January
2012
Sailing Instructions
for
Cruiser Club Series Racing Outside 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
1.8 The
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.
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 from behind the bar.
Unless otherwise specified races will be ‘Around the Cans’
(RTC) starting 2hours before High Water. Other race types will include Race
over Low Water (RoLW) starting 1 hour before Low Water and a Low Water Race
(LWR) starting over 2 hours before Low Water.
Additional races may be sailed at the end of any days racing
as the Race Committee sees fit.
7. Courses
“Round the Cans” course
using navigation marks and islands in the upper
The course details,
including start and finish lines, which may be different, will be announced over
the VHF before the warning signal.
Fleets may have different
courses
Depending upon the numbers
waiting to start, fleets may be grouped together or started as individual
fleets
Courses
may be chosen from the Course list that forms part of the Cruiser Racing
Handbook
No
course will be less than 5nm over the ground for a faster fleet and 4nm for a
slower fleet.
8. Starting
& Finishing Procedures
Starts will be on the fixed line
from Penarth Yacht Club, or from the end of Penarth Pier. The Race Officer will
specify which line is in use. RRS 26 and 29 are modified in that no visual
signals will be used and the operation of rule 30 will be announced over the
VHF at the preparatory signal rather than by the I, Z or Black flags.
The Race Officer shall give notice
of the 5 minute signal and count down from 5 seconds to that signal by VHF.
The PYC start line is a transit
between the red triangle on the bridge deck and the flagstaff. The outer
distance mark is the orange buoy known as 'PYC ODM'. For Races over Low Water
(RoLW) and Low Water Races (LWR), Mid Cardiff will be used as the ODM
The PYC finish line will normally be a line between
the red triangle and the ODM, but for Races over Low Water (RoLW) and Low Water
Races (LWR) the finish line will be between the red triangle and Mid Cardiff in
which instance all yachts must call ‘Cardiff Bay Yacht Club Race Control’ on
VHF Ch37 as they approach the finish line.
The Penarth Pier start line will be
the transit through the apex of the gable end of the hut on the end of the pier
and the mast in front of it. An ODM may by laid. For Races over Low Water
(RoLW) and Low Water Races (LWR), Mid Cardiff will be used as the ODM.
The Penarth Pier finish line will be
the same as the start line. For Races over Low Water (RoLW) and Low Water Races
(LWR), all yachts must call ‘Cardiff Bay Yacht Club Race Control’ on VHF Ch37
as they approach the finish line.
9.0 Shortened Courses
Courses may be shortened by
the Race Officer by VHF. No sound or light signal will be used. In the event of
a ‘lap type course’ the number or laps to be completed will be given. The
course may be shortened at any mark of the course by the Race Officer. That
mark will then be passed as originally prescribed. Having passed or rounded the
mark Competitors will return direct to the finish line, missing out any other
marks designated in the original course. The Race Officer may, for the purpose
of clarification, give the direction in which they should cross the finishing
line.
10. Time
Limits
No yacht may start more
than 30 minutes after her starting signal.
For a Low Water Races (LWR) or Channel Races - 6 hours
For a 'Round the Cans' type
course - 3 hours.
Courses may be shortened as
appropriate to ensure that the majority of the fleet can finish inside the time
limits, in accordance with rule 32(e).
11. Protests
11.1 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 2
hours of the end of racing for the day.
Official protest forms will
be available behind the bar in the CBYC Clubhouse.
11.2
Protests where there has been no contact
All
Protests where there has been no contact will be decided by Arbitration,
subject to 11.2(a). Arbitration shall replace the protest hearing
required under RRS 63. A Protest Mediator or his designated substitute
will decide if the protest is valid. Each party being protested shall then
provide a written response to the Protest within 1 hour of being supplied with
a copy of it. The Protest will be decided on the basis of the
written Protest form and the reply from each party protested. No further
evidence will be called. The decision will be final.
11.2(a)
If
having read the evidence the Protest Mediator considers that the matter should
be put to a full Protest Committee, he shall decide accordingly and have full
discretion.
11.3
Protests where there has been contact
The
Protest shall be decided by Arbitration unless any party who
is PRESENT does not agree. The Protest will be decided by
the Protest Mediator or his designated substitute. Arbitration shall
replace the protest hearing required under RRS 63. A Protest Mediator or
his designated substitute shall decide if the protest is valid. Each
party being protested shall provide a written response to the Protest within 1
hour of being supplied with a copy of it.
The Protest
Mediator shall have total discretion as to whether further evidence
(including witness evidence) may be submitted. The Protest
Mediator shall have total discretion as to whether to convene a hearing to hear
further evidence. At any time he may terminate the Arbitration and
refer the incident to a full protest committee hearing; otherwise, at the
conclusion of the Arbitration he will reach a decision. The decision
will be final.
11.4
Penalty for Protests decided by Arbitration
Any
party found to have infringed a rule shall not be disqualified but shall
incur a 25% place penalty subject to a minimum of 3 places.
No
penalty shall result in a score which would exceed that of a Disqualification.
Application
of a penalty shall not affect the place or score of other boats.
Any decision shall be final.
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 Yachts still racing at a race
time limit will be awarded an equal share of the available points had they all
completed the course. If there are no finishers then no points will be awarded.
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.
Results may be calculated
using the times of a previously completed part of the course.
14 Commercial Shipping
Commercial Shipping must not be
impeded under any circumstances; this applies particularly in restricted
waters. Inside the limits of the
Failure to observe
this rule may result in a Race Officer protest. In the event of serious
breaches yachts may be scored DND from all races on the day of the incident.
Race Committee
Steve Cooper Cruiser Racing Chairman
David Cairncross Principal Race
Officer
Andrea Tithecott