This has proposed changes to the class rules for spinnakers at the 2025 North American Championship announced on the class website that current class members are eligible to vote on.
Preamble: The proposed rule changes were approved by the Executive Board and forwarded to J/109 Class Members for a vote.
Background:
As previously announced, the 2025 North American Championship ("NAC") will be held in Chicago and hosted by Fleet #11 (Great Lakes & Lake Champlain). Fleet 11 has traditionally conducted its class racing using "oversized" spinnakers (spinnakers larger than the 108 square meters permitted under the Class Rules). In order to ensure broad participation in the 2025 and future class championship event, Fleet 11 has requested to use those same "oversized" spinnakers for the North American Championship. The Class officers believe this is a reasonable request, but only with appropriate controls in place that will ensure fair racing.
Who may vote? A Voting Member as defined in section 3.0 of the class constitution shall be a legal owner or one designated legal owner in the case of a boat with more than one legal owner, such that each registered boat shall have one Voting Member. Each Voting Member shall have one vote. Voting Members maintain membership by paying annual membership dues and by complying with the J/109 Class Association Constitution and J/109 Class Rules. Note - if you desire to vote on the rules changes and are not a current year member, please go to the class website, update your membership and pay your current year dues. Voting members who payed previous year class dues will be allowed to vote through 31 March of the following year.
When may I Vote? All current members will be sent an email no later than 22 April 2025 notifying them that the official ballot is available. Voting is available online through noon 25 May 2025, at which time the results will be validated and tallied by the J/109 Class Secretary.
When would the change be effective? Should the proposed change be approved by the class, the change would be incorporated in the class rules effective 1 June 2025.
There are 3 questions in this survey.
