Below is what I have written as a response to fleets wanting Chapters and Insurance. Erie Arbo and Jay, take a look/see and let me know if you need any changes.
Thanks,
Rick
Here is how NAMSA Regatta Insurance works.
First of all, your fleet, club or organization must join as a Chapter Member of NAMSA for a yearly fee of $50. You will then be issued a Chapter Number. To have your organization join, go to the following URL:
Once a NAMSA Chapter Member, you are covered under our insurance for a yearly fee of $50. If the club itself is a Chapter Member then, as a member, it would benefit from this coverage ONLY WHEN OPERATING AS A NAMSA MEMBER. You can't run off and do your own thing and expect coverage.
For example, if the XYZ Chapter is a member, and solicits NAMSA to hold an event and is approved, then that event (a NAMSA event put on by a NAMSA Chapter Member -- XYZ Chapter) would be covered.
In some case, XYZ Chapter might have to supply a certificate of insurance naming the landowner as an additional insured. The fee for additional insured is $100 per year per each additional insured. XYZ Chapter may have to explain to the landowner that this is a NAMSA regatta hosted by your XYZ Chapter (as NAMSA Chapter Member) in case they don't understand why the certificate names NAMSA as the insured and XYZ Chapter.
If XYZ Chapter hosts a weekend race as part of your own event series, then it would not benefit from the coverage because it's not a NAMSA sanctioned event.
If XYZ Chapter is NOT itself a member of NAMSA (even if some individuals of that club were NAMSA members), XYZ Chapter events would not be covered (because the individuals are not hosting the regatta, i.e., it's not Darlene's Labor Day Regatta, it's y XYZ Chapter's Labor Day Regatta).
This essentially hinges on two things:
1) Being a NAMSA Chapter Member,
2) and the event being NAMSA sanctioned),
I would hope that the sanctioning body of NAMSA would be able to assist members in getting their events properly hosted by NAMSA.
Sanctioning
For a better understanding of sanctioning, please see the the following URL:
http:/
The Sanctioning Committee Chairman is Eric Arbogast, email: or you may contact the President, Rick White
Insurance:
* NAMSA insurance will cover personal injury or property damage related lawsuits brought against NAMSA, club members, employees, volunteers, event organizers, directors and the club/chapter. The cost is $50 per year.
If Additional Insured is required, there is an additional fee of $100 per year.
If the Event Organizer owns or leases the property of the event, the Event Organizer may need to acquire additional insurance.
* Each sailor must sign a release of liability in order to participate in any NAMSA event before the event starts. In that release each sailor must agree to be responsible for any and all damage caused to any person, boat or personal property as a result of racing activities both on shore and on the water.
Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Rick White, President
NAMSA
www.multihullsailing.org
I'd be interested in what response/questions we get.
Jay
I will copy you on any emails I send out and forward responses, OK?
Rick
Sounds good. See my next post...
J
Hi Rick,
Is this insurance policy good for Canada as well?
Thanks,
Dave
I believe Jay can answer that question. Also, Jay, I had an inquiry from Dave Ingram and referred him to you. He wanted more details.
thanks,
Rick
Rick,
I spoke to Dave regarding his fleet's insurance program. Looks like they've got exposures that wouldn't fit our coverage (liquor liability, non-NAMSA sanctioned events, RC boat, etc.), and they are incorporated. They will be better served insuring themselves (for $700 per year) to get all their events covered, not just NAMSA sanctioned races.
I gave them some bullet points to discuss at their next meeting to settle the "opinions" of some of the old-school folk that think they don't need any insurance at all.
Jeeze, and all this time I've been wasting money on auto insurance not knowing I didn't need it!...
Jay
Hmmmm! When we bought the house we are in now and did not have to finance it, we decided to self insure and save tons of money. Heck! The house has been here since the 40's and must be able to withstand hurricanes.
Might have the new porch ripped off, but it would be cheaper to pay for it myself than have insurance pay for it.
We were zapped twice in one year at Ricks Place and had over $125,000 in damage and the insurance ducked all of it.
The good part was we got an SBA Loan at 4% that saved the day.
Rick
You can send a private message on this Forum. Just click on his User name in this thread and then click on Send Private Message.
Rick
Thanks, Rick. I think I've made contact with him.
Jay
For those interested, I checked the policy this weekend, and the coverage appears to be worldwide. As I mentioned to Dave in my response, I would presume that this means Canada, too!
Hope it helps!
Jay
Nice to know
Rick