Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Poole Yacht Racing Association held at Parkstone Yacht Club on January 15th 2025
- Present: –
32 Members
- Apologies for absence: –
Di Broadbent
- Report on the past season by the Association Captain.
See repot below.
- To receive and approve the Accounts
The balance sheet and Income and Expenditure Account had been circulated prior to the meeting
The meeting approved the accounts.
- Election of the Association Captain for 2025
Rob Gibson was nominated by the Committee. It was made clear in the calling notice this nomination has been made knowing that it was in contravention of the PYRA Constitution that states “The Captain of the Association shall not be eligible for re-election to that office in the one year immediately following three consecutive years therein.” No other nominations were forthcoming.
The meeting approved Rob Gibson as Association Captain for 2025.
- Confirmation of the Class Captains and Vice Captains.
The captains and vice captains, as elected at their respective Class AGMs, were confirmed in position as follows: –
Class 0 Captain – Rob Hescroff
Class 1 Captain – Martin Wadsworth Vice Captain – Mark Titterington
Class 2 Captain – Stuart Terry Vice Captain – Martin Aldridge
Class 3 Captain – Ken Morgan Vice Captain – Ian Aitkin
Class 4 Captain – Paul Warrell Vice Captain – David James
Class 5 Captain – Di Broadbent
- Election of Honorary Officers for 2025: –
The following Officers as set out on the agenda and nominated by the Committee were approved by the meeting: –
Hon Secretary. Ron Gentle Hon Record Secretary. Rob Hescroff
Hon Treasurer. Mark Carey Hon Social Secretary. Julie Camm
Hon Webmaster. Helen Annels Hon PR/Promotions. Di Broadbent
Rating Officer. Ruth Kelly
- Subscription rates for 2025.
1. Full (Boat Owning) Member – Mono-hull classes £100 (includes 2025 VPRS)
2. Full (Boat Owning) Member – Multi-hull class £80
3. Crew member £10
4. Temporary Member Mono-hull classes £55 (includes 2025 VPRS)
5. Temporary Member Multi-hull class £35
6. First Time Boat Owner – Mono-hull classes £65 (includes 2025 VPRS)
7. First time Boat Owner – Multi – hull class £50
The meeting approved the proposal.
- To receive a proposal (Resolution 1 – see below) by the committee to restrict Class 4 to non-spinnaker sailing.
After discussion, regarding a suggestion that new members should be able to fly spinnakers in their first year of membership, Resolution 1 was passed by the meeting (28 for, 2 against) as proposed with no amendment to the proposal formally proposed.
The meeting concluded at 20:02
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- Poole Yacht Racing Association
Annual General Meeting January 2025
Resolution 1
Restrict Class 4 to non-spinnaker sailing.
Objective
To ensure that Class 4 is a place for short-handed non-spinnaker sailors and newcomers who are worried about the close-quarters situations around the start line.
Proposal
To amend Red Book Part 2 Section 2.4 Identification of Class – NOTES Class 4 to read-
Class 4:
Mono-hull Class 4: Open to boats having a current VPRS rating and having declared their intention to sail without the aid of a spinnaker/loose luffed downwind head sail for the whole season.
If more than three persons are on board over the age of 7 years during a race each additional crew will incur a 5% time penalty per person. The number on board to be reported with the finishing time.
Crew will be counted as 8 years old, or older, if they attained the age of 8 before the 1st September of the preceding PYRA sailing season (as per school years).
Association Captain Report.
PYRA Captain’s Report 2024
2024 has been an interesting season, particularly weather wise. We have struggled with high winds, next to no wind and enough rainfall to distort the tide flows, but through all of that we have had a successful racing season with entries increasing both from last year and through the season reaching a climax of over thirty entries for the Weymouth race.
The Committee has taken a careful look at the number of entries in all the 2024 races and we have responded in the 2025 Programme by reducing the number of races in the Channel series and providing an alternative event on one of the weekends for smaller craft that prefer not to race across the Channel. Easter is late in 2025 so we have decided to re-introduce an Easter Solent Tour that will suit nearly all of the PYRA fleet.
We enjoyed two good regattas in Poole last year, the International Paints Poole Regatta, and the Poole Autumn Regatta. The racing was great for both events but the turnout in the VPRS classes was disappointing. Next season we have made space in our programme for three regattas that I believe deserve our full support, especially the VPRS Nationals.
We are a Racing Fleet and for fair racing we need to compete in classes with tight rating bandwidths, so that all of the yachts in one class race in similar tide and weather conditions. Over the past couple of seasons class four has become an ‘alternate fleet’ far removed from the ‘Gentleman’s’ or the ‘Nursery’ class that we have intended. This year there were thirteen entries in class 4 with a huge range of ratings and crew numbers, while all but three have raced with spinnakers. Most of the entries have raced in class 4 for several seasons leading to a distortion of the numbers in Classes 3 and 2 where they should be competing.
We want class 4 to revert to a ‘White Sails only’ class. That will ensure that the class remains a place where newcomers can try their hands at racing together with the dedicated White Sails sailors. Hopefully you will support the committees’ proposition at the AGM.
With regard to Class 3 numbers, if we raise the class upper limit by a few points we can put all of the MG 27’s in Class 3 along with a couple more committed long-distance competitors. So, we can even out the class numbers and give Ken a little more competition in the Channel Series, all in one go.
I’m thoroughly looking forward to the 2025 season and hope to see you all on the water then.
Regards Rob Gibson