MINUTES
Annual
General Meeting
of
the International X99 Class Association
3
November 2001
at
Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH
St.
Petersburger Str. 1
D-20355
Hamburg
Room
No. 107 (first floor)
Present:
Rob van Roekel (The Netherlands) (Chairman)
Jürgen Klinghardt (Germany North) (Secretary)
Thomas Kjaer (Denmark)
Philip Duss (Switzerland/Germany South)
Lars Henrikson (Sweden)
Sven Krause (Halsey-Lidgard Sail Makers) temporarily as guest during the discussion of topic 8.1.
Beginning: 10:15
End: 14:45
Apologies have been received from Mika Isoviita (Finland), Ivo Volkov (Estonia), Martin Burt-Davies (United Kingdom) and Niels Jeppesen (X-Yachts) who have, however, casted proxy votes with regard to the Constitution and Class Rules amendment proposals as given below.
A further apologize has been received from Norway, but no proxy votes have been received from Norway.
Neither any apologies nor any proxy votes have been received from Hong Kong.
The minutes of the official last meeting (4 November 2000 in Hamburg) are approved.
The prospects of the further production and marketing of the X99 are discussed. Jürgen Klinghardt informs the Board members of that X-Yachts exhibits a X99 at the Hamburg boat show (for the first time since three years!) and that the German class association provides some of its members as 'consultants' at the X-Yachts stand. The Board members are very pleased with such informations.
“7. MEMBERSHIP, VOTING
7.1 The members of the Association shall be every recognised National X-99 Association and X-Yachts.
7.2 Each National Association shall have two votes plus one vote per each 15 yachts registered, rounded to the nearest multiple of 15. X-Yachts shall have the average of the current votes of all the National Associations, rounded to the nearest multiple of 15
7.3 The voting on changes to the Constitution or the Class Rules can only be done at an International Class meetings (§ 7.4 and §11) or through mailing (§ 7.5). Any changes to the Constitution or the Class Rules must be approved by a three-quarter majority of all the votes.
7.4 At the International Class meetings all members must be represented or cast proxy votes. In the event of any member failing to appear at any International Association meeting or to have cast a proxy vote, the International Secretary shall satisfy the member that all reasonable effort has been made to secure such a vote and that member shall be deemed to have voted with the majority of the Association. Any request for changes to the Class Rules or Constitution must be filed by a member of the Association with the International Secretary not later than two months before the date of an official International Class meeting.
7.5 In case of voting through mailing any request for changes to the Class Rules or Constitution must be filed by a member of the Association with the International Secretary who will dispatch such request to all members within one month after filing by e-mail, telefax or normal mail. Within one month after dispatch, the votes from all members must be received at the International Secretary by e-mail, telefax or normal mail. In the event of any member failing to vote, the International Secretary shall satisfy the member that all reasonable effort has been made to secure such a vote and that member shall be deemed to have voted with the majority of the Association.
7.6 The International Secretary shall be elected by the Association and may or may not be a representative of a National Authority. If the International Secretary is not a representative of a National Authority she/he shall not be entitled to vote.”
The wordings of sections 7.1, 7.2, 7.4 and 7.6 remain the same. New are sections 7.3 and 7.5 which now ‘officially’ enables a voting via e.g. e-mail. Voting by e-mail may be faster and more efficient at least in some situations. However, this does not mean that International Class meetings become superfluous (according to §11 at least every two years such a meeting is to be held).
Several Board members are afraid of that the proposed new §7.5 would result in too quick decisions and in a loss of the reliability of the Board's decision politics, but prefer a personal discussion at a meeting as a basis for a good decision on Constitution and Class Rules amendments.
In view of this opinion, Germany North withdraws its request.
However, Philip Duss proposes to introduce a more detailed sub-numbering scheme into §7 of the constitution in a similar way as given in the above amendment request. Moreover, Philip Duss has observed a clerical error regarding the definition of the rounding of the number of votes which clerical error should be amended so that the rounding is done "to the nearest integer number".
b. In §11.1 of the Constitution the third and fourth sentences are cancelled (proposal from North Germany)
in view of new §7.3 (cf. above section a).
Due to the same considerations as mentioned above under item 4a, Germany North withdraws this request, too.
c. § 11.6.11 of the Rules shall be amended as follows (proposal from North Germany):
“The mainsail may be equipped with 2 windows, maximum size 0.32 m² each. The two windows shall not be combined to form a common area. Therefore, the minimum distance between both windows must not be less than 200 mm. The distance of each window from a leech must not be less than 200 mm.
The purpose of this amendment is to have a second window for observing the distance of the genoa from the spreader and, thus to have a better control of the trim of the genoa.
Yes: Netherlands (7), Germany (5), Estonia (2), Switzerland (7), UK (2), Norway (3), X-Yachts (4)
No: Denmark (4), Sweden (5), Finland (2)
rejected
5. Confirmation of the current wording of the Constitution and Rules
due to legal reason in order to ‘be at the safe side’.
Confirmed by all board members
approved
6. Financial Statement
It is requested to amend the subscription for each registered boat to EURO 6,-.
Jürgen Klinghardt mentions that the essential items of the annual outgoings are the ISAF subscriptions of about ₤ 250.00 and the costs for the AGM. As to the costs for the AGM, Jürgen Klinghardt is pleased to report on that he could get the room from the Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH without any hire so that the only costs result from the catering services which amount to about DM 350.00.
However, Jürgen Klinghardt regrets to report on that he has unfortunately not been in a position so far to open a new account with a German bank and, thus, to give the financial statement now. He promises to open a new bank account within short and then to circulate the financial statement. Further, Jürgen Klinghardt will then contact the national class associations for payment for their registered boats.
After the new financial statement will have been circulated, the amount of the future subscription will be discussed and decided. So far, the subscription is ₤ 3.50 for each registered boat which corresponds to EUR 5.71 .
7. Update on arrangement for the next Worlds
7.1. Rob van Roekel (the Netherlands) reports on that the preparations for the worlds 2002 in Medemblik are going well. Further details are given in the web site www.x99.nl/worlds. Moreover, it is intended to circulate within short a preliminary entry paper which also includes further informations.
7.2. As to the worlds 2003, Jürgen Klinghardt reports on his discussions and meetings with people from Norway during the worlds 2001 in Skovshoved. The worlds 2003 will take place on the Sandefjord (at the Western part of the entry of the Oslo Fjord). Jürgen Klinghardt's impression is that the preparations for the worlds 2003 are going well.
7.3. Philip Duss (Switzerland/Germany South) reports on that the preparations for the worlds 2004 have already started. The worlds 2004 will take place on Lake Constance. Several bigger sailing clubs have already been contacted.
8. Any other business
8.1. Due to The Netherlands' request, the discussion about the allowability of new modern art sail cloth (KEVLAR) is continued. In The Netherlands, two boats still have exceptionally been allowed to use a Genoa No. 1 made of Dimension Polyant SP10T ("sport cloth" 2.0 ngl/5,6 oz). This material consists of a polyester film including Kevlar fibres and a "Taffeta" layer as reinforcement and costs as much as "Pentex". As at the recent Hamburg Board meeting 2000, Rob van Roekel again presents one of such Genoas so as to be studied by the Board members, and reports on positive results as to durability, wherein the presented Genoa No. 1 is said to be two years old now.
Rob van Roekel complains that this topic has not been set onto the agenda under section 4 "Requests for changes …" although the former chairman Jens Kjaersgaard has asked Jürgen Klinghardt at the 2000 meeting in Hamburg to put this item onto the agenda for the 2001 meeting and Rob van Roekel has sent a corresponding e-mail as a reminder appraximately one month before the date of this meeting. Jürgen Klinghardt answers that however The Netherlands’ submission does not include a concrete proposal for a change of the Class Rules which has been filed before the expiry of the two months term before the date of this meeting.
Moreover, Rob van Roekel complains that most of the other class associations do not seem to have reflected the topic and to have made their own experiences although it has been agreed at the Hamburg Board meeting 2000 to do so.
Jürgen Klinghardt hints at that, however, there is a problem of how to set up a clear definition so as on the one hand to allow similar material from other sail cloth producers, but on the other hand to exclude the more expensive materials like "Kevlar Edge". With respect thereto, Jürgen Klinghardt misses a concrete wording of a request. Sven Krause of Halsey-Lidgard Sails attends the discussion of this topic and confirms Jürgen Klinghardt's and some other Board members’ objections.
So, Jürgen Klinghardt asks The Netherlands to set up a suitable request having a clear definition and wording and to be filed in time.
Rob van Roekel circulates a paper including a list of several sail cloth materials and their prices which is enclosed herewith.
8.2. Furthermore, in The Netherlands a proposal has come up to allow in addition to wire rope having a diameter of 5 mm and consisting of pure Dyneema for the runners. Rob van Roekel shows a sample of such rob material.
Jürgen Klinghardt is afraid of that such rope would creep to much.
So, it is agreed upon that the manufacturer Gleistein (based in Bremen, Germany) is to be contacted to get more informations about whether or not the mentioned rope material or which rope material is suitable for the runners.
9. Date of next meeting
The next meeting is intended to be held during the worlds in July 2002 in Medemblik. In any case, it is agreed upon that a meeting will take place at the beginning of November 2002 in Hamburg again.
Encls.:
Prices of sailcloth
PEN 12 DFL. 34,25 ‑ 34,75 (1 ½ - 2 MIL)
PEN 18 DFL. 42,50 (2 MIL)
MYLAR AP 220 (CONTENDER) DFL. 24,30
MYLAR PX 20 (DIMENSION) DFL. 23,80
SP10 (DIMENSION) DFL. 33,00
SP10T (DIMENSION) DFL. 37,00
AK 09 (CONTENDER) DFL. 54,00
AK 09T (CONTENDER) DFL. 58,00
EDGE 09 (DIMENSION) DFL. Slightly more expensive than Contender
EDGE 09T (DIMENSION) DFL. slightly more expensive than contender