Revised: June 7, 2017
Effective AGM January 23, 2016, Revision to Sections 1.1, 1.2, 14.1,14.2 AGM January 14, 2017
1 RULES
1.1 Club sanctioned racing will be governed by the 'rules' as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2017-2020.
1.2 Equipment Rules of Sailing for 2017-2020 will apply.
1.3 The prescriptions of the CYA will apply.
1.4 These sailing instructions replace any previous or undated versions.
2 ENTRIES
2.1 Club sanctioned racing is open to all Full and Associate Members in good standing of the Grand Bend Yacht Club. Others welcome by invitation.
2.2 Class is PHRF.
2.3 All boats must be registered in good standing with the LH-PHRF for the current race year. If a valid certificate has not been provided, the race committee will assign an estimated rating and impose an additional 10 second penalty. Certificates will not be accepted once the first race of a regatta or series has been started and the rating currently assigned will be used to score that series or regatta.
3 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
3.1 Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located at the Grand Bend Yacht Club clubhouse. The Official Notice Board is attached to the East railing of the deck surrounding the clubhouse facing Easterly and able to be read from the main dock. Notices may also be posted on the GBYC website, but in case of a discrepancy the official notice board will be considered correct.
4 CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
4.1 Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted before 09:00 on the day it will take effect.
5 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
5.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed at the Grand Bend Yacht Club clubhouse.
6 SCHEDULE OF RACES
6.1 The annual race schedule shall be set and posted on the Website and Official Notice Board no later than May 1, and is subject to change based on weather related race cancellations or other unforeseen scheduling conflicts.
6.2 The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race each day is 10:00.
6.3 No warning signal will be made after 13:00.
6.4 Sections 6.2 and 6.3 are waived in the event that a race is scheduled for a later time of day.
7 CLASSES AND CLASS FLAGS
7.1 Classes, divisions and flags will be established by the Race Committee.
7.2 Divisions shall have at least 3 boats that have completed the minimum number of races in the series. In the absence of this minimum, the boats shall race and be scored as one fleet. The minimum number of races is established as 50% of races completed plus one.
7.3 Although not absolute, for the purposes of establishing divisions, the racing fleet will be split on the basis of a JAM phrf rating of approximately 180. This may vary based on the race fleet in order to provide opportunities for divisional competitiveness.
7.4 Divisions may be combined into one fleet start.
8 RACING AREAS
8.1 The racing course and marks shall be established and published on the website and official notice board prior to the first race of the year.
9 THE COURSES
9.1 The course for each race may be established by any one of the three following methods:
- By either Notice of Race, or Sailing Instructions as may be posted on the Website or Official Notice Board prior to the race.
- At the skipper’s meeting prior to the race.
- By radio communication from the race committee using VHF channel 06 prior to the warning signal before any start.
10 MARKS
10.1 Marks will be white or orange, plastic spar buoys painted with letter code identification corresponding to the established course.
10.2 Missing marks will be replaced by a yellow inflatable pyramid mark, or such other temporary mark as designated by the Race Committee at a Skipper’s Meeting or on the Official Notice Board.
10.3 The starting and finishing marks will be as established at the skipper’s meeting prior to the race.
11 THE START
11.1 Starting sounds on VHF channel 06 will be given and may be provided in combination with visual signals for pier starts or in conjunction with a committee boat if available.
11.2 In races with multiple starts, boats whose warning signal has not been made shall avoid the starting area. The starting area is defined as the length of the start line to either side and one length of the start line to leeward. A boat starting later than 10 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start in accordance with Rule A4.2.
11.3 A boat that crosses the start line or is above the start line before the starting signal is responsible to remedy the situation. The race committee may, when feasible, notify the boat(s) involved by hailing on VHF channel 06 but responsibility remains with the crew to identify themselves.
11.4 In the event of a General Recall, notice shall be provided by VHF Channel 06, and/or the First Substitute flag shall be displayed and the race shall be abandoned. The remaining fleets shall continue in their proper sequence and the recalled fleet will be restarted following all other starts.
12 THE FINISH
12.1 The finishing line will be as established at the skipper’s meeting prior to the race. If the committee boat is on station at any mark on the course and displaying the “RC” flag, then the finish line is between the committee boat and that mark. Skippers taking note of their own finish time shall determine the finish as the time that the boat’s primary winches pass through the line.
13 PENALTY SYSTEM
13.1 A boat that has taken a penalty or retired under rule 31 or 44.1 shall notify the race chairman within the protest time limit.
13.2 The protest committee may, without a hearing, penalize a boat that has broken rule 42.
14 TIME LIMITS
14.1 Round the buoy races will be limited to 2 hours in duration. There is no time limit for long distance (offshore) races. Boats choosing to finish after others have left the course will record and report their finishing time to the committee. All other boats will be scored DNF.
14.2 All races may be shortened at the call of the race chairman. At all times, it is the decision of a boat’s captain to enter, continue, or withdraw from a race for any reason.
15 PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS
15.1 Protest forms are available at the Grand Bend Yacht Club clubhouse. Protests shall be delivered there within the protest time limit.
15.2 For each division, the protest time limit is 60 minutes after the last boat has finished the last race of the day. The same protest time limit applies to all protests by the race committee and protest committee and to requests for redress. This changes rules 61.3 and 62.2 but in no way alters the requirements of 61.1.
15.3 Notices will be posted within 30 minutes of the protest time limit to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses. The location and time of hearings will be posted on the Official Notice Board. Notices of protests by the race committee or protest committee will be posted to inform boats under rule 61.1(b). A list of boats that, under instruction 13.2, have acknowledged breaking rule 42 or have been disqualified by the protest committee will be posted before the protest time limit. For the purpose of rule 64.3(b) the ‘authority responsible’ is the Club Commodore.
16 SCORING
16.1 Races shall be scored based on Time on Time calculations using the appropriate phrf SP calculation for the sail configuration flown in the race. Each skipper has the option to use flying sails or not.
16.2 The Low Point scoring system will apply.
16.3 One race is required to be completed to constitute a series. All races in a series of less than 3 races shall be included in scoring.
16.4 If 4 or more races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her best race scores greater than 50% of the races completed. (Best 3 of 4; 3 of 5; 4 of 6; 4 of 7; Etc)
16.5 If a tie exists between two or more boats, both receive that placing and the next position will be omitted. The boat’s overall placing in each series shall be used toward the low point scoring calculation determining boat of the year.
16.6 For the purposes of calculating Boat of the Year, all competing boats, regardless of divisional splits, shall be scored as one fleet.
17 SAFETY REGULATIONS
17.1 A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.
18 EQUIPMENT AND MEASUREMENT CHECKS
18.1 A boat or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules and sailing instructions. On the water, a boat can be instructed by a race committee measurer to proceed immediately to a designated area for inspection.
19 RADIO COMMUNICATION
19.1 VHF channel 06 may be used by the race committee during the course of a race for hailing or communications. In the event an alternate channel will be used all boats shall be advised at the pre- race meeting or by hailing all racing fleets on Channel 06 and advising of the alternate channel.
20 PRIZES
20.1 Prizes for each series and division will be awarded at the Fall Banquet. First, Second, and Third place flags will be presented for divisions with at least 3 competitors.
20.2 Division champions will be determined for each of the following 5 series:
- Victoria Regatta
- Spring Series
- Labour Day Regatta
- Fall Series
- Offshore Series consisting of 3 races (Port Franks #1 and #2 and the Grand Bend 30)
20.3 An overall Boat of The Year will be determined by counting each boat’s overall placement in all 5 series. In the event that a boat does not participate in one or more of the series, its score shall be determined as being 2 points greater than the number of participating boats in that series.
20.4 In the event that there is a low point score tie between boats, the boat that participated in the greater number of races shall be deemed Boat of the Year, and in the event that a tie still exists, the boat with the greater number of first places shall be deemed the Boat of the Year.
21 DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
21.0 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. Additionally, all boats are required to abide Part 1 fundamental rules 1 through 3.