ARTICLE I: Fleet Name

Fleet number XXV, Shelburne, VT, of the International Etchells Class, hereinafter referred to as “The Fleet”, or “Fleet”, shall consist of owners of certified yachts of the Etchells Class in the general Burlington area.

ARTICLE II: Rules

General. The Fleet shall comply with and operate under the Constitution, By-Laws, and current rules of the International Etchells Class Association, all herein after referred to as Class rules. Fleet By-Laws and Racing announcements shall supplement but not conflict with IECA rules. The object of The Fleet By-Laws is to establish procedures and principles under which The Fleet shall be governed. In deciding any question of meaning, the intended meaning shall govern rather than any technical construction that might be derivable from wording.
Racing rules. The Fleet shall sail under the racing rules of the United State Sailing Association, as modified by the rules of the Yacht Racing Association of Lake Champlain, these By-Laws and local sailing instructions where applicable.

ARTICLE III: Membership

Active membership in The Fleet is limited to owners or part owners of Etchells yachts. An owner may transfer from another fleet at any time and become a member upon payment of dues. Active members have a 30-day grace period for payments of dues before voting rights are suspended. An active member looses his/her Active status when their yacht is sold and another Etchells yacht is not purchased within 30 days of the sale date of their first yacht. Active members have the sole responsibility to notify the Fleet Secretary of a change in yachts.
Any interested person may become an Associate member of the Fleet upon payment of dues that shall not exceed half of the active membership dues.
Any person whom a fleet member enrolls as an Associate member of the International Etchells Class Association, and whose International Class Association dues are paid, shall be an Associate member of The Fleet. Dues for these Associate members shall not exceed half the Class Associate member dues and shall be set up by the Fleet membership.

ARTICLE IV – Dues

Fleet dues shall be established by the fleet officers and ratified effective for the following year by the membership at one of the Formal meetings. Dues are payable on or before the last Friday in April or upon acquisition of a yacht, and are not transferable or refundable.

ARTICLE V – Racing Restrictions and Scoring

Unless otherwise specified in a pre-series announcement approved at a formal Fleet meeting,

Series scoring of Fleet events shall be the low point system used by LCYC
Non-Fleet member yachts are considered as competing yachts, but are not scored and are not eligible for Fleet prizes.

ARTICLE VI – Officers and Appointed Officials

The following fleet officers shall be elected from among the active members of The Fleet for a term of one year, renewable, by majority vote at the fall meeting.

a. Fleet Captain: The Fleet Captain has general responsibility for the business-like conduct of all meetings. He/she shall set dates and locations of, prepare agendas for, and preside at Fleet meetings. He/she is responsible for rendering decisions on interpretations of Fleet rules and regulations reached by majority vote of the Fleet officers, and for the enforcement of such decisions. He/She shall attend the annual meeting of the Class as the Fleet’s representative, shall vote in accordance with the Fleet’s instructions, and shall report back to the next Fleet meeting. He/she may appoint a Delegate to attend the annual Class meeting. The Fleet Captain shall prepare the season’s racing schedule for approval by the other officers and presentation to the members. He/she shall chair the race committee of any race for which the Fleet is responsible, or make provision for a substitute. He/she shall be responsible for the purchase of the season’s trophies or make provision for a substitute to do so.

b. Fleet Secretary: The Secretary shall keep minutes of meetings, prepare, maintain and publish the fleet roster twice yearly and handle all fleet correspondences. He/she shall also make call for agenda items at least 10 days before the regularly scheduled Fleet meeting; and when possible, publish the agenda fro mailing to all Fleet members, both Active and Associate.

. 2. The following officials shall be appointed from among the officers and members by the

Fleet Captain with the advice and consent of the other fleet officers.

a. Fleet Measurer: The Measurer shall measure, stamp and record all sails accepted for

Racing in accordance with fleet regulations and Class rules.

b. Fleet Treasurer: The Fleet Treasurer shall collect dues, pay bills, and present a financial report at the formal meetings or whenever requested by another Fleet officer.

ARTICLE VII – Meetings

There shall normally be two formal meetings of The Fleet per calendar year, a spring and fall meeting. The Fleet Secretary, before the scheduled formal meeting, must publish an agenda. A formal meeting can be held only if a quorum is present or properly represented by proxy. A quorum shall consist of 51% of the active members Fleet. The spring meeting shall discuss and adopt plans for special and social events, awards, and prizes; act on any proposal presented in conformance with the provisions of Article IX; and conduct any other business that can properly come before the meeting. The fall meeting shall hear reports of officers and delegates; ratify the Fleet dues schedule; elect officers for the ensuing year; act on any proposal presented in conformance with the provisions of Article IX; and conduct any other business that can properly come before the meeting. No changes in rules shall be made at informal meetings. However, if an emergency situation arises, two-thirds of the fleet officers or one-third of the active members may request a special business meeting. Proper notification of the rule involved, proposals, and meeting date must be given to all members in ample time. A quorum is not necessary at informal meetings.

ARTICLE VIII – Amendments

A proposal for addition to or an amendment of either the Fleet or Class rules may be initiated be any active member in good standing. Such a proposal must be submitted in writing to the Fleet Captain not later than 10 days prior to the date of the next Fleet meeting. The Fleet Secretary shall post all such proposals in writing to all members not later than 7 days prior to the date of said meeting.

ARTICLE IX – Eligibility and Voting

Voting at meetings is limited to one vote per paid-up active Fleet member, and in case of syndicated ownership, one vote per yacht.
Proxies must be in writing and in the hands of the Fleet officers before the meeting, and should pertain to the specific questions on the advance agenda unless a blanket proxy is given to a voting member in attendance.
Enactment at a fleet meeting of an amendment or addition to the Fleet By-Laws requires a three-fourths vote of all eligible members, as defined in Sec. 1 of this Article, present or properly represented by proxy at the meeting.