Vote ILCA Rule Changes

Please Vote on ILCA 2022 Rule Changes: 
1 October – 31 October 2022

Starting this Saturday, 1 October, ALL active members in our district are invited to vote on the 2022 ILCA Rule Changes –  one vote per member. 

The voting period is 1 month — SATURDAY, 1 October to MONDAY, 31 October, 2022. To be counted you must vote by 31 October, Central Daylight Time. Results will be announced later in the autumn.

We invite all district members to please take a moment to click the link below and vote via a quick, 2-question online survey. 

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Voting can also be accessed through a link on the ILCA website.

If you wish to preview the changes before voting, click to read Proposed 2022 Rule Changes.

Thank you for voting on this year’s rule changes. In this way ILCA can be certain the rules reflect the opinion of members around the world.

ILCA Member Vote Request – Proposed Changes to the ILCA Constitution

The ILCA World Council and Advisory Council have approved several updates to the ILCA Constitution. In order to implement these changes, according to clause 17 of the ILCA Constitution, approval by two thirds of the membership replying in response to a ballot is now required.

Overview of changes:

1. The class name has been updated.
2. Changes to the makeup of the ILCA World Council
3. It is proposed that all World Council members must explicitly comply with the ILCA conflict of interest policy.
4. The proposed wording formalizes that the annual accounts are reviewed annually by an independent party prior to publication.
5. The wording of the disciplinary provisions of the constitution is proposed to be updated.
6. It is proposed that the voting period for subsequent amendments to the ILCA Constitution is shortened from 6 months to 3 months.
7. Other grammatical and minor wording changes have been proposed throughout the document to aid in readability and clarity.

Review the complete details and vote online through the ILCA website here:http://www.laserinternational.org/…/ilca-member-vote…/

Voting remains available for the next six months.Please note that only paid ILCA members may vote. ILCA-NA Membership will be verified when the votes are tabulated.

Laser Class Rule Change Vote 7/31 Deadline

D11 sailors –

If you have not yet voted for the ILCA rule change please visit the website to vote before the deadline on Wednesday, July 31st.

This rule serves 3 important purposes –

1. Makes sure that our class will remain in the Olympics
2. Ensures that class-legal equipment is available in ALL parts of the world
3. Gives control of our class to the sailors, not the commercial parties.

Please vote yes for this important change.  Voting is limited to current class members, but if your membership has lapsed, you can rejoin and then vote.  Voting takes just a couple minutes.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019ILCARuleChange

• Rule Change Overview
• Detailed Rule Change Information
• Comprehensive Q&A
• Full Rule Change Text
• Letter from Member to Members

If you have any questions/comments – please let Jon know.

 

2017 ILCA Rule Changes Vote

All current ILCA members worldwide are invited to vote on 2017 Rule Changes now, via a quick, 4-question online survey.

Voting is open 10 April to 10 October 2017.

Click here to view rule changes and cast your vote.

ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPASS

Proposed rule change: Proposed rule change: Delete current Rule 22 (a)-(d) shown below in strikethrough text and replace it with new Rule 22 (a)-(e) shown below in RED text.

Add new rule 22:
22. COMPASS, ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT AND TIMING DEVICES
(a) One compass mounted on any part of the deck or the cockpit is permitted if the hull cavity is not pierced by anything other than the fasteners. Compasses may not be fitted to inspection ports. An additional wrist mounted compass is permitted. Electronic, self-contained, digital compasses using only magnetic input are permitted.
(b) Timing devices are permitted.
(c) A timing device and electronic compass may be integrated in the same device.
(d) A compass or timing device must not be capable of displaying, delivering, transmitting, receiving, calculating, correlating or storing information about wind speed, wind direction, boat speed or boat position.
(e) Any use of electronic equipment not specifically allowed in the rules is prohibited unless the rules are modified by the sailing instructions.

Delete Old Rule 22:
(a) One compass is permitted mounted on any part of the deck or the cockpit, provided that the hull cavity is not pierced by anything other than the fasteners. Compasses shall not be fitted to inspection ports. Electronic and digital compasses are prohibited (see exception in part d).
(b) Any use of electronic equipment not specifically allowed in the rules is prohibited unless modified in the sailing instructions.
(c) Timing devices are permitted.
(d) A timing device that includes an electronic compass is permitted as long as it is worn on the wrist.

Reason for change: To allow the use of affordable electronic digital compasses that are not GPS enabled.

* 3 BOAT OR BODY MOUNTED CAMERA

Proposed rule change: Add new Rule 28 in RED text as below.

ADD NEW RULE 28:
28. One camera may be attached to the sailor or may be mounted on the boat if the hull cavity is not pierced by anything other than the fasteners.

Reason for change: To allow the use of cameras.

* 4 SHOCK CORD INHAUL

Proposed rule change: Modify Rule 3(f)vi by deleting the words in strikethrough text and adding the words in RED text as below.

vi. A shock cord for use as an inhaul may be attached around the boom immediately in front of the outhaul cleat or to the outhaul cleat and then to the clew of the sail, the clew tie down, the optional block at the clew, the quick release system or through the clew of the sail and to an optional block in the primary control line.  A shock cord may be used as an inhaul on the clew.

Reason for change: To remove the restrictions on the attachment points of the shock cord inhaul.

* 5 ADJUSTABLE HIKING STRAP

Proposed rule change: Modify Rule 17c by adding the words shown in RED text as below.

New Rule 17C:
17c The hiking strap supporting line, between the aft end of the hiking strap and the eye straps on the aft face of the cockpit, may be rigged in any manner so that the hiking strap is fixed or adjustable and may include one cleat; one ring, thimble, or shackle; or both.

Reason for change: To allow for the addition of one cleat and one turning point in the hiking strap support line that are not attached to the hull or the hiking strap.

Example of Possible Hiking Strap Adjustment Configuration

ISAF Statement on International Laser Class

Today the International Sailing Federation has posted a statement on the Laser Class.  ISAF has ended their original contract with Bruce Kirby from back when the Laser became an ISAF class and they have gone ahead and accepted the 2012 Laser Class Rule Change allowing ISAF and ILCA to approve builders of the Laser who have the right to use the Laser trademark.

Read the statement.

Voting Results of the Fundamental Rule Change

The International Laser Class Association has published the results of the voting on the fundamental rule change that concluded at the end of September:

The voting for the change to the Laser Class Fundamental Rule and other Technical Rule Changes closed at midnight Friday 23 September 2011. Thereafter the votes were verified for membership validity by each District or Region. The results were then audited by an independent audit firm, which reported 1017 ‘yes’ votes (89,3%) and  122 ‘no’ votes (10,7%), showing that over two thirds of the voting members approved the rule change as required by the ILCA Class Rules, part five, article 30(c).

Therefore we will seek the approval of ISAF within the next few days as required by the ILCA Class Rules, part five article 30(d).

Read the entire article here.

Voting on the Class Rule Change – Deadline FRIDAY!

The voting deadline is September 23rd.  If you are from CAN or USA, select North America as your country at this link.  More information on the proposed rule change also appears at the same link.

Clarification on the vote of the Fundamental Rule Change 19 September 2011

Re-posted from the North American Laser Class Association website:

Message from the International Laser Class Association President:

Dear Laser friends,
Next Friday September 23 is the deadline for the vote on the fundamental rule change. The importance of this rule change triggered a lot of discussions between the Laser sailors and on the different web forums. These discussions were very healthy and contributed to a better understanding of all the different issues involved. Personally, I kept a certain restraint in order to allow an as free discussion as possible. For those who want to refresh their memories on the reasons of the rule change can go to http://www.laserinternational.org/rules2011.

During the last few weeks, however, a certain number of issues were brought up, which need clarifications:

1.    The whole issue started when ILCA was advised by Global Sailing, who purports to be representing Kirby’s interests, that as per July 11 2010 they had terminated the license agreement with Laser Performance Europe. ILCA is not a party to these agreements and does not even know their exact content. Therefore to pretend that the purpose of the rule change was to terminate the royalty payments to Global Sailing is not correct. The only reason of the rule change is to assure the supply of a sufficient quantity of new Laser boats compliant with the ILCA Class Rules available in Europe and other countries in 2011 and beyond to satisfy the demand of its current and future ILCA members.

2.    We understand that currently negotiations might be under way between Bruce Kirby and Global Sailing for Bruce to get his rights back. Under the current ILCA Class Rules a valid builder agreement is required between the “design rights holder” and the licensed Laser builder. Who the owner is of the design rights is unimportant in this context. Since the licence agreement with Laser Performance Europe has been terminated, only a new (or the renewal of the old) licence agreement between the “design rights holder” and Laser Performance Europe would solve the issue and potentially make the rule change unnecessary. We have informed all parties involved (Global Sailing, Bruce Kirby and Laser Performance Europe) of that and have asked them to inform us if they had come to a new agreement. This has not been the case up until today.

3.    ILCA has always preferred a peaceful solution. If all three parties are close to agree on a solution, we will not stay in their way and give them reasonable time to conclude their negotiations on a new licence agreement with Laser Performance Europe.
If you want to preserve the Laser Class in its current set-up you need to vote YES. If you vote NO the Class in its current set-up will soon cease to exist.

With best regards.
Heini Wellmann
President International Laser Class Association (ILCA)

Important Fundamental Class Rule Changes

There has been a dispute between the Laser Class builders and today the International Laser Class Association announced rule changes to be voted on by the membership. The main one being voted on is a change to the fundamental rule stating who can build lasers.

Please go to the International Laser Class Association Website and vote on this rule.

Excerpted from ILCA:

This rule change is very important for the future of the class. The change and the explanation have been approved by the Laser Class World Council and the Laser Class Advisory Council. Please do not delay your vote.

For 40 years the ILCA Class Rules and associated agreements concerning the management of the class have given the sailing world the most successful youth and adult racing class in history with over 200,000 boats built and racing in over 125 countries.

This success, we believe, is based fundamentally on the ILCA Class Rules, which requires that a builder of class-legal boats must (among other things) (i) manufacture the hull, equipment, fittings, spars, sails and battens in strict adherence to the Construction Manual and (ii) have the Laser trademark rights.

In addition, a builder also needs a building agreement from Bruce Kirby or Bruce Kirby Inc. This provision is mostly historical. The rule was instituted at a time when Bruce Kirby held certain design rights. The ILCA is not a party to any of these “Kirby” agreements.

Unfortunately, a dispute has arisen between parties who claim to be representing Kirby’s interests: a New Zealand company called Global Sailing; and Laser Performance Europe (LPE), one of the manufacturers, which holds the Laser trademark rights for Europe, South America, Africa and Asia (excluding trademark rights owned by Performance Sailcraft Japan for Japan and South Korea). The dispute centers on whether a valid “design rights holder” agreement exists with LPE. Under the current ILCA Class Rules, if there is not a valid building agreement, then a manufacturer, even a trademark owner, would not meet the requirements to be an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and International Laser Class Association (ILCA) approved builder.

Each of the parties to the conflict has threatened ILCA in various ways – Global Sailing has said it may form a new class association for a “Kirby Sailboat”. LPE informed the ILCA that it intends to form its own “Laser” class. We may therefore end up with three different classes and may lose the Olympic status. The “one design / out of the box principle” would also be threatened.

One other possible result of this conflict is that due to uncertainty over ISAF and ILCA approval, there may not be a sufficient quantity of new Laser boats compliant with the ILCA Class Rules available in Europe and other countries in 2011 and beyond to satisfy the demand of its current and future ILCA members.

The class officers made numerous attempts to get the two conflicting parties to end their dispute: meetings were held in different parts of the world and written compromise proposals were made, unfortunately with no success. While discussions between the two parties continue we are unsure of the outcome and running out of time.

We also took legal advice. The above rule changes were deemed the only possible solution in order to promote the uninterrupted supply of class legal Laser boats and to maintain ILCA in its current set-up. The lawyers also informed us that the Kirby design patents had in fact expired.

 

Therefore, we are proposing to change the rule to eliminate the “building agreement from Bruce Kirby or Bruce Kirby Inc” requirement. Manufacturers who have trademark rights and who build in strict adherence to the ILCA Rules and to the Construction Manual, which is controlled by ILCA, will continue to have the right to build Class legal boats. We believe that this change will eliminate uncertainty over ISAF and ILCA approval, give manufacturers continued reasons to support the class and satisfy the demands of current and future class members.

 

Why should you vote YES?

To promote the uninterrupted supply of class-legal Laser boats all over the world to meet the demands of current and future sailors.

To maintain the International Laser Class Association in its current set-up.

To preserve the “one design / out of the box” principle, which is assured by the mandatory adherence to the Laser Construction Manual by all builders as defined in the fundamental rule.

To maintain ISAF recognition and Olympic status.

Heini Wellmann,
Laser Class President

Jeff Martin,
Laser Class World Executive Secretary

2010 Rule Changes – Vote Now!

The World Council of the International Laser Class Association have approved seven rule changes. They are now referred to all members of the ILCA for acceptance. Votes will be accepted until 1st September 2010.

Vote now at:
http://www.laserinternational.org/rules2010
Members can also vote using the ‘Voting Form’ found in the March edition of LaserWorld.
Only fully paid class member votes will be counted. Please take advantage of your right to be part of this democratic process. Your vote is important.

If you are having any problems voting or if you would like to discuss any of the rule changes further please contact the ILCA Office, either by email office@laserinternational.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone +44 1326 315064