Sponsors
1) COMPETITORS LIABILITY
a) All those taking part in Club races do so at their own risk and responsibility.
b) The Club does not and cannot, control, diminish or affect the perils of the sea and are not responsible for the seaworthiness of a yacht, whose entry is accepted. Specific attention is drawn to RRS Fundamental Rule 4 that states-The responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue racing is hers alone.
2) RULES
a) All races are governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) 2016-2020. These are available for free download from http://www.sailing.org.au/sport-services/racing-rules/ A copy is kept at the club house for dispute resolution.
3) ELIGIBILITY
a) All skippers must have paid membership fees to be eligible for inclusion in race results b) In order for a yacht to be eligible to accumulate pennant or series points three criteria must be met:
i) the boat is registered in accordance with these instructions
ii) the skipper is a member of the club and has paid his subscriptions in accordance with the rules of the club.
iii) entry must be received prior to the first race in that series.
c) The owner of a yacht entering a Club race shall have a Public Liability and Third Party insurance with respect to the yacht in an amount of not less than $10,000,000 when racing and may be requested to provide a copy to the club.
d) A boat that does not comply with its class rules, shall, at the discretion of the Sailing Committee be allocated a penalty.
4) BRIEFING
a) Briefing or instructions given at an oral briefing may take precedence over these instructions.
5) OFFICIAL NOTICE BOARD
a) The official notice board shall be situated next to the main door of the clubhouse.
6) ALTERATION TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
a) Any alterations or additions to these instructions shall be posted on the notice board no
later than ten (10) minutes prior to the start of any race.
7) PRINCIPAL RACE OFFICER (PRO)
a) The sailing committee shall appoint an officer of the day who shall be an ex-officio member of that committee for the duration of the race day.
8) REGISTRATION
a) visitors who are owners and/or skippers are required to register details of their yacht and crew with the Sailing Committee in order to have race results acknowledged and recorded.
b) Any change of registered details must be lodged at the canteen at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the start of the First class on that race day. Pro-formas are available from the canteen.
9) HELMSMAN
a) Change of helmsman shall only be permitted where two or more persons regularly crew
the same yacht. In this event a change of helmsman to either of the above may be allowed.
10) MEMBERSHIP FEES
a) Membership fees shall be set by the General Committee and shall be advised in the annual program.
b) Members Payment of membership fees may be made in advance or on a weekly basis for junior members only. In relation to membership fees un-financial members will be considered as visitors. Any recorded results will be noted PNP (provisional – not paid)
c) Visitors Entry forms and race fees should be handed into the canteen at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the first race. Late entries will not be accepted. Visitors may sail a maximum of four (4) races, then they are obliged to join the club.
d) Junior sailors paying membership fees on a weekly basis must fill out the race fees book in the canteen.
11) COURSE AREA
a) Frederick Henry Bay/ Pittwater.
12) START/FINISH LINE
a) The starting line shall be an imaginary line between a orange flag and the mast or shape on the Committee Vessel. A distance buoy flying a green flag may be laid approximately along this line.
b) The finish line shall be an imaginary line between a buoy flying an Orange flag and the mast of the Committee Boat.
13) CLASSES
a) Classes will be decided by the Sailing Committee and shall generally consist of at least five (5) yachts entered for that series.
b) If on any day there are less than five (10) starters for a class, then a combined start may be arranged and the results may be for the combined class.
14) CLASS IDENTIFICATION
a) Class identifiers will be displayed at the warning (prep.signal).
b) Junior Class International Code Flag E (Blue & Red horizontal)
c) Catamarans International Code Flag O (Yellow & Red diagonal)
d) Open Monohulls International code flag D (Yellow & Blue horizontal)
e) Catamarans are generally divided into two (2) divisions – Division A, where yachts have
Yardstick < 82 and Division B , where yachts have a Yardstick. => 82.
f) Any yacht may be considered for a change in division only by written submission to the Sailing Committee. Committee reserves the right to change the division for each entry as it sees fit.
15) COURSES
a) Course signification - the course flag shall be flown from the committee vessel. Red flag signifies all buoys to be left to port. Green flag signifies all buoys to be left to starboard.
b) Courses will be as determined on the day
16) MARKS OF THE COURSE
a) All marks will be determined on the day.
17) STARTING TIMES
a) Start times are as advertised in the Club Programme of events. Any change to a time earlier than the one advised will be posted on the notice board ten (10) minutes prior to the race concerned.
b) For back to back races, the start of the second race will be no less than five (5) minutes
after the last boat to finish in that Division.
18) STARTING PROCEDURES
a) All starts will be off a committee vessel/starting box unless otherwise indicated on the notice board on the day of the race affected.
b) Warning signal - Five (5) minutes before the start of the first class a class flag(s) will be raised and may be accompanied by a sound signal.
c) Preparatory signal - Four (4)minutes before the start of the first class the code flag “P” will be raised. A sound signal may also be given.
d) One-Minute - One (1) minute before the start of the first class the code flag “P” will be lowered. A sound signal may also be given.
e) Start Signal - Class flag will come down and a sound signal may be given. This signal is also the reparatory signal for the following class.
f) All yachts other than those in the starters hands shall keep clear of the starting line and of all yachts that are in the starters hands.
g) All yachts over the line at the start signal (and before the start) shall return to the pre-start side of the line before being deemed to have started. Failure to start correctly shall lead to disqualification.
19) INDIVIDUAL RECALLS
a) In the event of any yacht or yachts being over the starting line at the starting signal, an additional sound signal may be given and International Code Flag “X” shall be displayed from the committee boat (moored at one end of the starting line). Code Flag “X” will remain flying until all premature starters have returned to the course side of the line or for a period of four minutes. The onus rests on any offending yachts to return and re-start correctly. Failure to re-start correctly shall lead to disqualification.
20) GENERAL RECALLS
a) A general recall will be signalled by the sounding of two (2) additional sound signals immediately after the starting signal. (ie three (3) sound signals in total). The first substitute flag (blue & yellow) will be displayed.
b) A new preparatory signal shall be given and all other starts delayed accordingly.
21) SHORTENED COURSE
a) The course may be shortened at the discretion of the Principal Race Officer .
b) International Code Flag “S” will be placed adjacent to a mark of the course, all yachts having completed the same number of laps as the leading yacht, shall round the mark as normal and proceed in the direction of the next mark of the intended course straight through the finishing line. Should the course be shortened for particular classes, Code Flag “S” will be accompanied by the class flag for which the course is shortened. Other classes will complete their normal course.
22) POSTPONEMENT AND ABANDONMENT OF RACES
a) Display code flag N with three sounds signals. NOTE: If the above relates to other than all classes then the signals will be accompanied by the appropriate class signals.
23) ALTERNATIVE PENALTY
a) The alternative penalty as specified in the ISAF Rule Book 44.1 shall apply - 360 degree
turn penalty.
24) TIME LIMIT
a) A time limit of three (3) hours shall apply to all races except for long distance races which shall have a time limit of 4.5 hours. If one (1) yacht finishes within the time limit, the race time limit shall be extended by thirty (30) minutes for all other competing yachts. If no other yacht finishes within the time limit the race shall be abandoned or cancelled at the discretion of the Principal Race Officer.
25) SIGN ON/SIGN OFF/RETIREMENTS
a) Sign On (Entry) - All yachts intending to race must be entered in full by their helmsman on the Declaration sheet provide beneath the notice board.
b) Sign Off (Finishing) - It is incumbent on all helmsman to complete the declaration sheet as to whether their yacht completed the course correctly, as soon as possible after finishing and no later than thirty (30) minutes after finishing time of the last yacht.
c) Retirements - Yachts which retire and yachts which enter but do not start shall also complete the declaration form indicating whether they retired or did not start.
d) Where a yacht has not Signed On and/or Signed Off correctly, the Sailing Committee may elect to score the yacht a DNS of DNF. Where back to back races are held on any one race day a single Sign On/Off procedure will be deemed sufficient for that day.
26) PROTESTS
a) Protests must be lodged in the entry box provided (next to the notice board) on the appropriate form within one (2) hours of the finish of the last yacht. A fee of $5-00 shall accompany the protest form and may be refunded at the discretion of the Protest Committee. All protests shall be held before the next race day following the incident, the venue for such hearings to be notified at the time of lodgement or as soon as possible after the lodgement.
b) The Protest Committee shall consist of not less than three (3) persons appointed by the
Chairman of the Sailing Committee or his representative.
27) SAFETY REGULATIONS
a) Safety Regulations as defined in ISAF Racing Rules, also paragraph 1 of these instructions, Marine and Safety Tasmania (responsible alcohol) must be complied with at all times.
b) Rescue Boats - No racing shall be allowed under L.Y.C. jurisdiction unless at least one (1) official Rescue Boat is available. Yachts, whether racing or not, shall concede right-of-way to Rescue boats of any club engaged in giving aid to, or towing a yacht.
c) Wind Strength. Races will not be started in winds averaging speeds of 25 knots and above or in conditions deemed unsafe by the Sailing Committee. Under these conditions International Code Flag “Y” will be flown and no yacht shall be permitted on the water. Failure to comply with this rule will result in strong disciplinary action being taken.
d) Personal Buoyancy All sailors must wear an approved personal floatation device (PFD2 or
3) whilst racing. Failure to do so shall result in disqualification.
28) SCORING
a) Pennant and handicap points shall be scored in accordance with the Olympic scoring system as defined in Rule 89.3 of the 20016-2020 ISAF Racing Rules.
b) Any ties will be resolved in accordance with Appendix A7.
c) Yachts that do not sail because their crews are rostered on pick-up boat duty shall accumulate series points for that race calculated on the average of the races sailed in that series less the race concerned after dropping the worst heat.
d) Where a yachts crew is required for pick-up duty when there are back to back races, they
shall be given redress.
e) If a pennant race is abandoned, it may be resailed on a day to be determined.
29) RESULTS
a) Race results provided on race days are provisional only and subject to ratification. Ratified
results will be posted on the “results notice board” on the next race day and if unchallenged in writing within the following week will be declared correct and final.
b) The Sailwave computer programme is used for the production of the results and generation of handicaps. Details are available upon request.
30) TROPHIES
a) Trophies shall be presented to the first place getter in each class for each series or trophy race or as the Committee deems acceptable.
31) YARDSTICKS
a) Yardsticks selected for a given season will apply for the whole of that season and will be sourced from VYC and adjusted for Lauderdale Yacht Club use.
b) Modifications from standard shall be considered at the discretion of the Sailing Committee.
32) MEMBERS OBLIGATIONS
a) From time to time as circumstances dictate, members may be called upon to provide assistance in any of a number of areas in normal club operations. This includes canteen duty, pick-up boat duty, and general assistance as is necessary etc... Whilst such a rule can obviously not be enforced, we rely on members’ good nature to give assistance when requested.
33) ADHERENCE
a) All rules must be obeyed, anyone contravening will be taken out to sea and keelhauled
34) ALTERATION TO ALL BY-LAWS
a) All by-laws may be altered by the Commodore as he/or she sees fit.