Beneteau 31.7 Ireland Class Rules
- Name
- Objects
- Membership
- Officers and Committee
- Subscription
- General Meetings
- Honorary Auditor
- Election of Officers
- Casual Vacancies
- Committee Meetings
- Amendment to Class Rules
- Honorary Members
- Intent
- Class Rules and Interpretation
- Measurement/Yacht
- Equipment
- Sails
- Class Regulations
- Safety and Equipment
- Safety Regulations
1. Name
1.1. The Class shall be called the Beneteau First 31.7 Ireland One Design Class Association.
2. Objects
2.1. To encourage and develop the use of the Beneteau First 31.7 yacht as a one design keel boat.
2.2. The Class may bring in from time to time such Class Regulations in furtherance of these objects.
3. Membership
3.1. Every candidate for membership shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another member.
3.2. The names of all candidates for election shall be submitted to the Committee.
3.3. The Committee may in the interests of the Class and at their discretion, decline or postpone such candidature.
3.4. Any member failing to pay his first subscription within a period of six weeks after his election shall, ipso facto fail to become a member.
3.5. The Hon. Secretary shall upon receipt of his first subscription notify any elected candidate that he has been admitted a member of the Class, and shall send him a copy of the Class Rules and Regulations currently in force and the member shall be bound thereby.
3.6. The Committee shall have power to suspend from membership any member who behaves in a manner prejudicial to the Class. The Committee shall in each such case give adequate effective notice to the member giving the member every reasonable opportunity of explaining his conduct.
3.7. The Committee shall have power on receiving satisfactory explanations to reinstate as a member of the Class any person who may have been suspended from membership under any provision of these rules.
4. Officers and Committee
4.1. The officers of the Class shall consist of the Captain, Vice-Captain, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Measurer. They shall constitute the Committee with power to co-opt additional Committee members if thought desirable.
5. Subscription
5.1. The annual subscription for boats and members shall be laid down annually at the Annual General Meeting, and shall be due on 1st. Jan. following the year commencing on that date.
5.2. Subscriptions are payable within six weeks of the due date, and no member shall be entitled to the rights and privileges of membership in any year until his subscription is paid.
6. General Meetings
6.1. The Annual General Meeting of the Class shall be held in the months of October/November each year, on a date to be fixed by the Committee and the Hon. Secretary shall, at least 21 days before such date, post to each member a notice thereof and of the business to be brought forward.
6.2. The business at such Meetings shall be the elections of officers and Committee, the passing of the Accounts, appointment of an Hon. Auditor and any other business proposed by the Committee, or which has been proposed by any member at least 14 days before the Annual General Meeting which business shall be circulated to members by the Hon. Secretary by way of an amended agenda for the Annual General Meeting at least 7 clear days before the Meeting.
6.3. The Hon. Secretary shall, on a resolution by the Committee, or on a requisition signed by any ten members whose subscriptions are paid up-to-date, summon a special General Meeting of the Class for any specific business, the nature of which shall be stated in the convening notice and the discussion at such a special General Meeting shall be confined to such stated business.
6.4. At all General Meetings each member shall have one vote and the Chairman of the Meeting an additional casting vote.
6.5. Every question except alterations to the Class Rules shall be determined by a majority of the members voting. Members absent from a General Meeting may vote either by written proxy or by previously sending their vote in writing to the Hon. Secretary.
6.6. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 7 members.
7. Honorary Auditor
7.1. Accounts shall be made up to 30th September each year.
7.2. An Hon. Auditor may be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to report on the accounts
8. Election of Officers
8.1. At the Annual General Meeting the officers and Committee shall be elected to hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting. The retiring officers shall be eligible for re-election.
9. Casual Vacancies
In the case of any casual vacancy in the office of Captain, Vice-Captain, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer or Hon. Measurer the Committee may appoint one of themselves or some other member of the Class to act until the next Annual General Meeting.
10. Committee Meetings
10.1. Meetings of the Committee shall be held at such time and place as it shall itself decide.
11. Amendment to Class Rules
11.1. These Class Rules shall not be altered, added to or rescinded without the consent of two-thirds of those voting at a General Committee Meeting.
12. Honorary Members
12.1. The Committee shall have power to elect any person as an Hon, Member of the Class for such time as is thought fit but not beyond the next Annual General Meeting.
13. Intent
13.1. These rules, as adopted by the Class, are set in place to maintain the Beneteau First 31.7’s exceptional performance features; ease of handling, safety, comfort, and styling, while taking full advantage of them at all Beneteau First 31.7 events.
13.2. The racing of yachts within these rules is for the purposes of promoting amateur sailing and it shall be prohibited to use professional helms or crew whilst participating in Class events save or otherwise expressly authorised by the Committee and Class or as otherwise provided or permitted in the sailing instructions governing any event run or organised by this Class. A professional for the purposes of these regulations is a person who derives his/her sole income from sailing and is available for hire or reward to sail boats or is otherwise a person whose business would be promoted by the sailing of a Beneteau First 31.7.
14. Class Rules and Interpretation
14.1. Yachts may be subject to inspection at any time at the sole discretion of the Committee of the Class or of a race committee to ensure compliance with all regulations contained herein. Breach of any of these rules renders a yacht ineligible for participation in Class racing until the breach has been rectified to the satisfaction of the Committee or its nominated officer.
14.2. The Class does not accept any legal responsibility in respect of these rules and regulations or any claims arising there from. Neither the establishment of these rules, their use by race organisers, nor the inspection or measurement of a yacht under these regulations in any way limits or reduces the complete and unlimited responsibility of the owner or owner’s representative.
14.3. For the avoidance of any doubt there shall be no limit to the number of persons permitted aboard any Beneteau First 31.7 whilst racing in fixtures promoted and/or sponsored by this Class without prejudice to the rules governing any other event and/or fixture within which events the yacht shall from time to time race.
15. Measurement/Yacht
15.1. The principal objective of the class is to maintain all competing Beneteau First 31.7’s to a standard specification’s so that all boats can race on an equal bases
It is the responsibility of the helm and members of the Class to ensure that their yacht complies with these Class Rules.
15.2. Though there have been some alterations to the design and the standard specifications of the manufacturers, these have been minor. The existing standard specifications can be found on the website www.beneteau.com and simply follow the links. This is deemed to be the standard specifications. Only alterations of a minor nature shall be permitted. Where the boat was purchased with an earlier standard specification, this is considered to match the current one.
15.3. The committee in it’s absolute discretion decide if an alteration is minor in nature. If the committee so considers it necessary, it may require the competitor to supply independent proof that the alteration made is minor in nature and will not confer other than a minor competitive advantage.
15.4. The interior of any yacht may not be modified or in any way altered and must have for the purposes of competing in Class events the standard cooker, table, all cushions and fittings as supplied by the manufacturer and at all times whilst so competing carried in their proper place.
15.5. The Committee shall from time to time appoint a measurer who will ensure that yachts conform to these rules and whose decision shall be final subject to an appeal to the Committee.
15.6. It shall be the responsibility of each boat owner to supply with his annual subscription the appropriate IRC certificates or a letter from a sail manufacturer specifying the dimensions of all sails.
15.7. A measurer will not measure a yacht in which he or she has a special interest.
16. Equipment
16.1. The equipment used shall be as supplied by the manufacturer as standard.
16.2. The maximum permitted spinnaker pole length shall be 3.52 metres.
16.3. The hull, keel, rudder, engine leg and propeller shall be in compliance with the manufacturer’s standards and shall not be changed in shape or weight but may be fared which for clarity includes filling in part of the space between the hull and rudder.
16.4. All deck fittings may be subject to change or modification provided only that the deck structure and layout as designed by the manufacturer shall not change and the use of carbon compounds for the production of rudders, tillers, booms and masts shall be forbidden. It shall be a condition precedent to entering any Class events that the boarding ladder attached to the transom of all 31.7s be in place.
17. Sails
17.1. The intent of this Class inter alia is to encourage uniformity in relation to sails, without prejudice to the right of any boat owner to continue to use a sail being a sail in existence at the date of adoption of these regulations and ordinarily used on a Beneteau First 31.7 but otherwise all sails to comply with these regulations. Therefore, any sail not complying with the specifications hereinafter mentioned shall be considered illegal and not suitable or eligible for use whilst racing in Class events.
17.2. The sail measurements shall be in accordance with the following maximum dimensions
17.2.1. Mainsail
- P. Hoist= 10.80 metres
- E. Foot = 3.90 metres
- Roach = I.R.C. maximum dimensions
- M.U.W. = 0.81 metres
- M.T.W. = 1.48 metres
- M.H.W. = 2.54 metres
17.2.2. Headsail L.P.
- Luff perpendicular = 4.95 metres
- L.L. Luff length = 11.85 metres
- H.S.A Headsail area = 29.30 sq. metres
17.2.3. Spinnaker S.P.A. maximum permitted spinnaker area = 63 sq. metres
18. Class Regulations
18.1. The Class regulations can be changed by a majority decision of the members voting and present at a general meeting of the Class at which at least one-third of the boat owners are present.
19. Safety and Equipment
19.1. It is the responsibility of every boat owner and helm to ensure that the yacht in which he/she is sailing is adequately equipped with all necessary safety equipment and that the yacht is in a condition fit to sail in class events. Each yacht must comply with any additional safety requirements which may from time to time appear in sailing instructions. For the avoidance of any doubt it is to be understood by all members of this Class that the committee accepts no legal responsibility in relation to any injury or damage howsoever arising in the operation of these rules or in the organisation and running of events envisaged by these rules. It is the primary responsibility of each boat owner and helm to ensure that the yacht is suitably equipped with all necessary safety equipment and that the yacht is in a condition suitable to undertake the events envisaged by these rules. Furthermore, it shall be the responsibility of every boat owner to ensure that the yacht is adequately insured in respect of injury or damage caused howsoever arising. The adoption of these rules shall not be deemed to create any legal responsibility on the part of the committee or the Class in respect of any injury or loss howsoever arising in any event.
20. Beneteau 31.7 Safety Regulations
20.1. Issued March 2007 Items and numbers required are list below:
- Lifejackets for all crew members – 6
Must be appropriate to weight of crew member
Lifejackets that must be worn at all times racing - Lifebuoy with whistle mounted on rail when racing
- Light Floating safety line of 15 metres with quoit
- Serviceable Engine
- Permanently installed fuel tank with minimum 7.5 litres of fuel
- Shut-off valves for all fuel tanks
- Fire extinguishers one in cockpit locker and one below – 2
- Red hand flares in date – 4
- Parachute flares in date – 2
- Dry sealed container for flares
- Anchor with at least 2 metres of chain combined min. weight 12kgs
- 40 metres anchor warp of diameter capable of easy attachment
- An adequate bolt cutters to cut the rigging easily accessible
- One manually controllable bilge pump and handle accessible on deck
- Compass in working order
- Echo sounder in working order
- Foghorn with spare cylinder
- First aid kit and manual
- Wood plugs attached to skin fittings of appropriate size – 5
- Bosons chair
- Knife immediately accessible from deck
- Tools and spares
- 9 litres buckets with lanyards – 2
- All heavy equipment must be secured