Fireball AGM September 18th
2005
Minutes
Date: 6.30pm September 18th
2005
Venue:
Present: 35 approx
Item
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Description |
Action |
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1 |
Stephen Oram welcomed everybody to the AGM.
Stephen proposed taking the issue of Travellers Trophy scoring under AOB. |
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2 |
The
Minutes for the previous year’s AGM taken as read, having been distributed
well in advance on the website. |
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3 |
Mike Murphy presented the accounts for 2005. On paper the class is close to 1,000 euros down on last year but a cheque from the ISA for an approved training grant is pending which should bring the balance sheet back to a healthier position. The other training sessions given by Will Moody either broke-even or made a modest profit thanks to free or cheap resources provided by the host clubs, Killaloe and Mullingar. Overall state of finances was quite healthy. |
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4 |
Frank Miller
gave a brief secretary’s report – there was no unusual correspondence apart
from the correspondence regarding Travellers Trophy scoring. He asked that
members consider especially three International events in 2006 –
a.
The Canadian Worlds which take place 13-26th
May in
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5 |
The
following agreed to run for committee and were elected unopposed -
Chairman: Cormac
Bradley Treasurer: Mike
Murphy Secretary: Frank
Miller Silver Fleet CC: Derval
O’Carroll & Siobhan Hayes Clontarf Captain: awaiting
election in Clontarf Killaloe:
Jim Ryan Webmaster: Stephen Oram Frank said that the committee were considering the
new role of a Social Organiser for the Annual Dinner and other social events.
Cally Donaghy was proposed in her absence – awaiting confirmation from Cally
that she’ll accept.. |
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6 |
AOB Cormac Bradley chaired a discussion which sought to deal with difficulties which had arisen in scoring the Travellers Trophy. He acknowledged that although a scoring model had been agreed at the previous AGM the exact workings of the scoring had not been made available to the membership until late in the season. He now proposed that we agree a scoring model for future years which would remove any confusion or ambiguity. Possible models had been put forward on the website and distributed to the meeting. The issue was put to the floor. Noel Butler proposed that the scoring model distributed at the meeting be accepted. Further discussion led by Cormac pointed to key elements in the scoring that had to be decided – a. High points or low points b. ”Foreign” boats in or out of the scoring c. Treatment of National championships d. Discards Following discussion – Louis Smyth suggested the simplest solution might be to go back to the old system which had always worked. He felt that an AGM was not necessarily the best place to tease out a sophisticated scoring system. Stephen pointed out that anomolies often crept in the old system in that had to be sorted manually. Steve Lee described the Enterprise scoring model. Cormac pointed out that we needed the membership to make decisions rather than throw it back to committee – that was partly to blame for current problems. Cormac suggested that the Nationals be non-discardable without a weighting and that the fact that it was non-discardable would in effect be a weighting. Louis asked for clarification on the word ”compulsary” in the scoring model and Cormac said it simply meant that the score must be carried. Noel Butler suggested Nationals should be weighted at 1.5, Will Moody felt that was too much if the score was non-discardable. Alan Murnane suggested simply adding up all the scores from the events. Damien Bracken asked that the meeting consider what is the point of the travellers, he argued that it was about consistency over the key events, that nobody extra would attend the Nationals because it was non-discardable. Owen Sinnott agreed. This argument received support from the floor and it was decided that the Nationals would not carry extra weighting and could be discarded in the same way as any other event. This issue being resolved Cormac asked the meeting to consider whether scoring should be high or low points. Stephen Oram said that since there was no weighting it would make more sense now to return to low scoring as people could see their results instantly without further computation. This was agreed by the meeting. ”Foreign Boats treatment in Travellers – Suggested that Foreign Boats be listed but not included in score. Frank Miller felt that ”foreign” boats should be scored and included in scoresheet, arguing that since we were trying to raise our level of sailing we needed to encourage visitors and it would be unfair for them to make such an effort (as Euan and Matt had) to attend events only to be taken off the scoresheet. Joe O’Reilly said there was an argument for taking them off the score since it made competition between Irish boats who would qualify for travellers/helms nomination more intense. Meeting agreed to include ”foreign” boats scores on scoresheet though they would not qualify for Helmsman’s nomination or any selection process that may in future be introduced. Clarification was given by Cormac that if a foreign boat (say Euan) came second in an event to (for example) Will and Noel was third the scores would be the actual scores, Will 1, Euan2, Noel 3, nobody would move up a place by foreign boats being excluded from scoring. Noel Butler asked for confirmation that the situation wherby only Irish boats could win Irish trophies would continue – agreed. (Foreign boats can win the event prizes but not the Irish titles/trophies from those events). Cormac then introduced the additional complication of the Canadian Worlds 2006 – up to 9 boats would possibly miss two Irish events in 2006 due to representig the class at the Worlds. It was suggested that an extra discard be introduced to accomodate this situation but after discussion people felt that two discards over 5 events would give a skewed result and that average points would be a better and fairer solution for everyone. Meeting decided that for those missing Irish events due to Canadian worlds average points would be awarded at the stages of helmsman’s nomination and for the final overall result,, using ISAF scoring rules for average points. In summary the meeting reached agreement on the Travellers Scoring for 2006 onwards – a. Low points scoring would be used b. ”Foreign” boats would be scored like every other boat even though they would not qualify for helmsman’s etc. No Irish boat’s score would be changed by their removal. c. The National championships would be treated for scoring purposes like any other event, it would be discardable like any other event and would have no special weighting. d. A single discard would apply after for events were sailed. e. In the exceptional situation for 2006 (only) where boats sailing the Canadian Worlds would be missing for two events average scores would be given to those missing Irish Travellers events due to attendance at the Worlds. The average scores would apply at two stages; at the stage of the Helmsman’s selection; and at the end of the series when the overall travellers was being computed. |
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7 |
AOB CONTINUED Neil Colin raised the question of the Dun Laoghaire super-regatta next scheduled for 2007 – should it be included in Travellers Series ? Meeting felt probably not but committee would keep it under review. Damien Bracken raised the question of start times for events. He felt that we should consider later start times on the first day, eg 12.30 first gun. This would, he argued, make life easier for people who lead increasingly stressed lives to get to events since they could in many cases travel on the morning of the first race. It would also make going to events more affordable for those on a tighter budget. Meeting felt it was worth trying and committee agreed to consider his point, especially where events were accessable and at the time of year when the days are long and racing could continue later in the day. Jim Ryan raised the question of qualification for the Classic Trophy. Will Moody pointed out that there were in fact several classic trophies, he felt that it was an area of the class that had great growth potential. Will Moody brought up the issue of pumping. He felt that because working the boat has become such a key element of international competition we should introduce similar rules for our Irish events, ie yellow flag to allow pumping at winds over 12 knots etc. Meeting was generally agreed, Steve Lee pointed out that the rule was already there, just a question of briefing the PRO’s at each event. Cormac then asked if there was anything else that anyone wanted to raise under AOB. Outgoing chairman Stephen Oram said that there was something he wanted to ”get off his chest”. He, and the committee, had come under incredible pressure, primarily from one individual, on the matter of scoring the Travellers Trophy. He felt that he had been ”threatened” with ISA tribunals and arbitration – he felt it was ”a bit rich” that the person who was so worked up over the Travellers Scoring that they gave him and the committee so much grief should not even bother coming to the AGM to make their points on the Travellers Scoring. Cormac mentioned that one consequence of the attention to scoring was that the constitution of the class had been examined and it appeared to need some updating. Finally Cormac read out a list of provisional events for 2006, - for the record the following is planned at the time of writing – 2006 FIREBALL EVENTS - PROVISIONAL May 13- 26, 2006 WORLDS VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA Training Dun Laoghaire - early April, possibly 8/9th April Leinsters at NYC in April, possibly 22nd/23rd Ulsters in Newtownards, possibly 20/21 May Open in Skerries July 8th/9th Celtic Event in Largs, Scotland 22nd & 23rd July Nationals in Fenit weekend August 11th,12th,13th Brittany Europeans 26th August - 1st September Munsters in Killaloe mid/late September or october - date to coincide with cheap accom in holiday village There being no further business meeting ended with thanks from Cormac to WHSC for the event in progress and the generous use of their facilities. |
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Meeting ended 7.55pm