SANTANA 35 CLASS ASSOCIATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RULES AND SPECIFICATIONS

The following rules were adopted by the Santana Class Association of Northern California and completely updated January 1,1996.  Revised July 10, 1998.

Rewritten for clarity November 2001.

I.        INTENT

The Santana 35 sloop was created to be a one-design sailboat, which would fulfill the many recreational needs of a sailing family. These needs include weekend cruising, round-the-buoy club racing, day sailing, offshore racing, and instruction. Class rules and specification are designed to preserve these design characteristics. Ease-of-handling, low cost of ownership, safety, strict one-design class:  the intent is that all boats will be essentially equal and that racing will be a test of sailing ability. It is therefore declared that any effort on the part of anyone to alter the boat or its rigging, except as is specifically authorized by these rules, which would result, or in the opinion of the class officers, is designed, or likely to result in such boat or its helmsman obtaining an advantage over his or her competitors, is a breach of these rules not only in spirit but in substance, and such boat shall, for racing purposes, be deemed not to be a Santana 35 and any points previously granted to said boat in races where the changes were in effect will be rescinded.

II.       GENERAL

1.      The official language of the Santana 35 Class is English and in the event of dispute over interpretations, the English text shall prevail. The governing body is USSA.

2.      All Santana 35 Class yachts must be built by W. D. Shock Corp. or their assigns. The official sail plan of June, 1978 will be the only allowed sail plan. The hull shall conform to line drawings of 1978 with the optional addition of the "IOR BUSTLE” as illustrated in drawings dated May, 1979.

3.      Neither the Santana 35 Class Association or W. D. Schock Corp. will accept legal responsibility in respect to these rules or any claim arising there from.

4.      Class officers are; Fleet Captain, Secretary, Treasurer, Measurer, and the immediate Past Fleet Captain. The officers will be elected at the Fall Meeting for the succeeding calendar year.  The Fleet Captain and Treasurer must be a boat owner to be eligible; the status of an associate member will be granted to an officer that does not own a boat.

5.      Meeting dates are as follows:

i.         Fall - First Friday in November, or as arranged by the fleet captain

ii.       Or, as specified by the Fleet Captain with at least two weeks notice.

6.      Suspected violations of skipper, crew, charter, measurements or other Association rules are not protestable to the race committee.  Instead they shall be brought to the class officers for their ruling.  The decision of the officers is not subject to appeal.

7.      Class dues are $50 per yacht per year payable on January 1st.  If there is a change in ownership or a charter is arranged the annual dues are payable again.  Dues become late on the date of the season opener.  A $25 late charge applies if dues are not paid by the first season opener race.

8.      These rules may be changed by a majority of those present at a properly scheduled meeting. A “registered” yacht gets one vote; registered yachts are in compliance as described in the “Registration” below.

9.      Fleet communication is accomplished primarily via email and website.  The fleet website at www.santana35.com.  Fleet rules and fleet meeting minutes posted on the website are official; announcements for meetings, race date changed etc may be made via email.  A fleet member without email may request alternative communication of important notices by contacting the fleet captain.

III. Santana 35 Racing

1.      The Santana 35 Championship Season schedule shall be decided at the preceding Fall meeting.  The following things will be decided and posted on the website:

·        Number of races that constitute the Championship Season

·        Number of throwouts

·        Whether the season is divided into two halves

·        Date and format for the Santana 35 National Championships

Examples of formats that have been used in the past for the Championship series: a 12-race, 2-half, 3-throwout season, and a 9 race, 2-throwout season without specific halves.  A yacht must start in half or more of the starts of each season to be a qualifier for the given class championship.

2.      Honor Awards:

i.         Santana 35 National Championship Regatta:  The winner of the annual National Championship Regatta of the San Francisco Bay Fleet, shall be entitled to display a gold chevron on his mainsail. The chevron shall be approximately 120 degrees, with each leg being 1 3/4 inches wide 8 inches long.  The chevron shall be centered approximately 1 foot under the class insignia.  One additional chevron may be added for each subsequent National Championship won.

ii.       San Francisco Bay Season Championships: The winner of the San Francisco Bay Season Championship shall be entitled to display a chevron on his mainsail.  The chevron shall be approximately 120 degrees, with each leg being 1 3/4 inches wide and 8 inches long.  The chevron shall be made of cloth of the same color as his sail numbers, and shall be centered approximately 1 foot under the class insignia.  One additional chevron may be added for each subsequent YRA Bay Season Championship won.

iii.      Limitations: The honor of displaying a chevron award belongs to the winning skipper, and cannot be transferred to another person.

3.      Rules for specific races shall be as described in that race’s sailing instructions, including exoneration rules and scoring within the particular race or regatta. 

4.      The scoring system for the Championship Season shall be the scoring system described in the current USSA sailing rules for series scoring longer than a regatta, using the Low Point system.  As per section 7, the fleet rules may change the number of throwouts. 

5.      In the event that other types of boats are in the same start as Santana 35s for a race that is part of a Santana 35 Championship series or National regatta, scoring for fleet championship purposes shall exclude the non-S35 yachts.

6.      Season Tie-breakers will be decided as per the current USSA rules for season scoring.

7.      The official season begins March 1st of each year and extends until February 28th the following year.

III.      REGISTRATION

1.      No yacht shall be allowed to race in the Class unless it is currently a member of the Santana Class Association.  Membership registration shall be the responsibility of the owner(s).  The yacht must be measured before it can be awarded points for purposes of a race trophy or season's standings.  If it is discovered that a yacht has used unmeasured items, all points that the yacht has accumulated are subject to removal at the discretion of the officers.

2.      The owner shall certify that the boat complies with these Class Rules.

3.      Normal charters of a yacht for a race or series can be undertaken under the following rules:

1.      The charterer must be a member in good standing with the Association.

2.      The charterer shall be registered with YRA or other sponsoring body as the skipper and is bound by the crew rules.

3.      Any points awarded shall be to the yacht/skipper combination, and are not transferable.

4.      The period of registration shall be the same as the racing season:  from March 1 until February 28th the following year.  Yachts who are registered in a given season may vote on items for the following season at the Fall meeting.  New fleet members may pay at a Fall meeting for the remainder of the current season as well as the upcoming season (allowing them to vote on items for the upcoming season).

IV.     MEASUREMENT

1.      These Class Rules, however complete, cannot anticipate every possible situation that may arise.  It should be assumed that is anything that is not specifically permitted, is specifically prohibited until a ruling by the Class Officers has been obtained.

2.      Where there is any question of the permissibility of any proposed detail of design, construction, or rigging, a specific request is to be made to the Measurer for a ruling.  When a request for such ruling has been made, the Class Officer shall approve or disapprove of the proposal within 90 days.  Such rulings, once made, become part of the Class Rules and may be changed or repealed at a later date by an official scheduled meeting of boat owners.  In making such rulings, the officers are to follow the intent of the existing rules, and are not to be concerned with the literal construal of the wording of the existing rules.  The officers are to follow the basic philosophy that the Santana 35 is intended to be a One-Design Class in which no difference in design, equipment or construction which affect boat speed are to be permitted.

3.      Sails, mainsail battens, and spinnaker poles will be measured when the item is new or before it is used in a one-design race.  Sails will be marked by the measurer.  Measurements will be done as scheduled by the measurer.

4.      When a boat or the owner is new to the association or a boat is altered, the boat must be measured and certified as a Santana 35 within the rules of the association before it is eligible for racing.  This measurement includes those relative to rated sail areas according to the official sail plan.  A valid IOR certification will be accepted in lieu of actual on-the-boat measurements.  The boat will also be inspected for conformity to the association rules prior to certification.

V.      ALTERATIONS

1.      Nothing on the Santana 35 shall be modified, removed, replaced, relocated, and/or added that would violate the intent of these rules and specifications with the following exceptions:

i.         Roller furling systems to facilitate sail handling.

ii.       Jib luff groove systems such as the Headfoil II, Twin-stay, Gemini, etc.

-         Dimensions: 7x4.65 and 6 11/16 x 4.25

-         Moments: 15.2x7 and 16.2x7.4

-         Weight/Foot 3.35 lbs./ft. and 3.87 lbs./ft.

2.      Reshaping (with the exception of fairing) of keel, rudder, or hull profiles and contours is prohibited.  In no case shall the length, width, or depth of the above exceed factor/specifications.

3.      Changes to the basic design (single spreader, wall thickness, section size, mast taper, etc.) or reduction in size or amount of standing rigging is prohibited, except specifications in item #1.

4.      Thru-deck spinnaker launchers are prohibited.  Launching and retrieving through the forward hatch is allowed.

5.      Coring, drilling out, rebuilding, replacing materials, grinding, or relocating standard equipment (except fuel tanks and batteries) in any way to reduce weight, to improve moments of inertia, or to change standard shapes is prohibited.

6.      Alterations to liners and structural members is prohibited, except to increase size and strength.

7.      Spreaders or spreader brackets other than supplied as standard by the manufacturer, except when an owner for reasons of safety substitutes modified spreaders or spreader brackets of the same length, weight (minimum) and angle to the mast, and obtains prior approval from the Class Measurer.

8.      Deletion of any standard tanks, bulkheads, headliners, head, berth bases or other than standard items; except as replaced by approved amounts of weight.  Water tanks may be removed without corrector weights.

9.      Addition of ballast of any sort in such a way that it increases the stability of the boat (i.e. is below the waterline). However, additional, non-movable ballast added for measurement purposes under other than class rules is allowed as long as it does not increase stability (i.e. is above the water line).

10.  The following specific alterations on the specifically noted boats are granted the following variance to these rules:

            Hull #4 - missing fuel tank under cockpit sole

            Hull #5 - genoa track layout as of 4/80

            Hull #18 - genoa track layout as of 1/80

                  Hull #25 - genoa track layout as of 12/79

VII.    SAILING WEIGHT

1.      Since there will be some variance in base boat weights coming from the factory and since owner preference for gear will vary, a full/on minimum sailing weight is established at 8300 lbs.

2.      For all races sailed as a One Design Class there shall be a minimum of six crew members and the maximum in number determined by a crew weight of 1800 lbs.

3.      “Dry-sailed” Santana 35s are subject to the following requirements.  These requirements supercede the minimum sailing weight indicated above.

a)      Yachts that are “dry-sailed” will carry corrector weights of 400 pounds.  This weight is to be non-movable and attached securely.  The corrector weights are to be equally divided in half and positioned underneath the main cabin seats located aft, in the area that the holding tank and water tanks are typically found.

b)      Yachts that are stored out of the water for extended periods in a given season or for purposes other than repair and maintenance will be deemed to be dry-sailed yachts.  Yachts must be in the water at least two weeks before a major one-design event, including Championship Season races and the National Championships, excepting necessary and unpredicted repairs.   The fleet measurer can make determinations on borderline cases, and his findings may be appealed to the fleet officers.

c)      Yachts previously considered to be dry-sailed yachts must be in the water continuously for 2 months before they will be considered “wet-sailed” and can remove the corrector weights.

VIII. SAILS

1.      Sails allowed for one-design racing include one mainsail, a #1 genoa no larger than 155% and no smaller than 150%, a #2 genoa of 130%, and a #3 jib of 95%, and two class spinnakers.

2.      Sails allowed for one-design racing in buoy and Championship Season racing, including the National Championships include: one mainsail, a #3 jib of 95%, and two class spinnakers.  In such races, a spare #3 jib may be carried.  It is the intention of these rules that the spare is a used sail intended as a backup and not a special cut for light air sailing.

3.      All Class sails will be restricted in replacement frequency to once every 2 seasons per sail. There is no imperative that the sail must be in use for the entire two seasons, i.e. a boat which sits out a year may still count that season for purposes of sail age. If a sail is destroyed or other mitigating circumstances arise, a sail may be replaced after a shorter period at the discretion of an executive committee, composed of the Fleet Captain and Fleet Measurer.

4.      A sail older than two seasons may be interchanged for a newer sail for a given race at the owners’ discretion.

1.      MAINSAIL:

i.         Banded dimensions are luff 42 ft. and foot of 14.25 ft.

ii.       Maximum leech length from the front corner of the headboard is 45 ft.

iii.      The headboard maximum fore and aft dimension is 5 1/2 inches.

iv.     The foot may be attached to the boom with 1/3 inches boltrope and a clew slide, “loose footed" designs are allowed.  A "clam" type shelf or "zippered" shelf with a lighter weight cloth is permitted.

v.       Two ply main leeches are allowed 3 inches forward of batten pockets between bottom batten and a point midway between the 1st (top) and 2nd batten.

vi.     The mainsail has no restrictions as to its construction material. (as of 11/95)

vii.    Any number of reef points and flattening reef are permitted.  No reef point is required (as of 11/96).  For offshore racing, reef points are highly recommended, and are usually required by the sailing instructions for specific offshore races.

viii.  There is no minimum weight for the mainsail (as of 11/96)

1.      HEADSAILS:

i.         A double luff groove headstay system and additional halyards are permitted.

ii.       The only upwind headsails allowed are a #1 genoa no larger that 155% no smaller than 150%, a #2 genoa of 130%, a #3 jib of 95%.  As per section 2 above, only a #3 jib will be used in Season Championship and National Championship events (as of ’00)

iii.      Maximum LP dimension is 19.91 ft. for the 155% (#1), 16.70 ft. for the 130% (#2), and 12.20 ft. for the 95% (#3). Girths as published must be adjusted for head foil penalty.

iv.     Headsails may be of any composition material, including woven Dacron, mylar, aramid, Kevlar, Spectra, and other exotics.

2.      SPINNAKERS

i.         Two spinnakers may be carried while racing. Minimum cloth weights are: .75 oz. for one spinnaker, and the other spinnaker shall have a minimum weight no lighter than 0.75 oz. (bay) or 0.50 oz.(ocean). The spinnakers shall be of a woven non-film nylon or polyester material.  The intent of this section is to allow what is commonly known as 0.75 oz. nylon and 0.7 polyester.   Lighter weight cloths are strictly prohibited for bay racing; heavy-weight cloths are allowed, but must meet the size requirements below.

ii.       Spinnaker shape shall be symmetrical with maximum luffs of 39 ft., maximum girth of 23.17 ft., minimum girth of 22.87 ft. (for the 0.75 oz. nylon or 0.85 oz. polyester) and minimum girth of 18.6 ft. for heavier than 0.85 oz. All sails must be legal under IOR as regards to dimensions and the relationships of these dimensions.  Puller patches are allowed.

iii.      No bloopers, drifters or staysails are allowed in class racing in the Bay.

IX.     KEEL AND RUDDER MODIFICATIONS

It is the intent of the Northern California Santana 35 Class Association Rules and Specifications that all keels and rudders conform to basic NACA shape 63A012, as further defined by measurements and tolerances as drawn in pages 4 - 6 through 4 - 9 of the technical section.

 

1.      All existing keel and rudder dimensions as of 2/90 will be deemed acceptable as Santana 35 keels and rudders. Modifications subsequent to 2/90 must approach, or meet specifications as per drawings in the technical section. Any modifications diverging from these specifications shall be deemed illegal.

2.       It is the obligation of each owner to notify the Fleet Measurer prior to commencement of any work which will alter the shape of his keep or rudder. Questions see IV. Measurement, of the Class Rules.

3.      Lead may be ground off as part of the fairing process. Any lead removed as part of the fairing process may not be used as fairing material, or be replaced in any way.

4.      Fairing compounds are limited to materials that do not affect Ballasting. Metal shavings or metallic fillers of any kind are not allowed.

5.      The leading and trailing edges of both the keel and the rudder must be straight lines (Trapezoidal).

           

X:      COMPETITOR ELIGIBILITY

As per the statement of Intent for racing in the Santana 35 fleet, the fleet limits the participation of racing professionals and marine industry representatives while racing (originally 11/96, revised 11/00). 

 

1.      Yachts competing in Santana 35 one-design events are expected to honestly represent the classification of their crew as defined in the current USSA rules. 

2.      Categorization of competitors (Group 1, 2, or 3) is as per the current USSA rule book (Appendix P for the 2001-2004 rules), and any ruling made by US Sailing with regard to status of an individual will apply for the Santana 35 fleet.  Requests for clarification of status must go through US Sailing, as specified in the USSA rulebook; the Santana 35 fleet officers hold no authority to determine the competitor classification of individuals.

3.      If a yacht is found to be in violation of the competitor eligibility rules, points earned while sailing in violation may be revoked at a later date.

4.      The restrictions on competitor categorizations are as follows:

Group 1:  No restrictions on competition.

 

Group 2:  At most three Group 2 competitors are allowed to compete on each yacht.  If a Group 3 competitor is on board (only as permitted below), at most two Group 2 competitors are allowed to compete.  Group 2 competitors may not drive while a yacht is ‘racing’.

 

Group 3:  No Group 3 competitors are allowed while racing.  An exception is made the first season a owner/skipper races in the fleet, in which case at most one Group 3 competitor is allowed.  Group 3 competitors may not drive while a yacht is ‘racing’. 

           

Competitor Eligibility is defined herewith only in respect to One Design events that are sanctioned by the Santana 35 Class Association of Northern California, where the fleet competes as a One Design group under its Class Rules (such as the Spring and Summer ODCA series, National Championships, etc.)  Other events are generally open, and there are no limits to competitor eligibility other than those prescribed by the sponsoring organization, unless the event is specifically classified as Santana 35 One Design event by a polling of the Santana 35 fleet members prior to that specific event.

 

MEMBERSHIP DUES AND PARAMETERS

1.  RACING MEMBERSHIP          $50.

·        States you own a boat & want to race in the bay.

·        Allows driver eligibility

·        Allows qualification for the regular race season.

·        Ability to vote.

·        Eligibility for trophies.

·        We send you newsletters, Technical Updates, Meeting Announcements, etc.

·        Allows discounts on special event entry fees.

·        If a yacht is a new member of the fleet (has not been a member in the two previous years) then the first years dues shall be $100.

3.  ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP  $ 15.

·        States you do not own a local boat, but you wan to keep track of what is happening. Includes crew, owners outside California, and other interested parties. The fee for Fleet Officers is waived if the officer does not own a boat.

·        Allows driver eligibility.

·        Allows participation in a single Santana 35 event, such as the National Championships

·        We send you Newsletters, Technical Updates, Meeting Announcements, etc.

 

 

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