Understanding the Snipe Class: The SCIRA Rep

It must not be forgotten that SCIRA Officers often need to be not only excellent administrators of the association, but also excellent experts of the Class Rules, advisors, mediators with Local Organizers, the Race Committee, the Principal Race Officer, the Protest Committee, and problem solvers during major regattas.

This is the role of the SCIRA Rep.

Rules of Conduct (for Conducting National and International Championship Regattas):

2.3 An official SCIRA Representative shall be assigned by SCIRA for each regatta to assure the regatta is conducted in full accordance with the applicable Deed of Gift, these Rules of Conduct, and the SCIRA Sailing Instructions, all of which rank as rules. While normally an advisor, the SCIRA Representative shall have full power to file a strong protest against the Race Committee Chairman or other official and withhold the SCIRA trophy if he/she is convinced that the conduct of the regatta is not in compliance with these rules. He/she shall assist all committees in an advisory capacity and shall be consulted in any dispute concerning SCIRA rules. He/she should, generally, not be a formal member of any committee. He/she shall be available for all measurement, registration times and the competitor’s meeting, and shall be present on the main Race Committee boat during all races. The designation of the SCIRA Representative is as follows, unless the Commodore and Chairman of the Rules Committee authorize a change:

• World Championship – Commodore
• European Championship – General Secretary for Europe
• Western Hemisphere & Asia Championship – General Secretary for Western Hemisphere & Asia
• North American Championship – National Secretary of the host country or his/her designee, which shall be posted
• South American Championship – National Secretary of the host country or his/her designee, which shall be posted
• National Championship – Host National Secretary or his designee whose name shall be posted.

The role of the SCIRA Rep is a key role for the successful execution of an important regatta.

The SCIRA Rep must be a good sailor, possibly with extensive international experience, an expert of the Class Rules, the DoG, the RoC, and also the Racing Rules of Sailing.

They must be able to assert themselves, therefore possessing authority, but also having diplomatic skills. They must always be clear that their presence and their independent and impartial decisions must guarantee compliance with the rules and fair races in the interest of the competitors, sometimes even taking a stand against the Race Committee or the Local Organizing Authority.

Their work begins well before the regatta, with the drafting and approval of the race documents alongside the organizers and with the help of the Chair of the Technical Committee; it continues through registration and measurement, and, during the days of the regatta, it starts early in the morning at the race office, continues on the RC vessel and finishes late at night with the last protests (where the SCIRA rep may be heard as witness). Their work often concludes even after the awards ceremony with farewells, thank-yous, and the reports to be written and submitted.

It is important to note that being a SCIRA Rep. is not a gift that automatically follows the office held. To be one, one must first and foremost have the intellectual honesty to understand if one is truly capable of carrying out this important role. Unfortunately, we have seen some cases in the past (thankfully few) of regattas being ruined by SCIRA Reps who were inadequate.

The Rules of Conduct specifically and textually state:

Note: If the SCIRA Representative designated by this rule is not completely familiar with current race management rules and practice, he/she shall designate a “representative of the SCIRA Representative”who is completely familiar with race management to advise the race committee during the event.