Sigma 33 OOD Class Association Rules

Sigma 33 OOD Class Association Rules

1 Title

The full title of the Association shall be the Sigma 33 Offshore One Design Class Association.

2 Objects

The objects of the Association are to promote and further the interests of the Class and,

in particular:

(a) to maintain the one design character of the Class

(b) to ensure the efficacy of the Measurement Rules

(c) to keep members informed of developments concerning the Class and any proposals concerning Measurement or Association Rules.

(d) to organise championships and to co-ordinate and encourage racing, cruising and other events for the Class in Britain and abroad.

(e) to keep an Association Register.

3 Terms and Definitions

Throughout these Rules, the following defined terms will be used:

(a) "The Association" shall mean the Sigma 33 Offshore One Design Class Association

(b) "The Committee" shall mean the Committee of the Association

(d) "The Association Register" shall mean the register of owners of Sigma 33 OOD yachts, with their addresses, name and sail number

(e) "The Class" shall mean the class of sailing yachts designed by David Thomas and made in accordance with his drawings and specifications and known under the name Sigma 33 OOD

(f) "The Measurement Rules" shall mean the rules relating to measurement, construction and racing conditions of the Class and governing the building of each Sigma 33 and its rating as a recognised class for class racing purposes

(g) "The Class Secretary" shall mean the duly elected Honorary Secretary or duly appointed Secretary, as the case may be, of the Association and "The Class Treasurer" shall mean the duly elected Honorary Treasurer or duly appointed Treasurer, as the case may be

(h) "Certificate" shall mean a One Design Certificate issued by the Measurement Authority recording:

(1) The ownership of a Sigma 33

(2) The fact that such a Sigma 33 complies with the One Design criteria and the Measurement Rules

(i) "Valid Certificate" shall mean a certificate in which:

(1) The particulars of ownership are up to date and entered in the Association register

(2) Any endorsement required by the Measurement Rules has been duly entered

(3) The period of validity has not expired.

(i) "Owner" and "Joint Owner" shall mean any person or persons, corporation or

association entered on a certificate as owner or joint owner of a Sigma 33.

4 Membership and Voting Rights

(a) The following classes of membership shall be recognised:

(1) Full Membership

(2) Associate membership

(3) Honorary Membership

(b) Full Membership shall, upon payment of the prescribed annual subscription, be open to any Owner of a registered Sigma 33, or in the case of Joint Owners, to any one of them, or, in the case of a Sigma 33 owned by a corporation or association, to a nominated representative of that organisation.

(c) Associate Membership shall, upon payment of the prescribed annual subscription, be open to any Joint Owner of a registered Sigma 33, not being a Full Member, and to all individuals or clubs interested in the Class.

(d) Honorary Membership shall be open to any person having an interest in the Association who is proposed by a Full Member and seconded by at least one member of the Committee.

(e) Members acting as helmsmen or entering a Sigma 33 in races which consist of, or include the Class, shall be bound by the Measurement Rules. Only members of the Class Association are eligible to act as helmsmen or enter a Sigma 33 in one-design races.

(f) Each Full Member shall be entitled to one vote at a general meeting of the Association, or in a postal ballot. Associate or Honorary Members shall be entitled to attend and speak in any general meeting, but not to vote.

(g) Membership of the Class Association and acceptance of these rules by a Member will be deemed to constitute consent to the holding of relevant personal data for the purposes of the Data Protection Act.

5 Management

(a) The affairs of the Association shall be managed by the Committee which shall consist of the Officers and other committee members. The Officers shall be the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the Class Secretary and the Class Treasurer. There shall be not less than four, not more than eight, other committee members.

(b) The officers and committee members shall be Full or Associate Members of the

Association and vacancies shall be filled by election at Annual General Meetings.

member or not, but such persons shall have no vote on the Committee unless co-

opted to represent specific areas or fleets.

(d) The Chairman shall not hold his office for more than three years, at the end of

which period he shall retire. The Vice Chairman and committee members shall

not remain in office for more than three years but shall be eligible for promotion

at any time upon which they will start a new term of three years. Retiring

Officers and members of Committee shall be eligible for re-election, or may be

co-opted, after an interval of one year. The term of office of the Class Secretary

and Class Treasurer shall not be limited.

(e) The Committee need not fill a vacancy arising in the Committee unless and until

the total number of members, including Officers, has dropped below eight.

Committee members or Officers appointed to fill casual vacancies shall remain in

office until the next Annual General Meeting.

(f) In default of the election of an Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer, the

Committee may appoint a Secretary or Treasurer. The same person may act as

Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer or Secretary and Treasurer.

(g) At meetings of the Committee, one third of the elected members shall form a

quorum.

(h) The Committee shall have power to make recommendations to the members for

amendments to the Association Rules and the Measurement Rules.

(i) Acceptance of a Certificate by an owner or joint owner shall ipso facto render

him or them subject to the jurisdiction of the Association or the Committee in any

matter pertaining to class rules.

6 Powers of the Committee

(a) Subject to the provisions of these Rules, the Committee shall manage the affairs of the Association.

(b) The Committee may approve the formation of local divisions in areas where three or more Sigma 33s sail together and the members of the Association in that area may elect, or appoint, such local officers as they think fit.

(c) The Committee shall interpret the Class Measurement Rules as may be necessary and their adjudication shall stand until such time as the Rules may be changed in General Meeting.

7 Conduct of Meetings of the Association

(a) The Annual General meeting of the Association shall be held annually at a place and time judged by the Committee to be convenient to the majority of members of the Association.

(b) A Special General meeting shall be called by the Chairman or Class Secretary on the receipt of a written request, signed by not fewer than 15 Full Members of the Association.

days before the Annual General Meeting. Any member wishing to propose a

resolution to amend the Association or measurement Rules shall propose a

resolution in writing to Class Secretary at least six weeks before the date of the

general meeting at which the resolution is to be proposed.

(d) At least four weeks written notice shall be given to members of any general

meeting and such notice shall include any proposed resolution to amend the

Association or Measurement Rules.

(e) At any general meeting or Committee meeting, decisions, other than those

concerning the Association or Measurement Rules, shall be carried by majority

vote. Voting shall be by show of hands, unless a poll is demanded by not fewer

than three of the Full Members present. At any meeting, the chairman of the

meeting shall have a casting vote. In the event of a postal ballot, all returns shall

be made to the Class Secretary within two weeks of the date of posting the ballot

paper.

(f) A decision to amend the Association or Measurement Rules shall require a

majority of two-thirds of those voting.

(g) At any general meeting of the Association, seven shall form a quorum.

8 Subscriptions and Registration Fees

(a) Subscriptions payable f or all classes of membership of the Association shall be payable annually on March 1 and shall be fixed from time to time by the Committee. A member joining the Association after October 1, whose subscription has been paid for that year, shall not be liable to pay his subscription for the ensuing calendar year.

(b) Any member whose subscription has not been paid within three months of the date due may have his name removed from the list of members of the Association by the Committee. A member's name may be restored to the Association Register, at the discretion of the Committee, on payment of any subscription due.

9 Accounts

The Committee shall cause true accounts to be kept and shall cause the annual financial

statement to be prepared, audited and presented at every Annual General meeting of the

Association.

10 Protection of One Design of the Class

(a) No yacht shall be entered on the Association Register as a Sigma 33 unless a Certificate has been issued in respect of such a yacht in accordance with the Measurement Rules.

(b) The Association shall arrange for inspection of Certificates of all Sigmas 33 competing in British National Championships and shall arrange that the Notice of Race for such championships state that Valid Certificates shall be required and that measurements of new or replacement sails must be entered on the Certificate.

11 Sponsorship

Unless otherwise sanctioned by the Committee of the Association, all yachts shall

comply with the ISAF Advertising Code Category A (no individual sponsorship of yachts) notwithstanding that the race or races may be part of a series.

12 Extension of Objects and Scope

The objects and purpose of the Association shall be extended to promote and further the

interests and activities of any Sigma yacht, provided that the extension shall not prejudice

the interests of the Sigma 33 Offshore One Design Class, and these Rules shall be

deemed to be modified and extended as necessary for this purpose.

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