Since I am also a member of an RC flying club, Academy of Model Aeronautics membership is a requirement for supplementary homeowners insurance coverage. AMA has several programs to get a new modeler going, one is a $19.95 introductory three month membership to see if the prospective modeler is interested in continuing into a full membership which is $65/year. AMA also has a program for those interested in electric park flyer models for $29.95 a year which includes membership benefits. There is also a club program called "Takeoff And Grow" that assists clubs in introducing model aviation to the general public.
FMI go to
http://www.modelaircraft.org
Now understand that AMA has become a multi million dollar business and AMYA is nowhere near that level. AMA has a triple digit membership mainly due to the requirement that all AMA chartered clubs require AMA membership as a prerequisite for joining. AMYA is not in the position spend the dollars to create similar programs but I think in general, the clubs do a pretty good job of promoting themselves and the model yachting hobby/sport. Nowhere have I seen it written that at the club level (excluding the nationals, regionals and published regattas) AMYA membership is a requirement except that it may be a club's policy to require membership. How many AMYA clubs have members who are not AMYA?
I just don't think it's right for the class to mandate AMYA membership to be a requirement for owning an EC12. I think a prospective skipper will end up going to the hobby store for that readily available $300 ready to go boat and enjoy it until the thrill wears off. Personally, EC12 racing is a great program, it requires a time and money committment. I've made a bunch of great friends and I'm having a blast. I understand the intentions of the CAC for growing the class but I think that it should be up to the individual to decide whether he wants to take an active part in EC12 racing or tool around the pond with a $1200 boat. If I was not interested in racing, I can certainly think of better uses of that $1200![:D] I bought a 12 because I wanted to race. I didn't buy it to play in the pond for a couple of hours then toss it in the corner to collect dust. If I wanted to do that, I would have gone to the hobby store for that $300 ready to sail boat.
Guys, there's no reason to pull guessitmated figures out of the air as I don't know if there are any statistics out there to prove it. Bob, Scott, Larry and Skip are the best judges of this and are going to sell boats matter what. If I was one of these guys, I would seriously consider not continuing to make hulls if there were restrictions as to who could buy one. The class cannot afford to lose these guys! How many Soling One Meter boats have been sold over the years are not registered in the SIM class? A bunch. And you know? Who cares! Victor Model Products is in the business to sell model yachts just as these guys are doing. Those who want to take an active part in SIM racing go to the extra effort to insure that their boat class legal. Why do Bob, Scott, Larry and Skip do what they do? They do it because they enjoy the craftsmanship of fine boat, participation in the class and it puts an extra buck in their pocket. We cannot afford to lose these guys. They already do a lot for this sport.
Let the new skipper have the choice to at least try the program at the club level to see if it interests them. Let them race at the club level and if they desire to continue require AMYA membership for anything higher. You have to remember that for some, the fustration level can be very high for a boat like a 12. I've seen a lot of people drop out and boats disappear because of that. Let the manufacturer sell as many boats as he wants and advise the buyer that the boat is an EC12 class legal hull with a manufacturers number and YRN and that his name, address and hull stats will be supplied to the CS which will be recorded in the database whether the owner is a AMYA member or not. The CS should then contact the buyer with information on clubs in his region with EC12 programs, a club contact name and AMYA information then let it be up to the buyer to take the next step if he so desires. The manufacturers only requirement is to insure that their product is class legal whether it is officially registered or not. Don't ask them to be the class cops, tax collector, etc., etc. If the owner does not officially become a AMYA member and does not officially register with the class, that boat still has a YRN regardless of how old or how long ago it was manufactured. It will then be up to the new owner to insure that the boat conforms to the class rule if he desires to race in national, regional and published regattas.
This is just my personal opinion and as you know, everybody has one![;)]
Mike Denest
EC12 #899