Official 2012 proposals for Class Rules changes
updated: 22 Oct 2012
Buoyancy Certificate
Current Rules:
CERTIFICATE
4.1 No boat shall be allowed to race as a Wayfarer unless it is registered with an NCA in the name of the current owner and has a valid buoyancy and measurement certificate (hereafter referred to as the certificate). The initial certificate shall be issued by the NCA on receipt from the owner, or his representative, of two copies of an official class measurement form properly completed in accordance with rule 5. One copy will be returned to the owner with his certificate. On change of ownership a fee is payable to the NCA for the issue of a new certificate.
4.2 To be valid, a certificate shall contain a buoyancy test endorsement dated within the previous 12 months and shall be up to date in all respects.

34. BUOYANCY
34.1 Buoyancy compartments. Shall be of watertight construction. (etc. etc.)

Proposed by SWS, seconded by CWA: Delete rule 4.2. Change 4.1 to read:
CERTIFICATE
4.1 No boat shall be allowed to race as a Wayfarer unless it is registered with an NCA in the name of the current owner and has a valid measurement certificate (hereafter referred to as the certificate). The initial certificate shall be issued by the NCA on receipt from the owner, or his representative, of two copies of an official class measurement form properly completed in accordance with rule 5. One copy will be returned to the owner with his certificate. On change of ownership a fee is payable to the NCA for the issue of a new certificate.
4.2 deleted

At the beginning of rule 34 BUOYANCY add the following text in bold:
It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the boat at all times meets or exceeds the buoyancy standards as outlined in the relevant parts of this rule.

Rule 34 will then start as follows:
34. BUOYANCY
It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the boat at all times meets or exceeds the buoyancy standards as outlined in the relevant parts of this rule.
34.1 Buoyancy compartments. Shall be of watertight construction. ....

Rationale:
(from SWS) After many years of discussion about the Buoyancy Certificate (missing or out of date), where a lot of frustration has come up just before a big regatta, along with the fact that Racing is the most secure way of sailing
due to all the other boats around you as well as committee boats, I think that we should change some details in our previous way of thinking. I have been in contact with our national chief measurer, Fleming Nielsen, to get
inspiration from other classes. He has sent me the rules for the 470 dinghy, which can be used
just as they are written. They are enclosed:


 
Paragraph B.3.1 and paragraph C.6.3 (a) describes exactly what I had in mind. In connection with the ISAF version of our Class rules (what is going on in this respect???) it could be added.
Rationale: All Owners have to make sure that their boat is in compliance with the class rules at all times – no time limit for the Buoyancy Certificate.
CWA opinion: The Class is in most cases not equipped to properly police buoyancy and having such policing in the Class Rules only opens the door to possible legal action. Even without the “equipment inspector” referred to in C6.3, buoyancy can be the subject of a measurement protest the same as any other rule not being complied with.
...
Carrying Two Spi Poles

 The UKWA discussed the use of twin spinnaker poles at our recent meeting.
 
Custom and practice has seen the use of twin pole spinnaker systems within the UKWA for many years. In order to regularise this, the UKWA gives the following ruling under rules numbers:
 
5.13 Cases of doubt regarding compliance with the class rules shall be referred to the committee of the NCA who shall give a ruling.
 
5.15 Rulings under 5.13 and dispensations under 5.14 shall be communicated to the WIC by the NCA concerned.
 
The UKWA gives a dispensation to boats/ boat owners to use two spinnaker poles but if a boat so chooses then that boat may not carry a jib stick.
 
What we are doing is re designating the jib stick as a spinnaker pole. Both the spinnaker pole and jib stick have the same maximum length.
 
 
Proposed rule change.
 
Existing rule
28.2 Spinnaker pole and Jib stick. Length overall. Shall not exceed 1982 (6’6")
 
Proposed rule
28.2 Spinnaker pole and Jib stick. Length overall. Shall not exceed 1982 (6’6"). A boat may carry two spinnaker poles in lieu of a spinnaker pole and jib stick.
 
Rationale
Custom and practice has seen the use of twin pole spinnaker systems within the UKWA for many years. We know of no cases where competitors have been protested for the use of two spinnaker poles. The differences between a spinnaker pole and jib stick are small. The spinnaker pole has the same fitting at each end whereas the jib stick has one end the same as the spinnaker pole and the other has a point. The spinnaker pole also has a means of supporting it at the centre. A spinnaker pole can be used as a jib stick so limiting the number of poles carried in a boat would be logical. The UKWA has made a ruling allowing the use of two spinnaker poles. This proposed rule change can be used by all boats and so does not give any advantage unlike, for instance, the spinnaker chute which allows the setting and resetting of the sail to be effected quicker.

John W1162

Electronics
Current Rule:
35.3 Electrically operated instruments or mechanisms. All electrical or electronic devices or instruments are prohibited except for watches, compasses and equipment for the recording of sound or pictures, unless otherwise permitted or required by the Sailing Instructions.

Proposed by CWA:
35.3 Electrically operated instruments or mechanisms. Unless otherwise permitted, or required by safety or the Sailing Instructions, the use of all electrical or electronic devices or instruments is prohibited except for the following functions: time keeping, compass heading and changes thereof, or the recording of sound or photographic images.

Rationale: 35.3 emphasis should be on functions that are permitted to be used since we cannot bar
cell phones or VHF radios but can prohibit their use as racing aids. Our rules committee all agreed that the keyboard generation should not be encouraged to make W racing into a video game. (Al’s words)

Floorboards   withdrawn
 Current Rule:
23. FLOORBOARDS (Wayfarer World, Mark IV and SD versions excluded).
23.1 Position. Shall be fitted when racing, but shall be removable.
23.2 Material. Shall be plywood or G.R.P. of minimum thickness 8 (5/16”). Solid timber stiffening or framing permitted.
23.3 Number. Not more than three on each side of the centreline.
23.4 Apertures permitted for access to fixings and fittings and for finger holes where reasonable.

Proposed by CWA: Change 23.2 to read:
23.2 Material. Shall have sufficient strength to properly support crew weight.

Rationale: proposed by Hans Gottschling of CWA: Allow floorboards to act as weight “reducers” to get overall boat weight (closer) to minimum of 182.3 kg (402 lbs) as per rule 25.2. The intention is to encourage inventive solutions that are nonetheless safe for helm and crew.




...

  ...