Sailing Instructions for Club Racing

DAVEY`S BAY YACHT CLUB

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1st JULY 2009 -  30th JUNE 2010

1. Rules

Davey's Bay Yacht Club races will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing, the prescriptions and special regulations of YA (Yachting Australian) Part 2, the rules of the appropriate class Associations, (except as any of these are changed by these sailing instructions,) and by these sailing instructions and attached appendices.

In accordance with the definition of  'Off the Beach Boats' contained in the definitions of the prescriptions and special regulations of YA (Yachting Australia) Part 2 and the YA Interpretations & dispensations of YA Special Regulations: Small keelboats & trailables racing as  'Off the Beach Boats' "  Flying Fifteens whilst racing in club events are required to sail under the regulations of Part 2.  This includes proceeding to and from the course area.

2. Entries

Eligible boats may be entered by completing registration with the organising authority. Eligibility requirements for boats are that they are a recognised class and meet that class associations measurement requirements. Eligibility requirements for competitors are that the skipper must be a member of the Davey's Bay Yacht Club for a boat to be included in the results of Club events. Members of other affiliated Yacht Clubs are welcome to race in Davey's Bay Yacht Club events.

3. Notices to Competitors

Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located outside the kitchen in the main Club house.

4. Changes in Sailing Instructions

Any change in the sailing instructions will be posted before 1300hrs on the day it will take effect, except that any change in the schedule of races will be posted on the club website www.daveysbay.org.au and the noticeboard by 1800hrs on the Wednesday before it will take effect.

5. Signals Made Ashore

1. Signals made ashore will be displayed from the flag pole on the Club house balcony.

2. Flag AP with two sound signals (one sound signal when lowered) means The race is postponed. The warning signal will be made not less than 45 minutes after AP is lowered.

    

6. Schedule of Races

Club races are scheduled as per the Davey's Bay Yacht Club sailing program issued for each sailing season.

When more than one race will be held in the same racing session flag L will be displayed at the finish of the previous race.  The warning signal for each succeeding race will be made as soon a practicable.  To alert boats that another race or sequence of races will begin soon, an orange flag will be displayed (with one sound) for at least 4 minutes before a warning signal is displayed.

7. Class Flags

8. The Course

8.1 Attachment 1 to these Sailing Instructions contains diagrams of the courses which may be sailed, including the course signals, the approximate angles between legs, the order in which marks are to be passed, and the side on which each mark is to be left.  If a course other than one of the courses contained in Attachment 1 is to be used by the Sailing Committee it will be advised in the pre-race briefing.

8.2 The approximate compass bearing from the starting line to Mark 1 may be displayed from the race committee signal boat.

9. Marks

Marks 1, 2 and 3 will either be yellow or orange cylindrical inflatable buoys. New marks, when used in accordance with instruction 11, Change of Course after the Start, will be a red cylindrical inflatable buoy. The port end start mark will be a yellow cylindrical inflatable buoy.

Where a shorter intermediate course is laid inside the main course marks 1 and 2 will be spar buoys with red and yellow flags. New marks when used in accordance with instruction 11, Change of Course after the Start will be a spar buoy with an orange flag with a black band.

10. The Start

10.1 Races will be started using RRS 26 with the warning signal given 5 minutes before the starting signal. Succeeding classes will be started at any time after the starting signal for the preceding class by displaying the warning signal for the succeeding class.

10.2 The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag or shape on the race committee boat at the starboard end and the port end start mark.

10.3 A buoy may be moored near, or streamed from, the Committee Vessel carrying a orange flag.  This buoy may not be exactly on the Starting Line, but boats shall leave this buoy on the same hand as the Committee Vessel when starting.  For the purpose of the application of the RRS the buoy is deemed to be part of the Committee Vessel and any boat touching the Buoy or passing between it and the Committee Vessel shall be deemed to have touched the Committee Vessel.

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

10.5 A boat starting later than 10 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start.  This alters RRS A4 and A5.

11. Change of Course after the Start

To change the next leg of the course, the race committee will lay a new mark (or move the finishing line) and remove the original mark as soon as practicable.  When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark.

12. The Finish

The finishing line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag or shape on a race committee boat and the nominated finishing mark for the course being sailed at the port end.  Where shorter intermediate courses are being sailed for courses 2 and 4 in Attachment 1 the finish line will be at the senior finish mark.

13. Time Limit

13.1 The time limit where a single race is being held in a racing period will be 2 hours for all classes. Boats failing to finish within 30 minutes after the first boat finishes will be scored "Did not finish". This alters RRS 35, 62.1(a), A4 and A5.

13.2 For Back-to-Back courses 1 and 2 in Attachment 1 the target time for a race will be 45 to 50 minutes. Boats failing to finish a Back-to-Back race within 15 minutes after the first boat finishes will be scored "Did not finish".  This alters RRS 35, 62.1(a), A4 and A5.

13.3 For multiple short course sprint races the target time for a race will be 15 to 20 minutes. Boats failing to finish a sprint race within 5 minutes after the first boat finishes will be scored "Did not finish". This alters RRS 35, 62.1(a), A4 and A5.

14. Protests

14.1 Protests shall be delivered to the race office within 30 minutes after the time the last boat in the class comes ashore. Protest forms are available at the race office.

14.2 Notices of protests by the race committee or jury will be posted on the official notice board to inform boats under RRS 61.1(b).

14.3 The protest committee will hear protests in approximately the order of receipt as soon as possible.

14.4 Protest notices will be posted within 30 minutes of the protest time limit to inform competitors where and when there is a hearing in which they are parties to a protest or named as witnesses.

15. Scoring

15.1 Scoring System and Races to Count

The Low Point scoring system, RRS Appendix A, will apply, modified so that each boat's series score will be the total of her race scores with her worst scores discarded as per the following table for the Club major aggregate and championship and the Commodore's championship and aggregate.

 

Club Races	Races to	Club Races	Races to	Club Races	Races to
Finished	Count	Finished	Count	Finished	Count
with Results		with Results		with Results
3	3	12	9	21	15
4	4	13	9	22	15
5	5	14	10	23	16
6	5	15	10	24	17
7	6	16	11	25	18
8	7	17	12	26	18
9	7	18	13	27	19
10	8	19	13	28	20
11	9	20	14	29	20
				30	21

For the Club major aggregate and championship and the Commodore's championship and aggregate 3 races must be completed to constitute a series.  For a Spring or Autumn series 2 races must be completed to constitute a series.  Where more than 2 races are completed for a Spring or Autumn series a boat's worst result will be discarded.

15.2 Scoring when on Duty

For those skippers who miss an aggregate race due to their involvement as duty officer or as a duty crew a result will be recorded for the race.  This will be taken as an average result based on the last three races previously completed without penalty in the current season.  In the event three clear races have not been completed the result concerned will not be filled in until three clear races have been completed.

It is the affected skippe's responsibility to draw the situation to the attention of the handicapper/scorer.

15.3 Scoring when Away

Skippers missing Club Championship aggregate events for Class National or State Championships or with a Training Squad for a National or State event will have their best four results in the same series averaged to provide points in the missed races. It will be the affected skipper's responsibility to inform the handicapper/scorer of any away-from-club commitments. Any dispute in this matter will be decided by the Sailing Committee.

15.4 Maximum Handicap

A maximum handicap for a class may be established by the Race Committee, and used in lieu of a boat's actual calculated handicap in a race where the boat's calculated handicap is greater than the maximum handicap allowed. Where a maximum handicap is to be applied to a class it will be advised in the sailing calendar for the season and shall be applicable for that season only. A maximum handicap may be reviewed at the end of a season and left unchanged, adjusted or removed from the calendar for the following season.

16. Measurement Checks

Measurement checks may be made in accordance with class rules at any time during the season.

17. Minimum number of Starters

A minimum of 3 starters is required for a class to race.

18. Signing On

Boats intending to race are to enter in the proper Entry Book in the Club house before the first Warning signal of each racing period.  If a boat neglects to sign on in the Club house it may indicate it intention to race to the committee boat before the preparatory signal of the first class to start. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in a boat being scored DNC without a hearing. This alters RRS 63.1.

A boat that does not sign on and sails the course, regardless of whether it finishes or not, will be deemed to have ranked as a starter and as such be subject to the provisions of these sailing instructions and liable to protest by other boats regardless of whether they have signed on correctly or not.

19. Electronic Communication

A boat shall neither make electronic communications while racing nor receive electronic communications not available to all boats.  This also applies to mobile phones.

20. Prizes

Prizes will be awarded for each series at the discretion of the Sailing Committee.