The By Laws of the ECA require thirty days notice of any proposed rule changes to be voted upon at the next Special Meeting or Annual Meeting of the Membership.

This rule is hereby posted to the membership for presentation and discussion.

Rule Change Proposal for New Materials

Rule II.4 and II.5

Current:

4. Hulls:

A. All hulls shall conform to the design and specifications of the Ensign as built in 1962 by the Pearson Corporation so that the one-design aspect of the boat shall remain unchanged.

B. Fairing and or removal of the head outlet and intake fittings are permitted.

C. A yacht shall not have a specially textured hull surface, the intention of which is to reduce drag in the water. A conventional smooth hull surface is permitted. Drag reduction films and/or hull etching are not permitted.

D. Hiking straps are permitted.

5. Keel, Rudder, and Spars: (rewritten as below in the proposed rule)

A. No change in the dimensions, location, weight, shape or materials of the keel, rudder, hull, or spars from such dimensions, location, weight, shape and materials which are standard for the 1962 Ensign shall be permitted, except such changes as are incidental to the upkeep of such items.

B. …

C. The rudder may be fiberglassed (using cloth and resin) as long as the rudder dimensions are not changed. The gap between the top of the rudder and the hull shall not be les than ½”.

D. …

…

J. …

Proposed:

4. [DELETE RULE 4]

5. Hull, Keel, Rudder, and Spars:

A. No change in the dimensions, location, shape of the keel, rudder, hull, or spars from such dimensions, location, and shape which are standard for the 1962 Ensign shall be permitted except such changes as are incidental to the upkeep of such items.

B. During restoration and repair of boats, new modern materials conforming to the dimensions of the original Ensign plan may be used if they do not provide significant competitive advantage over the original construction and design of an Ensign, including weight placement and the overall weight as specified in Part II, Rule 5.J. Rule II-1 (Interpretation) shall be applied in case of doubt. Alternate materials may be used in the construction of new boats pending the approval of the Governing Committee. Composite rudders, which have been approved by the Governing Committee, are acceptable for both restoration and new construction.

C. Wooden rudders may be fiberglassed (using cloth and resin) as long as the rudder dimensions are not changed. The gap between the top of the rudder and the hull shall not be less than ½”.

D. Fairing and or removal of the head outlet and intake fittings are permitted.

E. A yacht shall not have a specially textured hull surface, the intention of which is to reduce drag in the water. A conventional smooth hull surface is permitted. Drag reduction films and/or hull etching are not permitted.

F. Hiking straps are permitted.

[Parts D-J shall be re-lettered G-M.]

[Rules 6-19 shall be renumbered 5-18.]

Rationale:

This rule change is meant to make the rules consistent with common practice (e.g. the use of composite rudders or the use of something like Coosa board in rebuilding a bulkhead) as well as to encourage and facilitate the rehabilitation and maintenance of Ensigns. The rule is meant to permit a range of materials as long as they are not providing competitive advantage or changing the shape of the Ensign. In addition, Rule 4 and 5 were consolidated in order to eliminate redundancy in the rules.

Best regards,

Best regards,

Stephen Heinzelman

ECA Rules Vice Commodore