This policy determines how Westwood’s Board of Directors will assign Boat Captain responsibilities (that is, how each boat will be assigned to a specific Boat Captain). To the extent that assignments cannot be determined through strict adherence to the following (for example, should there be no members eligible to be assigned a new boat), boats will be assigned as determined by the Board of Directors in the circumstances.
Eligibility
Any member may be a Boat Captain provided that they are a Skipper for the applicable class of boat. Members who are not qualified to be a Boat Captain are encouraged to assist Boat Captains, either by being an Assistant Boat Captain for a specific boat, or by assisting with boat maintenance at large. Any Boat Captain may have their assignment revoked by the Board of Directors (for example, due to failure to properly maintain their assigned boat).
Assignment Process
Boat Captains and their boat assignments will be determined at the beginning of each season (until announced, the previous season’s assignments will continue). This includes new boats expected to be delivered during the season.
New Boats (that is, unused or ‘like new’ boats which are new to Westwood)
Westwood’s new boats will be assigned first, likely in advance of their delivery dates. To be eligible to be assigned a new boat, a member must not have been assigned a new boat in the previous seven years. For example, anyone having been assigned a new boat after May 1, 2006 would be ineligible for assignment of a new boat to be delivered in the 2013-2104 season. Second, new boats will only be assigned to someone who has been a Boat Captain at Westwood for at least four of the previous five seasons (or part season, in the first season). For example, for a 2013 new boat, someone who was not a Boat Captain during a significant part of the 2008-2009 season and all of each following season (except that one season ‘off’ would be allowed) would be ineligible.
New Albacores will be assigned to the eligible member who placed highest in the previous season’s Friday Night Race series, unless the Board of Directors (in its discretion) determines that the next highest placing eligible member has made a significantly greater overall contribution to the club. If two new Albacores are being assigned, the Board of Directors may consider the contributions of the top three placing eligible members. Other types of new boats will be assigned based solely on the Board’s assessment of overall contribution to the club.
A member assigned a new boat will not continue to be the Boat Captain for their current boat (as it will be assigned as described below)* and is expected to assist the Boat Captain of their ‘old’ boat in the interim. New boats will be considered ‘unavailable’ until one week after their delivery (e.g., for the purpose of race draws).
Current Boats
Current boats will be assigned after the new boats.
Boat Captains will be re-assigned their currently-assigned boat unless, at the time the assignments are being determined, (i) they have been selected to receive a new boat, (ii) their boat has been selected for disposal or for assignment to the ‘student program fleet, or (iii) they indicate to the Fleet Captain that they wish to be assigned a different boat (which does not imply they will receive a specific boat).
Available current boats will be assigned in the following descending order of priority:
Boat Captains whose boats have been selected for disposal, or for assignment to the ‘student program fleet’;
Boat Captains who have requested assignment of a different boat*; and then
Other eligible members who wish to be Boat Captains but are not currently assigned a boat.
Within each of these three priority levels, the order of priority for each assignment will be as follows:
for Albacores, priority will be based on the previous season’s Friday Night Race results unless the Board of Directors (in its discretion) determines that the next highest placing eligible member has made a significantly greater overall contribution to the club; and
for other types of boats, priority will be based on the Board’s assessment of overall contribution to the club.
Note
A Boat Captain who has been assigned a new boat will remain as Boat Captain of their old boat until it has been assigned a new Boat Captain. A Boat Captain who is assigned a different current boat is encouraged to assist the Boat Captain of their ‘old’ boat for the remainder of the season.