These sailing instructions apply to all yachts (dinghies & cruisers) except where specified, for Club (i.e. closed) events for which no other Sailing Instructions have been issued.
1. RULES
Racing will take place under the current Racing Rules for Sailing (RRS), the prescriptions of the RYA, the Notice of Race, the appropriate class rules and these Sailing Instructions.
In the event of a conflict with the Notice of Race these Sailing Instructions shall take
Precedence
2. ENTRIES
2.1 Conditions of Entry
The safety of a yacht and her entire management including insurance to the value of £3,000,000 shall be the sole responsibility of the owner/competitor racing the yacht who must ensure that the yacht and her crew are adequate to face the conditions that may arise in the course of a race. Neither the establishment of these sailing instructions nor the inspection of the yacht if required by the SSIs or NoR in any way limits or reduces the absolute responsibility of the owner/competitor for the crew, the yacht and the management thereof. The race organisers shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury howsoever caused to the owner/competitor, skipper or crew, as a result of their taking part in the race or races; moreover, every owner/competitor warrants the suitability of the yacht for the race or races. The RFYC accepts no responsibility whatsoever for loss, damage, death or injury caused by the action or omission of any person involved in the organisation, management or conduct of a race or its associated rescue and recovery facilities; by the act of entering a race, whether or not an entry form is completed or the helm ‘signs on’, competitors are deemed to have accepted these conditions. The RFYC may or may not provide a rescue boat but whether such a boat is provided or not, the RFYC accepts no responsibility for its effectiveness. While the Race Officer has the power to cancel a race if conditions are considered to be unsuitable he has no absolute duty to do so, neither is it accepted that such a decision is part of his ‘duty of care’. The decision whether or not to take part in an event rests entirely with the competitor. Young persons taking part in Club events remain the responsibility of their parents. The Race Officer is not responsible for deciding whether or not a young person should be on the water .
2.2 Constitution of a Race
Dinghies. One or more starters shall constitute a “Trophy” race unless otherwise specified for a particular trophy. If only one starter enters a Series (eg a ‘points’ series such as the Spring Points) Race, points shall be awarded for first place provided the competitor starts correctly and the starting line is crossed within the time limit. For a “Trophy” race the course must be completed ie the yacht must cross the finishing line after the Shorten Course signal has been made or after the stated number of laps has been completed. If the competitor starts correctly but does not finish, the trophy shall not be awarded and the event will be re-sailed.
Cruisers. In the case of a single entry for a Cruiser Round The Buoys race, the yacht will be deemed to have started if, at the scheduled time of the start, she is in the vicinity of the Landfall Buoy. In this circumstance she will be awarded points for first place.
2.3 Signing On
Dinghies. Competitors shall “sign on” before each race at the veranda notice board. Cruisers. For Club races for which no other sailing instructions have been issued competitors shall “sign on” before each race at the veranda notice board. Exceptionally competitors shall communicate their intention to enter to the Committee Boat by hail or radio. In the absence of a Committee Boat communication with the race box should be attempted on Ch37 (M1). Where other SIs or SSIs have been issued for an event they shall override these SIs.
2.4 Personal Buoyancy
Dinghies. Competitors shall wear adequate personal buoyancy at all times whilst afloat. Wet/Dry suits are not considered to be adequate personal buoyancy. Inflatable life jackets/ buoyancy aids should be at least partially inflated unless fitted with built-in buoyancy or an automatic inflation device. This replaces Rule 1.2.
Cruisers. The wearing of life jackets/personal buoyancy shall be the sole responsibility of individual owners/competitors and their respective crews iaw Rule 1.2 Rule 40 is therefore superfluous and does not apply.
2.5 Passage Races
Cruisers. All yachts entering a Club Passage Race must comply with “ORC Special Regulations governing offshore racing for Monohulls and Multihulls - Race Category 4”. Dinghies/Day Boats. All entrants must carry suitable anchor and warp and/or chain, lifejackets for each crew member, flares - minimum 2 hand-held red and 2 orange smoke ; bucket/bailer, compass and chart of sailing area in a waterproof case, waterproof torch and an alternative means of propulsion. Craft are also advised to carry a hand-held VHF radio or a mobile phone and an outboard motor. This rule is waived for events to and from the Old Bar.
2.6 Measurement and Rating Certificates
Yachts racing as a particular class must comply with the class rules. Yachts claiming a particular rating are to have a valid rating certificate. Yachts which do not comply with their class rules or do not have a valid rating certificate are to inform the Sailing Committee through a Club official. Provided safety is not compromised, yachts which do not comply with class rules will normally be allowed to race. In these circumstances an ad hoc handicap may be allocated.
2.7 Handicaps
Dinghies. The Portsmouth Yardstick system will be used. Portsmouth Numbers (PN) are as published in the current edition of the RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Book (YR2), but may be modified at the discretion of the Race Convener in accordance with the provisions of YR2. Cruisers. CYCA handicaps are used. Yachts without a valid CYCA certificate will have a handicap allocated by the Sailing Committee.
Handicap Systems. The average lap system (‘Alternative Handicap’) will normally be used. Certain specified events may be run using a modified version of the Portsmouth Yardstick system or without handicap. The system in use will be stated on the day of race in a Notice to Competitors.
3. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
Dinghies. Notices will be posted on the blackboard below the Race Box or on the blackboard on the Committee Boat.
Cruisers. Notices will be posted on the blackboard on the Committee Boat. Owners are advised to check the notice board on the veranda before going afloat. Flag L flown from the race box mast indicates that a notice has been posted.
4. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Any changes to these instructions and any notice to postpone a trophy race will be notified in accordance with the RRS - Flag ‘L’ flown from the Race Box or Committee Boat will denote a change to the sailing instructions. The change shall be posted on the blackboard under the Race Box or on the committee boat.
5. SIGNALS
Dinghies. Signals will be made from the Race Box or Committee Boat, as indicated on the blackboard below the Race Box.
Cruisers. Signals made via VHF radio will be broadcast on Ch 37 (M1). (Some events will use Ch72 when specified in the SI). A yacht shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all yachts.
6. STARTING TIMES
The starting time for each race is indicated in the Club Handbook.
7. CLASS FLAGS
National 18 Class Flag R
Dinghies - All Classes Flag D (‘Dinghies’)
Dinghies - Fast H’Cap Flag F (‘Fast’)
Dinghies - Slow H’cap Flag Q (‘in the Queue’)
Cruisers - All Classes Flag T (‘Tonnage Class’)
8. THE COURSE
Dinghies. The course area will usually be within the Bay unless annotated (F) in the Club Diary, which indicates that racing will take place in the Firth. Bay Area. The course to be sailed will be detailed on the Notice Board. In the majority of cases the starting line will be a line between the club race box and a mark. On some occasions a committee boat may be used and the race area may be some distance into the bay. Competitors should allow sufficient time to get to the start. Some events may be sailed in the channel and in the vicinity of the Bar buoys and Bremner’s Gut.
Cruisers and Firth Area Courses. The course to be sailed will be specified for individual events by blackboard or course card. These may be varied by supplementary sailing instructions for a particular event. The course letter/number will be displayed at the Committee Boat. Standard Courses are given at the end of this section.
9. MARKS
Course marks are RFYC racing marks unless otherwise specified. These may be fixed marks (see map later in this section) or temporary inflatable marks.
11
10 STARTING PROCEDURE
10.1 Dinghies
The 3-2-1-Go system will be used. This changes Rule 26.
10.2 Cruisers
The 3-2-1-Go system will be used with an additional Warning Signal given ten minutes before the start. This changes Rule 26. When classes are starting in sequence, the starting signal for the preceding class shall be the warning signal for the subsequent class.
10.3 Summary.
SIGNAL FLAG & SOUND TIME
Warning Class Flag / 1 Sound Dinghies: Start minus 3
Cruisers: Start minus 10
Additional sound signal for cruisers: Start minus 3
Preparatory P or I or Z or Z with I or Black Flag / 1 Sound Start minus 2 One Minute Preparatory flag (above) removed / 1 Sound Start minus 1 Start Class flag removed / 1 Sound 0 Note 1. A series of sound signals may be used to indicate that the start sequence is about to begin.
Note 2. Timings are to be taken from the sound signal. If a sound signal fails, timings are
to be taken from the previous (or next) sound signal
10.4 Starting Without Flags.
In some circumstances it may be more convenient to start a race without flag signals. On these occasions the procedure will be as follows:
Alert (optional): a series of short blasts
Warning: three short blasts Start minus 3
Preparatory: two short blasts Start minus 2
One minute: one long blast Start minus 1
Start: one short blast Start
Recalls: one or two blasts iaw RRS 29 plus hail when practicable
10.5 Time Limit.
A yacht must start within twenty minutes of its starting signal.
11. STARTING LINE
The starting line shall be indicated on the blackboard. For a Committee Boat start, the starting line shall be formed between the mast displaying an orange flag and the outer starting line mark. If an orange flag is not available the mainmast of the committee boat is the relevant mark.
12. RECALLS
Individual Recall. Individual recalls will be signalled in accordance with RRS 29.1 (Display Code Flag ‘X’, one sound).
General Recall. General recalls will be signalled in accordance with RRS 29.2 (display Code Flag ‘1stSubstitute’, 2 sounds). The warning signal for the recalled class shall be made one minute after the first substitute is removed (one sound) and the starts for the succeeding classes shall follow the new start.
13 SHORTENING COURSE
13.1 Alternative Handicap Not In Use.
Shortening course procedure shall be in accordance with RRS 32. When Flag ‘S’ is flown at the Race Box the finishing line shall be at the end of the round still to be completed by the leading yacht. When Flag ‘S’ is flown at a Committee Boat or a Mark Boat, the finishing line shall be between the Committee Boat mast or the Mark Boat and the nearest mark which may be a Mark of the Course or one laid for the purpose of establishing a finishing line. When Flag ‘S’ is flown over a Class Flag, only the race for that Class is shortened. When Flag ‘S’ is flown alone, races for all classes are shortened.
13.2 Alternative Handicap In Use.
When the Alternative Handicap system is in use Flag ‘S’ and two sound signals shall be made as the first yacht to finish approaches the finishing line. The remaining yachts shall finish when they next cross the finishing line. See para 19 for the full procedure.
14. FINISHING LINE
14.1 Committee Boat.
The Finishing Line shall be between the mainmast mast of the Committee Boat and a nearby mark.
14.2 Race Box.
The finishing line shall be between the indicator board on the front of the race box and a mark specified on the course board.
15. TIME LIMIT
The time limit shall be 2 hours from the actual start of each class except for passage races. One yacht finishing within the prescribed time limit shall make the race valid for all other yachts in that race subject to an extension of 30 minutes, which may be further extended at the discretion of the Race Officer. A yacht not finishing within the extended time limit will be scored DNF. This changes Rule 35. See also 19 Alternative Handicap. When one or more yachts will take an unreasonably long time to finish, for example due to adverse tide, the RO may take such action as is reasonable to allocate the slow boats a finishing position based on their position on the water, rather than wait until the time limit has expired.
16 DECLARATIONS
16.1 Dinghies.
Competitors shall sign the declaration sheet at the notice board within one hour of the last yacht finishing the last race of the day. Competitors retiring from any race shall enter this fact on the sheet. Failure to sign off properly will result in disqualification.
16.2 Cruisers.
Competitors are not required to sign off or make a Declaration unless required to do so in the supplementary sailing instructions for the event.
17. PROTESTS
A yacht that intends to protest shall indicate this to the Race Officer before leaving the race area. Protests shall be written on forms available at the race box or on plain paper and shall be lodged with the Race Officer or Sailing Secretary in accordance with RRS Part 5. The time and place of protest hearings will be posted on the veranda notice board. The time limit for receipt of a written protest is 24 hrs. A Request for Redress must be lodged verbally as soon as practicable and in writing within 24hrs of the action or omission of the Race Committee or Protest Committee occasioning the request for redress.
18. SCORING
For Club series races the low point scoring system described in Rule A4.1 will apply. Rule A4.2 will be altered in that boats registered as DNC, DNS, DNF, RET or DSQ will be scored points for the finishing place one more than the number of boats starting the race. The number of races to count in a series is indicated in ‘Notes on the Sailing Programme’ which precedes the sailing program and duties table in this handbook.
19. ALTERNATIVE (AVERAGE LAP) HANDICAP SYSTEM.
Because of the large differences in performance of the Club’s fleet, there are advantages in using the Alternative Handicap System. This is the Club’s default system although ROs have authority to do otherwise. The system differs from the classic system in the following respects:
a. The number of laps is not specified.
b. Yachts do not necessarily all sail the same number of laps.
The procedure is as follows:
c. Before the race, the fact that alternative handicap is being used is notified to the competitors.
d. The race is started in the normal way.
e. At the expiry of a suitable time period the intention to finish the race is signalled by making two sound signals and hoisting Flag S as the first boat to be finished approaches the finishing line.
f. After this signal each yacht finishes in the usual way.
Note: the faster yachts will have to sail the remainder of the lap they are on and may finish after the slower yachts.
g. The finishing times are noted and the corrected times are calculated according to a formula which takes account of the different number of laps sailed.
h. If the wind dies on the last lap and the race becomes unfair or some yachts are unable to finish within the time limit the RO may elect to use the times at the end of the previous lap to establish a finishing order. This changes Rule A3.
20. HANDICAP FORMULAE
20.1 Dinghy Races.
Using a calculator perform the steps indicated:
Elapsed time x 1000 x no of laps sailed by fastest boat ÷ PN ÷ Number of laps completed
by this boat = Corrected time
20.2 Cruiser Races.
First calculate the TCF as follows :
TCF = (60-CYCA) ÷ 60
Then:
Elapsed time x TCF x laps sailed by fastest boat ÷ laps sailed by this boat = Corrected time
Prizegiving 2011
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