May 9, 2003

 

MOREHEAD CITY BOATING CLUB

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS 2003

 

 

Competitors in the sport of sailing are governed by a body of rules that they are expected to follow and enforce. A fundamental principle of sportsmanship and the Corinthian spirit is that when competitors break a rule they will promptly take a penalty or retire.

            1.  RULES:

1.1 The Regatta shall be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing 2001-2004, the prescriptions of the United States Sailing Association (US SAILING), these sailing instructions and supplemental MCBC Local Instructions.

1.2 A boat entering as a member of a one-design class shall confirm to class rules.

1.3 A boat that is a member of a handicap fleet or class in a regatta will confirm to handicap rules, as posted in the MCBC Local Instructions. The Portsmouth Handicap will be used for handicapping.

2. ENTRIES:

2.1 All sailboats (herein "boats") will be eligible to enter the regatta.

2.2 Each competitor shall register with the Regatta Committee Boat and pay any required entry fee no later than 10 minutes before the Warning Signal.

3. NOTICE OF RACE:

3.1 Notice of Race (NOR) shall be made available to the sailing public and published on the MCBC web site.

4. CHANGES IN SAILING INSTRUCTIONS:

4.1 The Principal Race Officer (PRO) may approve any change in the sailing instructions. Any such change shall be announced either on shore or at the on-water check in with the Race Committee Boat.

5. FLEETS:

5.1 One-Design Class: Four or more one-design boats will constitute a fleet. In the event that less than four boats are entered in a one-design class, they will be combined into the open class. A minimum of 4 boats must start the first race of the regatta for that class to be eligible for a trophy.

5.2 Open Class: All other boats will sail in an open class. The Regatta Committee may establish two or more open classes for the purpose of awarding prizes. Any such class will not be less than four boats and will be based upon the boat’s handicap numbers.

5.3 The Local Instructions will specify the scoring system.

6. RACING AREA:

6.1 The racing area will be described in the MCBC Local Instructions.

7. THE COURSE:

7.1 The course and sequence of starts will be displayed by signals from the Race Committee Boat ("RC Boat)

7.2 Course designation, symbols or signals used in conjunction with the required signals shall be described in the MCBC Local Instructions.

7.3 The course signals will be displayed before or with the Warning signal.

7.4 The Start / Finish Line is open unless specified otherwise in the MCBC Local Instructions.

8.  MARKS:

8.1 The size shape, and color of the marks will be described in the Local Instructions or at the Skipper’s Meeting.

9. THE START:

9.1 Races will be started in accordance with US Sailing, Rule 26.  The FIVE (5) minute Warning signal will be proceeded by several short sounds. With multiple sequenced races, the warning signals will occur approximately ONE (1) minute after the completion of the previous race.  With starts of more than one fleet (class), warning signals will occur approximately FIVE (5) minutes after the starting signal of the previous fleet.

All races shall be started using the following signals.  Times shall be taken from the visual signals.  The absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded.

 

               

                    Signal                                             Flag and Sound                                                     Time to Start

 

                    Warning                 Yellow/Class Flag -1 sound                                                                  5 min.

 

                    Preparatory          Blue Flag  - 1 sound                                                                                 4 min.

               

                                                     Preparatory Flag Removed  - 1 sound                                                1 min.

                   

 

                      Start                     Yellow/Class Flag Removed  - 1 sound                                                0

 

 

9.2 The order of starts of multiple fleets will be announced at the skipper’s meeting and/or published in the MCBC Local Instructions.  Subsequent changes, if any, shall be hailed from the RC boat.

9.3 The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange or yellow flag at the Race Committee and the port end starting mark.

9.4 Boats whose Warning signal has not been made shall keep clear of the starting area and of all boats whose Warning signal has been made.

9.5 If any part of a boat¹s hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the starting line or its extensions during the minute before her starting signal, she shall sail to the pre-start side of the line around either end before starting.

10. RECALLS:

10.1 Individual recalls will be signaled by ONE (1) sound and displaying the “X flag”. The Race Committee may attempt to hail sail number(s) but is not required to do so.

10.2 General recalls will be signaled TWO (2) sounds and displaying the “First Substitute flag”.

10.3 A class recalled will restart as soon as possible, following a FIVE (5) minute warning signal.

11. SHORTENING THE COURSE:

11.1 A course may be shortened at any racecourse mark.

12. CHANGES OF COURSE AFTER THE START:

12.1 A change of course after the start will be signaled before the lead boat has begun the changed leg, although the new mark may not then be in position. Any mark to be rounded after rounding the new mark may be relocated to maintain the original course configuration. When in a subsequent change of course a mark is replaced, it will be replaced with an original mark.

13. THE FINISH:

13.1 The finishing line will be between a staff displaying an orange/yellow flag on a RC Boat and the finishing mark.

13.2 All boats having finished shall stay well clear of the finishing line and the racecourse until the race has been completed

13.3 Boats withdrawing from a race before finishing must endeavor to notify the Race Committee before leaving the water, or be scored DNF.

14. PENALTY SYSTEM:

14.1 Taking a Penalty
A boat that may have broken a rule of Racing Rules of Sailing 2001-2004, Part 2, while racing may take a penalty at the time of the incident. Her penalty shall be a 720-degree Turn Penalty. However, if she caused serious damage or gained a significant advantage in the race or series by her breach, she shall retire.

14.2 720-Degree Turn Penalty
After getting well clear of other boats as soon after the incident as possible, a boat takes a 720-degree Turn Penalty by promptly making two complete 360-degree turns (720-degrees) in the same direction, including two tacks and two jibes. When a boat takes the penalty at or near the finishing line, she shall return completely to the course side of the line before finishing.

14.3 360-Degree Turn Penalty

The penalty for hitting a mark is a 360-degree turn.

14.4 Limits on Penalties
(a). When a boat intends to take a 720-Degree Turn Penalty and in the same incident has touched a mark, she need not take a 360-Degree Turn Penalty.
(b). A boat that takes a penalty shall not be penalized further with respect to the same incident unless she failed to retire when a rule of Part 2 required her to do so.

15. TIME LIMIT:

15.1 The time limit will be approximately one hour for any race.

15.2 If any boat finishes within the time limit, all boats that finish shall be scored according to their finishing places unless the race is abandoned. If no boat finishes within the time limit, the race committee may abandon the race.

15.3 If one or more late finishing boats are unduly delaying the completion of a race, the Race Committee may elect to score such boats as having finished in their respective positions on the race course without regard to any handicap and will so notify such boat(s).  No boat scored as having finished under this provision will be awarded a finishing position ahead of any boat that has previously finished.

16. SAFETY:

16.1 Safety is the sole responsibility of each competitor. Each skipper must evaluate his or her own boat's seaworthiness and their own ability and base a decision to race, continue racing or not to race upon these, among other, factors.

16.2 One United States Coast Guard approved personal floatation device ("PFD") must be carried aboard each boat for every person aboard and, additionally; one similarly approved throwable PFD must be carried aboard each boat 16' or more in length.

16.3 It will be the responsibility of each boat to comply with applicable federal, state and local water safety regulations as outlined in the Notice of Regatta and/or the Local Instructions.

17. PROTESTS:

17.1 All protests will be made in accordance with rule 61 with the following provisions or exceptions:

(a). A protesting boat must notify the Race Committee, at the finishing line or earlier opportunity. Any vessel having completed penalty turns shall inform the RC.

(b). The Protest Committee, as per rule 89 (b), will hear protest in approximately the order of receipt as soon as possible after the Protest Filing Deadline. For protests involving an alleged breach of a rule of Part 2, When Boats Meet, an arbitration hearing will be scheduled and held as soon as possible after submission. One representative from each boat shall meet with the arbitrator. In protest arbitration hearings, no witnesses will be allowed.

(c). Actions or decisions resulting during protest arbitration are not grounds for redress or subject to appeal.

18. SCORING:

18.1 The Low Point Scoring system, will apply, modified so that each boat's score will be the total of her race scores. Three to five races are scheduled, of which one race shall be completed to constitute a series.

1 point for first, 2 for second, 3 for third, and so on, except:

-DNS (Did Not Start) -receives points equal to the numb« of entries in fleet, plus 2.

-DNF (Did Not Finish) -receives points equal to the numb« of starters in fleet in that race plus one.

-DSQ (Disqualified) -receives points equal to one more than the number of entries in the fleet plus one.

-Lowest total score wins.

18.2 Ties: When there is a tie in series points between two or more boats, the tie will be broken in favor of the boat with the most first places, or, if the tie remains, the most second places, or lower places if necessary, using only the scores for each boat that count for her series score. When a tie still remains, it will be broken in favor of the boat with the best score in the last race in which the tied boats raced and scored differently, using only the scores for each boat that count for her series score. For these calculations, if a boat has been awarded average points that do not correspond to a place, she shall be considered to have the place closest in points to the points awarded.  If a boat has tied for a place, she shall be considered to have that place.