Lightning Association By-Laws
ARTICLE I - FLEET BUSINESS AND MEETING
1. The annual meeting of each Fleet shall be held not later than
December 1 of each year, and results of election of Fleet Offices shall
be filed with the Association.
2. The official language between Fleets and the
Association shall be English.
ARTICLE II - DUES
1. For Fleets - Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) annual dues to the
Association. Dues to be paid directly to the Association or collected by
the District and forwarded to the Association.
2. For Active Members - Forty-five dollars ($45.00)
annual dues to the Association.
3. For Associate Members - Twenty-six dollars ($26.00) annual dues to the
Association.
4. For Crew Members - Ten dollars ($10.00) annual
dues to the Association.
5. Dues are payable during January and are good for
the calendar year. New members who pay their dues after June 1 shall
have their membership extended to January of the second following
calendar year. Members dues shall be
paid directly to the Association or collected by the Fleet and forwarded
to the Association. (March 2002)
6. All money paid to I.L.C.A. as dues in excess of the
regular dues for Active Members, Associate Members, and Crew Members
shall be charitable contributions to the I.L.C.A.
$20 in excess will qualify for Contributing Membership
$50 in excess will qualify for Supporting Membership
$100 in excess will qualify for Donor Membership
$500 or more in excess will qualify for Benefactor
Membership
ARTICLE III - RENEWAL OF CHARTER
1. Each Fleet is required to file an annual report with the Association
and to pay its annual dues during January of each year in order to renew
its rights and privileges under its charter.
ARTICLE IV - REPORTS AND PENALTIES
1. If the annual report of Fleet or annual dues and registrations of
members has not been received by the Association on or before March 1st,
they become automatically suspended. In the case of new Fleets the same
applies upon demand.
2. Suspended Fleets, members and ineligible sailboats may
be posted by publication, and may be barred from all Lightning races.
They cannot be reinstated until all requirements of the Association have
been fulfilled.
ARTICLE V - ELIGIBLE YACHTS
A boat is eligible and considered in the Lightning Class only if it
conforms to measurement rules as certified by a Class Measurement
Certification, has been properly registered, and is owned by a qualified
active member recorded at the time as in good standing with the
Association.
ARTICLE VI - SAILBOAT'S NUMBER AND NAME
1. Official number allotted to new sailboats on application to the
Executive Secretary shall be permanent, and affixed to sail and cut into
side of centerboard trunk, with letters at least two (2) inches in
height. Name is optional but must be recorded and approved.
2. If alterations are made, and affect more than
one-half of the hull, or sufficiently extensive to so warrant, in the
opinion of the Measurement Committee, a new number shall be awarded and
boat be considered new as of such date. Such altered boat shall be
remeasured and subject to the restrictions and governing measurements as
then in force and registration must be obtained in the usual manner.
3. If a boat is so damaged or destroyed that over
one-half of the hull must be replaced then its original number shall be
retired and a new up-to-date number issued in its place. A number once
retired can never be issued again.
ARTICLE VII - MEASUREMENTS AND CERTIFICATES
1. No sailboat shall be eligible to enter any sanctioned race for the
Lightning Class until Measurement Certificate has been granted for such
sailboat.
2. Qualified Certified Measurers will be appointed by
the Measurement Committee. Their authority is restricted to actual
measuring and filing a report of same. No Certified Measurer shall
measure his own boat except under supervision of a disinterested person
appointed by the Measurement Committee.
3. The Association's Certificate shall be binding upon
all organizations conducting races for the Lightning Class. A sailboat
holding such Certificate shall not be subject to remeasurement or
protest on measurements unless reasonable grounds can be shown to
suspect that the sailboat would not meet certain specifications of the
Lightning Class. A sailboat is always subject to remeasurement by order
of the Governing Board, Measurement Committee, or Executive Committee.
4. Fleets shall be responsible for making provisions
to govern use of sails in local races.
5. Protest of measurements of a certified Lightning
sailboat which holds a Measurement Certificate must include Twenty-five
dollars ($25.00) deposit plus measurement fee returnable only if
sustained.
6. BOAT MEASUREMENT - fee is a business arrangement
between builder, owner, and measurer. ILCA is not responsible for
failures to furnish approved certificates, lost measurement data, etc.
ARTICLE VIII - RACING RESTRICTIONS
1. The number of persons allowed in one boat in a
race shall be three (3), no more or no less.
2. All members of crews shall be ILCA members in good
standing.
3. No dead weight can be carried as stationary or
shifting ballasts, except where the weight is fixed and used to bring
the boat up to the minimum weight of 700 pounds as per the
specifications.
4. No sails other than approved jib, mainsail, and
spinnaker can be used. Mainsail and spinnaker must carry the number of
the sailboat. A different number may be used if properly obtained by the
user, applied as required by the Specifications, and subject to
requirements detailed in Notices of Race and Rules Governing Sanctioned
Regattas. (March 2005)
5. PORTABLE
EQUIPMENT
a) Mandatory
i) Ground tackle shall be a fluke-type anchor
weighing not less than
1.8 kg (4lbs) with
15.24m (50 feet) of line attached. Variation may be
made only by specific written
permission from the Chief Measurer
when local conditions dictate.
ii) Compass
iii) Bucket with a minimum capacity of one
gallon
iv) Throw-able life preserver or cushion with
an attached whistle
v) Paddle
vi)
Other life-saving equipment as required by government regulations.
b) Optional
i)
Electronic Equipment – the following electronic devices are
allowed
aboard a
Lightning:
1) Battery-powered wrist watches
2) An electronic digital compass with chronograph (timer
and/or
clock). The compass must be entirely self-contained with either
an internal battery and/or solar power. The compass shall have
no external connection and shall neither provide wind or boat
speed nor compute correlations between time and
distance.
3) Other hand-held navigational devices. Use while racing is not
permitted except for emergencies.
4) Hand-held communication devices (cell phones, pagers, radios,
etc.) with the following restrictions:
A) For all sanctioned regattas, use is not permitted on the
water except for emergencies. This restriction may be
modified to allow communication from the Race
Committee
to competitors on a predetermined channel if
approved by the ILCA Executive Committee and so stated
in both
the Notice of Race and the
Sailing Instructions.
B) For non-sanctioned regattas use is not permitted while
racing except for emergencies.
This restriction may
be modified to allow communication from the
Race
Committee
to competitors on a predetermined channel if
so stated in both the Notice of Race and the Sailing
Instructions.
5) Personal medical devices, attached to an individual, required
for
a person’s well-being are
allowed if they are medically
necessary.
6) In all cases where the use of electronic devices is not
permitted,
a competitor’s use shall
require withdrawal from the race unless
the Race Committee deems use was
for emergency reasons.
6. Skippers in sanctioned and non-sanctioned races and
regattas, fleet series or other Lightning races must be members in good
standing with ILCA as specified in Article VIII of the Constitution.
Skippers who are not, shall not be credited with any points in said
regattas, series or races.
ARTICLE IX - INTERPRETATION
In deciding any question the intended meaning of the
rules shall be considered rather than any technical misconstruction that
might be derived from the wording. Extenuating circumstances cannot be
taken into consideration insofar as a racing rule is concerned, if there
was an actual foul, but may be taken into consideration for class rules
or restrictions if the wording requires interpretation and no deliberate
attempt to gain an unfair advantage has been practiced. Precedent and
the established policy of the Association shall be taken into
consideration in interpreting any rule or regulation of obscure meaning
or not covered at all. The rulings of the Executive Committee and
Governing Board and Race Committee shall be carefully preserved for
reference.
ARTICLE X - Non-sanctioned regattas and fleet
racing.
The enforcement of Class rules is essential to the protection of all owners in a one-design Class. For non-sanctioned racing, the regatta management may elect to vary from the class governing documents to promote sailing with the following restrictions:
a) Does not cause a competitor to be disadvantaged or advantaged
in any way.
b) Does not change the fundamental design of the boat such as
sails, hull, deck, mast or foils.
The Executive Committee can suspend membership for any individual or fleet that knowingly violates Article X.
ARTICLE XI - SANCTIONED CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTAS
1. Sanctioned Lightning Class Championship Regattas
are the World Championship; Youth World Championship; International Masters Championship; North American Championship;
North American Masters', Juniors' and Women's Championships; South American
Championship; European Championship; District Championships; and the
Canadian Open Championship. (April 2003)
2. Other events may be sanctioned by the Executive
Committee if they are held solely for Lightning Class boats and are held
strictly in accordance with Lightning Class Rules.
3. The Executive Committee may outlaw any event for
cause.
ARTICLE XII - OBLIGATIONS
The Association shall not be liable for any debts
contracted by its fleets or officers other than expenditure authorized
by the budget or upon written order of the President and
Secretary.
ARTICLE XIII - PROMOTIONAL FUNDING
Vice Presidents representing individual countries or
areas shall encourage and supervise promotion of the Lightning Class in
their respective countries or areas. When the financial assistance of
the I.L.C.A. is desired, a promotional plan shall be submitted to the
Governing Board for review and approval. This plan shall outline the
activities to be undertaken, responsible persons or organizations,
period of time covered, anticipated results or benefits, and estimated
costs, together with a statement of the funds to be provided by the
country or area in question and the funds requested of the I.L.C.A.
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Updated including all amendments passed in March 2007.
