INTERNATIONAL 505 CLASS YACHT RACING ASSOCIATION

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL 505 CLASS ASSOCIATION HELD AT SKOVSHOVED DENMARK ON 25TH AUGUST 1978

1. The President addressed the meeting about the particular problem that had arisen at the World Championships during which this meeting took place caused by strong winds making racing impossible two days during the event. The President said that the Class Rules provided that two races could only be sailed in one day in exceptional circumstances and that it

The meeting, upon a show of hands, indicated that it was against having two races sailed in one day on that occasion.

2. The President read to the meeting the minutes of the previous Annual General meetinq held in La Rochelle, France. It was proposed from the floor that the minutes should be accepted as a true account and this proposal was seconded and carried unanimously.

3. Matters arising from the minutes were discussed.
(a) The meeting was informed that arrangements had been made to hold the World Championships for 1979 in Durban, South Africa between the 2nd and 8th May. Mr. E.A. WYATT, President of the South African Association was present to answer any questions about the event. Mr. WYATT told the meeting that the event would be preceded by the South African Championships to which competitors in the World Championships would be invited. The meeting was also told that the European Championships for 1979 would be held at Kiel in Western Germany.

(b) The meeting was told that a postal ballot had been held following the proposals for rule changes put forward at the previous Annual General meeting. The result of the postal ballot was the first four proposals, (those put forward by the International Rules Committee) were approved but the final proposal put forward by the Annual General meeting which sought to take away the discretion of the International Rules Committee over certain measurement matters was lost.

4. The President gave his report to the meeting.
The President told the meeting that he proposed to retire as President because of the expense involved in travel and communications caused by his living on the West Coast of the United States of America divorced from the International Office of the Association which was in Paris.

The President thanked the Danish 505 Association for the Championships which they had arranged. The President expressed pleasure that the Class had moved forward by the gradual tightening of the Rules which had been done with as little unhappiness as possible. This process would continue slowly as there was still room for improvement.

The President informed the meeting that Mr. Ted MAY had been engaged by the I.R.C. as Chief measurer.

The President thanked the International Secretary and Mr. Derek FARRANT for all the help and support that they had given him. The President said that he was now at the end of his term but as no nomination had been received for President he would continue until a new President was nominated and appointed at the next Annual General meeting.

5. The International Secretary gave his report.
In the absence of the International Treasurer, the International Secretary presented the accounts to the meetinq. The Secretary told the meeting that the financial position was good and that this was because there had been saving in expenditure by the holdinq of the World Championships for 1977 in France and that no International bulletin had been printed, the Secretary remarked that there would not be a similar saving for the next year.

The Secretary drew the attention of the meeting to the budget which had been prepared and was part of the accounts and pointed out that it did not include the expenses for the International measurer.

The Secretary reported that there had been no growth in membership. The Secretary reported that an answering service had been established at the International Office, telephone number (1) 976 21 76. The Secretary referred again to the lack of an International Bulletin which he said, was because of lack of assistance from the National Associations and he told the meeting that the President with the help of the German Association would produce a bulletin in the coming year. He asked the National Secretaries to send copies of their magazines to the International Office.

The Secretary told the meetinq that there had been problems with the measurement forms submitted to the International Office for measurement Certificates to be issued. On many forms the measurements were missing. He asked the Secretaries of the National Associations to see that the measurements forms were properly completed.

The Secretary said that he had been International Secretary for six years and that he felt it was time for somebody else to fill this important job. He said that he would prepare a profile so that the ideal person could be found with a view to his being appointed at the next Annual General meetinq in South Africa during may 1979.

5. Treasurers Report:
This was officially put before the meeting by the International Secretary in the absence of the Treasurer. The President outlined the budget for the coming year and he told the meeting that taking into account the cost of the International Bulletin, and the sum of money needed by the International measurer, that there would be a projected deficit of F. 12.000. The President proposed that the meeting should confirm an increase in the International levy to provide a levy of F.25 per member and F. 60 per registration for a new boat

Mr. mautice DOBEYN (International Auditor) from the floor, told the meeting that it was his view that the reserves should be used to finance the Bulletin. The International Secretary stated that he thought that this would be dangerous.

7. International Auditor's Report:
Mr. Maurice DOBEYN (SOUTH AFRICA) told the meeting that he had received the books and accounts earlier that day and was unable to give a report. He suggested that the accounts should be accepted by the meeting subject to audit. Without studying the background to the accounts he could not make a proposal that they should be accepted. The President asked Mr. DOBEYN to advise the meeting as to the reserves as shown on the accounts.

The Auditor said that they appeared to be some F.95.O0O, represented by approximately F 20.000 held by the Bank MONOD and F. 75.000 in bonds. In addition to this there was a substantial sum of money shown as due to the Association being some F. 42.000. A discussion about financial matters then followed. The President expressed the feeling that to have reserves was a good thing and that expenditure should be kept within the annual income and that the reserves should be kept and used to improve measurement and the International Secretariat. A question was asked from the floor about the item in the accounts which showed a large sum due to the Association. The International Secretary answered that there was a delay every year in payment by several National Associations to the International Association. A question was asked from the floor about the amount of the reserves. The International Auditor said that he could see no reason for holding reserves of this magnitude. It was suggested by Mr. Steve TAYLOR (USA) that the maximum reserves should be equal to the annual turnover and the balance should be used for financing the Bulletin and other necessary expenses. This proposal was put and seconded.

Further discussion followed about this proposal. It was suggested that the reserves were too high and that they should be used to improve communications and measurement. Mr. TAYLOR told the meeting that he thought the International Executive should report on the reserves and the necessity for them. The meeting was told that there would be expenditure involved in moving the International Office when Mr. LALLEMAND retired.

The International Auditor told the meeting that in addition to the reserves of Pound Sterling 4,700.OOp was due to the International Association from National Secretaries, he had received no satisfactory explanation for these uncollected monies, but it appeared that National Secretaries were unsure of what they were required to pay. He suggested that Pound Sterling 7,500.00 was sufficient for the reserves.

Mr. ANDRON (USA) sought to propose that the International levy should remain the same as in the previous year. The President refused to accept this as a new motion as there was already a proposal before the meeting.

The original motion � put forward by Mr. TAYLOR was defeated on a show of hands, and a new proposal to the effect that, "the Executive Committee should prepare proposals as to how the reserves should be used, to be presented at the next meeting", was proposed and seconded and carried unanimously. It was decided that the dues would remain as in the previous year.

Mr. R. NAPIER (UK) asked that audited accounts should be presented at the next meeting. The meeting was told that the explanation for the books not being delivered in time to the Auditor was the difficulties of posting the books.

The International Auditor told the meeting that arrangements should and could have been made for this and that certified copies could have been used in place of original document..

8. The Report of the International Rules Committee was presented by Mr. Derek FARRANT.

Mr. FARRANT told the meeting that measuring was taking place with increasing accuracy and this had culminated in the exclusion of boats from the World Championships then being held. He told the meeting that there were now between six and eight builders throughout the World.

The errors which had bean shown up by the measurements taken at La Rochelle in 1977 had bean corrected. There had been changes in the rules relating to certificates and this had improved the system, but there needed to be further alterations to avoid delays which had occured. He said that measurement forms would have to be standardised and that now the measurement forms would have to be sent to the International Measurer must be up to date forms containing all the actual measurements taken. He introduced to the meeting, Mr. MAY who would be the Chief Measurer, and told the meeting that in future the procedure for obtaining an International Racing Certificate would be as follows : -

(a) The measurement form would be sent to the National Secretary for a National Certificate to be issued.
(b) The National Secretary would send the measurement form to the Chief Measurer.
(c) The Measurer would send the International Certificate to the National Secretary to be forwarded to the boat owner.

Mr. FARRANT told the Meeting that the International Rules Committee intended to continue to apply pressure to attempt to achieve a 100% boat. The International Measurer would be available to any builder who wished to have his advice but that the builder would be responsible for the measurers acceptance. The result of the postal ballot was satisfactory so far as the International Rules Committee were concerned. Mr. FARRANT told the meeting that the United States Association had put forward proposals that : -

(a) The hulls should conform at all stations and he told the meeting that this would be checked in South Africa not only as before but stations 3, 6 and 9.
(b) That the rule requiring a Luff wire should be revoked.
(c) That two windows should be allowed in the mainsail.
He said that these proposals must be considered. He told the Meeting that the International Rules Committee had considered the question of mast weight and centre of gravity measurements, also swing tests upon hulls to prevent hulls being built with very light ends. As yet no satisfactory tests for these measurements had been found. The equipment required to measure hulls in this way was cumbersome and the definition of rigging and the types of rigging used made measurement of mast centre of gravity difficult.

The Meeting then discussed the three proposals put forward by the U.S.A. Association, Mr. TAYLOR, was asked to explain to the meeting about loose luffed gibs. The proposals were put to the meeting and carried.

The Meeting then discussed the rules for lay days in World Championships, this problem was in the minds of all at the meeting because of the problems which had arisen during the Championship which was in hand. The meeting was asked to express a preference between having a lay day after the fourth race or at the end of the meeting. A vote was taken on a show of hands but this was too close to give a result. Further discussion followed which highlighted the problems of giving a prizegiving banquet before the final result were aired. A further vote was taken which showed a preference for the lay day being the last day. The President thanked Mr. FARRANT for his report.

9. ELECTION OF OFFICERS:
No nomination had been received.
The meeting had already been told that Mr. LALLEMAND wished to retire from office, but he told the meeting he was ready to carry on until a replacement was appointed. A proposal was put to the meeting and accepted that the existing Officers should continue for a further term of office. The President told the meeting that although this amounted to his appointment for a further full term he only wished to stand one year, that was until the next Annual General Meeting in DURBAN.

10. Forthcoming International Events:
There were discussed and it was suggested that the World Championships for 1980 should be held in Europe and that the World Championships in 1981 should be held on the West Coast of the United States. The venues of the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and Greece were mentioned as possible places for future World and European Championships. Japan was also discussed as a possible venue and also Singapore.

11. Trophies:
The Meeting was told over the years trophies had been awarded but had not been returned. It was suggested that the reserves of the Association should be used to replace these trophies. The suggestion was put forward that a Bond should be taken out a recipient of a trophy to ensure its return or replacement. A proposal was put to this effect and it was carried.

12. The Meeting was then thrown open so that any other business could be discussed. Mr. Phil BROWN (UK) mentioned that there was a misunderstanding about the position of correctors which had to be fitted to boats to bring the boat within the bare hull weight limits.

Mr. Derek FARRANT told the Meeting that the weighing was not accurate enough and the Rules not explicit enough. Mr. Steve TAYLOR (USA) commented that the rule seem to provide that correctors should be left in for the life of the boat but that correctors were taken out when a boat exceeded the all- up sailing weight rule. Mr. FARRANT admitted that the rules were poor and the Committee would look into it. Mr. MAY was asked to produce for measurers to follow in an attempt to improve the standard of measuring and to make it uniform. The Meeting was told that it was the intention of the International Rules Committee to circulate its Minutes to Builders.

The Meeting took this opportunity to confirm the appointment of Mr. MAY as Chief Measurer. The Meeting then further discussed measuring matters including the availability of templates to enable owners to check the hulls of their boats. Also the meeting returned to discuss the problems of lay days.

13. Mr. Steve TAYLOR (USA) asked about minor errors in old boats and whether these would preclude boats from sailing in South Africa or whether dispensation would be given to them. The President said that there would be a general tightening up of the rules so that the new moulds would be accurate. The Meeting was told that no dates had been fixed for the 1980 World Championships and could not be fixed until the venue was known.

THE MEETING WAS BROUGHT TO A CLOSE