Ship-to-ShoreShip-to-Shore The South Sound Sailing Society’s Newsletter Volume 47 Issue 9 May 2018 www.ssssclub.com May Meeting: The Thunderbird: A Pacific Northwest Icon Star Races Start April 30 Ed Josberger, Fleet Captain for Thunderbird Fleet #1, will be sharing the history of the Board Meeting Thunderbird sailboat at the Meeting on May 8th. Ed’s own history with Thunderbirds dates May 1 back to the early 70s when he began crewing on one. He bought his present Thunderbird in 1995. Dinghy Races Start Not acquainted with the Thunderbird? Allow me to introduce you. In 1957 the Douglas Fir May 3 Plywood Association mailed out a challenge to area boat designers and boat builders. The challenge? Build a Black Star Regatta plywood sailboat that could May 4-5 race and cruise, sleep four, General Meeting be built by reasonably May 8 skilled amateurs, be Visitors Welcome powered by an outboard Doors open at 1830, Meeting starts 1900 engine, and out-perform Spring Series Race 4 other sailboats in its class. May 12 See the Gig Harbor Boat Shop web Star Races site:www.gigharborboatsho May 14 p.org Dinghy Races That challenge was met May 17 by Ben Seaborn and Ed Dockton Cruise Hoppen. In November of May 18-20 1958, Thunderbird #1 was Star Races launched and began a Black Star Regatta 2017 photo: Thera Black legacy that continues today. May 21 The motto of the still-active International Thunderbird Racing Association states “More than Memorial Day Cruise just a sailboat ... a way of life!” May 26-27 Join us for an interesting presentation on May 8th. Doors open at 1830. See you then! Noreen Light, Soundhaven Star Races May 29 Parking in the club house lot is for OYC members only. There is free parking on the street and in the lot across 4th Street, south of Bay View Commodores’ Series Starts May 30 Commodore’s Corner: Renewal Reminder Dinghy Races Remember that your Membership renewal will come through the e-mail that you signed up May 31 with. You can renew your Membership before then by logging in to the web site with the unique password you received. If you’ve forgotten your personal log in password, request a LifeSling Clinic new password and it will be sent right away. Once you log in, you can renew your Membership June 2 and update all of your personal information. You can upload a picture of you and your boat so Star Races that other Members know who you are more easily. You can also specify your preferences like June 4 how you receive the S-t-S; do you want it by e-mail or do you want to receive it in the mail? Board Meeting There are also a few questions about whether you race or cruise and that helps us to know what June 5 sort of information you might want to receive. It’s all very easy and saves the Secretary, a Commodores’ Series Race 2 volunteer, from having so much data input. Thank you so much! June 6 Joy Johnson, Folie ‘a Deux Star Races Sign Up for LifeSling Clinic June 11 It is time to sign up for the June 2 LifeSling Clinic. It will begin at 0900 with classroom General Meeting instruction at the Olympia Yacht Club. During that session, that lasts about two hours, you will Awards, Elections, Potluck get a detailed explanation of how the LifeSling is properly used to get an overboard crew June 12 member back onto the boat. Visitors Welcome Doors open at 1800, Eating starts 1830 Sailing Classes : SSSS & the IRS : New SSSS Board : Transition to Better Races Ship-to-Shore May 2018 The instruction is followed by rd To Be or Not to Be…. dockside drills where you will Dinghy Racing Starts May 3 see how to properly rig the If you have a sailboat that’s 20 feet or less a Tax Exempt Club hoisting tackle and then do some and doesn’t have a fixed keel, please consider Getting established with the IRS and other dry runs on the technique to use coming out and racing with us. We race on taxing entities has been, well ... taxing! With the LifeSling and hoisting tackle. alternate Thursday nights just north of KGY help from a CPA, Steve and Peter labored under Next you get a chance to put all and the Hearthfire restaurant, starting at 1830. their green eyeshades for hours to generate the that knowledge and skill to work New racers, just come out a little early and figures for four years of tax filings. Those are as we do real overboard drills register with the yellow runabout committee working their way through the IRS and we are with volunteers in survival suits boat. We are more about having fun on the crossing our fingers that all is accepted. splashing around and hoping to water then really serious hard core racing. One of the big decisions we have to make as a be rescued. Although it is fun to win. Club is whether to file as a non-profit with the The LifeSling is the best Jim Findley, Nightwind/Not Sirius /Lido 14 IRS or as a for-profit. We do not qualify as a method for one 501(c)3 because we are not formed person to rescue with educational or charitable someone who has purposes, and we are a membership- fallen off the boat. driven organization: most of our To show you what income comes from membership fees to do in the worst and dues. case scenario, each We do look and feel like a 501(c)7 participant does an social club, but we have learned as a actual rescue board that obtaining and maintaining without any help our non-profit status as a social club from the other will require a good deal of record students, although keeping. In addition, since many of always under the our activities, such as Toliva and watchful eye of the Black Star Regatta, involve non- instructor to ensure members, it may be difficult for us to safety. qualify for and maintain that status. It is best to learn Because our non-member income this method, or exceeded the allowable limits for a refresh your skills, 501(c)7, our filings for the last 4 on the boat you own years were done as a C-corporation or frequently sail Thunderbird in the Gig Harbor Boat Shop and we needed to pay four years of on. To encourage back taxes, penalties and interest. skippers and crew to take this class New Board to be We will be allocating the costs of the taxes and together we will waive the $15 fee for the CPA’s among the activities that generated any skipper who has two or more crew Nominated the income, including the Women’s Boating take the class with them. As per our by laws, a slate of officers Seminar, the Stars, Toliva and the Club as a Basic sailing skills are required. The for the 2018-19 SSSS Board will be whole. class lasts most of the day. Space is placed in nomination at the May Accordingly, the board voted to use 2018 as a limited so please call Dee Saller or me Meeting. We will vote on them at the test year. We will keep the extra records needed at (360) 491-0175 or e-mail us at June Meeting. to support a filing as a 501(c)7, and, early in [email protected] to reserve your The officers are: Commodore, Jim 2019 we will decide if we qualify for that status spot or to ask us questions about the Larsen who has been Vice Commodore or not. If not, we will continue to file as a C- class. It is challenging and a lot of fun. this year Vice Commodore, Casey corporation. We hope you will join us. Jones, new to the board. Secretary, Filing as a C-corporation does mean that our Andy Saller, Liberty Barb Kiliz, who has been our Secretary net income is taxable, but since we generally do Sorer’s Report for the last half of this year. Race Chair, not run much of a profit, we think that this is the Jeff Hogan, this year’s Assistant RC best route for the Club. Knowing what we now We make the race awards this month. Chair know, we will be able to track income and Please help make sure we do it right by As we go to print there are three open expenses with tax implications in the mind in the checking your awards; see Awards in positions that need filling: Treasurer, future; hopefully that will allow us to minimize Class link on the race result page. Cruise Chair, and Program Chair. the future tax burden. Check the Season Championship There are three unelected board Please feel free to contact any board member scores, remembering only finished races members continuing to serve: Past with any questions you might have about the count. Also check that your boat name Commodore, Joy Johnson, this year’s decision. is spelled right. If something is not Commodore. S-t-S editor, Steve Mary Campbell, Sonrisa right, tell me by the May Meeting Worcester. House Chair, Alex Bromen. Ship-to-Shore May 2018 Star Fleet RC Report: Spring and Summer For all the buoy races the race committee boat will fly the flag(s) indicating the marks to be Racing Starts Racing is Here! rounded, leaving the marks to port.