RACE RULES 2012

 (Revised and approved 2/1/2012)

A.        COMMITTEE BOAT SCHEDULE

 ·         Committee Boat Duties will be coordinated by the Race Committee and assigned to active skippers from the previous year on a random basis.  A schedule will be published.

·         Skippers may either run the race on their scheduled night, trade with another skipper for their night or assign someone else to run the race in their stead. Report trades/assignments to the race committee.

·         The Race Committee will contact the assigned skipper prior to their assigned race.

·         If there is no crew for the Committee Boat there will be no race.

B.        DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE BOAT

 ·         Be at the starting location 1 hour before the race start (Wednesday Series) or Skippers meeting (Saturday Series)

·         Ensure that committee boat is properly equipped and there is an approved PFD for each member of the race committee aboard.

·         Set the course and communicate to the competitors via VHF or at the Skippers meeting

·         Start the Race using ISAF five minute countdown sequences.

·         Observe any infractions of the rules and be prepared to either make a judgment on the water or report incident to the Race Committee for a later ruling.

·         Finish the Race, taking times for all competitors who finish.

·         Return committee boat and equipment to proper storage.

C.        DUTIES OF COMPETITORS

 ·         Race according to the Racing Rules of Sailing. US Sailing 2009-2012 rules apply.

·         Treat all other competitors and the Committee Boat Crew with respect!

·         Carry a VHF radio for communications onboard. (This may be a hand held unit) Competitors must monitor the appropriate channel for the entire duration of the race.

·         A protest flag (small red flag) is deemed essential equipment and must be flown from the backstay if a protest is lodged from your boat. 

·         All RYC racing sailboats must carry at least the minimum safety gear aboard as listed by either the US or Canadian Coast Guard for your appropriate sized vessel. All safety equipment for your boat must be in good working order, and there must be an approved PFD for every person carried on board at all times.

D.        RACE RULES

 General 

 1.    The Race Committee means the permanent standing committee of the club.  The Committee Boat means the people aboard the committee boat running the individual race.

2.    The current International Racing Rules of Sailing as adopted and revised by US Sailing apply to all RYC events, except where amended herein.

3.    The United States Sailing Association PHRF Handicap System will be used as applied by the Race Committee.

4.    Race results will be calculated only for members in good standing as of the start of the race, or for a single race entry fee of $20.

5.    The decision to race or to abandon a race is the skipper's alone.  The Committee Boat may at its sole discretion shorten, postpone, or cancel a race due to unsafe weather or lack of wind. A skipper that is abandoning the race must contact the committee boat of their intentions by VHF radio or hailing.

6.    The Committee boat will use a VHF Radio, transmitting normally on Channel 69, for all communications with Competitors.  The onus is on the skipper of each boat participating to monitor the VHF for the duration of the race to be able to receive instructions from the Committee.

Wednesday Night Fun Races

7.    RYC Wednesday Night Fun Series there will be two fleets racing a single season series of 14 races. Start sequence for both fleets will commence at 5:55 pm CST with race start at 6:00 pm Sharp!

•  Two classes: Faster A and Slower B PHRF classes.  (Split is at 200 PHRF)

•  Separate race results between A and B fleets, no overall fleet scoring.

a)    Spinnakers will be allowed in A fleet PHRF. White sails only in B fleet PHRF.

b)    If a marked course (buoyed) is to be run, RC must set an Olympic triangle which will be used to accommodate separate courses for each fleet. This is to be the recommended standard race for most Wednesday night starts.

c)    Both classes start at same time (5:55 pm CST with race start at 6:00 pm) using a leeward starting gate.

d)     Fast PHRF A fleet will race a windward leeward course of 7 legs**.   Offset course marker of Olympic triangle is not used by A fleet boats.

e)     Slow PHRF B fleet will race a standard Olympic six-leg triangle course using the offset mark. **

f)     All boats finish at same gate set at either the windward gate or leeward start line gate. Races cannot end at the offset mark of the Olympic Triangle.

g)    On occasion the RC may deem race conditions suit an alternate fixed course Wednesday night race to be run. In a fixed course race no leg of the race is to be raced twice. (IE a course set around Campfire Island) If this occurs then the fleets A&B will be timed altogether for the purposes of the race. However results will be separated for scoring purposes for the Wednesday night series separately in each fleet. (Example: a B fleet boat that comes 3rd overall in the Wednesday Campfire Island race but is the first B Fleet to finish on corrected time will still pick up the .75 points awarded to a first place finish in their fleet)

h)   Racing Rules of Sailing apply to ALL boats starting at start line regardless if one boat is in A fleet and one boat in B fleet.

8.    The duration of Wednesday Night Fun Races will be determined by the discretion of the RC in the Committee Boat, based on the likelihood of a reasonable number of boats finishing. A 60 to 90 minute period of racing is the general target. A red flag will indicate a shortened course finish line.

     ** Races can be shortened at RC’s discretion to fit sailing/wind conditions encountered but original gate positions must be respected. A finish line must be set at either the first windward mark of the course (preferred) or the leeward mark (original start gate) to accommodate both fleets.

 9.    Wednesday Series Two Boat Rule: The minimum number of boats in each class for a race to count will be 2 boats.

a)    If there is only one boat in a class; that boat may race with the other fleet under the other fleet’s rules for fun, but results from solo boat will not be scored in the other fleets results.

b)    If a boat is alone in its class, it receives 1.5 points for the night for making the effort to show up.  The skipper must finish race with other fleet to qualify for points.

c)    If both fleets are too small (i.e 1 boat per fleet), each skipper gets 2 points for showing up.  No need for a race.

Saturday Races

 10. Saturday Races will start at the time prescribed by the Committee Boat at the Skippers Meeting held prior to the race. 

 11. RYC Saturday Series will consist of only one race fleet. All boats participating will be scored together for the overall series.

12. Saturday Series Three Boat Rule: There must be three boats starting a RYC Saturday race for the race to be considered officially scored. (Three boats do not have to finish the race; only have started across the line.

 13. The Committee Boat will determine the course for Saturday Races based on predicted weather conditions, and will include, if practicable, a balance between upwind and downwind sailing.   Other participants may make suggestions for an appropriate course prior to the Skippers meeting, but the final decision on the race course selected rests with the skipper of the Committee Boat.   At the Skipper’s meeting, discussion will normally be limited to requests for clarification of the course and requests for course changes based on safety concerns.

 14. At the Skippers meeting the Committee Boat skipper will describe the following components:

     a)    VHF Channel to monitor    

b)    Anticipated wind direction at the start of the race

c)    Start line (e.g. between the Committee Boat and a Club Marker)

d)    Direction of the first leg (a windward first leg is desirable)

e)    First marker and passing side (leave to Port or Starboard)

f)     Additional marks and passing side

g)    Location of gates and times at which gate decisions will be made

h)   Approach direction to the finish line

i)     Finish Line

j)      Call time for the race

15. Gates are predetermined locations at which the race may be finished early should weather conditions preclude using the prescribed finish line.  Additional gates may be determined during the race at the sole discretion of the Committee Boat provided that establishing such a gate will not unduly advantage or disadvantage competitors.

16. The Committee Boat shall be at the gates at the specified times to determine if the race shall continue.  This decision will be based on the weather, location of the lead boats, the location of the remainder of the fleet and the likelihood of a reasonable number of boats finishing in the time allowed.  If the Committee Boat determines that the race will be finished early at a gate if possible; reasonable attempts (red flag, VHF. etc.) will be made to notify all the competitors of their decision.  In extreme weather cases (too little or too much wind) a finish line other than a preset gate can be set by the RC to finish a race as long as it does not unduly advantage or disadvantage any of the competitors.

 17. The Committee Boat shall set a race completion time for each Saturday Race after which they, at their sole discretion, may conclude or cancel the race should weather conditions make it unlikely that a reasonable number of boats will finish the race.  The normal cancellation time will be no earlier than 3:00 pm and will be communicated to competitors at the Skippers Meeting.  Extreme weather can cause this finish time to be adjusted as needed.

Starting/Finishing 

18. The start line to all races will be established of sufficient length to ensure a safe start (approximately 1.5 boat lengths per boat in the race).  Finish lines may be variable from short length on Wednesday nights to long on Saturdays. The acting RC is asked to use good judgment in this regard.

 19. A 5 minute start sequence will be used in all races, as follows:

20. In the event of a false start, the general recall signal (Blue and Red) will be given and the race will be restarted.  Participants are subject to individual recall by the Committee Boat (White Flag)

Fouls and Protests  

21. The Committee Boat has the authority to disqualify, without hearing, skippers who act in an unsafe or unsportsmanlike manner.

22. If a boat is fouled and intends to protest,

A) It must hail its intention to protest to the offending boat immediately, or at the earliest opportunity.

B) Fly a red protest flag from their backstay.

C) Notify the Committee Boat at the earliest opportunity by VHF radio, prior to crossing the finish line. (i.e. not start a protest on shore after the race is finished).  

23. The official protest signal will be a red flag flown from the backstay of the protesting boat. 

24. The Committee Boat has the authority to lodge protests for rule infringements, such as early starts, port-starboard right-of-way, mark rounding etc. (ISAF RRS 2009-2012 - 60.2 & 60.3)

25. The Committee Boat must inform the offending boat of the infraction prior to end of the race whenever practical. (This allows the skipper to complete his penalty turns and exonerate the foul) .

26. The Race Committee will convene a Protest Committee to hear protests normally consisting of a member of the Committee Boat, a member of the Race Committee and an Executive Committee member not involved in the incident.  The decision of the Protest Committee is final. Protest hearings are to follow ISAF RRS 2009-2012 -63.1 to 63.8 inclusive.

Calculations of Series Results

27. Series results will be calculated for each RYC racing skipper regardless of boat or boats used during the season.

28. Each skipper is allowed 4 throw out races in the  Wednesday Series and 2 throw outs in Saturday Series unless races are lost (due to weather, lack of participants or or lack of Committee Boat crew.) Lost races will displace one throw out for each skipper in the series. If more races are lost in a series, no throw outs will be allowed in calculating final results.  

29. Series points are awarded to the skippers as .75 points for a first place finish, 2 for second place, 3 for third place etc.

30. Each RYC racing skipper will be awarded 1 point for one race in each series in which they are the RC skipper of the Committee Boat. A skipper may designate an alternate or crew to fulfill their committee boat duty, but if the skipper also races that evening the actual points for the boat’s score will be awarded. The 1 point award can only be claimed by a skipper once in each series (Wednesday’s Series and Saturday Series).

31. In the calculation of the final results for a series, DNF's are awarded the individual race fleet size +1, and DNS's are awarded are awarded the individual race fleet size +2.