Sailing Instructions

BEACH CATAMARANS & DINGHIES
Organising Authority – Taal Lake Yacht Club

1.  RULES

  • Racing will be governed by the ‘rules’ as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.
  • The International Hobie Class Association Rules will apply.
  • No prescriptions of any National authority will apply.
  • Rules of the Topper, Laser and other dinghy class  will apply as appropriate to those boats
  • Rule 40 (lifevests) applies at all times while afloat.

2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice boards located at the TLYC Training Tent and on the TLYC Official Website.

3. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted 1 hour before it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted 1 week before it will take effect.

4.  SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

  • Signals made ashore will be displayed at the TLYC Flag Pole
  • When flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 4 minutes’ in race signal AP.

5. ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRIES
The requirements for eligibility and entry are given in the Club Standard Notice of Race Document available on the Club website and Official Notice Board.

6.  SCHEDULE OF RACES

  • The schedule of races will be announced in the Club e mail newsletter.
  • The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race each day is 1030 hrs.
  • 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.
  • For monthly race days there will be a maximum of 5 races per day. One discard will be allowed if there. are more than 4 races.
  • No warning signal will be made after 1630 hrs.

7. CLASS FLAGS
In the event that more than one class is racing, and unless otherwise posted or announced at the briefing, Class flags will be:
Class                                   Flag
Hobie 16                              Yellow with Letter “A”
Open Handicap                   Code flag “F”

8. RACING AREAS
The Racing Area will be Taal Lake, or other prescribed location.

9. THE COURSES

  • Courses will be announced at the Skippers briefing.
  • No later than the warning signal, the race committee signal boat will display the course number or identification signal/ flag.

10. MARKS
Unless otherwise announced at the Skippers briefing, the following shall apply:

  • Windward, Leeward, and wing marks of the course will be large Yellow Buoys.
  • The Outer Distance Starting Mark (ODM) will be a red buoy.
  • The inner distance mark (IDM), if in position, will be a small red buoy
  • A race committee boat signalling a change of course is a mark as provided in instruction 12.2.

11. THE START

  • Races will be started by using rule 26 with the warning signal given 5 minutes before the starting signal.
  • The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the Signal boat or TLYC Flag Pole and the ODM.
  • A boat starting later than 5 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start.

12. CHANGE OF THE POSITION OF THE NEXT MARK
To change the position of the next mark, the race committee will move the original mark (or the finishing line) to a new position. The change will be signaled before the leading boat has begun the leg, although the mark may not yet be in the new position. Any mark to be rounded after rounding the moved mark may be relocated without further signalling to maintain the course shape.

13. THE FINISH

  • The finishing line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the Signal Boat or TLYC Flag Pole and the ODM.
  • Hoisting a Blue flag on the signal boat or TLYC Flag Pole will open the finish line.
  • Lowering the Blue Flag when the last boat has finished or the time limit has expired will close the finish line. This adds to the meaning of the Blue Flag in Race Signals

14. PENALTY SYSTEM
For the Beach Catamaran Classes rule 44.2 is changed so that the 720° turn is replaced by a 360° turn.

15. TIME LIMITS AND TARGET TIMES

  • Time limits and target times are as follows:
    Class             Time limit      Mark 1 time limit     Target time
    Catamarans   1 hr             15 mins                  40 mins
    Dinghies         45 minutes     15 mins                30 mins
  • If no boat have passed Mark 1 within the Mark 1 time limit the race will likely be abandoned.
    Boats failing to finish, within 15 minutes after the first boat sails the course, and finishes, will be scored with their observed position on the course at that time, or as Dod not Finish, at the discretion of the race officer.
  • At the discretion of the Race Officer, positions when the boats last rounded a mark may be awarded.
  • At the closure of the finish line referred to in SI 13.3 all boats shall be deemed to have finished and may return to the start for subsequent starts or ashore. This adds to RRS 35

16. PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS

  • Protest forms are available at the Hobie Bar. Protests shall be delivered there, or to the Race sSecretariat, within the protest time limit.
  • For each class , the protest time limit is 30 minutes after the last boat has finished the last race of the day.
  • A Notice will be posted within 15 minutes of the protest time limit to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses, and the location of the hearing. Protest hearings will be held as soon as possible after the receipt of the Protest Form.
  • Each Protest Form will only be accepted when handed in with (except for collisions resulting in serious damage) a non-returnable case of cold beer. TLYC highly recommends that, to avoid this protest fee, and cause delays in announcement of results, protestor and protestee discuss the incident and come to an amicable solution, where the protest is either withdrawn, or one party retires. Should the protest be lodged, and the protestor wins the protest, the protestee will reimburse all costs of the protest. In case of subsequent protest by a 3rd party, due to this mutual agreement, the protest will be heard, but the agreeing parties will not be penalized for collusion.

17.  SCORING

  • The Low Point scoring system of Appendix A will apply.
  • Unless otherwise announced in the NOR, the minimum number of races to be completed to constitute a series is 1.

18.  SAFETY REGULATIONS

  • At the time of registration each skipper and crew shall sign in on the appropriate form with liability waiver, and present it to the RC.
  • At the discretion of the Race Committee Hobie 16 crews that could be under the minimum weight limit of 285 lbs will be weighed
  • A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.

19.  REPLACEMENT OF CREW OR EQUIPMENT

  • For the series of races only the helm named on the entry form will be eligible. If a different helm completes a race in the same boat then they will be considered a separate entry and their results cannot be combined with any other helms results. The registered crew may take over the helm for a very short period in exceptional circumstances.
  • Substitution of damaged or lost equipment will not be allowed unless approved by the race committee. Requests for substitution shall be made to the committee at the first reasonable opportunity.

20. TRASH DISPOSAL
Boats shall not put trash/ garbage/ rubbish in the water. Trash may be placed aboard race committee boats.

21. RADIO COMMUNICATION
When possible, The Race Committee will monitor a published Marine VHF Channel at all times during racing. Details of Flag signals will be broadcast on this channel. Failure to hear radio broadcasts cannot be used as evidence in any subsequent redress or protest hearing.

22. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 4, Decision to Race. The organizing 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 regatta.

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