New Rules in PDF Format
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE FOLLOWING APPROVED RULE CHANGES GO INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CHANGE IN SAIL CLOTH FOR THE #1 AND #2. THE TIMING OF THE SAIL CLOTH FOR THE #1 AND #2 WILL BE DECIDED BY EACH DISTRICT BUT NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 17, 2005.

Proposal #1:  Unrestricted Sail Cloth in #1, #2, & #3 PASSED

Old wording

5.12.2    Sails shall be of single-ply woven polyester or nylon sail cloth, except that Genoa #1may, alternatively, be made of polyester substrate/polyester film laminate and Genoa #3 is not restricted.

New wording:

5.12.2    Mainsail shall be manufactured from woven ply polyethylene terephthalate ("PET"), such as Dacron®, or woven ply polyethylene naphthalate (“PEN”), such as Pentex®. The spinnaker shall be manufactured from woven ply nylon.  Sailcloth in the #1, #2 and #3 Genoa is not restricted.

This change in approved sail cloth goes into effect no later than October 17, 2005.  Individual J30 Class Districts may adopt this change for local events at an earlier date.

Delete the following rules to conform:

5.12.4 Genoa (#2)

.1   Minimum cloth weight is 5.50 oz.

5.12.5 Genoa (#1)

.1   Minimum cloth weight is 3.50 oz. of woven polyester material or alternatively polyester substrate/polyester film laminate of any weight.

Proposal #2:  Optional #2 Genoa PASSED

New wording

5.12.4

.5  Genoa #2 is optional.

New wording

6.2 Sails

.1   The sails on board during a regatta series or race shall be one mainsail, spinnaker, #1 and #3 genoas.  A #2 genoa is optional.  A second spinnaker may be carried on board, but only used if the primary spinnaker is damaged.

Proposal #3:  Longer Luff length on Genoa #3 DID NOT PASS

Old wording

5.12.3  Genoa (#3)

.3   Maximum luff length is 9982 mm (32.75').

New wording

5.12.3  Genoa (#3)

.3   Maximum luff length is 10.670 meters (35.00’).

Proposal #4:  Optional Carbon Fiber Spinnaker Pole PASSED

Old Wording

5.11  Spinnaker Pole

.1   Material shall be of aluminum alloy extrusion and supplied only through a builder approved by the J/30 Class Association.

New Wording

5.11 Spinnaker Pole

.1   Material shall be of either aluminum alloy extrusion or carbon fiber.  The diameter of the an aluminum spinnaker pole shall not be less than 2 7/8 inches and a carbon fiber spinnaker pole shall have a uniform diameter through out of not be less than 2 ½ inches. Additional information about this class rule will be posted soon.

Proposal #5:  Option to Remove Tack Horns PASSED

Add the following

5.4  Deck Gear.  No additions, relocations, or modifications are permitted except as herein provided.

.1   Permitted Alterations or Additions:

.11 Removal of the Jib Tack Horns and replacing them with a single shackle attached to existing hole of bow fitting.

Discussion:  Hacksaw off tack hooks and replace with a center shackle.  Tack remains attached without need for bungee cord.  Reduces chance of spinnaker sheets or pole bridal catching on tack hooks.  Reflects fact that few sail changes are done in class racing.

Proposal #6:  Optional Adjustable Genoa Car Leads DID NOT PASS

Add the following

5.4 Deck Gear.  No additions, relocations, or modifications are permitted except as herein provided.

.1   Permitted Alterations or Additions:

.12 Alter or replace existing aft genoa tracks, genoa lead cars and blocks with alternate track, adjustable genoa cars, blocks, and control lines to allow for genoa lead car adjustment under load.

Proposal #7  Delete Safety Harnesses PASSED

6.4 Safety Gear and Equipment. 

Delete

·   Safety harnesses for at least 50% of crew

Proposal #8:  Revise Helmsman Rule PASSED

Delete the following

6.6 Helmsman Rule

.1   The helmsman shall be a legal owner of the yacht.  For all national events, the owner must be the primary helmsman.  He must be at the helm throughout the five minutes prior to and including the start, for all windward legs, all mark roundings, and the finish.  Local fleets may waive or modify this provision for local events only.

.2   Legal ownership shall include long term charter arrangements (three months or more at fair market value) and members of the owner’s immediate family (sons, daughters, parents and spouse). Ownership of less than twenty five percent interest shall not be considered ownership for purposes of the Helmsman rule. Joint ownership must be bona fide and must be evidenced by payment of fair market value. Legal ownership to circumvent these rules is prohibited.

.3   For all national events, the helmsman must have been a J/30 Class Association member at least sixty days prior to the event, helmed the yacht in at least two regattas in the preceding two months and satisfied District qualifying requirements.

New wording

6.6 Helmsman Rule

.1   Any helmsman racing in a one-design Class event shall be an owner of the yacht he is helming.  The owner or owners shall helm the yacht from the warning signal until the finish except for momentary absence due to personal, safety, or shipboard needs.

.2   In one-design Class distance races designated by the local fleet, the owner or owners shall helm from the warning signal and for the first hour, for at least one-third of each leg, during all mark roundings, and for approximately the last hour of the race until finished.

.3   An owner is any person who legally owns 100% of the yacht or is at least a twenty-five percent partner in terms of financial investment in the purchase of the complete yacht and the cost of its operations.  Ownership shall include long-term charter arrangements of three months or more at fair market value. 

.5   Ownership is automatically conferred on the members of the owner’s immediate family including children, parents, and spouse.

.6   To be eligible for national championship events, the owner must have been a J/30 Class Association member for at least sixty days prior to the event, helmed the yacht in at least two regattas in the preceding sixty days and satisfied any and all District qualifying requirements.  The Class President shall determine eligibility for national events and may alter or waive qualifying requirements in special circumstances.

.7   Owners are eligible to helm another J/30 as if it were their own yacht, if it is loaned or chartered in either an event outside that owner’s home waters, or in any case where the owner’s own yacht has been damaged and is not capable of being  sailed.

.8   Local fleets may waive or modify the Helmsman rule for local events only.

Discussion:  Clarifies and extends Class owner/driver restrictions to both upwind and downwind.  Adds owner/driver rules for distance racing.  Codifies previous interpretations directly into the rule

Proposal #9:  Cannot adjust standing rigging while racing or hang on mast or shrouds to tack or gybe. PASSED

Add the following

5.8 Standing Rigging may not be altered in material, design or added to except as herein provided.

.3.  Prohibited while racing from the preparatory signal until the finish:

   .1 Adjustment of the mast step.

   .2 Adjustment of the turnbuckles on the shrouds, backstay and forestay.

Old wording

6.3 Pumping of the spinnaker guy or halyard under any conditions is prohibited.  Pumping of the spinnaker sheet or main sail is restricted to one pump per major wave.

New Wording

6.3

.1   Pumping of the spinnaker guy or halyard under any conditions is prohibited.  Pumping of the spinnaker sheet or main sail is restricted to one pump per major wave.

.2   Hanging on the mast or shrouds to promote roll tacking or gybing is prohibited at all times.  Under the racing rules, roll tacking or roll gybing shall not be a "necessary task."

Proposal #10:  Allows for changes in lifeline specifications PASSED

Old wording

5.4 Deck Gear.  No additions, relocations, or modifications are permitted except as herein provided.

.2   Prohibited Alterations or Additions:

  .2 Lifeline stanchions which project outside a vertical line from the gunwale, lifelines attached to other than standard location on bow pulpit, and stern rail, lifeline wire design or size other than standard, or lifeline droop exceeding 125 mm with a 5 kg weight suspended between the pulpit and first stanchion.

New wording

5.4 Deck Gear.  No additions, relocations, or modifications are permitted except as herein provided.

.2      Prohibited Alterations or Additions:

.2   Lifeline stanchions which project outside a vertical line from the gunwale, lifelines attached to other than standard location on bow pulpit, and stern rail, or lifeline droop exceeding 125 mm with a 5 kg weight suspended between the pulpit and first stanchion.

Proposal #11 PASSED

New rule

6.9 Conduct of North American Championship Regatta

.1.  Measurement at the North American Championship regatta shall be directed by the J30 Class and J30 National Class Measurer or his designee.

Proposal #12 PASSED

New rule

6.9 Conduct of North American Championship Regatta

.2   The North American Championship shall consist of a maximum of seven (7) races.