Skerries Sailing Club
Sailing Instructions
Sailing Instructions
1.
Rules
All racing will be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing 2013-2016, the
prescriptions of the Irish Sailing Association, class rules (where applicable)
and these sailing instructions.
1.2
Course
With the exception of special cup
races, the courses may be either:
·
Olympic
(O), 9 leg races (start – w, g, l, w, l , w , g , l – Finish)
·
Windward/Leeward
(W), (start – w , l , w , l , w, l - finish)
·
Trapezoid
(T), (start – 1,4, 1, 2, 3, - finish)
or, as designated by the Race
Officer.
Cruiser courses shall be assigned by
the PRO using either the Cruiser Course Card or specific Marks or both.
1.3
Marks
The marks will be inflatable Yellow
marks for W,G,L. An Orange
or Red mark may be used for the Outer Distance Mark (ODM). An inner distance
mark (IDM) may be laid astern of the committee boat. Vessels shall not pass
between the committee boat and an IDM.
A red flag flying from the committee
boat indicates all marks to be left to Port. A green flag indicates all marks
to be left to Starboard. If no flag is shown the default is to leave all marks
to Port.
Marks may be moved at the discretion
of the PRO to maintain the best possible competitive course. Every effort will
be made to indicate such movements in accordance with RRS 33.
Cruiser
marks shall be those designated by the current Cruiser Course Card or other
marks as indicated by the Race Officer and communicated via Ch72, or displayed on a board on the
Committee Boat.
With
the exception of Cup Races, The 1st Mark of each cruiser race shall
be designated MARK #1, and its Location, Direction of Rounding and, Description
shall ALWAYS be announced prior to the Cruiser Warning Signal by the Race Officer
via Ch72 or verbally.
It
will be the responsibility of each Skipper to inform himself via appropriate
means of the location and description of Mark #1 and the subsequent course to
be sailed.
2.
Starting
Line
The starting line will be between
the main mast of the committee boat and an Outer Distance Mark which shall be a
large inflatable buoy. Where the
committee boat lacks a mast the line will terminate at the place from which
flags are displayed.
3. Finish Line
Unless otherwise indicated by a
Shortened Course flag, the finishing line shall be an imaginary line between
the main mast of the committee boat, or the place from which flags are
displayed, and the designated finishing mark (which may also be the ODM). The
committee boat will display a blue flag to indicate she is on station at the
finishing line.
When the Finishing flag is displayed
a boat shall not cross between the Committee Boat and the finishing mark unless
that boat is finishing.
4. Starting Procedure
Races shall be started by using the
following signals accompanied by a single sound signal at each stage.
Signal Flag & Sound Minutes before start
Warning Class flag; 1 sound 5
Preparatory P,I, Z or Black; 1 sound 4
One Minute Preparatory flag removed; 1 sound 1
Start Class flag removed; 1 sound. 0
The warning signal for each
succeeding class shall be made with or after the starting signal of the
preceding class.
For dinghies only, to facilitate
class starts and at the discretion of the PRO, a 3-minute start sequence may be
used, i.e.
Signal Flag & Sound Minutes before start
Warning Class flag; 1 sound 3
Preparatory P,I, Z or Black; 1 sound 2
One Minute Preparatory flag removed; 1 sound 1
Start Class flag removed; 1 sound. 0
3-minute starts will be standard for
Wednesday and Sunday Series dinghy races.
The
Race Officer may in the last minute of a starting sequence and before a start
indicate that there are one or more boats OCS by displaying a flag code V.
5. Starting Procedure
Boats awaiting their start must not
sail in the immediate vicinity of the starting area until the preparatory
signal for their class has been made.
In particular, dinghies must keep
well clear of the starting area during cruiser start sequences.
6. Recalls
When, at the starting signal, any
part of a boat’s hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the starting
line or its extensions, the code flag X shall be displayed, accompanied by one
sound signal until all such boats are wholly on the pre-start side of the
starting line or its extensions or for 2 minutes after the starting signal
whichever is earlier. This amends RRS 29.1.
7. General Recall
General Recalls shall be signaled by
the hoisting of the 1st Substitute flag and may be accompanied by
two-sound signals. When the class(s) has regrouped, the starting sequence for
that class will recommence from the
warning flag for their class.
8. Starting Sequence
Starting times shall be in
accordance with the Club Fixtures List for the appropriate date. Cruiser Start Sequence commences 15
minutes prior to the time indicated on the Fixtures List.
The Annotation 1st Gun
indicates the time for the Warning Flag for the 1st class due to
commence racing on the day.
Midweek
Starts Cruiser
Warning Signal will be at 19:30hrs.
Dinghy Warning Signal will be at
19:45hrs.
Saturday
Starts Dinghy Warning Signal will as per
Fixtures List
Sunday
Starts Cruiser Warning Signal will be
10:45hrs.
Dinghy
Warning Signal will be 11:00hrs
Classes must have a minimum of 5
boats to receive a separate start. The PRO may at his discretion start all
dinghy classes together (Code flag E) or use any combination of fleet starts
(using relevant Class Code Flags).
9. Abandonment
The abandonment of all races shall
be indicated by code flag N being displayed ashore or at the starting line
accompanied by 3 sound signals. Where Cup races have been abandoned due to
weather or other factors, the committee may reschedule them to run at a later
date and they may run concurrently with regular points races.
10. Scoring System
The Low Point System (appendix A4.1)
shall apply with the following amendments:
- Boats failing to
finish or being disqualified shall be scored the number of places plus one.
- Boats failing to
start shall be scored the number of starters plus two.
- Where a boat cannot
compete because one or more of its crew are on safety/mark boat or race
officer duty, that boat will be scored its average points for all races in
the series, or number of starters plus two, whichever is the lower.
10.1 Discards
0 – 3 Races completed in a Series = 0 Discard
4 – 7 Races completed in a Series = 1
Discard
8 – 11 Races completed in a Series = 2
Discards
12 – 15 Races completed in a Series = 3
Discards
Plus 1 discard for each further 4
races completed.
10.2 Handicap System
For cruiser racing the ECHO handicap
system shall be in operation. Each boat shall race according to their assigned
ECHO handicap rating and agreed by the Handicap Committee at the commencement
of each sailing season. Cruiser handicaps shall be adjusted after each race in
a specific series (limited to 10% deviation).
Alterations to Handicaps shall be at
the discretion of the Handicap Committee and shall be reviewed for all boats at
the end of each Series.
Cup Races shall be raced initially
based upon the preceding seasons final Cup Handicap and adjusted for each
subsequent Cup race by the Handicap Committee.
10.3 Sapphire Offshore Series
All Skerries Sailing Club Cruisers
shall be automatically entered in the Sapphire Offshore Series. All competing
boats in this series must be in a position to present a valid ECHO certificate.
10.4 Dinghy Series and Cup Races
All dinghy series shall be scored as
2 separate competitions:
(i) PY Handicap (Class series) and
(ii) PY Handicap adjusted after each race in that series, averaging
last 10 races (All-in series)
Dinghy Cup results shall be
calculated based solely on PY, with the exception of the Weighouse Cup
(Corinthian start). In dinghy cup races, any boat sailing with less than its
full complement of crew under class rules will be penalised the equivalent of 1
minute in the hour in calculation of results.
10.5
Penalty
for No-Show Committee Boat Roster
The Sailing Committee shall assign
each boat to one or more dates wherein that boat shall be responsible for
providing a minimum of 2 able bodied persons to assist with Race Management
duties.
It will be the responsibility of the
skipper/owner to ensure that they provide the necessary cover.
Failure of a boat/skipper to provide
such cover shall results in a non-discardible DNC for that race.
10.6
Cruiser
Crew List
For Wednesday and Sunday series,
Cruisers must submit a crew list for each race to the race committee following
completion of the race. Failure to do so will result in the boat being awarded
a DNF for the race.
10.7 Junior Racing
1. Minimum
3 boats in any fleet to constitute a race.
2. Minimum
3 races to constitute a series.
3. Maximum
3 races per day for any series.
4. DNC
in any race will score total number of boats in a series plus 2.
5.
DNF will score total number of starters in a race plus 2.
11. Postponements
Rule 27.3 applies.
12. Protests
Protests must be in writing and
submitted to the Sailing Committee within 1 hour of the time of the last
finisher of the race concerned. This amends RRS 61.3. All protests must be in
writing on I.S.A. form.
13. Penalty
(a) Marks - While racing, a boat that has touched a
mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of a course on which she is sailing or
a finishing mark after finishing may take a penalty by promptly making one turn
including one tack and one gybe (360o).
(b) When Boats Meet.
A boat in breach of a Rule of Part 2
(ISAF), may take a penalty by taking two turns in the same direction including
two tacks and two gybes (720o).
14. Starting Penalty
If Preparatory flag P is flown a
boat which is over the line early can restart by dipping the start line.
If Preparatory flag I is flown ISAF
Rule 30.1 shall apply (round-an-end Rule)
If Preparatory flag Z is flown ISAF
Rule 30.2 shall apply (20% penalty)
If Preparatory flag is Black, ISAF
Rule 30.3 shall apply (disqualification).
15. Time Limits (Dinghies)
1. All races except long-distance races shall have a time limit of
2.5 hours. If any boat finishes within the time limit the race shall then be
valid for all competitors in the race. Only those boats finishing within the time
limit or within 30 minutes (allowing for differences in starting time with
class starts) of the first boat home provided such boat has finished within the
time limit, will be recorded as finishers.
2.
On
Wednesdays, all Dinghy flags will be lowered at 21:15hrs. All boats that have
not finished may be deemed as not finished. (DNF).
3.
The
starting line shall remain open for 5 minutes after the last class has started.
Any boats failing to start within this time shall be deemed as non-starters
(DNS). Any race failing to start 1 hour after the scheduled 1st gun
may be abandoned or postponed to another day.
4. After the 1st boat has finished, the Race Officer may
offer a finishing position to the boat still racing & in last place. The
position offered will be the number of boats ahead of it, both finished and
still racing, plus 1. A boat is not obliged to accept such offer unless it is
the last boat racing. The Race officer is not obliged to make such an offer. A
boat that accepts the place offered will immediately cease to race & the
race officer may repeat the process with the next boat. The offer may be made
via Rescue/Support boat personnel.
This amends the
definition of the word Finish.
16. Time Limits (Cruisers)
1. All races except long-distance races shall have a time limit of
2.5 hours. If any boat finishes within the time limit the race shall then be
valid for all competitors in the race. Only those boats finishing within the
time limit or within 35 minutes of the first boat home provided such boat has
finished within the time limit, will be recorded as finishers.
2.
On
Wednesdays, all Cruiser flags will be lowered at 21:30hrs. All boats that have
not finished may be deemed as not finished. (DNF).
3.
The
starting line shall remain open for 5 minutes after the last class has started.
Any boats failing to start within this time shall be deemed as non-starters
(DNS). Any race failing to start 1 hour after the scheduled 1st gun
will be abandoned or postponed to another day.
4.
After
the 1st boat has finished, the Race Officer may offer a finishing
position to the boat still racing & in last place. The position offered
will be the number of boats ahead of it, both finished and still racing, plus
1. A boat is not obliged to accept such offer unless it is the last boat
racing. The Race officer is not obliged to make such an offer. A boat that
accepts the place offered will immediately cease to race & the race officer
may repeat the process with the next boat. The offer may be made via
Rescue/Support boat personnel.
This amends the definition of the
word Finish.
17. Safety
All boats participating in a race
must make their presence known to the committee boat, for example by sailing
close to the committee boat as they reach the starting area. In particular, a
boat may not join a race without crossing the start line, even where their
intention is not to compete. Any boat so doing will be awarded a
non-discardible DNC for that race.
All boats must keep to Seaward of
the Flashing Beacon near Skerries Pier Head. Class rules relating to safety
must be observed. Boats ignoring these warnings may be disqualified. Rescue
craft shall have the right of way over competing boats at all times.
The primary responsibility of the
rescue craft is the safety of competitors. Neither Race Committee the Committee
of SSC, nor their servants can be held liable for loss or damage to boats or
equipment.
The race
officer will record which rescue craft are in use for each racing session, with
names of crew.
Drivers of
rescue craft must wear a kill cord at all times when the engine is running and
in gear.
All competitors and race management
team are required to wear adequate personal buoyancy whilst on the water. Wet
suits are not considered adequate buoyancy.
18. Insurance
All racing entries to have 3rd
party insurance of minimum €3m.