LFYC consitution, May 1989
May,1989.
LOUGH FOYLE YACHT CLUB 1989
RULES
1. NAME OF THE CLUB
The club shall be called the Lough Foyle Yacht Club.
2. OBJECT
To encourage sailing on Lough Foyle and the promotion of social activities amongst members.
3. FLAG
The club flag shall be: a blue and green burgee depicting Culmore Castle and Lighthouse in white.
4. OFFICERS OF THE CLUB
The following shall be Officers of the Club:
Commodore
Vice Commodore
and in addition the
The Honorary Secretary and The Honorary Treasurer.
5. HONORARY SECRETARY
The Honorary Secretary of The Club shall carry out the normal duties of a secretary in a business-like manner. He shall keep a register of the names and addresses of all members of the Club. He shall also keep a minute book recording the proceedings at all Club Meetings and shall notify members of such meetings as required.
6. HONORARY TREASURER
The Honorary Treasurer shall keep a cash book containing a correct account of all monies received and disbursed by him on account of the Club and shall place an audited balance sheet before the Annual General Meeting.
Cheques shall be signed by the Honorary Treasurer and another officer of the club.
A member holding no other office shall be appointed Auditor.
7. The Management of the Club shall be in the hands of the paid up members
of the Club.
8. COMMITTEE MEETINGS
At all General Meetings the Senior Officer shall preside. Five members
shall form a quorum. Meetings shall be held on the first Monday of each month
•
9. SUB-COMMITTEE
The General Committee shall appoint sub-committees as are required and may delegate to any committee so appointed such powers as it considers desirable.
10. TRUSTEES
Trustees of the Club shall be appointed by the Committee and shall not be less than three or more than four. They shall be members of the Club and shall hold office until death, or ceasing to be a member of the Club, or resignation as a Trustee, or by a special resolution of the Club removing him from office. Any vacancy occuring amongst the Trustees shall be filled by the Committee.
11. GENERAL MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting shall be held before the 31st. March in each year, seven members shall form a quorum. An Extra-ordinary General Meeting may be called by the Committee at any time they think fit, and must do so if requested in writing by five paid up Club members. No business may be transacted at an Extra-ordinary General Meeting other than that stated in the notice of the meeting. Seven members shall form a quorum.
The Honorary Secretary shall send a notice to each member at least seven days before all Extra-ordinary Meetings and for The Annual General Meeting stating the date,time and place of the meeting and the purpose(s) for which it is called.
14. CLUB PROPERTY
The property and the effects of the Club shall be vested in the Trustees who shall hold same subject to the control of the Committee. They shall have power to sell,invest,mortgage or otherwise deal with the said property and assets as they may be directed in writing from time to time by the Committee,but no Trustee shall be under any personal liability for any loss caused by such biposition.
15. MEMBERSHIP
Applicants for membership shall complete and sign with their full name
and address on an application form prescribed by the General Committee. Each
applicant must be proposed by one member and seconded by another member.
The application form, together with appropiate subscription shall be sent to the Honorary Secretary who shall submit it to the General Committee for consideration. Thereafter the application shall be decided by the General Committee and the next General Meeting by ballot. In the event of the applicant not being elected for membership, the subscription shall be returned.
No person shall be refused membership to the Club on the grounds of class, creed or religion,politics or sex.
On election to* membership the commencement date of the membership shall be deemed to be the date on which the application,together with the appropiate subscription has been received by the Honorary Secretary or the Assistant Secretary.
16. CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP
There shall be the following classes of membership;
•
FULL: Over 18 years of age, with full voting rights.
JUNIOR: Under 18 years of age, or a person who is carrying out a full time course in further education, with no voting rights.
FAMILY: Husband,wife and children up to 18 years of age, husband and wife having full voting rights.
ASSOCIATE: Full members of another recognised Yacht Club, having no voting rights.
SOCIAL: May not helm a boat and having no voting rights.
All skippers must be either full, family, associate or junior members to be eligible to receive club throphies at the annual prizegiving presentation, the exception being Open Events.
The transfer from one grade of membership to the next shall date from the from the Annual General Meeting on which the member has reached the upper limit of his or her grade.
HONORARY: The Committee shall have the power to confer honorary
membership, without voting rights, to people in recognition of their service or assistance to the club for the period of either:
(a) a year
or (b) Life
17. LAPSED MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall have been deemed to have lapsed if subscriptions are not received brfore the 1st August, following the Annual General Meeting, by the Honorary Treasurer or Assistant Honorary Treasurer,
The terms of a proposed readmission of a Lapsed Member shall be decided by the General Committe at a General Meeting of the Club.
Application for such readmission shall be made in the same manner as if for new membership except no subscription shall be forwarded.
18. SUBSCRIPTIONS
The subscription rates shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting each year. The Honorary Treasurer shall post a copy current subscription rates on the Club Members’ Notice Board in the Clubhouse immediately after the Annual General Meeting.
19. UNPAID SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Honorary Treasurer shall prepare and post in the clubhouse no later than 1st June each year a list of members for whom subscriptions remain unpaid. The General Committee may at its discretion delete from the membership roll the names of members whose subscriptions are overdue or may at any time suspend their privileges of membership.
20. RESIGNATIONS
Members wishing to resign from the club shall give notice in writing to the Honorary Secretary prior to the 1st. March otherwise they shall be liable for that years subscription.
SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
The General Committee shall have the power to suspend or expel any The majority necessary for such suspension or expulsion shall be in porportion of at least two to one. An expelled member shall forfeit rights to, or claim upon the Club or its property or funds.
22. ALTERATION TO RULES
The Rules of the Club shall not be altered, except at the Annual General Meeting or an Extra-ordinary General Meeting called for that purpose.
Notice of any alteration to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting except those proposed by the General Committee shall be in writing to the Honorary Secretary before the 1st. February in any year.
The General Committee, however shall have power to make from time to time such regulations (not inconsistent with these rules) as it shall consider necessary.
23. INTERPERTATION OF RULES
The General Committee’s interpertation of any doubtful part of the Rules shall be binding, until set aside by a General Meeting.
24. INSURANCE
Adequate Third Party Insurance cover shall be the responsibility of each boat owner and skipper both ashore and afloat.
25. RACING
All Club handicap races shall be sailed under I.Y.R.U. rules.
All Punt racing shall be sailed in accordance with the rules laid down by the Lough Foyle Punt Association.
The 720 rule shall apply to all dinghy races.
LOUGH FOYLE YACHT CLUB. CLUB SAFETY REGULATIONS
It is Mandatory for any person taking part in Club events whilst on
the water to wear either an approved life jacket or buoyancy aid suitable
to meet the needs of the individual.
•
All boats participating in Club events must carry adequate buoyancy.
Club members participating in events out with Lough Foyle Yacht Club are requested to comply with the safety requirements of the organising Club, and to be mindful of the responsibility to uphold the good name of Lough Foyle Yacht Club in this respect.
Members are also reminded that compliance with International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea is required by Law.
Members are advised not to afloat until the Rescue Boat has been launched.
The decision to sail shall be the sole responsibility of the individual.
LOUGH FOYLE YACHT CLUB.
GENERAL REGULATIONS for the conduct of racing
A. ELIGIBILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Races are open to boats belonging to and under the control of members of Lough Foyle Yacht Club and members of other official clubs on invitation with the exception that certain races are also open to non-members. Races in the latter category are identified as “OPEN” in the programme,
Where a member of another club participates on invitation in a Club race that has not been declared “open” the results for them shall be disgarded when compiling the Official Club results.
The Race Committee reserve the right to refuse any entry.
The safety of a boat and its entire management, including insurance,are the sole and inescapable reponsibility of the owner/skipper.
B. RULES
All dinghy races will be sailed under the Rules of the IYRU, Punt races will be sailed under the FOYLE PUNT ASSOCIATION Rules,together with these General Regulations and the rules of any Class concerned.
C. CLASSES AND HANDICAPS
Dinghy races will be conducted under a handicap system based on the Portsmouth Yardstick or a variation of same as passed by a special Resolution at a General Meeting of the Club.
D. ALTERATIONS TO INSTRUCTIONS
When it is necessary to make last-minute alterations to the sailing Instructions, flag “K” will be hoisted at the starting line. It is then the responsibility of those in charge of boats to acquaint themselves with the alterations before starting.
E STARTING AND FINISHING LINES
All races will start and finish as per the Racing Instructions issued for the event.
F STARTING SIGNALS
Signals for the start of a race will be made at five minute intervals and will consist of the raising of a flags, one at ten minutes before start, a second flag raised five minutes before start and both dropped at start time. Attention may drawn to this by sound signals.
In the case of Punt races only the five minute flag will be raised. G RECALLS
It is the responsibility of any boat over the line at the start to return to the pre-start side of the line. Following a premature start a flag will be raised to half-mast until the offending boats have recrossed the line together with one sound signal. A general recall will be signalled by the raising of two flags to half-mast and two sound signals. All boats will then return and await new signals. The flags will be flown at the start-line
H SHORTENED COURSES
At the discretion of the Officer of the Day, any race may be shortened by by the raising of a flag and two long sound signals.
I TIME LIMIT
Club series races shall be subject to a time limit, if one lap of the race is not completed within 45 minutes the race shall be shortened to one lap.
J POINTS SYSTEM
In Regetta and Series races, points will be awarded for each race, as follows:
1st………….. 3/4
2nd…………… 2
3rd…………… 3
and so on
Retiral………. number of starters +1
Disqualification… number of starters +2
Non Starters…… number of starters +2
K PROTESTS
Protests, in writing on the standard Protest Form, must be lodged with the Officer of the Day within one hour of coming ashore together with the appropiate fee for same. The Race Committee will be responsible for reaching decisions on all protests.
L TROPHIES
Trophies will be awarded as detailed in the instructions for individual races and series. However, in the event of low entries in any series trophies may be reallocated at the General Committee’s discretion.
M TIES
•
When two or more boats tie for a trophy, the boats shall hold the trophy
jointly.
N MISCELLANEOUS
1. Two or more starters shall constitute a race.
2. The 720 rule shall apply.
3. Abandonment shall be signalled by hoisting hoisting code flag “N”
accompanied by three sound signals.
4. Unless otherwise stated in the Sailing Instructions or when being used
as a mark of the course, navigational and other marks may be left on
either hand at the discretion of the skipper.
5 The only races that shall be resailed will be races that have been officially Postponed. These races will be resailed only on dates that have been designated on the Sailing Programe for that purpose or on dates mutually agreed by the participants and with the agreement of the Officer of the Day, who shall inform the club’s Officers of the decision. Any race that has not been officially postponed shall be deemed to have been sailed.
