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HomeNortheastNewport, RIUS-IRC Owners Association has been formed

US-IRC Owners Association has been formed

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US-IRC Owner’s Association and Constitution

From the outset, direction of US-IRC has come from a handful of dedicated offshore sailors representing their clubs or events. These self-appointed volunteers did a tremendous amount of work, and accomplished a great deal under sometimes difficult circumstances. We all owe them our thanks.

2007 finds IRC firmly established in the United States with almost all of the major big boat events offering IRC. Two major season championships, the Northern Ocean racing Trophy, and the Gulf Stream Series are sailed under IRC. The 2007 Rolex IRC National Championship will be an international event. IRC is second only to PHRF in the number of events and boats racing. It is the only international rule in use in North America.

Now, it is time to involve American IRC Owners in the direct control of US-IRC. With that in mind, the US-IRC Owners Association has been formed. The Constitution and the list of members of the Association and its Technical Advisory Committee are listed on this site, as are excerts from the minutes of their monthly meetings. The sailing community is encouraged to send questions and comments to: info@us-irc.org.

US-IRC Owner’s Association

The most important stakeholders in the IRC initiative in the United States are the owners of offshore sailboats who compete under the IRC Rule. Ultimately, it is the willingness of owners to attend events and compete in major series that will determine the success or failure of our efforts. In fact the yacht clubs and event organizers that have supported IRC have done so only for the benefit of their members and competitors.

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Three yacht clubs contributed the majority of the initial financial support and leadership for US-IRC. They are the New York Yacht Club, the Storm Trysail Club, and St. Francis Yacht Club. A dozen other clubs and sailing organizations provided financial assistance, along with the Royal Ocean Racing Club: they deserve our recognition and thanks. Without the three principle clubs, IRC would not have had a successful launch in the USA. In 2007 Rolex Watch USA became the Supporting Partner of US-IRC. Rolex joins representatives of New York, Stormtrysail, and St. Francis on the Board of Directors of US-IRC. Their financial support will help US-IRC continue to promote and support offshore sailing in America.

Constitution: US-IRC Owner’s Association

1. Name
The name of the Association is the US-IRC Owner’s Association.

2. Members
The members of the Association are the owners of all boats holding a current IRC Rating Certificate. Ownership may be in whole or up to one third part of a particular boat. Each owner is entitled to one vote for every IRC boat he owns, only if that boat is wholly owned. In cases of joint ownership, only one vote may be cast per boat. In no case will the number of eligible votes exceed the number of current valid IRC certificates.

3. Objectives
3.1 To facilitate handicap racing based on the IRC Rule.
3.2 To encourage design innovation consistent with stability, rounded performance, seaworthiness and safety.
3.3 To discourage unnecessary expense.
3.4 To discourage owners and designers from seeking means of artificially reducing the rating of the boat or increasing performance without a corresponding increase in rating.
3.5 To maintain the confidentiality of IRC Ratings. Specific yacht data will be confidential, but ratings will be public.

4. Governance
4.1 Policy direction of the International IRC Rule is controlled by the RORC and UNCL taking into account recommendations from the IRC Congress. This comprises one member from each country, as recognized by ISAF, with a fleet minimum of 25 boats at December 31 the previous year and two representatives from each of the RORC and UNCL.
4.2 Each member of the IRC Congress shall have votes dependent on that
country’s fleet size as follows:
25 – 99 boats 1 vote
100 – 249 boats 2 votes
250 – 499 boats 3 votes
500 + boats 4 + 1
additional vote for every 250 boats up to 10 total
* The United States has 4 votes as of December 31, 2006

Each RORC and UNCL representative shall have 1 vote.

Decisions of the IRC Congress will be simple majority vote. Votes are cast by those present or by proxy. A quorum shall be 50% of the total members including those voting by proxy, post or email.

4.3 It is recognized that the IRC Rule is and shall remain the joint property of Seahorse Rating Ltd and UNCL and that the establishment of the International Owners Association and the US-IRC Owners Association and their involvement in the management of the IRC Rule shall neither affect the proprietary rights of Seahorse Rating Ltd and UNCL in the IRC Rating Rule nor shall it confer on the International IRC Owners’ Association or the US-IRC Owners’ Association any rights in excess of those expressly set out in this Constitution.

5 US-IRC Owners Committee
5.1 The US-IRC Owners Association shall form a representative committee consisting of owners from various regions around the USA and other North American countries with active IRC fleets of 15 boats or more who wish to participate on the committee.
5.2 The US-IRC Owners Committee will represent their regions and IRC owners in the United States.
5.2 Membership on the committee is restricted to individuals who:
a. own at least a one third share of a racing sailboat that holds a current valid IRC certificate, and
b. participated in two or more IRC races in the past 12 month period.
5.3 Members who relinquish ownership in their IRC boat, or who do have a current valid IRC certificate for their boat, or have not actively participated in IRC racing in the past 12 month period, are required to resign from the committee and may not vote on matters coming before the committee.
5.4 A Nominating committee will nominate the slate of candidates for the US-IRC Owners Committee. The Nominating committee will consist of one member each representing the New York Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club, and St. Francis Yacht Club, and US-IRC Ltd.
5.5 Candidates will be elected by a majority of votes from current members of the US-IRC. The vote may take place in person during the US-IRC Annual Meeting or by proxy, or by electronic means. For its intitial year 2007, all present members are serving by invitation.

6. Annual Meeting
6.1 An annual meeting shall be held at a time and place to be determined by the Owners Committee. A minimum of three weeks notice shall be given to members through publication, electronic ail, telephone or other suitable means. A proposed agenda shall accompany the notice of meeting.

Members of US-IRC Owners Committee

John Brim (New York)
David Elwell (Newport, RI)
Ed Freitag (Chesapeake Bay)
George Hinman (New York)
Larry Huntington (New York)
Richard Kasner (Massachusetts)
Phil Lyon (Great Lakes)
Jim Miller (Florida)
John Siegel (San Francisco)
Mort Wientraub (New York)
Paul Zabetakis (Newport, RI)
RIchard du Moulin (New York), Chairman

Technical Advisory Committee

Steve Benjamin (sailmaker)
Tripp Estabrook (marine systems)
Luiz Kahl (information technology)
Mark Mills (designer)
Butch Ulmer (sailmaker)
Barry Carroll (builder/consultant), Chairman

For more information contact:
John Mendez at info@us-irc.org
Talbot Wilson at talbot@talbotwilson.com

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