Plan summary:

At the March 2009 Winter meeting the ILCA Governing Board was tasked by the Executive Committee to come forward with creative ideas to a) increase our international presence and b) present opportunities to keep our current builders viable. Due to the current economic situation our builders have found new orders exceedingly difficult to “find” and, as a class, there was a strong concern regarding their ability to continue to produce Lightnings. This plan is one presented by ILCA Treasurer John Faus and Executive Committee Member Victor Lobos as a possible low-risk financial opportunity for the class to expand international interest in our class while providing a secondary opportunity for our builders to “flip” current owners into new boats by creating a new and fresh secondary used boat market for current owners.

Objectives:

• Help create opportunities to continue production of new Lightning’s.
• Create incentives to get competitive boats into the hands of our international fleets.
• Make the process of shipping boats overseas easier and more affordable.

Funding:

• The ILCA will help subsidize the shipment of containers overseas containing new or nearly new Lightning’s. “Overseas” will include Mexico. “Nearly new” = Hull from 1999 or newer.
• 4 container limit @ 2,500 per container.
• $10,000 maximum expense from the ILCA Fund. (Funds available through 2010).
• Each container shipped must generate at least 2 new boat orders – (either direct new boat purchases or a used boat purchase who’s owner will purchase new).
• In the event that this program is wildly successful – the committee may come back to the ILCA Fund to continue the program for a set period of time.

Committee:

A committee will be established to help with the logistics of sending boats overseas.

This committee will approve the containers based on a first come-first served basis (which will then be approved by the Executive Committee) and act as the class liaison. The committee will be charged to find/locate people that would sell a used boat with the intention of purchasing a new boat. Upon an agreement to move forward with this proposal the committee will work with all available international contacts including but not limited to the following potentially interested parties: Victor Lobos, Juan Santos, Kimmo Aromma, Gustavo Tamayo, Ian Edwards and sailing federations in growth areas (Chile, Mexico, etc.)

The following are the committee’s tasks:

1. Advice on matching a new/used boat to a potential buyer.
2. Finding quality used boats from sellers looking to order a new boat.
3. Provide email/phone contact info – so the buyer/seller can work out the details of the purchase.
4. If possible, provide an evaluation of the boats condition, sort of like a checklist that would prevent getting biased info on the boat.
5. Provide list of possible companies that could consolidate the boats inside the containers.
6. Provide guidelines for tying the boats inside the container.
7. Coordinate transport from the boats point of origin to the consolidators warehouse. (Be it for free or paid by the buyer)
8. Contact and ask local class members to help in the arrival of the boats.

The following are the local representatives tasks:

Committee:

Co-Chairs: John Faus, Victor Lobos, Steve Davis

Tom Starck, Ryan Flack, Tom Allen, Ian Edwards

Consulting members:

Tom Allen                     Allen Boat Company
Hugh Armbruster       Nickels Boat Works
Ryan Flack                    Nickels Boat Works

 
Respectfully,

Victor Lobos, John Faus