, some of whom who are currently or have recently enjoyed college sailing and are looking for accessible sailing after college. Our hope is to grow participation among this age group and share with them the joy of sailing within the USSCA class.

The USSCA Board is pleased to announce that nominations are open for the 2025 President’s Awards.

The President's Awards will be distributed in three categories:

• Member of the Year
• Volunteer of the Year
• Youth of the Year

These awards are intended to underscore the unique contributions made by our members, volunteers, and youthful talent who have not just participated actively, but also embodied the ISCA spirit throughout the year.

Please submit nominations by May 6th using this link USSCA President's Awards or use the QR code below.

Thank you to Hank Saurage for extending his match till May 1st and increasing it to $15,000!  To make a donation, please CLICK HERE.