2008 Tennessean Cruiser Regatta               

BUOY COURSE
 SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1.  RULES

1.1.    The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined by The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS).

1.2.    Changes have been made by these Sailing Instructions to the following RRS sections: 29.1 (Individual Recall), 33(a) (Changing the Next Leg of the Course), 35 (Time Limit and Scores), 44.2 (Two-Turns Penalty), 61.1(a) (Informing the Protestee), 62.1(a) (Redress), Race Signal AP (Postponement).

 

2.    SAFETY REGULATIONS

2.1.    A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.

2.2.    All competitors must watch for and keep out of the way of commercial and other deep draft vessels, which have the right of way. Competitors are encouraged to monitor their VHF radio for warnings and communication with other vessels as it relates to these “right of way” vessels.

 

3.    NOTICES TO COMPETITORS – Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located on the clubhouse windows of Harbor Island Yacht Club next to the chimney.

 

4.    CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

4.1.    Any change to these Sailing Instructions will be posted on the official notice board.

4.2.    The schedule of races for the first day’s races will not be changed.

4.3.    Any change to the schedule of races for the second or subsequent day’s racing will be posted by 1800 hours (6:00 pm) on the day before it will take effect.

4.4.    Any other change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted at least 45 minutes before the scheduled start of the first race on the day the change will take effect.

 

5.    SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

5.1.    Signals made ashore will be displayed from the race committee boat at the dock.

5.2.    When flag “AP” is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 30 minutes’ in the Race Signal “AP”. This changes the meaning of Race Signal “AP”

 

6.    SCHEDULE OF RACES

6.1.    The race schedule will be as stated in the Notice of Race and will be posted on the official notice board.

6.2.    It is the intention of the Race Committee to run a maximum of five races on any given day.

6.3.    The Race Committee will signal its intent to run another race that day by displaying flag “R” (yellow cross on a red background) from the finish line race committee boat at the finish of the previous race.

6.4.    When more than one race will be held on the same day, the warning signal for each succeeding race will be made as soon as practicable. To alert boats that another race will begin soon, flag “AP” may be displayed before a warning signal is displayed.

 

7.    CLASS FLAGS

7.1.    Classes will be as defined in the Notice of Race.

7.2.    A class flag will be a unique color, pattern, shape or class logo. A description of each class flag will be posted on the official notice board

7.3.    Reminder; as stated in the preamble to Race Signals: “When a visual signal is displayed over a class flag, the signal applies only to that class”.

 

8.    MARKS

8.1.    Marks of the course, including the start and the finish, will be orange buoys.

8.2.    The optional mark in Sailing Instruction 10.3 may be any shape or color.

 

9.    COURSES

9.1.    All courses will be windward/leeward and will be described using a course number which references the number of legs. A leg is defined as: a) the distance between the start and the windward mark, b) the distance between two marks of the course, and c) the distance between the last mark of the course and the finish. Examples of course definitions are as follows:

A windward/leeward course has two legs: its course number is “2”;

A windward/leeward/windward course has three legs: its course number is “3”;

A windward/leeward/windward/leeward course has four legs: its course description is “4”;

Additional courses may be created by using increments to this system (i.e.:  5, 6, 7, 8).

All courses may utilize an optional windward offset mark “O” which will be noted on the course board after the course number. If a course uses a windward offset mark, there will be two windward marks. Each boat must pass both marks by leaving them to port. The distance between the windward mark and the offset mark is not defined as a separate leg.

9.2.    All courses may utilize an optional leeward gate “G” which will be noted on the course board after the course number. If a course uses a leeward gate, there will be two leeward marks comprising the gate. Each boat must pass between the two leeward marks (through the gate) from the direction of the previous mark and round either of the marks.

9.3.    The approximate magnetic bearing to the first mark will be noted on the course board following the at-sign “@”.

9.4.    The starting and finishing lines may be separate lines with the starting line below (to leeward of) the leeward mark or leeward gate and the finishing line above (to windward of) the windward mark; or the starting and finishing lines may be the same line placed in the middle of the windward leg.

9.5.    The starting and finishing marks are marks of the course only when starting or finishing.

9.6.    When sailing the finish leg, marks of the course are not obstructions and do not have a required side.

9.7.    Course Examples:

“2O @345” means “windward/leeward course with a windward offset mark, first mark at 345 degrees”;

“3OG @275” means “windward/leeward/windward course with windward offset and a leeward gate, first mark at 275 degrees”;

“4 @090” means “windward/leeward/windward/leeward course, first mark at 90 degrees”.

See attached diagram for further examples.

9.8.    The course will be displayed on the starboard side of the race committee boat before the warning signal of each class. Courses may be different for each class and each race.

 

10. THE START

10.1.  The starting order for the classes will be posted on the official notice board

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

10.3.  The race committee may, no later than the warning signal, trail a mark from the stern of the race committee boat stationed at the starboard end of the starting line. The trailing mark will be considered to be an extension of the race committee boat. No boat may pass between the trailing mark and the race committee boat.

10.4.  Boats whose warning signal has not been made shall avoid the starting area after the first warning signal of a race and shall not interfere with boats that are in their starting sequence.

 

11. RECALLS – When individual recalls are signaled, the race committee may (at its discretion) attempt to hail the sail numbers of the recalled boats by VHF radio on channel 72. Failure of the race committee to hail or failure of a boat to hear the hail of its sail number shall not relieve the boat of its obligation to start correctly. This changes RRS 29.1 and 62.1(a).

 

 

12. CHANGE OF THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE

12.1.  If the moved mark (or the moved finishing line) is not visible from the previous mark of the course or if the change of position is more than 20E, the change will be signaled in accordance with RRS 33.

12.2.  If the moved mark (or the moved finishing line) is visible from the previous mark of the course and the change of position is 20E or less, the change may not be signaled. This changes RRS 33(a).

 

13. THE FINISH – The finishing line will be between a staff displaying a blue flag on a race committee boat and the nearby mark.

 

14. TIME LIMIT

14.1.  The time limit for a race is two hours for the first boat in a class to finish.

14.2.  If a boat in a class sails the course and finishes within the time limit, only those boats in the same class finishing within 20 minutes of the first finisher will be counted as finishing. All other boats will be scored in accordance with the RRS or as changed in the Notice of Race. This changes RRS 35.

14.3.  If the time limit in Sailing Instruction 14.2 has expired for a class, the race committee may notify the boats that have not finished. If a boat has been notified that the time limit has expired, she shall immediately return to the starting area to prepare for the start of the next race. If no more races will be sailed for the day, she shall immediately clear the course.

 

15. PROTESTS

15.1.  A boat intending to protest shall attempt to notify the finish line race committee boat of its intent to protest and identify the protested boat at the first reasonable opportunity. This changes RRS 61.1(a).

15.2.  Protests will be written and delivered to the Protest Committee Chairperson before the end of "Protest Filing Time," which will begin when the committee boat docks and end 45 minutes later. These times will be posted on the notice board.

15.3.  Protest notices will be posted within 30 minutes of the end of "Protest Filing Time" to inform competitors of the place and time of hearings.

15.4.  Protests will then be heard as soon as possible, in approximately the order of receipt.

 

16. ALTERNATE PENALTY – A boat that may have broken a rule of Part 2 while racing under spinnaker may take a penalty turn at the time of the incident by sailing well clear of other boats, promptly dousing her spinnaker (head below gooseneck), making one turn including a tack and a gybe, and then resetting her spinnaker. This changes RRS 44.2.