January
2009
Sailing Instructions
for
Cruiser Club Series Racing Inside of the
Barrage
1.
Safety and Responsibility
1.1 Yacht racing can be dangerous. The attention of owners, skippers and
crew is drawn to RRS Fundamental Rule 4: "A yacht is solely responsible
for deciding whether or not to start or to continue racing". The safety of
a yacht and her crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the owner or
owner's representative who must do their best to ensure that the yacht is fully
found, thoroughly seaworthy and manned by an experienced crew who are
physically fit to face bad weather. They must be satisfied as to the soundness
of the hull, spars, rigging, sails and all gear. They must ensure that the
safety equipment is properly maintained and stowed and that the crew know where
it is kept and how it is to be used.
1.2 Cardiff Bay Yacht Club accept no responsibility or liability for
loss of life or injury to members or others, or for the loss of, or damage to,
any vessel or property.
1.3 The owner and crew will be held jointly responsible for the conduct
of the yacht's crew before, during and after a race. Misconduct may result in
both owner and crew being excluded from future races and render a yacht liable
to disqualification.
1.4 Yachts must hold a valid and current boat insurance which covers
them for third party claims of up to £3,000,000 for the entire period of the
series.
1.5 Crew members' attention is drawn to RRS 1.2 life-saving equipment .
. . "Each competitor is individually responsible for wearing personal
buoyancy adequate for the conditions."
1.6 No yacht may carry an
anchor that overhangs its bow
1.7 Transom mounted
outboard motors must be either stowed within the yacht or left in the vertical
position while racing
2. Rules
2.1 The racing will be
organised by Cardiff Bay Yacht Club and governed by these sailing instructions,
The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the prescriptions of the RYA, and the rules
of the IRC, except as any of these are changed by these sailing instructions.
2.2 The series are
designated Category C as described in the ISAF Advertising Code.
3. Eligibility
3.1 Yachts shall be self-righting, single hull vessels.
3.2 All yachts are required
to display any sponsor’s stickers or flag as provided.
3.3 Yachts shall have a valid rating or handicap certificate
for the class they wish to enter.
3.4
Yachts entering the IRC classes failing to supply a valid certificate by their
entry into a series will be deleted from that series.
3.5
It is a condition of entry that competing yachts shall permit scrutineers to
check the validity of handicaps against certificates and/or class rules. Yachts
may also be scrutinised to ensure compliance with 1.1 All yachts must display
their correct sail numbers or sail number boards or have name boards
prominently displayed.
3.6
Failure to pay the Race Fee within two weeks of a yacht’s first start shall
result in previous races being discounted.
3.7 Providing there are sufficient registered yachts racing
will be organised into Fleets. A race
will consist of two or more yachts.
3.8
Yachts will be allocated to fleets as the Race Committee see fit.
4. Radio Communication
4.1 All yachts must carry a
working VHF radio and monitor Ch 37 while in the starting area and for the
duration of the race.
4.2 Final course details
and other information for competitors will be given by the race officer over
VHF Radio. Normally channel 37 (M1) will be used. In the event of a problem
with this then Channel 72. If possible the race officer will also announce this
over Channel 37.
.
4.3 Yachts should refrain
from communicating with the race officer or each other on the race channel
between the warning signal and the start, except on matters of safety or unless
contacted by the race officer.
5. Notices to Competitors and Changes
in Sailing Instructions
Notices to Competitors and
Changes in Sailing Instructions will be displayed on the club website at www.cbyc.co.uk and/or by the Race Officer on VHF Ch 37.
6. Schedule
of Races
The schedule of races will be displayed on the Club website
and be available in the 'Cruiser Racing Handbook' and from behind the bar.
7. Courses
Courses will be laid
courses. Typically, a windward - leeward course with a spreader mark at the
windward mark will be laid. A committee boat will be positioned approx a third
of the way up the course. An outer distance mark will be laid on the port beam
of the committee boat. The colour and general location of the marks may be
announced by the race officer on Ch37. All marks should be left to Port. All
boats must pass through the start/finish line on each windward leg. Racing will
be continuous until finished. The race will normally be of 60 minutes duration
for the mid fleet boat.
Different courses may be
announced by the Race Officer on Ch37.
8. Starting
& Finishing Procedures
8.1 Races will be started
in accordance with RRS 26 and 29
8.2 The start and finish
line is between a mast on the committee boat and a laid outer distance mark.
8.3 Depending on the boats
racing, fleets may be given individual or combined starts.
8.4 The starting signal for
one fleet will serve as the warning signal for the next fleet.
8.5 Sound signals or VHF
communication take precedence over flag signals.
8.6 All other signals will be given
over the VHF without visual or sound signals.
8.7 The race results may be
calculated using the times from a previously completed lap.
8.8 Lapped boats may be finished
having completed fewer laps and their time calculated from the average time of
previously completed laps.
10. Time
Limits
No yacht may start more
than 30 minutes after her starting signal.
The time limit on a race is
1.5 hours.
11. Protests
Boats intending to protest
are requested to inform the race officer as soon as possible by radio etc.
Protests shall then be delivered in writing to the race officer, member or
delegate of the race committee within 1 hour of the end of racing for the day.
Official protest forms will
be available behind the bar in the CBYC Clubhouse.
12. Scoring & Discards
12.1 The low point scoring system,
in accordance with RRS 88.3, will be used.
12.2 Yachts scoring DNF or RET will
score points for the number of starters in the race + 1. All other yachts not
classified (ie DSQ, OCS etc) will score points for the number of entries + 2.
12.3 In the event of no boats
completing a course within a time limit, all those that started will score 2
points.
12.4 Discards. 3 races sailed – all to
count, 4-7 races sailed – 1 discard, 8 races sailed – 2 discards.
13 Results
Results will be displayed
on the Cardiff Bay Yacht Club website as soon as possible after the race.
Race Committee
David Cairncross Principal Race
Officer
Steve Cooper Sailing Secretary,