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Home / The Club / Articles & Bylaws / OSC Bylaws / terms and conditions
Home / The Club / Articles & Bylaws / OSC Bylaws / terms and conditions

OSC Bylaws / terms and conditions

Oxford Sailing Club Bylaws

Definitions:

The Club: Oxford Sailing Club

TWUL: Thames Water Utilities Limited (or their successors) .

Users: Members, associates, members of affiliated clubs, employees, guests and visitors.

Directors: The Directors of Oxford Sailing Club.

Articles of the club: Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Oxford Sailing Club, a company limited by guarantee, as passed by the members in general meeting

Introduction

It must be understood that failure of Users to comply with these Bylaws may prejudice the Club's lease. It is essential that they are enforced by the Club and TWUL's decision on any matter relating to these Bylaws will be final. Where a bylaw repeats a point already dealt with in the lease it is solely for the purpose of emphasis. In the event of any conflict between the wording of any bylaw and the express wording of any provision contained in the lease the latter shall prevail.

Bylaws

1. Users shall make use of club premises and any other facilities entirely at their own risk. The Club and TWUL will not be liable for any loss, damage or injury to Users except as required by law.

2. All Users are expected to use common sense on and around the reservoir at all times. Users shall comply with the Articles of the Club and with Club Bylaws and must comply with the requirements of any Ranger or authorised officer of TWUL or the Club.

3. Pollution or other contamination of the reservoirs is forbidden. Litter must be deposited in bins provided or taken away, and loose fittings in boats and boards must be secured so as to avoid their sinking in the event of a capsize. Apart from boats and boards nothing is to be put into the reservoirs without the prior approval of TWUL.

4. Interference with the industrial plant, valves, sluices, machinery, drains or other property of TWUL is forbidden. Interference with the wildlife of any description and shooting and fishing are not permitted. Trees, plants, hedges and bushes are not to be cut down or injured in any way and soil, clay and sand are not to be dug or removed.

5. Bathing and diving are not permitted. Wading and paddling are forbidden save for the minimum times required to handle boats and boards from the land.

6. Radios, televisions, record/CD players, tape/cassette recorders or other similar appliances shall not be used on the site without permission.

7. Cars shall be parked only in the car parks provided and boat trailers shall be parked only in areas allocated for the purpose. No parking is allowed in the dinghy park. Users are permitted to park their vehicles for a maximum of 10 minutes to unload and load their equipment. Action (including wheel clamping) will be taken against persons infringing this Bylaw. Persons in possession of a current parking permit issued by TWUL may park their vehicles in the location specified on the permit. TWUL reserves the right to remove vehicles causing an obstruction and to fine persistent offenders

8. Animals, including dogs, are not to be brought onto the reservoir site.

9. Picnics are permitted only in the Clubhouse or its immediate vicinity. Food must not be taken onto the reservoirs or their banks.

10. At all times special care and consideration is to be shown by Users to other authorised users of the reservoirs

11. In the event of any emergency arising from TWUL exercising its statutory undertaking TWUL reserve the right to remove any equipment from the site.

12. These bylaws can only be modified using the following procedure:

a) Either the Club's Directors or TWUL propose the amendment.

b) Both the Club's Directors and TWUL agree that the change is acceptable.

c) The amendment(s) are presented at the next Club AGM for approval in accordance with article 14.3.

13. A member may apply for a car park barrier card for a deposit to be determined by the directors. In the event of the barrier card being lost the deposit will be forfeited. A new barrier card can only be obtained after a further deposit has been paid. A deposit not claimed within 12 months of a member resigning from the club is forfeit.

14-19 are spare numbers.


MEMBERSHIP


20. The Club will issue identity cards, which are not transferable, must be signed by the User to whom they are issued and must be produced at the request of an official of the Club or an officer of TWUL.

21a. Membership is granted as set out in the Articles of the Club with the following subscription categories:

Family A couple (aged 18 or over) as Ordinary members and their children, under 18 years of age, as Associates.

Family (OAP) A couple (at least one of whom is of state retirement age) as Ordinary members and their children, under 18 years of age, as Associates.

Adult An Ordinary member.

Adult (OAP) An Ordinary member of state retirement age.

Supporting An Ordinary member who uses the clubhouse and rescue boats and does not sail.

Student /young person An Ordinary member who sails and is either between the ages of 18 and 25 or is a full time student.

Safety Boat An Ordinary member who holds an RYA safety boat qualification (or equivalent e.g. level 3 powerboat) and undertakes to at least 10 days rescue duties during the membership year.

Safety Boat (Family)

An Ordinary member who holds an RYA safety boat qualification (or equivalent e.g. level 3 powerboat) and undertakes to do at least 10 days rescue duties during the membership year. Their partner as an Ordinary member and their children under 18 years of age as Associates.

21b. Associateship

A person wishing to be an associate of the club shall send to the club an application form setting out their name and address and any other particulars the Directors require. The application shall be accompanied by the appropriate fee as decided by the Directors. The application shall be approved by the Directors. In the event that the application is unsuccessful all fees will be returned to the candidate.

Unless stated otherwise Associates have the same rights and obligations as members except that they are not members and may not vote at general meetings or be elected or appointed as directors.

The Associate subscription categories shall be:

Family A couple (aged under 18), with their children, as Associates.

Temporary Any person aged 18 or over.

Youth Any person under the age of 18.

21c. A company wishing to be an associate of the club shall send to the club an application form setting out their name and address, the name of a person to act as its representative, the number and type of craft it would like to register for use on the water and any other particulars the Directors require. The application shall be accompanied by the appropriate fee as decided by the Directors. The application shall be approved by the Directors. In the event that the application is unsuccessful all fees will be returned.

Unless stated otherwise the owners of the registered craft or the nominated representative in the case of company owned craft, have the same rights and obligations as members except that they are not members and may not propose or second any candidate for membership, vote at general meetings or be elected or appointed as directors.

22. Parents or guardians of all users under the age of 18 years will be responsible at all times for their safety. Until such a user has reached the age of 12, a parent or guardian, or a responsible adult nominated by the parent or guardian, shall be present at the Club throughout any visit of such user to the Club. The said parent, guardian, or other nominated adult shall be deemed to be a guest in accordance with Bylaw 23 but 23(c) shall not apply.

23. Guests

(a) no member may introduce more than three guests at any one time.

(b) no guest may take out a boat or board on more than three days in any calendar year.

(c) all guests must be signed into the Guest Book by their host member.

(d) all guests are associate members whilst they are using the Club's facilities and are bound by the Club's articles and bylaws.

e) Associates under the age of 18 introducing guest(s) shall have written agreement from their parent/guardian that the said parent/guardian takes full resposibility for the guest's safety. The agreement shall be supplied to the club office before the visit and a reference made to it in the Guest Book when the guest is signed in.

Guests intending to sail their own craft must carry insurance in accordance with bylaw 41.

24. Acceptance of the Articles and Bylaws, through the completion of an application form, will be deemed to constitute consent to the holding of relevant data for the purposes of the Data Protection Acts.

25. For the purposes of members' duties, the name of the Affiliate's contact person must be submitted by January 1st and they will be deemed responsible for organising their members for duties.

26. Membership resignation requests must be received before 1st May in accordance with Article 11. Resignations sent to the club will be forwarded to the registered office.

27-29 are spare numbers.


USE OF SHORE FACILITIES


30. Unless some alternative arrangement is agreed with TWUL (for example, in respect of a special function) all Users must vacate the Clubhouse and leave the site and remove their vehicles from the site by 22.45 hours at the latest.

31. Access is limited to the Club premises, the car and boat parks, the access ramp to the reservoirs and areas along the embankment within the limits marked by notice boards. Access to the remainder of the perimeter roads is restricted to cases of accident or emergency, or for race management as specified under Bylaw 52.

32. The last User to leave the premises must check that all windows and doors are shut and locked and that the lights and heaters are switched off.

33. If at any time any boat or board or mooring fees payable to the Club by any user or former User shall be two months or more in arrears or a boat, board or trailer fails to display a valid berthing sticker:

(a) The Directors shall be entitled to move the boat or board and associated equipment to any part of the premises without being liable for the loss of, or damage to, the boat or board or associated equipment howsoever caused.

(b) If, after a further three months, the fees payable to the Club are still in arrears, the Directors shall be entitled, upon giving one month's notice in writing to the User or former User at their last known address shown in the register of Users, to sell the boat or board and associated equipment and to deduct any monies due to the Club (whether by way of arrears of subscriptions or boat or board fees or otherwise from the net proceeds of the sale before accounting for the balance (if any) to the User or former User.

(c) Alternatively any boat or board and associated equipment which in the opinion of the Directors cannot be sold may, upon such notice as aforesaid, be disposed of in any manner the Directors may think fit, and any expense so recovered from the User or former User. Further the Club shall all times have a lien over Users' or former Users' boats and boards and associated equipment parked or moored on the Club premises in respect of all monies due to the Club (whether by way of arrears of subscriptions or boat or board fees or otherwise).

(d) When ownership of a boat or board or associated equipment cannot be traced the Directors may take the following action:

(i) Place a notice on the craft, board or equipment asking the User or former User to contact the Directors or

(ii) Place a note on the Secretary's board at the Club giving sail number if available, class of boat or board and any other relevant details including location within Dinghy Park, asking the User or former User to contact the Directors.

If after a further three months the owner has not been traced the Directors may consider that the one months notice in writing to the User required in paragraph b) has been given.


SUPPLY OF INTOXICATING LIQUOR AND REGULATED ENTERTAINMENT


34. The purchase for the Club and the supply by the Club of intoxicating liquor shall be exclusively controlled by the Directors.

35. The Directors shall have power to fix permitted hours and to alter the hours so fixed from time to time, in accordance with the Licensing Act 2003, and as notified to the District Council.

36a. Intoxicating liquor may be sold to or for consumption on the premises by persons over the age of 18 years who are entitled to the use of the Club premises.

36b. Intoxicating liquor may only be sold for consumption off the premises to a User in person.

36c. Intoxicating liquor may be sold by the Club on not more than twelve occasions in any one year to persons who are not members of the Club but who are attending a social function at the Club premises authorised by the Directors and organised by a reputable body who will control the function.

37. No person under the age of 18 may purchase, or attempt to purchase intoxicating liquor on the Club's premises.

38. At the Director's discretion, in addition to the normal day to day activities and training courses, competitions and open events, the club premises will be used from time to time to provide regulated entertainment facilities for the benefit of members and guests including plays, films, performance of music (live and/or recorded) and dancing to that music.

39 is a spare number.


USE OF THE WATER


40. No outboard motors or power driven boats other than the authorised craft are allowed. Rescue or power driven boats shall not be driven by a person under the age of 18 unless they are receiving instruction in the use of such craft from a qualified instructor or they hold an RYA Level 2 powerboat qualification.

41. All users of the club site and the water are required to ensure that they have adequate insurance against injury and damage to third parties caused by craft and associated equipment they use and if so requested may be required to produce proof of such insurance.

42. Sailing will be confined to that part of the reservoirs designated by TWUL after consultation with the Club. Access to any other part of the reservoirs is prohibited except in the case of emergency when the removal of the craft shall take place as soon as practicable.

43. Not more than 80 boats may sail on Farmoor 1 at any one time except on Sunday afternoons during the months of May to October inclusive when up to 100 boats may be on the water at anyone time. Not more than 150 boats/boards may sail on Farmoor 2 at anyone time, except for specific events by prior arrangement with TWUL and the Club.

44. Launching and recovery of boats and boards will be from areas defined by TWUL, these are as follows:

Boats: Farmoor 2 beach area. Farmoor 1 slipway.

The landing of boats on the bank is prohibited except in the case of an emergency.

Boards: The bank from the race hut on the causeway around to the clubhouse pontoon which includes the Farmoor 2 beach area. Farmoor 1 slipway.

Boards may land, but not launch or recover except in the case of an emergency, on the bank outside the area defined above but shall not impede the activities of other authorised users (see bylaw 10).

45. Any person may be called off the water by TWUL or the Club if they appear to be incompetent unless :-

(a) they are accompanied by a competent person over the age of 16; or

(b) the boat is one where the person is undergoing training to sail that boat.

46. No sailing vessel (boat or board) is permitted to sail on either reservoir on its own. In order to meet this bylaw the minimum acceptable combination for each reservoir is: -

a)2 sailing vessels or

b)1 sailing vessel and a rescue boat (manned or prepared for instant manning by an available competent helm).

47. All persons including rescue boat crews must wear adequate personal buoyancy at all times when afloat, whenever a person crosses the wave wall onto the banks of the reservoir and when assisting in launching and recovery on the beach. If the buoyancy is of the inflatable type if must at all times be inflated sufficiently to support the wearer in the water. All children under the age of 12 years must wear personal buoyancy when over the reservoir wall and within the reservoir basin, including the beach. All personal buoyancy shall he maintained in a satisfactory condition. Any User who is seen on the water without personal buoyancy, will immediately be suspended from sailing on the water for a minimum period of four weeks without appeal. If the offence is repeated the User will be expelled from the Club or, in the case of a member of an Affiliated Club, permanently banned from sailing on the water. An appeal against this expulsion will be considered only under exceptional circumstances.

48. Unless otherwise agreed by prior arrangement with TWUL the reservoirs are to be used for sailing only between 0900 hours and sunset or 21:30 hours whichever is the earlier. All boats, boards, tackle and gear must he removed from the water by the closing time for sailing specified above. Rescue boats, keel boats and other boats as agreed with TWUL will be properly secured to buoys etc. in an approved manner.

49. A rescue boat must be manned whenever racing taken place. At all other times when organised sailing is in progress the rescue boat must be prepared for instant manning. During organised events the Club rescue boat or boats will be operated under the control of persons appointed by the Directors. The primary function of the rescue boats is to ensure that sailors are in no danger and therefore no boats or boards should be towed ashore whilst there is a possibility of other sailors getting into difficulty.

50. Any organised training must be under the supervision of a qualified instructor with adequate rescue boat cover.

51. The Club will nominate an official as Officer of the Day for each day or part of a day on which club racing takes place. Officers of the Day will have sole responsibility for the organisation of races during their period of duty and of ensuring that the appropriate rules and sailing instructions are implemented and complied with. Other organised sailing will be under the jurisdiction of the most senior instructor or club official present at the time.

52. For the purpose of race management one vehicle manned by an official of the Club will be allowed access to the starting or finishing point.

53. During organised racing, boats and boards not taking part must keep well clear, both as to course and wind, of those racing. During an Open Meeting, if the number of boats or conditions is such as to cause a genuine concern for safety, either the Open Meeting Officer of the Day or the Club Officer of the Day may move casual sailors and Club racing to the other reservoir.

54. The instructions of the Officer of the Day must be obeyed by all Users and their guests. It any instruction is felt to be unreasonable any complaint should be made to the Directors.

55. Boats and boards must be kept at least 20 metres from fishermen on the shore or at least 30 metres from fishermen in boats, and these areas may be regarded as obstructions to sea room.

56 - 59 are spare numbers


DINGHY SAILING


60. All boats using the reservoir must carry identifying numbers on their sails and be registered with the Club. All boats belonging to Users must display the current year's Club sticker. The maximum number of boats permitted on the reservoir site as a whole is 650.

61. Moorings will only be allowed in designated areas and no boats, except for keel boats and authorised training and rescue boats may he left permanently on moorings. Permanent moorings can only be authorised by the Directors. Owners of keel boats whether or not left on moorings, will berth and maintain them as directed by the Harbour Master in accordance with Club and TWUL requirements.

All sailing vessels not left on moorings shall be berthed in the boatpark unless otherwise agreed by the Directors and TWUL.

62. Boats must be kept clean and preferably washed down before launching. No anti-fouling paint or chemical may be used without prior agreement of TWUL. In all other respects boats must be kept in a seaworthy and satisfactory condition in accordance with Club and TWUL requirements.

63. It is forbidden to work on boats and their gear except on the Club premises or in the boat park. This includes cleaning boats, except that keel boats may be scrubbed periodically on the launching beach.

64. Only those types and classes of boat approved by the Directors and TWUL may be sailed on the reservoirs. In general this approval will be given only for sailing boats not exceeding 21 feet in length.

65. The Directors or TWUL may refuse to allow any boat they consider unsatisfactory to be left at the reservoir site. A Director or an officer of TWUL may forbid a User to put on the water a boat that he/she considers unsatisfactory. Such an instruction is to be obeyed but an appeal may subsequently be made to a meeting of the Directors.

66. All boats are to be fitted with sufficient buoyancy to enable them to float and support the crew when capsized, swamped or holed. Without prejudice TWUL reserves the right to check these buoyancy requirements. Class rules will be a minimum guide in this but may be over-ridden in certain cases at the discretion of the Directors or TWUL.

67. Any User who does not sail their boat in one season may be asked to forfeit their berth. Boats not used regularly will be moved to the bottom of the dinghy park.

68. No person shall be afloat during the period 1 January to 31 March inclusive unless wearing a wet-suit or a dry-suit, in addition to personal buoyancy. For dinghy sailors a wet-suit must cover at least the trunk and upper thighs. This period may be extended at the discretion of the Directors. (See also Bylaw 47).

69. Sailing is not permitted within the buoyed, restricted areas.


WINDSURFING


70. Persons windsurfing must wear clothing which covers the chest, trunk and thighs. From 1st November to 31st April the clothing shall be either a wetsuit, steamer or drysuit which shall also cover the legs. Personal buoyancy shall be worn in accordance with bylaw 47, for persons over the age of 16 a harness is considered to be sufficient to meet this requirement.

71. Number not used.

72. When board sailing the numbered windsurfing vest, as issued to individual windsurfers on receipt of a deposit, must be worn so that the number is clearly visible from the rear. Any windsurfer on the water without such a vest, unless properly signed in as a guest, will be required to leave the water immediately and will be the subject of disciplinary action, which may involve suspension or expulsion from the Club. In the event of a windsurfing vest being lost the deposit will be forfeited. A new vest may only be obtained after a further vest deposit has been paid. A deposit not claimed within 12 months of a member resigning from the club is forfeit.

Last updated: October 2018

Last updated 11:17 on 4 February 2024

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