Navigating the Code – Boat Sales

The Sailor Classification Code exists as a service to provide Events and Classes with an international system of classification for sailors. Under the Code, sailors are classified as either Group 1 (amateur) or Group 3 (professional).

For Events and Classes seeking to either limit the influence of Group 3 sailors, or striving to recognize teams with all Group 1 sailors, the Sailor Classification Code is the system that is used. However, due to the wide range of jobs within the marine industry, the skills of Group 3 sailors is equally broad.

While Hall of Famers John Kostecki and Paul Cayard are clearly impactful professionals, and get paid well for their crewing services, those in the boat sales field can also get snared in the same Group 3 net, regardless if they are paid while crewing or not.

Boat Sales (Builders, Dealers and Brokers)
Here are some of the pitfalls and sand traps that can land someone into the Group 3 classification:

An employee or owner of a company whose sales include boats that race never races with the clients. Is he Group 1?
Yes, he is Group 1.

Is an employee or owner of a company that only sells boats that do not race Group 1?
Yes.

A sailor has paid work that includes selling boats that race and races with the customers. Is he Group 3?
Yes.

A broker sells a boat to a client and races on her for many years. Does he remain Group 3 throughout?
No, he is Group 3 for the first 24 months as his paid work in this period has included supplying a boat that he then raced on. [Code 22.2.2(c)]
He must then go through the timeout period before becoming Group 1. This is 24 months and will date from his last race in the initial 24 month period. If he sells another boat and races on it he must go through the whole cycle again.

However, if the boat sold and on which he races is being used to market, demonstrate or in any other way influence the purchase of a boat by other customers (whether or not he then races with them) he remains Group 3 as Code 22.2.2(b) applies.

An employee or owner of a company that sells boats races on a boat that is owned by that company. Is he Group 1?
No, he is Group 3.

A sailor owns a boat that is built by the company he works for and races on it. Is he Group 1?
No, he is Group 3.

A sailor works for a dealer and owns and races a boat sold by the dealer. Is he Group 3?
Yes.

Classification Code – Frequently Asked Questions