CR 3.4 details the calculations required to qualify a person as a “long term shipmate” of an owner. These calculations involve counting the “race days” and “races” over the “immediately preceding 12 months” and “immediately preceding 24 months”
Question:
From what reference-date should the immediate 12 and 24 months be calculated-back from?
- the application/calculation-date,
- the date of the event for which LTSF status is being determined., or
- the last day prior to the event that the owner raced any qualifying boat?
Answer:
The purpose and intent of the long term shipmate qualification is to document that a person has an established history of sailing with the owner. The 3 calculations described in CR 3.4 are all made in relation to the owner’s sailing history. Therefore, the calculations should be made from the immediately preceding 12 and 24 months from the last day that the owner raced on a qualifying boat prior to the event for which LTSF status is being determined.
This approach prevents disqualification of otherwise qualified long term shipmates resulting from the suspension of the owner’s racing due to seasonal-breaks, illness, injury, vacations or other absences of the owner from sailboat racing which would unintentionally reduce the 12/24 month time periods to something shorter.