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ACA(UK) AGM
Note. There is a printable PDF link at the foot of this page + an Adobe reader download link if needed This link will take you to the Management Committee page giving names and contact details. Management Committee ……………………………………………………………………………………… NOTICE of The Annual General Meeting will take place at AGENDA 1. Apologies This link will take you to a printable version of the ACA(UK) Notice of AGM 2011 ……………………………………………………………………………………… You will find last years AGM minutes at: Below on this page. ……………………………………………………………………………………… This link will take you to a printable version of the ACA(UK) AGM 2010 ……………………………………………………………………………………… Access Class Association UK The Annual General Meeting of the Access Class Association UK took place at Swarkestone Sailing Club on Saturday 4th September 2010 at 6.30 pm. There were 31 members present. 1. Apologies 2. Minutes of the last meeting 3. Chairman’s Report “Firstly I have some sad news to report. The Rutland Sailability folk know this already but I have to tell you that Andi Garcia, who won a Silver Medal at the 2010 World Championships sailing in the 303W class with Ian McNair, died soon afterwards of complications whilst in hospital. He had not been racing with us for long but had proved a cheerful and strong competitor and will be sadly missed. I feel we should mark this appropriately and ask you all to bow your heads for a minute’s silence to remember Andi Garcia, Access World Championships Silver Medallist. Turning to more cheerful matters the past year has seen a further growth in Access sailing activity, particularly in the Liberty class. Steve will be telling us later how many new boats he has produced in the past year. The TT events were particularly well supported in the early part of the season as the keen racers got in some practice ahead of the World Championships. In 2009 I can report that 22 sailors entered the 2.3 TT series, 18 in the 303-Solo class, 29 crews in the 303-double class and 8 took part in at least one Liberty event. So far in 2010, after 6 events we had 13 entries in the 2.3 class, 15 crews taking part in the 303-Solo but only 10 in the 303-double with 9 sailors in the Liberties. The drop in the 303-double numbers is a bit worrying as this is the best way to get sailors who are a bit nervous starting to race. At last year’s AGM I mentioned the Access Class European Championships which were to be held in the South of France in September. The event was not particularly well supported, but a small UK contingent made it there to join sailors from Australia, The Netherlands, Hungary and Portugal as well as France. Monique Foster is to be congratulated for getting second place in the 2.3s and a silver medal. Also well done the Harle family for getting there for Simon to sail his Liberty. The Access Class World Championships were held at Rutland in June and most of you were there as competitors or supporters. The organising committee were very pleased to have 82 entries from 10 countries with, naturally, a strong UK contingent. The weather was not ideal with light winds and some rain at the start of the week, strong winds on Thursday, but excellent conditions on the Friday which we hope the visitors will take away as their memory! The event was considered a great success overall, and the organisers received many messages of thanks and congratulations from the overseas contingents. Whilst UK crews won Gold and Silver in the SKUD18 class, the only UK Gold Medal in the Access Classes went to Melvin in the Liberty Full-Servo class with Silver Medals for Andi Garcia and Ian McNair in the 303-double class and Monique Foster in the 2.3s. Other UK sailors just missed out on the medals with 4th and 5th places but well done to all our World Championship sailors. As your representative on the committee of the International Access Class Association, I am continuing to seek modifications to the Access Class Rules where these can be improved or clarified. If any member of ACA(UK) detects matters in the Class Rules which need clarification or could be improved please bring these to my attention. One matter under active consideration is the licensing of a UK sailmaker so that European sailors are not so dependent upon Horizon sails in Australia. Finally, several members of the Committee are standing down after this AGM, including our Treasurer, Paul Holzherr. Many thanks to those standing down from all of us. There seem to be a number of names put forward for election so I hope that you will be prepared to give us your vote of confidence later in the meeting. Thank you for your attention.” 4. Secretary’s Report Membership: there are currently 198 members from 24 different clubs. Membership has increased to this from 150 last year. Ron again gave a description of the layout of the website stressing to members that all details of events, all management documents, minutes of all meetings, details of clubs sailing Access dinghies, and all contact information are available on the website and that members were encouraged to look at least once a week at the news section of the website because Ron uses the news section to bring members attention to all significant additions or changes. The website had proved to be invaluable in the planning, organising, running and publicising of the World Championships. Ron explained the year’s racing programme, that in 2010 included ten traveller events incorporating a Northern and Southern series of five each as well as a three day National Championship at Swarkestone. He thanked Andy Sheath for the great amount of work he had put into the 2010 programme. He gave a big thanks to all host clubs for all the efforts they had made in staging the events and to the over 90 sailors who took part this year. Ron thanked our chairman Richard Smallwood for all of the excellent work that he had done in continuing to raise the standards of our association, and in particular the exemplary leadership he gave to the 2010 Access Worlds Championship organising committee. His attention to detail and leadership from the front made a qualitative difference to the success of the event. His and many other committee members’ leadership in the many different functions that needed to happen made it a world leading event that we can all be proud of. 5. Treasurer’s Report ACCOUNTS OF ACCESS CLASS ASSOCIATION (UK) FOR 2009 CURRENT A/C - LLOYDS TSB: IN OUT Richard took us through these accounts. He pointed out that the support for the two demo boats from the RYA for the past two years has now ceased. 6. SSM Agents Report “The business is owned solely by myself, with my wife Yvonne assisting with the administration part time. My father Ron and his wife Jackie take care of the Access sailing events on a part time, voluntary basis. The parent company, Access Dinghies Australia, is owned by Chris Mitchell the designer, run by David and Sonia Staley, with Tom Jacka in the workshop. They supply us and fourteen other countries with boats and parts. At the beginning of 2010, with the volatile exchange rate dropping from 2.3 to 1.6 $Aus to the £ and a massive increase in material costs, I concluded that the only way my business would survive would be to return full manufacture to the UK. However, to set this up took time, there was an unexpected increase in the demand for boats, and then a massive delay in receiving parts from Australia who, like me, were not expecting the increase in orders as the threat of recession was upon us all. So regrettably there was a delay in some orders being met. We are now in full UK production and my intention is through the winter to build and obtain stock so boats can be completed ready for delivery and dates can be met with confidence. With regards to pricing, as with all businesses we are controlled by the current financial markets. Once I am in total control of all manufacturing I will review these costs and offer my boats at the best price I can. I felt privileged to be involved in the prestigious Access World Championships. Ron and I offered our services, organising a fleet of thirty charter boats, with a charge of £30 pert boat to cover the material cost of new rope and general repair to ensure the boats were at the set standard for the event. We also set up a mobile workshop so that any damage and repairs could be rectified on site, to keep any delays to a minimum. As well as devoting our time to this event full manufacturing was still taking place at my workshop. The event, I am pleased to say, was a massive success. However, our work did not stop after the presentations. The charter fleet had to be returned to the various sailing clubs throughout the country who kindly loaned their boats. Thankfully I had a fleet of eager volunteers, many of whom are here with us now, and who devote their time constantly to Access sailing, often in the background not asking for recognition, and not just in the major events. I am sure you agree they all deserve a special thank you. With orders already in for 2011, new sailability clubs being set up and new clubs taking an active interest in Access boats, rather than looking back at what might have been done better, I see this as a learning curve. As a competitive sailor myself I know that every race is a lesson. I am now looking forward positively to the exciting and successful times that lie ahead.” 7. Election of Committee Retiring Members: Committee Members standing for election: Co-opted Members: The above members were elected en bloc to the Access Class Association UK Committee. 8. Suggestion of Venues of Future National Championships Acceptable = 10 The following points were made: It was decided that we would not at this point consider a mid week National Championship. 9. Any Other Business Richard pointed out that certain members of the Access fleets were falling into bad habits regarding the observance of the rules. People are not observing rule 44.2 and taking their turns. All sailors please read and observe this rule. Richard warned that if people did not voluntarily get this right we may have to deploy a jury boat on the water with the right of protest and enforce the rule. Ann questioned what was happening with the rules regarding 2.3 wides and 2.3 singles racing in the same fleet. There was a full discussion on this and Richard pointed out that he had suggestions to put to the international committee and he would be discussing this at our next ACA UK Committee meeting. Peter Etherton called for a vote of thanks to Steve, Richard, Ron and all the organisers at Rutland for an excellent World Championship. The AGM was then closed. ……………………………………………………………………………………… Secretary: Ron Sawford ron.sawford@btinternet.com ……………………………………………………………………………………… Archive documents below If you do not have a PDF reader you can download Adobe Reader free. click this link for the download page Adobe Reader ……………………………………………………………………………………… Archive documents 2010 This link will take you to a PDF version of the 2010 Notice of AGM This link will take you to a PDF version of the ACA(UK) AGM Minutes Sept 2010 ……………………………………………………………………………………… Archive documents 2009 This link will take you to a PDF version of the 2009 Notice of AGM. This link will take you to a PDF version of the ACA(UK) AGM Minutes July 2009 ……………………………………………………………………………………… Archive documents 2008 This link will take you to a PDF version of the ACA(UK) AGM Minutes July 2008 ……………………………………………………………………………………… If you do not have a PDF reader you can download Adobe Reader free. click this link for the download page Adobe Reader ………………………………………………………………………………………
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