Sailing Instructions
Sailing Instructions for Coastal and Passage Races
Sailing instructions for Dale Weekend will be issued separately
1 Rules
Racing will be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the RYA Prescriptions, class rules where appropriate except as any of these are amended by these Sailing Instructions.
2. Conditions of Entry
(a) General
The safety of a yacht and her management including insurance shall be the sole responsibility of the owner or owner's representative, who must ensure that the yacht and crew are adequate to face the conditions that may arise in the course of the race. The establishment of these Conditions in no way limits or reduces the absolute responsibility of the owner or owner's representative for the yacht's crew, the yacht and the management thereof. The race organisers shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury howsoever caused by the owner or owner's representative or the yacht's crew, as a result of their taking part in the race. Moreover; every owner or owner's representative warrants the suitability of his yacht for the race. All yachts shall carry minimum third party insurance in the sum of £2,000,000.
(b) Classes
All Yachts will use the Byron James Handicapping system.
(c) Measurement or Rating Certificates
All yachts will be allocated a PCRC Number based on the Byron James handicapping system. It is the owner's responsibility to inform the Hon. Rating Secretary of any changes that are made to the hull, rig or sails. Failure to comply with this instruction may be penalized by disqualification or other penalty at the discretion of the race committee. Yachts may be measured before or after any race at the discretion of the race committee.
(d) Distinguishing Numbers and Class Flags (RRS Appendix H, RYA Prescriptions H1 & H2)
All yachts shall have sail numbers corresponding to their registered number and these must be displayed on all mainsails, spinnakers and headsails whose LP is 1.3J or greater. Any yacht wishing to use a sail with incorrect numbers shall obtain prior approval from the Hon. Rating Secretary. Prior to its preparatory signal, for the duration of the race, each yacht shall fly its Class Flag at least I meter above the stern pulpit. The Class Flag shall be the numeral pendant listed in 4(a).
(e) Crew/Crew lists
In all Safety List B (ORC Category 3) races, a yacht shall have a minimum crew of 3 persons. A list of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all the crew members must be handed to the Race Officer or Hon. Rating Secretary before the start of the race. In all other races, i.e. Safety List A (ORC Category 4), a yacht shall have a minimum crew of 2 persons.
3. Safety
Yachts shall comply with the Safety Requirements laid down by the PCRC. The safety requirement for each race is indicated in the race programme, and details of the actual requirement (i.e. List A and B) are given on pages 23 and 24 of this handbook. Failure to comply with safety requirements may lead to disqualification or such other penalty as may seem appropriate. All yachts shall carry a VHF radio capable of transmitting and receiving Channels 16, 12 and 37. Race control will monitor Channel 37.
4. Communications with Competitors
(a) Class Signals
Class Signals will be as follows:
All Yachts to use numeral pennant 1.
(b) Notices regarding Abandoned Races
Members will receive written notification of any abandoned races that are to be re-sailed. Notices regarding abandoned races that are cancelled will be posted on yacht club notice boards.
5. Instructions Specific Events
(a) Courses, starting and finishing lines, starting times and other instructions specific to each event are set out on the relevant web page and are also to be found in the members handbook. Where a time limit is specified the first boat in any Division to finish must finish within the time limit for that Event to count towards the Series Trophy for that Division.
(b) In all the events listed each yacht shall record her own finishing time, and report this time to the Hon. Rating Secretary before midday on the Wednesday following the race. Failure to comply with this instruction will result in that yacht being recorded as 'Did Not Finish'.
6. Alternative Penalties
A yacht may accept a penalty for an infringement of the racing rules under Rule 44.3 (Scoring Penalty). The yacht must inform any other yacht involved in the infringement at the time, display a yellow flag, and must inform the Hon. Rating Secretary. The provision of rule 44.3(c) shall apply, except that the yacht's penalty score shall be one place worse than its place on corrected time.
7. Protests
(a) Only Code flag "B", or a red rectangular flag, will be accepted as a protest flag.
(b) Protests must be lodged with the Hon. Rating Secretary within 48 hours of the finishing time of the protesting yacht.
(c)
(i) The parties to the protest shall be notified of the time and place of the hearing.
(ii) In accordance with RULE 63.3 (b), failure on the part of any party to the protest, or a representative, to make an effort to attend the hearing may justify the protest committee in deciding the protest as it thinks fit without a full hearing.
8. Scoring System
(a) For all races, there must be a minimum of two starters.
(b) The placing in each race will be determined from the corrected times calculated according to the relevant system.
(c)
(1) In all Series, for points to be awarded to a yacht there must be a minimum of two starters in any race.
(2) To qualify for any Series Trophy, a yacht must finish in the qualifying number of races (see page 5).
(3) The low-point scoring system will be used for all Series (RRS Appendix A4.1).
(4) In all Series, and amending Appendix A4.2
(i) A yacht that retires shall score points equal to the number of starters in that race plus one.
(ii) A yacht that is disqualified shall score points equal to the number of starters plus three.
(iii) A yacht that does not compete in a race shall score points equal to the number of entrants in the Series.
(5) In the case of a race where there is only one start but the results are given in more than one division, the point awarded to each yacht will be as if there were a seperate start for each division.
(6) Should it become necessary to combine divisions due to a small number of entries or for any other reason, then they shall start and sail together but for points and trophies they may subsequently be seperated.
9. Use of Engine
Rule 42 will apply with two exceptions.
(a) The use of an engine to propel a yacht while racing is prohibited except to render assistance to another yacht or crew member of another yacht.
(b) A yacht which has not started and arrives late at the starting line intending to race, may continue to approach the area of the start of the race under engine. The yacht shall be governed by the following:
(i) The yacht arriving late shall not obstruct or interfere with any yacht that has started correctly.
(ii) The yacht arriving late shall complete a 720° turn, under sail, on the pre-course side of the starting line after the starting signal and before starting.
The use of an engine for propulsion during a race must be reported to the Hon. Rating Secretary.
10. International Regulations
Part 2 of the RRS will be suspended between the hours of sunset and sunrise and the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea shall prevail.
11. Local Rules
(a) The channels between the mainland and Thorn and Skomer Islands respectively are out of bounds in all races.
(b) Yachts claiming a 'no spinnaker' allowance shall not use twin headsails goosewinged when running.
(c) Propellers are NOT to be removed.
(d) Vane or other automatic steering devices are not to be used except to seaward of the line from St Ann'sHead to Sheep Island.
(e) Commercial Shipping Within the Milford Haven Port Authority Jurisdiction Shall Not Be Impeded Under Any Circumstances. (bye-law 22)
revised 05 April 2009