Charter Boats – Rule Change Proposal

Rules Change – Submitted Proposals

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From Luis Soubie

Summary: Charter boats on major events

 

 

Affects:

     Constitution                       By-Laws                   Class Rules

x       Deed of Gift               Rules of Conduct   x       NoR or SI Template          

     Other

 

 

Objective: To have a clear and healthy policy regarding charter boats and stop the abuse of owners or shops regarding the price. In addition, to make clear to host fleets, clubs or country that is their responsibility to provide a number of good boats, at a fair price.

 

Proposal (include current & proposed changed wording- changes to be shown in red):  

 

1. 1)To include in the BID for Worlds, European and WH&O the following ground rules, as mandatory:
   1. a.The host club and/or fleet and/or nation must guarantee the following charter boats in order to be eligible for hosting the regatta:
      1. i.A charter boat list, with condition, sail number, equipment and price must be available online when the initial registration starts.
      2. ii.The list must have an offer of as many rental boats as 40% of the numbers of entries allowed for the regatta. If the number of entries is not fixed in the deed of gifts, the host can receive as many entries as 2.5 times the number of boats on the original rental list.
      3. iii.This list must be sent to SCIRA in advance, at least 2 weeks in advance, so SCIRA can check it and accept (or not) the boats. Very old boats, or not competitive brands of boats or masts will not be accepted. We recommend hosts to send the list with more time in advance, in case they have rejected boats.
      4. iv.Boats must be paid in advance. And when getting the boat, at the location, the sailor must paid a refundable cash deposit in the amount of the money that the insurance is not covering) usually insurance companies pays for damage above an amount)
      5. v.Crews from outside the hosting continent must have priority, while nearby countries should not rent.
      6. vi.All boats must be 15 years old or newer and must be competitive in the eyes of SCIRA. Older boats can be included in the list as an additional to these requirements.
      7. vii.Host country must finish his qualification regattas for the event at least 2 months in advance to the beginning of the first registration period.
      8. viii.Cost of the charter will be no more than 10% of the price of the boat in the hosting country, for a charter period of the regatta plus 3 days, understanding that a 100% fee, for a 10 days use, on a boat with a lifetime of more than 20 years is more than fair.
      9. ix.Price of the new boat will be established by SCIRA for the hosting country, in SCIRA best knowledge, and a depreciation of 10% every 3 years of age of the boat will be applied, meaning that 15 years old boats cost 50% of new boats.
      10. x.The price of the charter boat must include the insurance specified in the NOR. This amount must be added to the rental fee (the 10% of price) and must be accepted by SCIRA.
      11. xi.Countries, fleets and/or club that cannot guarantee this kind of deal to sailors, should not propose themselves to host the major regattas.
      12. xii.If they do, and fail on this requirements, they should loose eligibility for the next event.

 

 

 

Reasons:

During the last 5 years rental boat prices had escalate to prices that are making the attendance to this regattas almost impossible to a big number of good sailors. Instead of promoting the class and help a fellow sailors, it has become for some a business.

The host fleets and clubs are not taking responsibility about providing enough, good and affordable boats to sailors, leaving this problem to be solved in a private way between the sailor and the owner. This matter is a central part of a good and fair regatta and must not be allowed.

Hosting a major regatta involves a lot of aspects, and as much as you need jurys, you need rental boats.

In addition, NOR requires time after time insurances that nobody buys. The host, in order to require an insurance, must do a deal with an insurance company of the country for the total of the boats, and charge each competitor his part.

Most of the classes with the biggest events and success have this rental boat problem regulated, and even when they had some problems at the beginning, with time, sailors get to know the “package deal” and attendance to regattas is more easy.

A snipe is a very long lasting boat, there is no reason to justify a rental boat fee of more than 10% of the price of the boat, for a period of usage that always is less than 10 days, when there is a deposit and a good insurance.

15-04charterboats_1.pdf