Frostbite Yacht Club – Connecticut River Squadron, Inc.

Sailing Instructions

1 - RULES:  All races will be governed by the current rules as defined in the 2009-2012 Racing Rules of Sailing except as amended in this document.

2 - NOTICE TO COMPETITORS: Notices to competitors will be posted on the official FBYC bulletin board located in the Essex Yacht Club near the payphone.

3 - CHANGES IN THE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS: Any changes will be posted on the official notice board before 1100 on the day that the changes will take effect.

4 - SIGNALS MADE ASHORE:  Announcements made ashore shall be through the FBYC Commodore, Vice Commodore PRO or respective fleet captains.

5 - SCHEDULE OF RACES: The first warning will be made at 1300.  All boats are requested to sail by the stern of the Race Committee boat and check in prior to the first warning signal.  A minimum of three (3) boats are required to start a race for each class.

6 - ENTRIES: Boats are required to file a completed registration form with full entry fee with FBYC to be eligible to race.

7 - CLASS SHAPES: Are as follows: Lasers – Red, JY15 – Yellow, Etchells – White, Ideal 18 – Blue.  There will be no set order for starting classes.

8 - SAFETY: All sailors shall wear zipped or tied USCG approved PFDs at all times while on the water.  Any boat withdrawing from a race shall notify the Race Committee or a crash boat. Should notification be impractical, the boat must make every effort to contact RC once ashore either through EYC personnel, cell phone or any other means available. All boats shall grant the right of way to commercial traffic.  The firing of a single gun shall signal commercial traffic and all races in progress will be abandoned and all boats are required to clear the channel.  The firing of three guns shall signal all boats to sail immediately to the dock and await further instructions.  All boats are subject to inspection at any time. Etchells and Ideal 18s are required to carry a VHF and an anchor at all times.  Laser sailors are required to wear a full torso wet or dry suit. The Race Committee and crash boats reserve the right to send an individual competitor into the dock for the day for any reason.  Failure to obey the RC and/or crash boat may result in a boat receiving a DSQ for all races that day.  This modifies RRS A5.

9 - THE COURSE: The courses will be as follows:

WP : Triangle with all turning marks to Port

WS : Triangle with all turning marks to Starboard

BP : Windward-Leeward with all turning marks to Port

BS : Windward-Leeward with all turning marks to Starboard.

 

.

   

 

10 - MARKS: Primary Turning Marks will be white and blue spheres with a yellow flag on a staff.  The letter A following the regular course signal will indicate that an Alternate Windward mark will be used, which will be an orange sphere with an orange flag on a staff.

ETCHELLS ONLY:  Etchells will always have their own special leeward mark.  If there is a “W” at the end of the course, Etchells shall also have their own special windward mark.  Otherwise they shall use the regular designated windward mark.

Primary Turning Marks, the Alternate Windward Mark, and the Etchells Windward/Leeward Marks may all be in the water at the same time.

11 - THE START: Races will be started in accordance with Appendix S (3 minute sequence).  The starting line will be between a white flag on the RC boat and a white flag buoy located on the starboard side of the RC boat.  Boats in classes whose warning signal has not been made shall keep clear of the starting area and of boats whose signal has been made. 

12 - THE FINISH: The finish line will be between an orange flag on the race committee boat and an orange ball located on the port side of the committee boat. No yachts shall pass through the start unless in their starting sequence or finish line unless they are on the last leg of the race. The Etchells finish will be between the orange flag on the race committee boat and a small yellow mark set approximately 100 yards off the race committee boat. Etchells are not permitted to pass inside the orange flag on the race committee boat and the orange ball, located between the Etchells yellow finish pin and the orange flag located on the RC boat. If conditions allow, RC may remove the orange ball located between the Etchells yellow finish pin and the orange flag located on RC boat for the Etchells finish without prior notification.

13 - PENALTY SYSTEM: The two turn alternate penalty is replaced with one turn penalty.  This changes RRS 44.1

14 - TIME LIMIT: The time limit will be 45 minutes per race. A yacht finishing more than thirty (30) minutes after the first yacht has finished or after the time limit, whichever is later, will be scored TLE. The Race Committee may award the last three yachts their positions should conditions make it impractical to await their finish.  This changes RRS 35.

15 - PROTESTS: Rule 61.1 is changed so that JY’s, Etchells, and Ideal 18s need to fly a protest flag. Protests shall be reported to the RC boat upon finishing. Protests will be heard as soon as possible after the day’s racing. Protests shall be written on forms available from the Race Committee and lodged within thirty (30) minutes from the time the RC returns to the dock.

16 - SCORING: Low Point Scoring System Appendix A. To qualify for inclusion in the final series results, a yacht must rank as a starter in at least 70% of the races run in the series. All Etchells qualify for inclusion in the series. Each yacht’s total score will be the sum of 70% of their best races. This changes RRS Appendix A2. Only one (1) DSQ can be discarded. The fleet that has set up and take down, represented by the fleet captain, has the responsibility for filling any needed positions on the Race Committee. Any boats filling these positions will receive their average for the number of races sailed that day. 

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: All vehicles must be parked in the grass/gravel lot located at the back of Essex Yacht Club. There is no parking on any pavement permitted. Failure to comply may result in a DSQ for the day’s racing. Only Essex Yacht Club docks can be used. Anyone seen using or touching the docks at the Essex Corinthian YC may be DSQ’d for the day’s racing. If you have any questions as to which docks can be used please ask a Race Committee official or your fleet captain. The consumption of alcoholic beverages not purchased at Essex Yacht Club is forbidden. Drinking can only take place in the bar at Essex Yacht Club. Failure to comply may result in a DSQ for the day’s racing.  This changes RRS A5.

 DATE \@ "yyyy-MM-dd" 2009-11-18