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Jan '06 | 2006 Skippers Meeting The Express 37 Class 2006 Skippers Meeting Minutes will be posted soon. Note changes for 2006 include: - Carbon spinnaker poles allowed under existing interpretation of rules - Move to 155% genoas for 2007 - An agreement to use 1/2 ounce spinnakers for two light air regattas
Express Class | Articles of Association (rev. 1/03) The Articles of Association: ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION EXPRESS 37 CLASS ASSOCIATION FLEET ONE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Article 1: Association Name The name of the Association is the Express 37 Class Association, Fleet One, Northern California. Article 2: Purpose of the Association To promote a consistent level of one-design class racing among Express 37 yachts in the water of Northern California and all matters related thereto and provide a forum for social activities among the owners. Article 3: Policy of the Association To provide a simple organizational framework for defining and strictly controlling the physical characteristics of the Express 37 yacht for purposes of eligibility for membership in the Association. It is the intent of the Association that the one-design character of the yachts be maintained in a simple, inexpensive and unintimidating manner that will encourage the greatest amount of racing participation by Express 37 owners and will produce the true sense and spirit of one-design racing. Article 4: Eligibility for Membership a) Any owner or co-owner of an Express 37 yacht which complies with the provision of Article 13 is eligible for membership in the Association and shall be known as a "Member". Membership shall be obtained by presenting to the Fleet Captain or designate satisfactory evidence of ownership of an Express 37 yacht and the payment of current annual dues. The sale or transfer of ownership of the Express 37 shall terminate eligibility for membership in the Association. b) Any charterer, co-charterer or person interested in supporting the Express 37 Fleet may become an "Associate Member". An "Associate Member" shall pay the annual dues as prescribed, shall be allowed to receive any Fleet mailing, may attend Fleet meetings and shall be expected to promote the Fleet and these Articles. Article 5: Dues Annual dues will be fixed each year at the Annual Meeting for the ensuing year and will be paid in full within thirty (30) days thereof by members in order to remain Members in Good Standing. Article 6: Members Rights A Member in Good Standing is entitled to vote on matters brought before the Association membership, to hold office in the Association. Article 7: Officers of the Association and their Duties The officers of the Association shall be:
Each officer shall be elected for a term of approximately one year at the Annual Meeting and shall immediately take and hold office until a successor is elected. The Fleet Captain is the chief executive officer of the Association and presides at meetings, rules on procedures, appoints special committees and represents the Fleet at YRA-sponsored meetings. The Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for maintaining a current and accurate roster of Members and Members in Good Standing with their respective mailing addresses, for the sending of notices of annual and special meetings, for preparing minutes of each meeting and maintaining the minute book, for maintaining a bank account and the financial records of the Association. The Measurer determines whether the yacht of each owner conforms with Article 13 of these Articles of Association and makes such certification to that effect as may be required. The Measurer may engage a professional on a fee basis to perform the required measurements or may accept the measurements of a U.S.Y.R.U. approved measurer. An officer who no longer qualifies as a Member during the term of office shall cease being an officer upon notification to that effect to the other officers. In the event a vacancy occurs in the Fleet Captain position, the Secretary-Treasurer shall assume that position and appoint a new Secretary-Treasurer for the remaining unexpired term. In the event the vacancy is in any other position the Fleet Captain shall appoint a replacement to the vacated office. Article 8: Executive Committee An Executive Committee formed of all the officers and the immediate past Fleet Captain is responsible for interpreting the letter, spirit and intent of these Articles and shall meet at the call of the Fleet Captain. Article 9: Independent Technical Committee There is established a standing subcommittee, the Independent Technical Committee composed of two non-member yachting experts, approved by the members at the annual meeting, the Measurer and the Fleet Captain. The Measurer may refer measurement matters (Article 13) to the Committee from time to time for its opinion. The opinion of the committee will be rendered to the Measurer. In the event of a difference of opinion among committee members the matter will be put to a vote with the Measurer abstaining and the majority will prevail. Article 10: Meetings The Fleet shall meet at least once annually. This Annual Meeting is to be held during the months of January or February. The Fleet Officers for the ensuing year shall be elected at the Annual Meeting. Notice of any meeting shall be given in writing by the Secretary-Treasurer at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting. Article 11: Quorum Fifty percent of the Members in Good Standing shall constitute a quorum for the conducting of the Fleet's business. Article 12: Voting Each Member in Good Standing is entitled to one vote. In the case of joint ownership or joint charter, only one vote is permitted for the co-owners or co-charterers. One vote per boat. Article 13: Qualifications of Yachts To be considered an Express 37 for purposes of these Articles, a yacht must conform to the following standards: a) Hull, Keel and Rudder - The hull, keel and rudder must conform to Carl Schumacher, N.A. Drawing Numbers 24-1, Revision 4 and 24-2, Revision 3 (drawings on file with Carl Schumacher) and shall be "stock" in all respects except for minor sanding and fairing. A Carbon Fiber rudder, as specified by Carl Schumacher, Drawing 24-14, and 24-14 Revisions 1, is permitted as a replacement to the stock rudder. (4-1-01) The entire surface of the hull, keel and rudder below the waterline must be covered with a marine anti-fouling paint. It is the intent of the rule to prevent dry sailing of the boat. (1-27-98) b) Deck - The deck must conform to Carl Schumacher, N.A. Drawing Number 24-7W, Revision 5, and shall be "stock" in so far as placement and length of head-sail tracks. One continuous track in the location depicted on the above drawing is acceptable. However, tackle, hydraulics or any other method of adjusting and lead under load is prohibited. The size, number and make of winches is left to the discretion of the owner. c) Spars and Rigging - The spar and rig must conform to Carl Schumacher, N.A. Drawing Number 24-8, Revision 2. A white band of approximately one inch in width shall be placed at a point on the mast so that the lowest edge of the band is 42 feet, 0 inches from the top of the Boom. A similar band shall be placed on the main boom in a position so that the forward edge of the band is 13 feet, 9 inches from the after edge of the mast when the boom is at a right angle to the mast. The maximum spinnaker pole length is 14 feet, 4 inches (if the original pole car Forespar T-125-F is utilized, pole length is defined as gross length from butt to tip). (d) Modifications to the requirements of Article 13, paragraphs a-c: 1) Nothing in these paragraphs shall prevent modifications of the boat for cosmetic or convenience purposes. 2) Modifications which are likely to improve the performance of the boat in speed, handling or maneuverability shall be permitted only pursuant to an amendment to these Articles. Any such approved modification shall be documented in Exhibit E. e) Sails 1) The "basic" sail inventory shall consist of a mainsail, a #1 Genoa (150%), a #3 Jib and a Spinnaker. The cloth type and weights shall be as follows: Mainsail - Cloth of any commercially available, total weight not less than 30 lbs. excluding battens (4/1/2003) #1 Genoa (150%) -Cloth of any commercially available, total weight not less than 31 lbs.. (4/1/2003) #3 Jib -Cloth of any commercially available, total weight not less than 28 lbs. excluding battens. (4/1/2003) Spinnaker - woven nylon; not lighter than 30 x 30 dernier; nominal .75 oz. per sailmaker's yard nylon ripstop (.50 oz. and 30 x 20 dernier cloth are prohibited). The maximum dimension of non-spinnaker sails are as shown on Carl Schumacher, Drawing #24-3 Revision 4, dated Jan 1 2002. A #1 Genoa shall also have a minimum LP of 20 feet, 9 inches. A #3 Jib shall have a maximum LP of 14 feet, 4 inches. Mainsail girth shall comply with the following limitations: Mainsail:
The No. 3 Jib and No. 4 Jib may have a maximum of four battens placed so as to divide the jib leach into even parts within one-half foot of tolerance and each batten may not be longer than 2 feet 6 inches. The #1 Genoa (150%) shall not have battens. It is the intention of this rule to prevent ultra-light sails. Over-standard sail hardware will disqualify sail weights. 2) The "optional" sail inventory shall consist of an additional headsail (#4 Jib) and an additional spinnaker (1.5 oz.). #4 Jib - Dacron or mylar of suitable weight. The sail above shall have a maximum LP of 85% of J (12.18'). Spinnaker (1.5 oz.) - Woven nylon; nominal 1.5 oz. per sailmaker's yard nylon ripstop (or heavier); shall not exceed "basic" spinnaker in any dimensions. 3) A yacht never raced (under these Articles) shall have the right to declare a maximum of four (4) "basic" sails at any time during her first calendar year of racing. Effective March 1, 1987, any yacht previously raced shall have the right to acquire no more than two (2) replacement sails of the "basic" sail inventory in any one calendar year. This replacement sail rule is to be applied on a cumulative basis so that if the replacement rights are not exercised in any calendar year (beginning in 1987) they may accumulate and be exercised in a future year or years. In no event shall more than four "basic" sails be replaced in any one calendar year. No other replacement sail may be acquired unless the sail to be replaced has been damaged beyond repair or was defective beyond repair in the first instance, both in the opinion of the measurer. The only sails eligible for replacement due to damage or defect shall be the most recently measured “basic” or “optional” sails. 4) Any acquired sail, "basic" or "optional", must be registered with the Measurer, conform to the standards and dimensions as described in this Article, and be stamped before being used in any one-design class race. All sails shall be measured in accordance with the published IMS sail measurement technique and shall comply with non-penalty restrictions. 5) Only those sails which conform to the "basic or "optional" descriptions in this Article and have been registered with the Measurer may be carried and used during a one-design race. Any conforming sail previously measured may also be carried. 6) For purposes of this Article, all sails registered with the Measurer shall be deemed to belong to that specific yacht and not the owner or charterer. g) Equipment - All factories supplied standard equipment as shown on Exhibit D, except cushions, is to be carried during one-design class races in its normal position as installed at the factory or specified by the Technical Committee. Article 14: Measurement It shall be the responsibility of each Owner or Charterer to comply with the provisions of Article 13. Any Owner or Charterer may request the Measurer to validate such compliance. Any Owner or Charterer may appeal a decision of the Measurer to the Executive Committee. The Measurer will mark each of the sails to indicate that they are in conformance with Article 13. Article 15: Crew and Helmsperson (a) The total number of crew for YRA season races or other one-design races shall not exceed 8 persons without limitation on weight, or 1850 pounds without limitation of the number of crew. Owner or Charterer shall create and maintain a written crew list, including individual weights whenever the crew exceeds 8 persons, for each event in which the yacht participates during the year. Any Owner or Charterer may challenge another yacht by submitting a protest, in writing, to the Fleet Captain along with a protest fee of $100. The Owner or Charterer of any yacht so challenged shall produce the required crew list and the crew members for weighing within 30 days. Crew will be weighed in normal casual attire on a calibrated scale designated by the Fleet Measurer. Failure to comply with this rule shall result in disqualification of the yacht for the race in question and return of the protest fee to the challenger. If the challenge is unsuccessful, the protest fee will be placed in the Fleet Treasury. The Fleet Captain may require the weigh-in of crews prior to any regatta. (b) It is required that a Member, with a minimum of a 50% ownership interest in his (her) yacht, or a "designated" helmsperson be the helmsperson for the majority of the time (50 percent or more) of each one-design race. It is further required that any "relief" helmsperson shall not helm the yacht after the preparatory signal until 50 percent of the second leg of each race is completed. In the event a member cannot sail a one-design race, for whatever reason, he may request the authorization of the Fleet Captain to have a "guest" helmsperson for that race or series of races. The Fleet Captain may consult with the Executive Committee for a final decision and, to the extent practical, shall disclose the "guest" helmsperson to the Fleet. Any "relief" helmsperson, "designated" helmsperson or "guest" helmsperson must be an Associate Member of the Fleet and a regular crew member on the yacht in question. A regular crew member is defined as one who sails at least 75% of the time on the yacht in question. It is the express intent of this Article that only Members with a minimum 50% ownership interest, "relief" helmsperson, or "guest" helmsperson as defined by these Articles helm the Express 37 yachts in one-design races. Individuals generally known as "Professionals" within the yachting industry, specifically including sail salespersons and sail designers, yacht salespersons and yacht designers, shall not helm the yachts unless granted prior written authorization from the Executive Committee. There shall only be one "designated" helmsperson per boat. Article 16: Season and Season Champion The Fleet will select its Season Champion based on cumulative best performance by a Member's yacht during the YRA Season. The Membership each year at the annual meeting shall determine the number of races to be sailed and the number of "throw-out" races permitted. The YRA point awarding system will be used for determining the Season Champion except that the total points awarded for a disqualification (DSQ) may not be thrown out. Article 17: Other Races and Regattas These Articles shall govern one-design races, "class races" in addition to YRA Season races and the Fleet's annual Championship Regatta. A class regatta or race is one where Express 37's are provided a start as a class by the regatta authority and the Executive Committee accepts the start as a class start. Notice of the Executive Committee decision will be given as far in advance as practicable. Article 18: Amendment of Articles of Association A Member may propose an amendment to these Articles by submitting a written draft of the proposed amendment to the Fleet Captain by December 1 of each year. The Fleet Captain shall notify each Member of the proposed amendment by mailing a copy thereof to each Member not less than ten days prior to the Annual Meeting at which the proposed amendment will be considered. Amendments may only be considered at the Annual Meeting. Changes and modifications approved by amendment to these Articles shall take effect no sooner than April 1 of the year of approval. To be adopted, a proposed amendment must receive the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the quorum of Members present at such Annual Meeting.
These amended
articles shall become effective on May 1, 1997. EXHIBIT D EXTERIOR Hull and deck - Lloyd's approved 3/4" core, fiberglass sandwich construction using acrylic modified epoxy resins. Foredeck hatch and ventilation hatch in head or equivalent Teak handrails and forward toe rails INTERIOR Teak Ceiling strips throughout Cabin sole Teak companionway steps Navigator's station with large chart table and seat, electronics area, red chart light Hot & cold pressure water Shower in head compartment with sump and electric pump Two burner gimbaled CNG or propane stove with oven or stove with lead added to make equivalent weight and location Ice box Stainless steel sink in galley with fresh water pump 3 fresh water tanks, 2 on port side, 1 on starboard side Holding tank under forward V berth Main cabin table All standard cabinetry, i.e. doors, drawers and lids as supplied by builder shall remain in location ENGINE Yanmar 3GMF, 27 HP 3 cylinder diesel/or 2GMF 18 HP 2 cylinder prior to Hull No. 25 Fresh water heat exchange cooling system 35 amp alternator or larger Fuel tank as supplied by manufacturer 1" stainless steel propeller shaft Folding propeller - 16" minimum diameter blade width at least 1/4 of diameter ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Two 105 amp hour, deep cycle batteries Marinetics control panel - master switch, and battery check meter Running lights 110 Shore power
Exhibit E Approved performance modifications. 1. Addition of a multiple-part "fine tune" to the mainsheet, either inside the boom or as part of the mainsheet block system. (4-27-93) 2. External halyards or halyard blocks. (4-27-93) 3. Beveling of the last 1/2" of the trailing edge of the keel or rudder. 4-27-93) 4. Additional parts or purchase for either the traveler or mainsheet systems; the mainsheet system shall be a minimum of five and maximum of seven parts. (4-27-93) 5. The use of halyard stoppers, including a reduction in the number of winches. (4-27-93) 6. Removal of the water heater. (4-27-93) 7. Use of a tiller extension of any type. (4-27-93) 8. Utilization of a retractor system for the runners. (4-27-93) 9. Interior or exterior installation of sheet bags. (4-27-93) 10. Use of a headfoil of any manufacture. (4-27-93) 11. Use of a bullet block at the topping lift exit from the mast. (4-27-93) 12. Removal of the baby-stay and related gear from the boat. (4-27-93) 13. Boom Vang: Any rigid boom vang that supports the boom may be substituted for the original hydraulic unit. (1-27-98) 14. Spliceable braided rope or 1 x 19 stainless wire may be used for halyards and running back stays (1-16-97).
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