The rules of the Green Wyvern Yachting Club as revised following the meeting which discussed re-organisation in 1989
1.0 NAME
The club shall be called 'The Green Wyvern Yachting Club'
2.0 BURGEE
The club Burgee shall represent in design a yellow wyvern on a background of green and red.
3.0 OBJECTIVES
The club has been formed to organise cruises on the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads for the pupils of a variety of schools; to instruct and train its members in sailing, cruising and racing; to promote friendship between its members of various schools, and to develop those qualities of leadership and responsibility which the control of a yacht and its crew necessitates. The Club will also provide the opportunity for friends and acquaintances to meet and cruise together even though they live in different parts of the country.
4.0 MEMBERSHIP
Members will normally be elected by a meeting of Skippers at the end of the week’s cruise. It will be exceptional for anyone to be invited to become a member until the end of his/her second week’s cruise.
4.1 In special circumstances the Committee can invite any person for membership. These appointments can only be made to the rank of member; promotion above this will require the person concerned to sail on a Club cruise in the normal way.
4.2 All members will be required to abide by the GWYC Code of Conduct.
5.0 VOTING
All members of the rank of Mate and above will be eligible to vote at the AGM upon the payment of the current subscription fee.
5.1 Decisions regarding club policy and procedures, including amendment to club rules, will be proposed by the committee to a General Meeting. The AGM will usually take place in the Autumn, but Extraordinary General Meetings can be called at any time by the Committee, or by a least six Club members in writing.
5.2 Postal voting is preferred for the election of the Committee. Officers of the club may only be elected by those present at a General Meeting.
6.0 APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS
Except in the special circumstances above, appointments and promotions will only be valid if made during a meeting of Skippers following an official GWYC cruise organised by the Secretary.
6.1 Appointments and promotions can be made by a meeting of Skippers of the GWYC at the end of other cruises if the cruise has been approved by the Committee prior to sailing. All personnel of cruises thus approved will be required to abide by the GWYC Rules and Code of Conduct.
6.2 Except when made by the Committee, appointments and promotions can only be made by GWYC Skippers who have sailed in the same cruise as the crew member concerned for the duration of the week.
7.0 OFFICERS
The officers of the club shall be a Commodore, Vice-Commodore and Rear Commodores. The Commodore shall fly a swallow-tail flag; the Vice-Commodores, swallow-tail flags with one yellow ball in the upper corner of the hoist; the Rear- Commodores, swallow-tall flags with two yellow balls in the upper corner of the hoist. Skippers and First Mates must fly a club burgee when in charge of a yacht in an official cruise, and skippers may do so in a private cruise.
7.1 The Commodore and one Vice-Commodore will be life-time positions elected by the Committee. A second Vice-Commodore will be elected annually from the ranks of active Skippers/Rear Commodores at a General Meeting . . . this will usually be the AGM.
7.2 The Committee may recommend any Skipper for the office of Rear-Commodore for approval by an AGM. This is an honorary position in recognition for services to the club. and has no active role or seniority over skippers.
7.3 The Club will present a burgee to each skipper elected to the rank of Rear- Commodore.
8.0 COMMITTEE
The Committee will consist of the Commodore, Vice-Commodores, Secretary and Treasurer, and any skippers they may co-opt for special purposes. In addition four other Skippers may put themselves forward for election by the AGM for a maximum two-year tenure. It will be normal for two skippers to be elected each year.
8.1 Its duties will be to propose and implement amendments to the Club Rules and Code of Practice for approval by a General Meeting, to elect Skippers, and to control all activities of the Club for which the Secretary is not directly responsible.
8.2 The Committee will be required to meet at least three times each year. No decision made by the Committee will be valid unless passed by a minimum of five Committee members.
9.0 SECRETARY
The Secretary will be proposed by the Committee for election by the AGM.
9.1 His or her duties will be to charter craft for cruises, allocate Skippers and crew to yachts, to communicate with all other yachting associations as necessary, and to provide whatever assistance the Committee shall require.
9.2 To keep full minutes of all meetings of the Club and Committee which shall be signed by the appropriate Chairman upon the agreement of the Club or Committee at the next following meeting of the Club or Committee.
10.0 TREASURER
The Treasurer will be proposed by the Committee for election by the AGM.
10.1 He/She will be responsible for maintaining and drawing up Club accounts for reporting to the AGM, for liaison with insurance agents and for the allocation of monies as directed by the Committee.
10.2 Prepare an annual balance sheet and cause such balance sheet to be audited at least once annually and shall distribute to members at least 14 days before the date of the AGM.
11.0 At every meeting of the Club, the Commodore, or in their absence, a Chairman elected by those present shall preside.
12.0 SKIPPERS
Skippers will be proposed by Commodores-of-the Week, following discussion and approval by a meeting of Skippers at the end of an official Club cruise, for approval by the Committee. They will be required to have sailed for a minimum of two weeks as First Mate, acting as Skipper, on an official club cruise.
12.1 They will be expected to navigate a yacht competently, to be responsible for the safety and comfort of the crew, to look to the safety of the yacht and the preservation of its gear, to maintain cleanliness and order on board, and to be expert in Broadsmanship and be able to instruct all lower ranks in their various duties.
12.2 It shall be within the discretion of the Committee to refuse to assign a yacht to any skipper or First Mate who fails in any of these respects.
12.3 The Club will present a burgee to each member elected to the rank of Skipper.
13.0 FIRST MATES
First Mates will be recommended by a meeting of Skippers following an official Club cruise for election by the Committee. They will be expected to fulfil all the duties of Skipper. First Mates who have been offered the control of a yacht by the Committee shall have the privileges of Skipper during the cruise on which they act.
14.0 MATES
Mate members must be capable of sailing (including tacking) under the Skipper’s supervision, and of bringing in and taking out a yacht. They must be able to take responsibility for sail raising and lowering, for care of halyards and gear, and for making a yacht fast. They must be able to quant efficiently and to reef a yacht without assistance.
14.1 Mates must be able to take charge of a cooking party and to provision a boat without assistance.
15.0 CREW
Crew members must, as a rule, have spent at least two weeks cruising with the Club. They must know their ropes, be capable of hoisting sails and making halyards fast, of furling sails, of putting up awnings and of sailing (other than tacking). Crew members will be promoted to the ranks of M3, M2, and M1 as they gain experience and expertise.
16.0 CRUISING
The following amendments or additions to normal sailing rules shall apply when two or more Skippers are cruising under the Club burgee:
16.1 (a) When running or reaching, the overtaking yacht shall have the right to pass to windward (this is to prevent the ‘bunching’ of the fleet in the event of slower yachts getting away first).
16.2 (b) When tacking, the overtaken yacht shall make it as easy as possible for the overtaking yacht to pass and draw clear ahead,
16.3 (c) Great care should be taken not to follow too close on a yacht about to pass through a swing bridge. As a general principle the first yacht to arrive the bridge should be allowed to pass through first, but Skippers must exercise discretion since, with a big fleet, it is not always possible to pass through a bridge in the order of arrival without wasting a great amount of time.
GWYC CODE OF CONDUCT AND STANDING ORDERS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR YACHTS
If a boat sustains damage severe enough to warrant an Insurance claim, owners must be advised immediately. If minor damage is sustained, a repair should be affected and, if it is not possible, the owner should be notified.
Both standing and running rigging should be kept in good order. For example. stays should be checked every day for tension, and strops should be inspected periodically for damage and repaired or replaced if necessary.
If any whipping is loose or missing it should be replaced. Knots in mooring lines or sail ties should be removed as these can be hazardous.
Spills on furniture and tears in awnings. etc., should be dealt with at the earliest opportunity as these tend to deteriorate rapidly.
Topsides, bilges, cooker and all lockers must be thoroughly cleaned at the end of the cruise.
If you suspect any gear of not being up to the job, inform the Commodore-of- the-Week immediately and do as much as possible to make it good.
The main cause for complaint always centres around the galley and its equipment. All manner of gear disappears during Club cruises, much of it into the bilges: all missing/damaged items must be replaced so that the following crew is not left deficient of any cutlery, crockery, or cooking utensils.
Yachts are usually equipped with basic essentials such as sugar, salt, herbs, spices, etc., and these must be replaced when used. 'Borrowed' items must be returned to their rightful home.
The gas and battery must be recharged at the end of the cruise.
At the beginning of a Club cruise the Commodore-of-the-Week will hold a meeting of Skippers at which each Skipper will be required to confirm that his/her yacht is well-found and that all items identified on the inventory are present. This meeting is to take place not later than 2.00 p.m. on the second day of the cruise.
The Commodore-of-the-Week will check all boats at the end of the week to ensure that they have been left in satisfactory condition.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR CREW
Owners must ensure that the following items are included in their yacht’s inventory
i) adequate fire-fighting equipment
ii) adequate buoyancy aids for all crew
All skippers must carry a First Aid kit.
At the Skippers’ Meeting at the start of the week, each skipper will be required to confirm that he/she has made all necessary enquiries regarding any health problems or dietary requirements.
Skippers are responsible for ensuring that buoyancy aids are worn at appropriate times and any such instructions must be obeyed by all crew members without question.
The safety and behaviour of the crew, both on board and on land, is the responsibility of the skipper at all times, (although teachers in charge of school groups will obviously wish to assume overall responsibility for their students). It is the Commodore’s duty to ensure that skippers meet their responsibilities.
CONCLUSION
All mishaps, no matter how minor, and damage, regardless of whether they have been repaired, must be reported to the Skippers’ Meeting at the end of the week. Failure to do this will be regarded as a serious lapse of responsibility and will be noted by the Committee. Offenders may find themselves refused a yacht.
The Code applies to all crew members, not just skippers. Mates, in particular, must recognise their responsibilities and not ignore jobs simply because they have not been instructed to do them.
If we can keep the standard of care of yachts at an acceptable level, we will probably find more owners prepared to lend them for Club cruises. If standards fall, boats will very quickly only be lent when their owners are sailing them, and the opportunity for good young skippers (and older ones) to sail will quickly vanish.