Measurement certificates can cause a bit of controversy; what are they for? Why do I need to keep updating it? Why is it important? Why do I need to pay for a new one if the boat already has one?

There are many questions that come up when we talk measurement certificates and that is very understandable. It is easy to feel that this is a paperwork exercise of no real importance but the reality is different. I want to firstly talk about these and then how you can get one.

1. To obtain an measurement certificate for the first time a National Redwing needs to meet many criteria, while we know our fleet very well this provides a good starting point so that we know, all measured boats were at least correct following their build.
2. If any significant work is carried out on a boat it then must be re-measured, this ensures that the boat is still class legal so that racing is fair for all.
3. Many of our boats are older now and just as we track the history of older vehicles to see how it has spent its life, registering each owner with the RYA is like sending your cars V5 off to the DVLA. Sometime along the line we stand a chance of tracking the history of our boats.
4. Having a valid measurement certificate could help if you are selling your boat – it assured the potential buyer that they are buying a boat that they will be able to compete in race legally in the future because they know it will measure.

Now all of these benefits rely upon honesty and sportsmanship just as much of our sport it. We need to self-police the re-measuring of boats that have had significant work completed and actually apply for up to date certificates when the details have changed to gain the rewards of the administration that the RYA is doing to support our class.

So… how can you get one??

There are two routes here, if your boat has had a measurement certificate before and there have been no significant changes since it was last measured a simple online form is all you need. If there have been significant changes or your Redwing has not had a certificate before then it will need to be measured. All of the information you need is here on the RYA website but if you are in doubt the technical team are very helpful and can be contacted at technical@rya.org.uk.

If, like nearly all of our boats, it has had a certificate before simply get on to the RYA website here to the measurement hub and select ‘Apply for Dinghy Measurement Certificates Online’ and follow the prompts. The RYA have a really comprehensive guide to doing this with pictures here.

If your boat has not had a measurement certificate before then you will need to contact the RYA technical team to seek support. The process is still simple but is more time consuming. Your boat will need to be fully measured by an RYA measurer, they complete a form and send it to the RYA Technical department. It may be that the boat was measured but the paperwork was never sent off in which case it is possible that you could use that measurement information as long as there have been no significant changes since. Here is a quote directly from their website:

“In order to issue a measurement certificate to a boat, the RYA will require a fully completed measurement form together with a building fee receipt/sail number allocation, and a plaque number (if applicable – some classes do not require this – check the class rules) and the appropriate certification fee (detailed below). The RYA will also require details of the owner’s name, address and the club that they sail at, and, if appropriate, the name of the boat. Some classes operate a “unique boat name” and therefore a choice of three names will be required. Upon receipt of all the documentation and fee, provided that all is in order, a measurement certificate will be issued. This measurement certificate will be valid provided no alterations are made to it. If the boat is sold, a new measurement certificate will be required in the new owners name. If any of the details regarding the boat change; for example, the boat is reweighed and a different weight is recorded, then a new measurement certificate will be required.”

Once you have been through the process you will receive a measurement certificate like the one above which you should sign and bring to Class events. Now that the RYA has pointed out the number of boats that did not have a valid certificate at last years Nationals we appreciate that we need to be stricter with this. By far the easiest way for measurement certification to be monitored is for the certificate to be shown as proof during registration for class events.