THE VENICE SAILING SQUADRON

2007/2008 - OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AND COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

OFFICERS
Commodore Bill Dowling
Vice Commodore Bob Grunow
Senior Rear Commodore Steve Saewert
Secretary Pat Saewert
Treasurer Don Marik
Past Commodore Jim Eve

DIRECTORS

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON

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ARTICLE I

1. The name of this non-profit corporation shall be VENICE SAILING SQUADRON, hereinafter referred to as THE SQUADRON.
2. The Squadron pennant shall be that shown in Exhibit A.

1. The purpose of the Squadron shall be to encourage the sport of sailing, to promote the science of seamanship and navigation, to sponsor cruises, races and instruction classes, and to foster a spirit of good fellowship, courtesy and sportsmanship; to sponsor entertainment and refreshments for members and their guests.

2. Special attention shall be paid to young members.

1. The officers of the Squadron shall be a Commodore, Vice Commodore, Senior and Junior Rear Commodore, all known as Flag Officers, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Fleet Captain, all of whom shall be members in good standing.

2. The term of all officers shall be for one year or until their successors are elected. Any vacancy in any of these offices shall be filled by the Board subject to approval by the membership present at the next regular meeting. No Flag Officer shall be eligible for the same office for more than two consecutive terms.

3. It shall be the duty of the Commodore to:
a.) preside at meetings;
b.) appoint all committees;
c.) are an ex officio member of all committtees;
d.) have command of the Squadron;
e.) call a meeting of the Board not less than four times per year and special meetings of the Board whenever considered necessary;
f.) call special meetings of the membership whenever considered necessary or at the written request of twenty-five per-cent (25%) of the voting membership; and
g.) make a full report of all property belonging to the Squadron, both real and
    personal, and present the report to the membership at the end of the term of office.

4. It shall be the duty of the Vice Commodore to:
a) assist in the discharge of the Commodore’s duties;
b) officiate for and perform the duties of the Commodore in the Commodore's absence; and
c) be in overall charge of the sailing activities of the Squadron.

5. It shall be the duty of the Senior Rear Commodore to:
a.) assist all other officers in the discharge of their duties;
b.) officiate for and perform the several duties of the Commodore when both the Commodore and Vice Commodore are absent or unable to perform their duties';
c.) be responsible for the care and maintenance of the Squadron property; and
d.) serve as Head of an Entertainment Committee.

6. It shall be the duty of the Junior Rear Commodore to:
a.) manage the Membership and Publicity functions of the Squadron;
b.) appoint a Membership Chairman and committee members who will develop the programs for seeking, processing, and maintaining records of new members; and
c.) appoint a Publicity Chairman and committee members who will develop newspaper and other media information for informing the public of Squadron activities, and develop in-house publications such as the "TELL TALE" for the membership.

7. The Secretary shall:
a.) keep written minutes of all Board and membership meetings and report at each meeting; and
b.) keep all Squadron records except those pertaining to the office of Treasurer.

8. The Treasurer shall:
a.) collect all funds due the Squadron and shall disburse funds of the Squadron only as authorized by the Board;
b.) shall sign all checks drawn against the Squadron's account;
c.) report the condition of the Squadron's account at each regular meeting of the Board and at membership meetings on request;
d.) keep an accurate record of the membership of the Squadron and maintain a written list of the members in good standing;
e.) collect all fees, dues, and assessments due and payable to the Squadron; and
f.) issue membership cards to all members upon payment of dues.

9. The Fleet Captain shall appoint a Measurer and be responsible for the proper certification of boats by class, and designate the proper fleet and handicap assigned to boats in races and contests. The Measurer shall maintain a list of all boats owned by members of the Squadron, and post the same with particulars showing rig, dimensions, name, sail number, rating and ownership. Together the Fleet Captain and the Measurer will measure boats when necessary, and verify sizes of sails, spars and other equipment to make certain all boats of the same class or design are issued the proper rating.
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1. The affairs of the Squadron shall be managed by a Board consisting of the elected Squadron Officers and six directors, who shall be members in good standing. The board shall be presided over by the Commodore, and in case of a tie vote, the Commodore shall cast the deciding vote.

2. There shall be two directors elected each year for a three year term.

3. There shall be a meeting of the Board at least four times a year, or upon request of any three members of the Board, or upon the written request of twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting membership of the Squadron.

4. Seven members of the Board shall constitute a quorum to do business.

5. The Board members are required to attend all scheduled meetings of the Board. Any Board member who misses three consecutive meetings shall be dismissed from the Board and any office held in the Squadron, after being given an opportunity to resign or be excused. A member losing office may continue membership in the Squadron.
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1. The annual meeting of the membership shall be held each year in the month of May.

2. During the month of March, prior to the annual meeting, it shall be the duty of the Commodore to appoint a Nominating Committee to select qualified nominees for the open positions of Officers and Directors. The Nominating Committee shall consist of one current director and two persons from the regular membership. The Committee shall report its nominations to the full membership at the regular meeting in April. Prior to the voting at the annual meeting, nominations may also be made from the floor.

3. At the annual meeting of the membership in May each year, the election of officers and directors shall take place, and they shall assume their duties immediately.
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1. There shall be a single class of membership in the Squadron. Membership shall accrue to all members of a common household, provided however, that only two members of such household shall have the right to vote or hold office.

2. The Board shall have the power to suspend or expel any member for violation of the charter, by-laws, or the Squadron rules, or for conduct which they shall deem improper or prejudicial to the Squadron, provided that no member shall be expelled or suspended for more than thirty days without a hearing from the Board.

3. The Board shall receive resignations, which must be in writing from any member in good standing, and may re-admit to membership any former member whose written resignation has been accepted.

4. The Board shall receive applications for membership in written form accompanied by funds covering dues and/or other initial charges and properly executed forms releasing the Squadron from liability. If not rejected by the Board, applicants shall be shown on the list of members and their admission announced at the next meeting of the Squadron membership.
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1. After the programs and their costs have been recommended by the committees and approved by the Board, the Board shall establish a proposed Budget for the coming season, and thus determine the dues and assessments to be collected from the membership. This proposed budget and dues and assessment schedule shall be included in the May issue of the "Tell-Tale", and presented to the membership at the annual meeting for their approval. Dues will become due October first.

2. Any member entering the Armed Forces shall be considered an absentee member until his or her return, and shall be readmitted upon the payment of current dues.

3. Any members who shall neglect to pay their dues or other indebtedness to the Squadron for a period of thirty days after they become due shall have his or her name posted, and if said dues or other indebtedness is not paid within sixty days after they become due, the member shall automatically forfeit membership in the Squadron and shall be dropped from the rolls.

4. Any past member wishing to rejoin the Squadron must enter as a new member, be approved in like manner as a new member and pay the same dues and other initial charges as is required of a new member.
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1. Regular meetings of the Squadron membership shall be held during the season (September through May) as determined by the Board and published with the annual program. These meetings shall normally be held monthly.

2. There shall be at least twenty percent (20%) of the voting membership present to transact any business at a membership meeting.

3. All meetings shall be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order.
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1. There shall be a Finance Committee appointed by the Commodore to be chaired by the Treasurer.

2. The Finance Committee shall assemble the budget requests for presentation to the Board for their recommendations.

3. The Commodore shall appoint an Audit Committee to audit the Treasurer's books at the end of each year, and each time the Treasurer's office is changed. The findings of this Audit Committee shall be reported to the Board.
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1. These by-laws may be amended, altered or rescinded in whole or in part by the Board subject to approval by the membership at the next regular meeting.
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CALENDAR

MARCH: Nominating Committee appointed	JULY: Formative meetings of Committees
APRIL: Nominating Committee reports to membership	No membership meeting
Budget formulated, dues established	Planning begins
MAY: Proposed budget, dues published in Tell Tale,	AUG: Planning sessions continue
Annual Meeting	No membership meeting
Proposed budget, dues approved
Outgoing Officer and Committee reports	SEPT: Monthly membership meetings start
Election of new Officers & Directors	Programs announced for new season
Change of Watch dinner	Racing season starts
Presentation of awards	OCT: Cruising season starts
JUNE: Committee appointments	DEC: Christmas party
No membership meeting

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1. Racing, Rally and Cruising events will be open to all members of the VSS in good standing.
2. All races will be governed by the "rules" as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2005-2008 except when specifically modified or changed by the Board of Directors. Changes to sailing instructions will be posted at the Competitors’ Meeting or announced by the Race Committee (RC) on the water prior to the warning signal of the first race of the day, on the website, or as designated by the Fleet Captain, which may include posting at the Venice Yacht Club (VYC) dock master’s office.
3. Skippers are responsible for the seaworthiness of their boats and for meeting all Coast Guard requirements for safety equipment. (WFPHRF Category 3 and/or IOR Category equipment is recommended.)
4. All boats racing must be registered by name and sail number with the RC, Fleet Captain, or Cruise Captain prior to the start of the race (either at the Competitors’ Meeting or on-the-water.)
5. All boats racing must have a current rating from the West Florida Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (WFPHRF; www.westfloridaphrf.org). Boats, which have applied for, but not received, a rating will be assigned a temporary rating by the Race Chairman. No retroactive application of the official rating will be allowed. Each boat must race under the conditions and equipment for which the rating was granted. Any changes in equipment or boat modifications must be reported to the Race Chairman at least three days before the race.
6. A skipper may skipper another boat in a race in which his own boat is competing, only with the permission of the RC. Owner(s) of any boat must notify the RC when someone else is to skipper their boat in a race.
7. Races may be cancelled, postponed or delayed at the discretion of the RC. Usually, races will be cancelled or postponed if winds over 20 knots or gusts over 25 are forecast.
8. Boats are requested to monitor VHF 69 for race information. VHF 68 and 72 are the respective alternate channels.
9. Protest Time Limits. This changes RR 61.3. The protestor shall inform the RC orally of the protest when he finishes, or inform the Vice Commodore within 72 hours after completion of the race, if there is no RC on station at the finish. The RC shall promptly inform the Vice Commodore of any intended protests that come to their attention. Within 72 hours of completion of the race, the protestor shall file a formal written protest with the Vice Commodore, on the forms prescribed by U.S. Sailing. These include a properly completed Protest Form, Description of Incident, Diagram of Incident, and Decision of the Protest Committee (the last form being left blank by the protestor). A copy of each completed form also shall be given to the protestee within the same 72 hours. (Forms may be downloaded from the USSailing.org website.)
10. Protest Hearing procedure is as follows: The Vice Commodore shall appoint a Protest Committee of at least three people who are "uninterested parties" (who will choose a Protest Committee Chairman among themselves). He shall also schedule a Protest Hearing, to be held within 14 days of the incident but giving reasonable time for the parties to prepare; and he shall notify all parties involved of the place, date, and time of the hearing. At the Protest Hearing, the protestor, protestee, and any witnesses for either party shall be heard.
    
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Buoy Races

12. The RC will announce the location of the start, the course and number of starts at the Competitors’ Meeting. Late arriving skippers may request starting information from the RC over the VHF radio prior to the beginning of the Starting Sequence. (Generally the course will be set outside the Venice Inlet and be 4 to 8 NM long depending on wind and sea conditions. For visibility, orange buoys defining the course legs will typically be between 0.6 and 1.3 NM apart. Courses will usually consist of triangles and/or windward/leeward legs.)
13. The starting line will be between an orange flag on the RC boat and the starting pin. The finish line will be between the orange flag on the RC boat and the finishing pin, perpendicular to a direct line from the last mark. In the absence of an orange flag, the RC flag will be substituted. In the event the RC boat is participating in the race, an orange mark will be substituted for the orange flag or RC flag and if the RC is not at the finishing line when a boat finishes, the skipper shall record his finish time and give it to the RC.
14. The time limit for each race is 25 minutes per mile, or 1/2 hour before sunset, whichever comes first. If the first boat in a division finishes within the time limit, it is a valid race. Racing Rule 35 is amended to add: boats failing to finish within 15 minutes after the first boat finishes or after the time limit, whichever is later, will be scored "Time Limit Exceeded" (TLE), this changes RR A11.
15. The RC may establish divisions.
16. If a boat starts a series in a division, it shall remain in that division for the rest of the series.
17. Each race may have one or more division starts at the discretion of the RC, based upon weather conditions and the number of boats competing. When one division is starting, other division boats must keep well clear of the line and the starting area.
18. Time-On-Distance handicapped races shall be started using the signals shown below, RR 26. Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded.

SIGNAL FLAG AND SOUND MINUTES TO START

Warning Class (division) flag; 1 sound 5 (or as stated by the RC).
Preparatory P,I, Z, Z with I, or black flag; 1 sound 4
1-minute Preparatory flag(s) removed; 1 long sound 1
Starting Class flag removed; 1 sound 0

1. The warning signal for each succeeding division shall be made with or after the starting signal of the preceding division.
2. The RC may make a series of short sounds (courtesy signal) approximately one minute prior to the first Warning Signal.
3. When a "Reverse Handicap" (staggered start) is used, the RC will assign a specific starting time for each boat entered in that race.
19. Two or more boats in a division are necessary to conduct a race.
20. The winner of each race and the order of finish may be on the basis of one of two systems:
1. Each boat's corrected time, using the "Time-On-Distance" formula; under this formula, the corrected time for each boat is its total elapsed time in seconds minus its allowance; and its allowance is its PHRF rating, multiplied by the number of nautical miles for the course;
2. A "Reverse Handicap (staggered start; score is actual finish) formula".
21. Race Scores: Each boat finishing a race and not thereafter retiring or being disqualified will be scored as follows, (RR A4.1):

Finishing Place Low Point System
First 1
Second 2
Third 3
Each place thereafter Add 1 point

1. Boats scored Time Limit Exceeded (TLE) will be given points one more than the last boat that finished.
2. Low score wins.
22. Race scores in a series longer than a regatta (RR A9) is modified to use the "percentage of boats beaten" scoring system.
1. The series will consist of monthly "Saturday" race(s) beginning in October and ending in May. To qualify for inclusion in the final series results a boat shall compete in (i.e., come to the starting area for) at least 50% (rounded up) of the series races completed.
2. Boat scores are calculated for each race using the formula: 1 + (N – FP)/N where N = Number of boats in the race and FP is the Finishing Place of the boat. The "1" in the formula is a participation point, which a boat will get for coming to the starting line.
   

For example: For boats in the following finishing positions in a 10-boat race, their points are:
First (FP is 1): 1 + [(10 – 1)/10] = 1+ (9/10) = 1.900
Second (FP is 2): 1 + [(10 – 2)/10] = 1+ (8/10) = 1.800
:
Tenth (FP is 10): 1 + [(10 – 10)/10] = 1+ (0/10) = 1.000

3. Boats that are DNS, DNF or are disqualified will get a score of 1.000. Boats that Do Not Compete will not be scored.
4. The "series score" for each boat will be the sum of the scores for the boat’s finishes. However, exclude its worst scores in excess of 50% (rounded up) of the number of series races completed. The qualified boat with the highest series score is the winner, and others are ranked accordingly.
23. Ties and Other Rules: Race ties will be broken using rule A7. Series ties will be broken using rules A8.1 and A8.2. Rules A1, A3, A5, A6, A10 and A11 also apply.
24. A boat having no competition in its division/class shall, if it crosses the starting line, be credited with a Start for the purposes of qualification, but shall receive no score even if it completes the course.
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Distance Races

26. The RC will announce the course length and GPS based virtual mark locations of the Start/Finish mark (set outside the Venice Inlet) and the Turn marks (generally located 5 or more NM North or South of the Inlet). This information will be posted on the VSS web site and at the VYC dock master’s office approximately by noon of the day preceding the race. The race course will be from Start to Finish unless there are additional special instructions.
27. The race will be self-timed and self-reported to the RC. Competitors may start any time they select on race day.
28. If the distance race is held in conjunction with a VSS cruise, it will consist of two legs: Start to Turn as leg 1 to be completed the first day of the cruise, and Turn to Finish as leg 2 to be completed the last day of the cruise.
29. The RC may establish divisions.
30. If a boat starts a series in a division, it shall remain in that division for the rest of the series.
31. Two or more boats in a division are necessary to conduct a race.
32. The winner of each race and the order of finish are based on the boat’s corrected time, using the "Time-On-Distance" formula. Under this formula, the corrected time for each boat is its total elapsed time in seconds minus its allowance; and its allowance is its PHRF rating multiplied by the number of NM for the course.
33. Race Scores: Each boat finishing a race and not thereafter retiring or being disqualified will be scored as follows (RR A4.1):

Finishing Place Low Point System
First 1
Second 2
Third 3
Each place thereafter Add 1 point

34. Low score wins.
    
35. Race scores in a series longer than a regatta (RR A9) is modified to use the "percentage of boats beaten" scoring system.
1. The series will consist of monthly race(s), some in conjunction with VSS cruises, beginning in October and ending in May. To qualify for inclusion in the final series results, a boat shall compete in (i.e. come to the starting line area for) at least 50% (rounded up) of the series races completed.
2. Boat scores are calculated for each race using the formula:  1 + (N – FP)/N  where N = Number of boats in the race and FP is the Finishing Place of the boat. The "1" in the formula is a participation point, which a boat will get for coming to the starting line.
   

For example: For boats in the following finishing positions in a 10-boat race, their points are:
First (FP is 1): 1 + [(10 – 1)/10] = 1+ (9/10) = 1.900
Second (FP is 2): 1 + [(10 – 2)/10] = 1+ (8/10) = 1.800
:
Tenth (FP is 10): 1 + [(10 – 10)/10] = 1+ (0/10) = 1.000

3. Boats that are DNS, DNF or are disqualified will get a score of 1.000. Boats that Do Not Compete will not be scored.
4. The "series score" for each boat will be the sum of the scores for the boat’s finishes. However, exclude its worst scores in excess of 50% (rounded up) of the number of series races completed. The qualified boat with the highest series score is the winner, and others are ranked accordingly.
36. Ties and Other Rules: Race ties will be broken using rule A7. Series ties will be broken using rules A8.1 and A8.2. Rules A1, A3, A5, A6, A10 and A11 also apply.
37. A boat having no competition in its division/class shall, if it crosses the starting line, be credited with a Start for the purposes of qualification, but shall receive no score even if it completes the course.
    
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Sundown Rallies

39. A Sundown Rally will bed held the third Tuesday of each month June through May (weather permitting). Participating boats should be sailing in the Gulf and try to return though the Venice Inlet at sundown. The goal is to give folks on shore a great picture-taking opportunity.

Cruises

40. Cruising boats will meet at Higel Park or at the Venice Inlet before each cruise and be assigned a "buddy boat" to stay with during the cruise. Cruising boats are requested to monitor VHF Channel 16. Should the cruising boat experience trouble or need to cancel at the last minute, the skipper should notify the cruising chairperson via telephone or VHF radio. It is extremely important to notify other cruisers of any difficulty, so someone can remain with the distressed boat.

Amendments

41. Squadron policies may be amended at any time by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
    

WEST FLORIDA PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet)

The West Florida Performance Handicap Racing Fleet  (WFPHRF), serves the Florida West Coast from Crystal River to Marco Island and all of the Tampa Bay area. The primary objective of WFPHRF is to establish and maintain an equitable system of handicapping boats for the boats owned or chartered by its members.

Rating Certificates are good from July 1st of the current year to June 30th of the following year. Most new requests and renewals can be done on-line. Find the details covering costs and procedures at www.westfloridaphrf.org. By joining WFPHRF and paying the annual fee, you not only get a certificate, you are supporting racing for the west coast of FL.

Ratings are available for Multi-hull, Spinnaker, Non-spinnaker, True Cruising and Racer/Cruiser categories. The True Cruising rating is the most popular for many of the VSS yachts. Please inform the Race Chairman when you obtain an official WFPHRF rating.

If you need assistance getting a rating or filling out the application, contact Jim Devine or Jim Liston.
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