Under new business tomorrow night, please prepare to discuss the following agenda item.
I would like to open a discussion about amending the sailing instructions to eliminate the requirement that we start the last race 60 minutes before sunset, and that the first boat finish 30 minutes before sunset. My proposal is that we still aim to complete races in time to return to the harbor before dark, but that we give the race committee discretion to start the last race at a time it judges to be prudent.
At the same time as adopting this change, I would propose that we institute a requirement that all vessels carry portable navigation lights (see attached photo for one example, made by Innnovative Lighting) as a precaution in case vessels end up returning to the harbor after dusk.
I believe that we have lost many opportunities to race because of the existing requirement, and that it will be possible to maintain the safety of the fleet and enjoy more racing by amending the SIs. I look forward to the conversation.
In peace,
Benjamin
PS: This item was approved for addition to the agenda by the fleet captain a few weeks ago; see email chain below.
From: Etchells Fleet 27
Subject: Re: Fleet Mtg
Date: January 14, 2019 at 6:41:45 AM EST
To: Benjamin Pollard
Hi Ben,
I will add it to the agenda.
Thanks Chris
On Sat, Jan 12, 2019 at 12:35 PM Benjamin Pollard wrote:
Hi Chris,
I would like to propose that we amend the sailing instructions to allow starting races later in the evening and add the requirement that all vessels have portable navigation lights like these ones on board. I have not had time yet to find the section of the sailing instructions that I would like to propose amending, and write specific language to present as a motion, but I wanted to give you a heads up and ask if it will be all right with you to add this motion to the agenda.
I will work on finding the language in the SIs and writing a proposed amendment soon.
Some comments to the agenda items, etc.
(It may be best if the following items were assigned to the Standing Race Committee (or??) to prepare recommended solutions to present to the membership at the Spring meeting (assuming this upcoming Feb 12 meeting is our Fall meeting??) and let the membership discuss and vote on these, and/or amend, during the spring meeting.)
Agenda item #3:
Scoring the most improved has not been following our SI’s:
24.1. … Awards may be provided for … the yacht that is most improved that evening over its current overall standing in that series.
We have been awarding daily “most improved” to the boat with the greatest improvement compared to its position for the previous week. One drawback of the method we have been using is that the boat doing R/C gets left out of this award if it has a good night the week immediately after doing R/C. However, a good aspect is that it is easy to figure out. Another aspect of following what has been written in the SIs is we would need to define “that series” to be either the season overall, or the ongoing spring/summer/fall series. If it is the ongoing spring/summer/fall series, then does that mean there is no most improved awarded on the first day of each 6-week series? Another issue that will arise by comparing to a boat’s series standing is there may be ties for the daily most improved award, so will there be a method to pick only one, or do we give out multiple awards?
Scoring R/C duty (OOD) is not fully defined in our SIs. There is much more discussion on the Fleet 27 webpage Competition Forum on this topic. In summary:
Per last year’s SIs:
20.4. Boats assigned to do Race Committee shall receive their average score for the corresponding Series for all races completed the night they are assigned.
The open question is… Average score of which races? All races? All counted races? All races up to that date? All races just during that series when the R/C duty occurs? There are several possible options. This past year, we averaged “all counted races for the races up to the point in time an award is made” (i.e., did not average-in any discarded races whenever they get included). This method gives a boat doing R/C the most points benefit of the various options. Other methods have been used at various times in prior years (including not giving any redress!).
The SIs should probably spell out the exact “average” we want used.
Making up lost racing days:
A possible option to consider is to keep the races scheduled for Tuesday, but use the following Friday or the following Monday as a make-up day. Maybe there is a better chance of a weather improvement following a break of more days rather than trying for the next day (…in the Monday – Tuesday scenario that has been put forward previously).
(Jamie works with the NOAA folks… maybe he can get some statistics on the make-up schedule that gives best odds for good racing weather.)
Qualifying for Texas World Championships
Regarding the Texas Worlds in agenda item 6, they are being held this June (i.e., 2019 not 2020). Probably not enough time to have a meaningful qualifier. Our qualifier for this June probably should be last year’s (2018) season results, but of course that was not announced prior to the series, which might be an issue for some. Since the Worlds can be such a big, logistical headache for anyone going, and can take 6 to 9 months to plan out, the previous year’s results are probably the best selection criteria, anyway.
However, since the Worlds this year are open to 75% of each fleet, probably not an issue for us this year. Whoever wants to go can go; just let the Fleet Captain know by some date (April 1).
From 2019 Worlds NOR:
3.4 Entry allocation is 75% of each fleet’s paid boats rounded up. Qualification to enter shall be verified by the entrant’s Fleet Captain prior to the entry being accepted. No entry can be considered as final until the entry’s eligibility has been verified by the OA with the IECA Secretariat. Additionally, eligibility is extended to those who qualify through a Qualifying Event as defined in Class Appendix A 7.C.
Note, I believe the 2020 Worlds are in Fremantle, Western Australia in Nov 2020. Why that information is not front-and-center on the IECA website is a mystery.
Under new business tomorrow night, please prepare to discuss the following agenda item.
I would like to open a discussion about amending the sailing instructions to eliminate the requirement that we start the last race 60 minutes before sunset, and that the first boat finish 30 minutes before sunset. My proposal is that we still aim to complete races in time to return to the harbor before dark, but that we give the race committee discretion to start the last race at a time it judges to be prudent.
At the same time as adopting this change, I would propose that we institute a requirement that all vessels carry portable navigation lights (see attached photo for one example, made by Innnovative Lighting) as a precaution in case vessels end up returning to the harbor after dusk.
I believe that we have lost many opportunities to race because of the existing requirement, and that it will be possible to maintain the safety of the fleet and enjoy more racing by amending the SIs. I look forward to the conversation.
In peace,
Benjamin
PS: This item was approved for addition to the agenda by the fleet captain a few weeks ago; see email chain below.
Some comments to the agenda items, etc.
(It may be best if the following items were assigned to the Standing Race Committee (or??) to prepare recommended solutions to present to the membership at the Spring meeting (assuming this upcoming Feb 12 meeting is our Fall meeting??) and let the membership discuss and vote on these, and/or amend, during the spring meeting.)
Agenda item #3:
Scoring the most improved has not been following our SI’s:
We have been awarding daily “most improved” to the boat with the greatest improvement compared to its position for the previous week. One drawback of the method we have been using is that the boat doing R/C gets left out of this award if it has a good night the week immediately after doing R/C. However, a good aspect is that it is easy to figure out. Another aspect of following what has been written in the SIs is we would need to define “that series” to be either the season overall, or the ongoing spring/summer/fall series. If it is the ongoing spring/summer/fall series, then does that mean there is no most improved awarded on the first day of each 6-week series? Another issue that will arise by comparing to a boat’s series standing is there may be ties for the daily most improved award, so will there be a method to pick only one, or do we give out multiple awards?
Scoring R/C duty (OOD) is not fully defined in our SIs. There is much more discussion on the Fleet 27 webpage Competition Forum on this topic. In summary:
Per last year’s SIs:
The open question is… Average score of which races? All races? All counted races? All races up to that date? All races just during that series when the R/C duty occurs? There are several possible options. This past year, we averaged “all counted races for the races up to the point in time an award is made” (i.e., did not average-in any discarded races whenever they get included). This method gives a boat doing R/C the most points benefit of the various options. Other methods have been used at various times in prior years (including not giving any redress!).
The SIs should probably spell out the exact “average” we want used.
Making up lost racing days:
A possible option to consider is to keep the races scheduled for Tuesday, but use the following Friday or the following Monday as a make-up day. Maybe there is a better chance of a weather improvement following a break of more days rather than trying for the next day (…in the Monday – Tuesday scenario that has been put forward previously).
(Jamie works with the NOAA folks… maybe he can get some statistics on the make-up schedule that gives best odds for good racing weather.)
Qualifying for Texas World Championships
Regarding the Texas Worlds in agenda item 6, they are being held this June (i.e., 2019 not 2020). Probably not enough time to have a meaningful qualifier. Our qualifier for this June probably should be last year’s (2018) season results, but of course that was not announced prior to the series, which might be an issue for some. Since the Worlds can be such a big, logistical headache for anyone going, and can take 6 to 9 months to plan out, the previous year’s results are probably the best selection criteria, anyway.
However, since the Worlds this year are open to 75% of each fleet, probably not an issue for us this year. Whoever wants to go can go; just let the Fleet Captain know by some date (April 1).
From 2019 Worlds NOR:
Note, I believe the 2020 Worlds are in Fremantle, Western Australia in Nov 2020. Why that information is not front-and-center on the IECA website is a mystery.