Newsletter to Club Officials – December 2006                                                                                                                        Happy Christmas and New Year to all Club Officials Thanks – thanks to nearly 500 club officials who in the last year have been receiving, and reading this YV Club officials e-newsletter each month and communicating with their club members about the many great things happening in yachting in Victoria. May Father Christmas bring you a big new boat ! "Go Sailing and boating" Last month we announced the State Government funded program that will see clubs able to provide comprehensive training to Race Officials, Instructors and Coaches and no cost to them. Right now we are working on, Looking for people interested to participate in Race Management Training as part of Skandia Geelong Week. If you have someone interested please contact Jane Moffatt on 03 9597 0066 Looking for someone to help us organise and run this major program of training and club support in 2007-8 Designing the Survey of the initial information we need to collect that will enable us to measure where the sport is now at and what we improve. Finalising the administration of the program with the Government. If you missed the explanatory webcast its on the YV website under the Club Manual s21 Working with Children as Christmas is the time of year when children are prominent in our minds, and there’s plenty of sailing involving children, several clubs have asked for a reminder of the new Working With Children Bill. A simple summary appears in the club manual under Policies – click here www.yachtingvictoria.com.au Rule 11 review.. Because YV rules require 60 days notice of a resolution to change the rules, and fees must be set by the end of March for the next season, it is likely that in early January we will be mailing clubs a notice of motion for the changes to rules 5, 6 and 7, 11 and 12 which will be similar to those discussed at the last Annual General meeting, held in September, and have been clarified to address the issues raised. This will satisfy our Rules. In the same timeframe we aim to get to clubs a list of categories and the club allocation under the proposed new rule 11 which will enable clubs to discuss the proposed changes. The alternative is to continue with the current Rule 11 for 2007/8. OTB yardsticks, please forward any OTB results (Topyacht Database output preferred ) for mixed class racing of monohulls and/or catamarans to John Donaldson, the YV Yardstick handicapper at vicyardsticks@gmail.com. Details of the Regatta or specific event results would be helpful too. Merry Christmas, happy sailing and a successful 2007   Ross Kilborn