2008 N.C.S.C. SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1. RULES

1.1 All club sailing will be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS).

      The principles and practices of the RYA Racing Charter.

1.2 The UKWA National Rules will apply for windsurfers.

2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to competitors will be posted on the notice board outside the Race Office.

3. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted on the notice board outside the Race Office before 10.00 on the day it will take effect.

4. SCHEDULE OF RACES

The schedule of races and number of races to qualify for a series will be published in the Handbook and displayed on the Race Office.

The type of race scheduled must not be changed by the Race Officer except with the permission of the current Sailing Secretary or a quorum of the Sailing Committee.  However Pursuit racing may be changed to Average Lap owing to extreme or lack of wind,(more than 20 mph or if the lake is not covered by wind ).

5. CLASS FLAGS

Class flags will be:

Menagerie                             H (white and vertical red)

Fireball                                   numeral 8 (white pennant with red cross)

Flying Fifteen             Naval numeral 6 (blue and white diagonal stripes)

Scorpion                                Naval numeral 2 ( yellow, red, yellow, horizontal stripes)

Laser                                      Red Laser symbol on white

Enterprise                              E (blue and red horizontal)

Windsurfer                             R (red with yellow cross)

Slow handicap                       numeral 6 (blue and white horizontal pennant)

6. RACE AREA

The race area includes the whole lake, with the exception of the gap between Tern Island and the main shore (see map displayed near race office).  Any boat sailing in this area may be disqualified.

7. COURSE

7.1 The course will be displayed on the Committee Boat on a course board.

Handicap Racing: For the handicap to work all courses must contain a run  a course recommended by the Sailing Committee should be used.

 

7.2 The course may be displayed outside the Race Office, but this will be advisory and any course displayed on the committee boat shall take precedence.

7.3 The start line will also be a gate, it will be used in all courses and is a mark of the course.

 7.4 The Race Officer may change the course before the warning signal for each race, by breaking out flag L and displaying the new course.

 

 

8. PROPULSION                                                                       
Only the Race Officer their representative, a Flag Officer or the Sailing Secretary may be a designated observer in respect of rule 42. They plus any person in that race may protest and request a hearing for any craft that in their opinion has broken rule 42. This may take the form of a warning or disqualification. Any helm that has not previously been warned or disqualified in the 12 months prior to the incident for a rule 42 offence, may discard that race and penalty in the race series.  This amends rule 67. RRS.

9. MARKS

Marks are numbered 1 to 10 clockwise around the lake, being alternately yellow and orange.  Additional marks A and X may be positioned at any location on the lake. The Gate  G ( start line) will always be a mark of the course. The inner distance mark a Starboard mark and Outer distance a port mark

10. THE START

10.1 Races will be started at 3-minute intervals.  Races will be started using the following signals:

Signal                        Flag and Sound                              Minutes before start

Warning                      Class flag + 1 sound                        6

Preparatory                P, I, Z or Black + 1 sound                             3

Starting                       Class flag removed + 1 sound                     0

This changes Rule 26 RRS.

10.2 The order of starting will be posted near the race office prior to the first race, if different from the Handbook.    

10.3 The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange shape on the committee boat and a yellow outer distance mark.  An inner distance mark may be used.  Any boat passing between the inner distance mark and the Committee Boat will be deemed not to have started, unless it rounds the Committee Boat or outer distance mark and re-crosses the start line passing between the inner and outer distance marks.

10.4  Any boat, who is not in the starting area when its starting signal is made or  whose preparatory signal has not been made, must keep clear of the start line and craft who's are in their final sequence of their starting procedure.

10.5 Any class involved in a general recall will go to the end of the starting sequence.

The preparatory signal for a new start shall be made one minute after the First Substitute is removed.

This changes RRS 29.3.

11. THE FINISH

11.1 The finish line will be the start line or between a staff on the Committee Boat displaying an orange shape or a boat displaying a blue flag and the nearest mark of the course.

11.2 In handicap racing, a blue flag with a sound signal will signify that the finish line is open and boats will finish when next passing through the finish line. 

11.3 All handicap races (except pursuit) will be average lap.  Any class split by the finish shall have their positions adjusted.( i.e. The leading boats of any type can not be beaten by any boat of the same class who has completed fewer laps)

. 

11.4 To finish a boat must cross the finish line and once a boat has finished she shall not re-pass through the finish line in any direction.  The Race Officer may disqualify any boat for a breach of this rule and RRS

12. TIME LIMITS

12.1 If no boat with a PY number less than 1116 (Enterprise and faster) completes the first lap within an hour, the race may be abandoned.

12.1 In handicap and Menagerie class racing any boat with a PY of 1116 or greater taking more than 30 minutes to complete a lap will be finished after that lap and will not considered as the first finisher with respect to the race duration. This amends Appendix A RRS.

12.2 In handicap and Menagerie class racing, boats failing to finish within 30 minutes after the finish line has been opened will be scored DNF.  This changes RRS 35 and A4.1.

12.3 In class racing, boats failing to finish within 15 minutes after the first boat may be finished at any mark or by use of a moving finish line. This amends RRS 35.

 

13. PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS

13.1 Protest forms are available at the Race Office.  The lack of correct protest forms shall not prevent a protest being heard.

13.2 Any person intending to protest shall notify the Race Officer, during or at the finish of the race, or lodge their intention to protest at the Race Office within 10 minutes of the helm of the protesting boat reaching the shore.

13.3 For a protest to be considered it must be delivered to the Race Office within 30 minutes of the protesting helm reaching the shore.

Protest may in the Formal or in the form of an Advisory and Arbitration Hearing; Exoneration Penalty.

The Advisory Hearing and RYA Arbitration procedures of the RYA Rules Disputes Procedure will be available. For these purposes an Exoneration Penalty of 20% shall apply although the final position of a penalised boat shall be no worse than if she had retired. At an informal hearing rules 61.2, 63.5,63.6 RRS shall not apply.

  

14. SCORING

14.1 The low point scoring system of Appendix A will apply.

Amended as.

DNF & RTD to scored as the number of starters in that race.

DNS & DNC not to attract any score or count towards qualification.

DSQ & OCS number of starters + 1.

14a.

Use of the lake is prohibited to any craft over 21ft (6.2m) in length including any extended bowsprit or extending spinnaker pole.

Use of the lake is also prohibited (Except with written permission of the Sailing Committee). To any boat with a Portsmouth Yardstick lower than a 505.

 

Average Lap Racing.  In Average Lap Racing no boat of the same class or boat with a higher PY number shall be beaten by a boat with a lower PY number that has completed fewer laps. That boat or boats  shall have their average lap time increase to 1 second more than the boat completing more laps. In this instance fast and slow starts shall be considered separate races.

14.2 The number of races to constitute a series will be published  prior to the start of the series.  This may be amended by the Sailing Committee.

14.3 For a race to be counted towards a series, two or more boats must rank as starters, except for class races in which three or more boats must rank as starters. The result of any boat with class status starting in the menagerie start  will be retired.

15. SAFETY REGULATIONS

15.1 Helms and crews intending to race shall indicate this by entering details on the signing on sheet located near the Race Office.

15.2 Any boat that retires from a race shall notify the Race Committee as soon as possible.

15.3 Competitors shall wear adequate personal buoyancy.  This shall be at least a waistcoat-type buoyancy aid, appropriate to body weight and in serviceable condition.  Adult (over 18 years) windsurfers correctly wearing a torso or full body wet suit may choose not to wear a buoyancy aid at their own risk.  This changes RRS rule 40.

16. REPLACEMENT OF CREW OR EQUIPMENT

All boats shall compete under their registered sail number.  Requests for substitution of sail numbers shall be made to the Race Committee.  This changes RRS 77

17. EQUPIMENT OR MEASUREMENT CHECKS.

NCSC encourage all sailors to be members of their respective Class Associations. Membership of an association or the requirement for a boat to have a current measurement certificate is not a requisite to take part in racing/sailing at the club.

However to compete at NCSC in Class or Handicap racings boats must have or have had a measurement certificate if such a certificate is issued. If the measurement certificate is not current the boat and its equipment must still conform within the measurement tolerances of the last certificate issued. The number of crew must conform with the rules of the RYA Handicapping System.

18. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Competitors compete in the racing entirely at their own risk (RRS rule 4).  The organising authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during or after the races.

19. INSURANCE

Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover of £2,000,000.

 

Amended:   April 2008.                        John Allen Sailing Secretary  .