Performance Handicap Racing Fleet
Narragansett Bay (PHRF-NB)
2025 Annual Meeting
Happy New Year Narragansett Bay PHRF sailors,
The PHRF Annual meeting will be held Wednesday, January 15,2025, 1830 hours at the Newport Yacht Club. Hopefully your boats are put away for the winter after a good season of racing.
The PHRF committee has been reviewing and modifying the rules slightly for 2025. The changes were mostly to fix wording that wasn’t quite right and to further attempt ensure a level playing field as technology has progressed.
We wish the members would review the PHRF-NB Regulations –2025 and reach out with your thoughts by email to PHRFAdmin@phrf-nb.org. Both a red line and clean copy are attached.
Please join the Committee at Newport Yacht Club at 1830 (6:30pm) to discuss the 2025 proposed changes along with any other matter you would like to explore.
Looking forward to a great sailing season in 2025.
Fair winds,
DonKern
Commodore
Performance Handicap Racing Fleet
Narragansett Bay (PHRF-NB)
2025 Annual Meeting
Agenda
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2024
Attendees: PHRF-NB Board, Rating Committee and Members
Time: 1830
Location: Newport Yacht Club.
I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call – Don Kern, Will Museler, Roy Guay, Bob Horton, EC Helme, Todd Johnston, Ken Madeiro, Vin McAteer, Moose McClintock, Mark Nannini, Randy Shore, Mathew Smith, Kathy Rotsky
III. Approval of 2024 Annual Meeting Minutes (attached)
IV. Treasurers Report – Roy Guay
V. Nomination of Officers – Officers nominated with Board’s approval:
a) Commodore– Don Kern
b) Rating Chairman – Will Museler
c) Treasurer– Roy Guay
d) Secretary– Bob Horton
VI. Proposed Changes for2025 Season
a) Following are the proposed significant changes to PHRF-NB Regulations for 2025.
i) Clarification on Cruising Headsail Credit
ii) Statement that staysails, tallboys and bloopers are permitted in spinnaker class
iii) Displacement Changes, that rating adjustment based on equipment additions will not be considered until a minimum of a +10% change is made to the vessel’s displacement. Any reduction of Displacement shall be declared to the Committee for review.
b) Rating Committee Meetings dates adjustment:
i) Annual meeting: fourth Wednesday of January
ii) February through April & July through November: Last Monday of month at 1830
iii) May and June: second and last Monday of month at 1800
VII. Website upgrades
VIII. PHRF-NB continuation of withholding dues to US Sailing because their lack of support to the regional PHRF organizations
IX. Support to Narragansett Bay Yacht Association
X. Open Discussion
- Non-Spinnaker Adjustment
- Double handed rating
XI. Adjournment
PHRF-NB
2024 Annual Meeting Minutes
Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Attendees: PHRF-NB Board and Committee
Time: 1830
Location: Zoom Meeting at East Greenwich Yacht Club
I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call – Don Kern, Commodore; Will Museler, Rating Chairman; Roy Guay, Treasurer; Bob Horton, Secretary; Ec Helme, Committee Member; Todd Johnston, Committee Member; Vin McAteer, Committee Member; Mark Nannini, Committee Member; Mathew Smith, Committee Member;
III. Approval of 2023 Annual Meeting Minutes – Noted that the date on the 2023 minutes was incorrectly presented as 2025. Correction made.
IV. Treasurers Report – presented by Treasurer Roy Guay. After discussion the treasurers report was accepted as presented.
V. Nomination of Officers – The offices listed were approved on a voice vote by those present.
Officers nominated with committee approval.
a) Commodore – Don Kern
b) Rating Chairman – Will Museler
c) Treasurer – Roy Guay
d) Secretary – Bob Horton
VI. ProposedChanges for 2024 Season – the items listed here were accepted with changes noted.
a) There are no changes proposed to PHRF-NB Regulations 2024 from last year’s 2023regulations
b) PRINCIPLES OF PHRF OF NARRAGANSETT BAY, change to subparagraph 3.3 Associate Membership is presented for approval:
“3.3 Associate membership is open to any personwho has a genuine interest in furthering the objectives of PHRF-NB.
a. For an organization involved in youth sail training an Associate membership may be considered by the Executive Council with approval of up to three (3) certificates at no cost.”
The proposal of this change to section 3.3 was approved.
Board Meetings dates adjustment: to coincide with heavy volume of requests for certificates.
i) Annual meeting: third Wednesday of January
ii) February through May & September through November: Last Monday of month at 1830
iii) June through August: second and last Monday of month at1830 to 1930.
VII. PHRF-NB discussions with US Sailing – on their lack of support to the regional PHRF organizations:
US SAILING has failed to support the regional PHRF organizations in many areas that were found to be useful in the past. Specifically, since Fall of 2022, PHRF-NB has been asking for the following actions in our meetings with US Sailing:
· VPP help on new designs looking for ratings
· Facilitate meetings on a national basis so that regions can collaborate
· Expand the online tools available and have tutorials on how to implement them
· Update the “PHRF Handicaps Book” listing with new boat models, built after 2017
· Access to the boat data on US Sailing for all regions.
The impact of not paying was discussed, since it appears there is an option to not pay membership dues currently available to the regions. It was noted that insurance for local level US Sailing race officials, is no longer available.
It was agreed that Rating Chairman, Will Museler, will draft a letter to US Sailing explaining that PHRF-NB will be withholding dues payment until answers to our questions and updating of the Handicap Book.
Also, noted was the lawsuit that USSailing has initiated against AMERICAONE, INC.
VIII. Open Discussion
Moose McClintock has submitted a request to re-join the board of PHRF-NB which was unanimously agreed to by the board.
Additions to the PHRF-NB platform are being worked on these include: test certificates, connecting Mail Chimp to our database, archiving of revised certificates, and the switch between units of measurement (US standard / metric).
It was also decided by the committee that if applicant does not include all requested data to complete their certificate, their application fee will be forfeited.
IX. Adjournment: Motion made to adjourn, seconded and passed.