NECRA
Meeting at THYC Tuesday 15th November 2005 7:30pm
Present -- Larry Wilkinson (Chair)
- Lisa Groves (Hon Sec)
- Harold Usherwood (Treasurer)
- John Allen (WYC)
- Ken Cameron (WBA)
- Colin Jackson (THYC)
- David Matthews (SYC)
- Tony Graves (Sc YC)
- Peter Cossins (CYC)
Minutes of last meeting (6.9.05)
Agreed by Harold Usherwood.Matters arising
NECRA website, necra.co.uk purchased. Now up and running.Item 1 - committee meetings
Frequency - four per year not enough. Need one every two months until situation seems more stable. Need a meeting on December 13th to confirm programme of events, then 7th February. Meetings by arrangement from then on.
Location - those present are happy with THYC as a central location. Membership - one rep per club plus the officers. Invite the chairman of NERR ( John Kennedy) and the chairman of NESS (Nick Spurr) to the next meeting.
Communication with committee - deal with Ken by snail mail until further notice, communicate with other committee members by e-mail. The minutes of this meeting to be sent to NESS and NERR representatives via snail mail.
Item 2 - communication with membership
Once programme is decided send an informal newsletter to membership via snail mail with programme. One after Christmas and maybe one in December with a draft programme.
Mail shot sportsboat owners, (will require addresses via member yacht clubs) in an attempt to encourage sportsboats to join NECRA. Larry to circulate a list of sportsboats that have taken part in NECRA events. May hold a registration meeting in March, depending on progress.
Publicity of website to be continued. Lisa to make sure the link is from RNYC to NECRA.
Press links need to be improved, Y&Y and Yachting life as well as local press. David and Ken happy to cover Roker regatta. Lisa to organise cover of Blyth events. Larry and Lisa to co-ordinate first event report. Liz from THYC to be approached by Harold to see if she is happy to do press for THYC events.
Item 3 - Registration
A number of unregistered boats taking part and even worse being allocated trophies. We would like to encourage unregistered boats to join NECRA this year. Compelling argument for promotion is interclub competition and championship trophies e.g. best class I boat, best sportsboat etc.
NECRA will not publish results for unregistered boats next season (this will not work for regattas unless clubs willing to publish 2 sets of results, one for regatta and one for NECRA). NECRA club rep to provide a list of NECRA registered boats to their race officer for regatta events.
Will print a copy of the joining form and send out with the newsletter along with a covering letter that explains requirements to join NECRA. Also provide forms at regattas. (Some NECRA boats refused to pay entry fee for Roker regatta, claimed they were taking part in NECRA event rather than Roker regatta, this can be a source of unhappiness for clubs, but accept there may be situations where this is appropriate)
Majority of members of the committee supportive of re introducing registration fee of 10. Cut off date for registration suggested 31st April. Re print of form to be sent out to current and past members.
Item 4 - Programme 2006
Needs to be balanced, need an agreement on structure.
Structure
- Spring series (explore the possibility of fee for NECRA, fee+10 for non-NECRA, to cover NECRA registration fee), need to co-ordinate with Matt Simms. Larry to speak to Matt.
- 2 regattas,
- 2 coastal weekends,
- 1 distance,
- 1 overseas
- (same structure as 2005).
- Spring Series. Royal Quays.
- Distance. Bass rock / Farnes race - Lisa to try and move to the 16th June
- Coastal. North and South feeders to Hartlepool on Saturday (Sunderland - Hartlepool, Whitby -Hartlepool?) then bay racing on Sunday in Hartlepool. (24th and 25th June or Spring Bank Holiday).
- Coastal. Sunderland --> Whitby, Whitby --> Hartlepool 1st and 2nd July. (Tides are good for that date).
- Overseas. North Sea race 14th July from Scarborough YC.
- Roker Regatta 26th, 27th and 28th August.
- Blyth Regatta 2nd and 3rd September.
Item 5 - Classes for 2006
Sportsboat, white sail, class I, II and III - agreed by all.
Need to ensure sportsboats are clear on their eligibility to compete in NECRA. This may require a change in NECRA eligibility to ensure sportsboats are included. Ask advice from NESS re- sportsboats class safety requirements. Lisa to contact Nick Spurr regarding NESS. Sportsboat owners to self select whether they sail in class 1 or sportsboat class.
Item 6 - NESS
Needs updating ASAP, Lisa to contact Nick. Regulations need to be published on website. John A and Harold to research ORC and RYA safety rules and regulations for next meeting. Re-affirmed that it is club's responsibility to provide a safety officer not NECRA.
Item 7 - NERR
Appear to be making good progress. Effort being made to put NERR rating on Internet. Formula still being adjusted. John A convinced that ratings will be in place by the New Year. NERR hoping to publish rule on website as well as a 'test your changes' to see what differences will make to the rating of a boat.
Measurement is an issue with some boats. Those boats will be more accurately measured next year.
Is felt that communication with NERR needs to improve - hence invitation to chair of NERR to attend NECRA meetings.
Still some concern that if nothing happens by Christmas, timescale becomes very short to get rating in place by start of season. Situation to be reviewed at next meeting.
AOB
Are stand in reps acceptable? - yes.
Meeting closed 21:44