MCSA Policies
Updated: 01/2024
A. General Information Regarding the Administration of the Association and Responsibilities of the Membership
1. Communication
The Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association (the Association) utilizes a listserv as its official means of communication. Each team is required to have at least one member that is registered on the listserv. The use of this listserv must be consistent with the purposes of communication, coordination, and administration of the Association and the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA). The listserv is public and users should follow the Rules and Guidelines described on the ICSA Mailing List homepage. Proper use of the listserv respects an individual's right to freedom from intimidation, harassment, and annoyances.
Should instances of improper use come to their attention, the Conference Commissioner will investigate. The Executive Board may take appropriate corrective action to prevent further occurrences.
2. Conduct of Individuals
Each Member school shall be held responsible for the conduct of its individual members while representing their organization during any MCSA or team sanctioned events. If any harassment is reported to the MCSA conference commissioner or executive board, the team and/or individuals involved will be suspended from competition while an appointed committee or university investigation is conducted. The suspension is not to exceed twenty-eight (28) days in length, at which point a final decision must be made or the suspension be lifted until a final decision is rendered.
3. Financial
Members of the Association will be billed in advance of each season. Spring dues must be paid by April 1 and fall dues must be paid by October 1. Each member team will be assessed an amount of $300 annually for MCSA dues; additional dues will be collected from each team to cover ICSA membership dues based on membership level. An officer will notify a Member of the Association of any fines at the time of infraction. The fine will be billed by the Treasurer as soon as notification is received, payment of the fine must be made in 30 days from the invoice date (net 30) to the association. Questions regarding fines may be directed to an officer of the Association.
A Member’s racing schedule may be suspended at any time if it fails to meet the financial obligations to the Association. Members that do not participate for one calendar year and have not met their financial obligations to the Association may be terminated from membership.
A Member school that fails to meet its financial obligations prior to the Annual Meeting will forfeit the right to schedule events for the following year.
All payments are to be either mailed to the Treasurer with checks made out to the “Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association, Inc.” or paid via the official treasury online platform. Any other method of payment, or payment to a different officer, may be returned.
The Association may loan Members money for the purchase of boats and/or sails. The amount to be loaned shall be fifty percent (50%) of the cost up to a maximum of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for Members with fewer than six racing boats. The loan is to be paid back in four equal payments plus interest at the rate of one percent (1%) over the prime interest rate within two years. Loan applications may be obtained from the Treasurer and must be approved by both the Member’s faculty advisor and the Executive Board.
4. Annual and Mid-Year Reports
Each Member of the Association is required to submit an annual report (due January 15) and a Mid-Year report (due September 1) each calendar year. Annual and Mid-Year Reports shall include postal mail address, email address, and phone numbers (and other information as requested by the Executive Board) of the organization, team advisors, and team officers.
5. Required Publications
Each member of the Association is required to be aware of the Association By-Laws and Policy. Online copies will be kept current with policy changes. Members will be notified when these updates occur.
The Association shall maintain an internet website located at https://mcsa.collegesailing.org/.
The Tell Tale is the official newsletter of the Association and is posted on the website.
6. Midwinter Session
The Annual Meeting of the Association is to be held on a Saturday prior to February 15. Each member is required to send two authorized representatives to the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting may occur virtually or in person. If in person, a request for host schools shall be initiated by the executive board. Potential host schools shall submit a bid including relevant details such as total cost, location, housing provisions, and a schedule of events. Upon approval by the Executive Board, the host school shall be reimbursed for expenses up to the total cost in their initial bid. The host school shall submit a written report of the activities, planning, and complete financial report to the Conference Commissioner and Treasurer. A Notice of Meeting shall be posted on the Association website within fourteen days of the approval from the Executive Board. The notice shall contain:
The date, time, and address of the meeting
Cost, email address, phone number, and the deadline for registration with the host school and commercial housing provider (if applicable)
A tentative schedule of events. Information pertaining to bids will be available on the Association website
The Agenda for the Annual Meeting shall be:
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of Minutes
4. Treasurer’s Report, to include:
a. Executive Summary
b. Income Statement with prior 2 years comparison
c. Profit and Loss Statement
d. Transactional (ledgers) Report for the prior financial year
e. Conclusions (as necessary)
5. Proposals from the Executive Board
a. Approval of New Members
b. Advancement of Members
c. Termination of Members
d. Appointment of individuals to the board
e. Confirmation of ICSA Representatives
f. Unreimbursed Expenses for Graduate Officers
g. Dues Increases
6. Proposals from the Floor
7. Election of Officers
8. Installation of New Commodore
a. Approval of Life Membership for outgoing Commodore
b. Transferring of the Commodore’s Plaque
c. Announcement of Transition Board Meeting
9. Adjournment
Proposals from the floor must be presented in writing to the Conference Commissioner. The Annual Meeting shall authorize the disbursement of two hundred dollars ($200) to the Conference Commissioner, and one hundred fifty dollars ($150) to the Treasurer and to the Interconference Coordinator for unreimbursed expenses.
The Scheduling Meeting shall be held after the Annual Meeting. Representatives will finalize the tentative schedule and determine which events require the trailing of boats.
7. Regatta Scheduling
Scheduling for all in-conference regattas:
Scheduling will take place by Members signing up for one regatta at a time. Each host school will automatically be scheduled for their own regattas.
Members signing up for a regatta after all provided boats have been taken must bring their own boat for the regatta (if available) or place their name on the waiting list.
When teams withdraw from a regatta, all teams below them will move up one spot on the list.
Members wishing to sign up for regattas after the scheduling meeting must contact the MCSA Race Chairperson to request a berth and shall be placed at the bottom of the waiting list for those events.
Prior to scheduling, the regatta chair will provide a schedule of events for the coming year with each event classified as an “A” or “B” level event
The order in which Members sign up will be determined based on the following performance and participation scale based on performance at events:
Selection will take place in a tiered draft order such that the first 3 teams select, then the first 6, then the first 9, then the first 12, then the first 16, and continuing to increase by 4 teams each round until all teams are selecting in the same round. The order will then decrement, removing the top teams first, decrementing by 5 each round. Such that all but the top 5 teams will select, then all but the top 10 teams, and so on, until all teams are removed. If there are still berths available after this, then teams will select in a straight draft order (1 to last team) continuing this order until all events are drafted or teams no longer desire to select additional events.
The example order for 28 teams would be as follows:
Round 1: Teams 1-3
Round 2: Teams 1-6
Round 3: Teams 1-9
Round 4: Teams 1-12
Round 5: Teams 1-16
Round 6: Teams 1-20
Round 7: Teams 1-24
Round 8: Teams 1-28
Round 9: Teams 6-28
Round 10: Teams 11-28
Round 11: Teams 16-28
Round 12: Teams 21-28
Round 13: Teams 26-28
Rounds 14+: Teams 1-28
Teams will be ranked based on a cumulative score, calculated as follows:
Teams will submit 5 event finishes (of their choosing) from the prior two (2) semesters of sailing
For each event, a team’s score will be calculated by:
[# of boats beat]*[Classification score]/(size of fleet)
Classification scores will be as follows:
“A-Level” events shall have a classification score of 1
“B-Level” events shall have a classification score of 0.7
Regional events shall have a classification score of 2
Cross-Regional events shall have a classification score of 3
Each team’s total score will be the sum of their event scores from each of the 5 events they submit. If a team submits fewer than 5 events, they shall receive a score of 0 for each of the 5 events they do not submit.
The teams will then be ordered, from highest to lowest, based on their total score calculated from the 5 events. If there is a tie (to the hundredth’s place) in total score, the tied teams shall be ordered based on their finishing position in the most recent sailed MCSA co-ed championship. If any teams did not participate in the championship, the Conference Commissioner may order them as they see equitable.
Teams that withdraw from an event within the 2-week deadline, but before the 24-hour deadline, shall move down 1 place in the draft order. Teams withdrawings before noon the day before racing begins (no show, 24 hour deadline), shall move down 3 places in the draft order. Any team that departs an event prior to event completion will be marked as having failed to attend (no-show). Penalties will be first applied to the highest ordered teams then progressing down, in order.
Teams will be limited to selecting 2 berths, for any single event, through the selection process, to ensure equal opportunity for all teams to attend. A team may acquire more than 2 berths for an event after the selection is completed if there are additional berths available or if they receive a berth from the waitlist.
All teams will be treated equally regardless of using provided or towed boats.
If a team is to tow for another team and fails to bring the requisite number of boats, the towing team shall be penalized for the appropriate number of order positions for each boat not towed.
8. Association Championships
All Association Championships are open to all Members of the Association. For qualifying events, only Regional and Cross-regional members may advance to National Semifinals or National Championships (per ICSA PR 11.b).
A graduate member of the executive board shall keep custody of all Association championship trophies and awards requiring engraving on an annual basis.
For the MCSA Sloop Championship, ICSA Procedural Rule 18 (c) (ii) is modified to include a time limit of twenty minutes for the first boat to make the first mark, sixty minutes to the finish, and ninety minutes for all boats to finish. Each boat after ninety minutes is to be awarded an average (rounded off) of the remaining positions.
In order to qualify for an ICSA National Championship berth, a team must finish in a qualifying position at the respective MCSA championship regatta. For spring championships (Women’s fleet race, Co-ed fleet race, and Team Race), a team that qualifies must also have attended a minimum number of MCSA or ICSA-sponsored events in that classification within the previous fall season and current spring season. The minimum threshold is four (4) regattas for co-ed fleet race, and two (2) regattas for women’s fleet race and team race each. If a team finishes in a qualifying position but does not fulfill the minimum event threshold, the berth will be forfeited to the ICSA. The conditions for each of the ICSA National Championships can be found on the ICSA website.
For each of the following championships: MCSA Womens Team Race Championship, MCSA Open Team Race Championship, and the MCSA Match Race Championship a Member school that attends, will be billed an umpiring surcharge of $50 per team during the subsequent billing cycle. At the discretion of the Conference Commissioner this charge may be waived.
9. Area East and Area West Boundary
The East and West Areas shall be determined by the North-South line that represents the state borders between Illinois and Indiana, and as that line extends North and South for the duration of the conference.
10. Championship Regatta Bids
Teams will be encouraged to submit to the MCSA Executive Board one week prior to the last Board meeting of the Fall. The Executive Board will attempt to award the bids such that each area will receive at least two of the six championships.
11. Out of Conference Regattas
Association Members are to contact the MCSA Interconference Coordinator with all questions regarding out-of-conference regatta participation. In the event of an emergency, when the MCSA Interconference Coordinator cannot be reached, the Conference Commissioner should be contacted.
Within two (2) weeks of the completion of the final MCSA event in the season, the MCSA interconference coordinator shall distribute a list of out-of-conference events for the next season. They shall also schedule a date for the selection process to take place, no later than four (4) weeks from the distribution of the list by the MCSA interconference coordinator.
Regional and Cross-regional events shall be scheduled separately and independently of results from the other.
The order for selection will be based on the total event finishing score of the highest place berth from a school at the following events:
Selection for Fall out of conference events shall be based on the spring MCSA co-ed championship and Women’s Championship
Selection for spring out-of-conference events shall be based on the fall MCSA regional and cross-regional events.
The finishing score for each event shall be [# of boats beat]/[size of fleet]
*If a team is not in attendance at any of the events, they shall receive a zero for that event
**If there is a tie in the calculation, the tied team will be ordered by their finishing position in the last sailed MCSA co-ed championship
Teams shall be ordered based on their total event finishing scores from the events listed. The selection shall take place as a straight draft, starting with the top 2 ordered teams, increasing by 1 team each round.
For example, Round 1 will be teams 1-2, Round 2 will be teams 1-3, Round 3 will be teams 1-4, and so on.
For each interconference event that a Member school attends, ICSA interconference fees will be in effect according to the ICSA Billing Policy, and shall be billed in the subsequent billing cycle to the Member school.
12. Perpetual Trophies
The Executive Board must approve all perpetual trophy regattas before they can be sanctioned or scheduled. No perpetual trophy regatta will be sanctioned without the host school’s agreement to maintain the trophy in a specific designated location and presentable condition.
13. Afterguard
All individual Association sailors become Afterguard members when they have exceeded the limits of their eligibility for collegiate sailing competition. Those members of the Afterguard who keep their address current with the Conference Commissioner, or other designated individual, will be kept informed of Association and Afterguard activities.
Upon completion of their eligibility, or anytime thereafter, former college sailors are encouraged to sign up for the ICSA Afterguard List (see ICSA website for instructions). Association Members will contact Afterguard members in their area for possible assistance in coaching, running regattas, and other kinds of service.
14. Member Training Requirements
All members of the association shall be required to stay current on the ICSA Safety Handbook as well as the ICSA's Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) policies and training. It is also recommended that on an annual basis all member executive/leadership team persons (including coaches, captains, student leaders) take the US Sailing Safe Sport training and the CDC Heads Up Concussion training.
15. Special Funding Requests
The Executive Board shall reserve a portion of funds on an annual basis to be allocated towards special funding requests. A special funding request can be submitted by any MCSA member as well as the Executive Board itself. It shall include context, details as to the request amount, how it supports the mission of the MCSA and a complete budget. The board shall designate an annual budget for these requests and approve or deny funding requests on a first-come first-serve basis.
16. Amendments
Amendments to the MCSA policy must be approved by a majority vote of the MCSA executive board. Prior to any changes being voted on, the board must first hold a meeting, open to the conference, where conference members may ask questions and discuss the changes. The conference must be notified of the meeting at least 14 days prior to the meeting. Any changes that are approved by the board will be effective 30 days after approval.
B. Policies Regarding Events Sanctioned by the Association
1. Safety
The Association believes that safety is the primary concern of any event and will always support a regatta chairman, organizing authority, or host that postpones or cancels a regatta in the interest of safety.
Inherently buoyant personal flotation devices (U.S. Coast Guard certified Type III or Type V, or conforming to the appropriate governmental regulations of the country where the competing college is located) shall be worn by all competitors while on the water. PFDs shall be worn outside all clothing and foul weather gear, except for a pinny or Team Uniform.
2. Rules
All events shall adhere to The Racing Rules of Sailing, the Procedural Rules of the ICSA, and this Association Policy Handbook.
3. Registration and Eligibility
All individuals must register with the ICSA Individual Directory and receive approval from their Team Administrator BEFORE sailing in any sanctioned events.
If an individual transfers to another school, has not competed for more than a calendar year or has changed their surname, the Conference Commissioner must be notified as soon as possible and this individual is required to update their information on the ICSA Individual Directory.
The ICSA Eligibility Case Book and Guide are used to interpret the eligibility rules including amateurism. Any challenges to an individual’s eligibility should be reduced to writing and sent to the Conference Commissioner. The Conference Commissioner will investigate the matter and make a ruling. If desired, the ruling may be appealed to the ICSA Eligibility Committee.
Each team must also submit to the conference commissioner two declarations of adherence, signed by the University president or a designee, at least seven (7) days prior to their first event of the season. The first declaration will be provided by the ICSA to certify eligibility per ICSA PR A5. The second, by the MCSA to certify all team members have completed anti-racism and anti-sexual assault training in accordance with the University acceptance.
4. Fees
Host schools may charge each team a sailor’s fee for two-day events. This may be up to $5 per person, or up to $10 per person if food is to be provided. If $10 is charged, the host school must provide breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, as well as lunch on Saturday. The sailors’ fee may be higher for three-day events or events hosted by yacht clubs, subject to approval from the MCSA Commissioner. Host schools may choose not to charge an entry fee.
5. Housing
Host schools are not required to provide housing for teams, though it is encouraged. Any housing must be coordinated between visiting schools and the host school individually.
6. Record of Participation
All Record of Participation (RP) information shall be entered on Techscore. Members are required to enter their own RP information for each regatta they attend. Failure to do so shall result in a team being penalized according to ICSA PR 33.
7. Event Entrance, Cancellations, and No-Shows
Teams listed in the current year’s regatta schedule are officially entered in each of the events for which they are listed.
To withdraw from an event, a team shall notify the host school and the MCSA Race Chairman by 12 noon on the Friday two weeks before the event begins. Teams withdrawing from an event after the two-week deadline has passed shall be fined seventy-five dollars ($75) for each fleet race event and one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) for each team race event. After the two-week withdrawal deadline for an event has passed, the MCSA Race Chairman shall attempt to contact the teams on the wait list in order, after verifying the number of open berths with the Host School.
Teams that withdraw from an event within 24 hours (after 12 noon on the day before the first scheduled race) and teams that fail to attend shall be fined one hundred fifty dollars ($150) for fleet race events, two hundred and fifty dollars for team race ($250) and fifty dollars ($50) for singlehanded events. Per Policy A8, any team that leaves a regatta before it is completed will be marked as having failed to attend. These funds shall be used to distribute to the host school for sailor’s fees for four (4) sailors for fleet race events and six (6) sailors for team race events, and the Association shall retain the balance.
Teams that withdraw within two weeks of a conference championship or a regatta hosted by a yacht club shall be fined two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) and shall lose their first-round regatta selection the following year. The selection penalty will apply no more than twice.
Any regatta withdrawal penalties can be appealed to the conference commissioner, within two weeks of the end of the event, who can decide to uphold, partially waive, or fully waive any penalties.
8. Regatta Format
PR 22 shall not apply to Conference fleet race regattas (as defined in PR 9)
The format for Championship fleet races (as defined in PR 8) shall be a single round-robin. If there are fewer than 10 teams, additional races shall be scheduled in a second Round Robin so that each team sails 10 races in each Division (Changes PR 22).
PR 25 shall apply to Conference team races (as defined in PR 9). The following formats are suggested
1. One round-robin and final four, if possible
2. One round-robin + Final four double round-robin + Consolation round-robin
3. Three round robins
The format for Championship team race events shall be a maximum of three round robins. (Changes PR 25) Only completed round robins shall be included in the final standings. Races from incomplete Round-Robin shall be used to break ties. (PR 25(b)(2).
In-conference interconference regattas (as defined in PR 6) shall use PR 22 unless changed by the ICSA.
9. Competitors’ Meeting
The host school shall have a competitors’ meeting at the sailing site on the first morning of the event.
10. Regatta Schedule
All two-day events shall be held to the following schedule
Saturday
Report Time: 8:30am
Competitor’s Meeting: 9:00am
First Race Warning: No later than 9:30 am
Sunday
Report Time: 9:00am
First Race Warning: No later than 9:30 am
No A Division race shall be started on Sunday after 1:00 pm local time for regular events and 3:00 pm local time for Championship events. Sailing later than these deadlines requires agreement from all teams in attendance before 12:00 pm (noon) on Sunday.
11. Borrowed Crews
In the event that a team needs to borrow a crew from another school, the borrowed crew is subject to ICSA PR 14.c. No sailors may alternate between teams at any event.
12. Disqualification
Authority is given to the Conference Commissioner to disqualify any team from any race of the regatta in those cases where a violation of the ICSA Procedural Rules or MCSA Policy Handbook doesn’t become evident until examination of the regatta report. The Member in violation shall be sent a notice with the reasons stated. The corrected regatta results shall be sent to the Association listserv. Upon receiving notice of the disqualification(s) a team may send an appeal to the Commodore for review by the Executive Board.
13. Towed Boats
Members towing a boat may be protested and disqualified under ICSA Procedural Rule 22(b)(iii) if the towed boat does not suitably match the condition of the host school’s boats.
If an emergency causes a Member who towed a boat to leave early, teams having the towed boat shall be scored as with a BYE for those races in which they are assigned the towed boat which has been removed from the rotation.
The host school should inspect all towed boats before the first race to determine if they can be used in the event. If a towed boat breaks down during an event, the host school is expected to repair it. If the host school uses parts to repair the boat during the event, it shall be reimbursed by the school that towed the damaged boat.
The host school is expected to provide a secure area where boats can be left at the regatta site during the event.
14. Liability Disclaimer
By participating in an event each competitor, volunteer, or any other attendee agrees to acknowledge that sailing is a potentially dangerous activity with inherent risks. These risks include strong winds and rough seas, sudden changes in weather, failure of equipment, boat handling errors, poor seamanship by other boats, loss of balance on an unstable platform, and fatigue resulting in an increased risk of injury. Inherent to the sport of sailing is the risk of permanent, catastrophic injury or death by drowning, trauma, hypothermia, or other causes.
For any given event, the race organizers (OA, Race Committee, Protest Committee, sponsors, or any other organization or official) do not accept any liability for material damage, personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta. By participating in an event, each competitor agrees to release the race organizers from any and all liability associated with such competitor's participation in this regatta to the fullest extent permitted by law.
C. Policies Regarding Regatta Hosts and Their Responsibilities
1. Notice of Race
Host schools shall prepare a Notice of Race (NOR) and sailing instructions using the format on the Association website. The sailing instructions and NOR must be sent to the MCSA Race Chairman a minimum of fifteen (15) days prior to the regatta registration at midwinters. Any amendments to the NOR (date and format included) after regatta selection, must be approved by the race chairman or conference commissioner.
2. Regatta Reports
Additional requirements beyond ICSA Procedural Rule 21 may be implemented by the Executive Board and will be found on the Association website. When necessary, the regatta chairperson will be contacted by the Conference Commissioner. All information required in the regatta report must be posted before the Wednesday following the event.
3. Regatta Officials
Host schools should invite at least three individuals who are active sailors to serve as a protest committee. For Association championships, district eliminations, and interconference regattas, at least two members must be US Sailing certified, one of whom must serve as the Chief Judge.
With the Limited Umpire system for team racing or match racing events, a minimum of two umpires must be US Sailing certified judges, one of whom must serve as Chief Umpire. Umpires and Judges at eligible team or match racing events shall be offered reimbursement by the MCSA for travel expenses up to $100.00 per event. Race Officers serving at any MCSA Championship shall also be offered reimbursement by the MCSA for travel expenses up to $100.00 per event. An MCSA reimbursement request must be submitted to the Treasurer within two weeks of the event to be eligible for reimbursement [form to be submitted located here]. Eligible team or match racing events are: MCSA Womens Team Race Championship, MCSA Open Team Race Championship, and the MCSA Match Race Championship.
The Conference Commissioner shall approve the sailing instructions, principal race officer, team racing umpires, and protest committee members for all Association Championships. The Conference Commissioner may appoint a representative from the Executive Board to represent the Association and to rule on all matters of Association policy.
4. Required Equipment
The host school shall provide the following equipment for the duration of each event
i- Certified PFDs for all race committee members and other regatta personnel on the water.
ii- One rescue boat (operated by two individuals with knowledge of how to pull a competitor from the water and how to right a capsized boat) is required for every six competing boats. Rescue boats may not be used as coach boats or signal boats.
iii- A suitable race committee signal boat. This boat shall be equipped with: boat anchor and line, marks with anchors and lines, whistle or other sound making device, recall flag, race score sheets from the Association website, and a communication device to shore.
iv- A suitable computer and printer at the event site to score the regatta using the Techscore program for fleet and team races or an excel spreadsheet for match racing events
v- Immediate access to the ICSA Individual Directory, ICSA Procedural Rules, the Association Black Book, the Racing Rules of Sailing and any issued regatta documents (Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions…).
5. Damage and Reimbursement Requests
To qualify for coverage, a boat must be inspected and approved as sound by an officer of the Association or an individual designated in advance by the MCSA Race Chairman. The following scale has been adopted which limits the coverage as indicated:
Wind Speed Coverage
0 – 14.9 mph 100%
15 – 19.9 mph 75%
20 – 24.9 mph 50%
25+ mph 0%
Coverage extends to parts and materials used by member teams in repairing their own boats that were damaged while racing. Racing is defined as the point of time between the preparatory signal for the first race of the day to the time when the boat finishes its last race of the day.
Coverage for non-member boats is limited to approval by the Treasurer. The Treasurer, with authorization from the Executive Board, may purchase borrowed boat insurance for non-BYO boat championship events in which privately owned boats are used.
A claim for damage reimbursement must be made to the MCSA Race Chairman within thirty days of the damage. The claim must include receipts for all parts and materials, the name of the individual that conducted the inspection prior to the event, the race committee’s determination of wind strength at the time of damage, and a detailed description of how the damage occurred. If some part of the claim cannot be completed within the thirty-day period, a request for an extension must be filed with the MCSA Race Chairman. All claims must be resolved by the Annual Meeting.
The MCSA Race Chairman may authorize reimbursements to host schools for the rental of a rescue boat, including the gas and oil to operate it, for a regatta to continue safely.