Dear NESSA Member School,
I am pleased to announce that we have selected MIT/MBL/CBI as the host site for the 2010 ISSA Fleet Racing Nationals (Mallory Trophy). In November, the committee accepted three bids - one from MIT/MBL/CBI, one from Barnstable HS/ Hyannis YC, and one from Indian Harbor YC in Greenwich, CT. All three were very thorough and well presented and we felt lucky to have so many areas of the district involved in high school sailing.
In considering the three bids, the committee was swayed by three defining factors. First was geographic diversity. NESSA has a guideline of moving the ISSA championship around the districts. In the past 20 years, we have hosted the Mallory, Cressy, and Baker regattas at the following sites.
May 1995 – Baker @ Tabor Academy (Marion, MA)
May 1998 - Mallory & Cressy @ US Coast Guard Academy (New London, CT)
Oct 1999 – Cressy @ Sail Newport (Newport, RI)
May 2001 – Baker @ Tabor Academy (Marion, MA)
May 2003 – Mallory @ Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)
May 2006 – Baker @ Vineyard Haven YC (Martha’s Vineyard, MA)
Oct 2006 – Cressy @ Indian Harbor YC (Greenwich, CT)
The Committee felt that since we hosted our last ISSA championship at the Indian Harbor YC, it was too soon to return to the Southwestern Connecticut area, even though IHYC did a fantastic job with the 2007 Cressy. The prior ISSA event run in NESSA was the 2006 Baker on Martha’s Vineyard, so going to Barnstable seemed a little close.
The second factor was the MIT/MBL/CBI plan to use two fleets of boats (420s and FJs). Those who have attended the Mallory know that having both fleets on the water at once gives you the best chance to get through an entire round-robin in the two day time frame. More races means a better chance that the “cream will rise to the top.” This was the case at US Coast Guard in 1998. While being able to field 40 boats is not necessary for the application, the prospect was definitely a plus for MIT/MBL/CBI
Finally, the MIT/MBL/CBI proposal was strong on its own merits. MIT has a long history of hosting college Nationals and NEISA championships. The Charles River basin is an excellent sailing venue – perfect for both spectators and participants. Downtown Boston’s proximity to Logan International airport is a plus as is the availability of hotel rooms, restaurants, and nighttime entertainment for our out of town guest and their families.
The procedure going forward will be as follows:
Carl Zimba will assume the role of Event Chair. He will be responsible for selecting the Race Committee and Judges, both subject to ISSA approval. That should be completed by the November 2009 NESSA Meeting.
Rob Hurd will be the NESSA-ISSA Liaison and coordinate the concerns and logistics between the two organizations.
Rob & Carl will draft the NOR with a goal of having a working document ready for review at the September 2008 ISSA meeting.
NESSA’s next ISSA championship is the 2012 Baker slated for the fourth weekend in May 2012 and the Cressy slated for Oct 2013. Information about the bid process for those regattas will be distributed at a later date.
Respectfully Submitted
2010 Mallory Selection Committee
Rob Hurd – Mallory selection Committee Chair
Doug Heil – NESSA president
Roger Rawlings – ISSA VP
Roy Williams – Member at large