"Hi All,
Attached is the draft letter to the associations, please review and make comment (or at least say "looks good")
so that I can get it out to the association's presidents.
The earlier we can get this out, the more time associations will have to prepare well thought out submissions.
Cheers
Ross"
------------------------------------------
IBRA Committee
C/O Ross Vickers
Non-voting secretary
ross@yacht-studio.com
Wednesday 10 September 2014
To: IBRA founding association presidents & blokart Interntional Ltd (Via Email)
Tim Vance (ABA), Nico Boel (EBA), Graham Ingall (NZBAI), Fran Gramkowski (NABSA) & Paul Beckett (BIL)
RE: IBRA Rule Review
The IBRA committee has had its first meeting under the agreement signed earlier this year. Their focus for the next six months is to review the IBRA rules edition 4, before moving on to worlds protest and scrutineering committee procedures.
This rule review has three objectives.
Objective 1; Update the rules to reflect lessons learnt in a democratic manner
Objective 2; Update the rules so that they are easier for all competitors worldwide to understand and learn
Objective 3; Provide and publish an updated procedure for competitors to ask for rule clarifications.
To help us meet objectives 1 and 2, we request the founding associations submit their requests for rule review / changes / additions to the IBRA committee. Associations are requested to submit their requests all at once, rather than one by one, by 30 January 2016, thus allowing the IRA committee time to prepare, vote, and finalise the new IBRA rules which will become edition 5.
The rule submissions will be worked on by the following IBRA review groups;
Group 1 – Equipment Rules (Parts A, B, C & D) – it has been proposed that this group is to be made up of: Paul (BIL), Ian (NZBAI), Javier (EBA), Wayne (ABA), Jan (EBA). The following requirements outline how the IBRA committee would like these submissions to be provided.
Group 2 – Sailing Rules (Parts E, F, G) – it has been proposed that this group is to be made up of; Ross (BIL – in place of Paul), Barry (NZBAI), Nico (EBA), Jim (NABSA) & Darren (ABA)
The committee request that submissions be presented using the following procedure;
Submissions are NOT to be sent directly by clubs or individually to BIL or IBRA reps. They must be presented by the associations, who are to review, discuss and approve the association’s submissions to the IBRA secretary, who will distribute them to the working groups.
Rules Review Procedure
Overview
This will be a REVIEW, not a REWRITE. Submissions should be in the form of
-Rule Number to be changed / or new rule to be added.
-The Change – intent not actual wording (the IBRA committee will interpret the intent and
formulate the rule wording)
-Reason for the change
Example of submission.
Rule: E12
Change: Rule E12 needs to be changed to apply only on opposite tacks.
Reason: This rule has caused issues during the past two world championships. Looking to how others deal with this situation; Americas cup is the same as the current rule, but match racing rules are designed to have “rules situations”. Fleet Racing on the water this rule only applies when on opposite tacks, so that the fundamental rule of Port and Starboard always applies. This makes it easier for new sailors as they know that Port and Starboard always applies whatever the situation. Changing also helps as it is very difficult to determine an overlap when on opposite tacks.
Process that IBRA will be following
1. Request for submissions to be issued to each association by the IBRA secretary. – this letter
2. Submissions to be distributed to the appropriate working group for discussion.
3. Working group to make recommendations for rule changes / additions to the full IBRA
Committee for vote. (IBRA reps may need to seek views from their associations where it is
unknown what the associations view is)
4. IBRA Secretary to draft new edition of the rule with approved changes / additions and circulate
draft to IBRA committee
5. IBRA committee to vote to adopt the new edition.
6. New edition, edition 5, to be published.
Any rules submissions need to be submitted by the deadline of 30 January 2015, so that there is adequate time for due process to happen so the process can be completed by mid 2015 so they can be used at the 2016 world championships.
Please pass this request onto your clubs, and members so that all competitors can have a chance to have our say.
Kind Regards,
Ross Vickers
IBRA Secretary