Sailing Instructions
Sailing Instructions 2023
01. Rules
02. Conditions of entry
03. Safety
04. Communications with competitors
05. Course instructions
06. Starting times
07. Fixed line starts: Clubhouse line
08. Fixed line starts: Committee boat
09. Start Line: Exclusion Zone
10. Recalls
11. Finishing line: Clubhouse line
12. Finishing line: Committee boat
13. Finishing: Average lap method
14. Touching a mark
15. Alternative penalties for an infringement of a rule of part 2
16. Shortening the course after the start
17. Protests
18. Scoring system
19. Handicaps
20. Class Championships
1 Rules
Racing will take place under the current ISAF racing rules of sailing 2021-2024 (RRS), the prescriptions of the RYA, these sailing instructions, and, when relevant, the appropriate class rules. RRS rule 45 shall not apply (RRS rule 45 : A boat shall be afloat and off moorings at their preparatory signal).
2 Conditions of entry
(a) The safety of a boat and its entire management including insurance shall be the sole responsibility of the owner/competitor racing the boat who must ensure that the boat and crew are adequate to face the conditions that may arise in the course of the race. Neither the establishment of these sailing instructions nor the inspection of the boat under these conditions in any way limits or reduces the absolute responsibility of the owner/competitor for their crew, the boat and the management thereof. The race organisers shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, death, or personal injury howsoever caused to the owner/competitor, their skipper or crew, as a result of their taking part in the race or races. Moreover every owner/competitor warrants the suitability of their boat for the race or races.
(b) For Open Class meetings, valid certificates must be available for inspection. Boats may also be subject to examination.
(c) Boats must be entered at the clubhouse before the warning signal for their race is made.
3 Safety
Personal flotation device. - Junior members and children under the age of 12 shall wear an adequate personal flotation device whilst afloat. Each competitor is individually responsible for wearing a personal flotation device adequate for the conditions. Wet suits or dry suits do not constitute adequate personal flotation devices.
Rescue Facilities - A powered rescue craft shall be on stand-by during all official club activities.
4 Communications with competitors.
Flag signals in accordance with RRS will be used for warning, preparatory, and starting signals and attention will be drawn to them by audible signals from the clubhouse or committee boat.
5 Course instructions.
Numbered or lettered buoys mark the course. All other stakes etc, are not part of the course. Buoys numbered 1 to 5 are laid in established positions on the Broad as shown on the map in the clubhouse. Additional buoys may be laid to ensure that courses with windward legs may be set, or for other reasons. These buoys will be selected from W or 6. The approximate position of these marks, when in use, will also be shown on the map in the clubhouse. The direction of start, the number of rounds to be sailed and the order in which buoys are to be rounded, [reading from left to right] will be displayed on the clubhouse. The colour of the board on which the buoy number is painted indicates the side on which that buoy is to be rounded.
6 Starting times
Starting times of races will be displayed on a notice board in the clubhouse. All starting times after the start of the first race or series of races will be approximate. Signals shall be made at 3 minute intervals. Signals shall be warning: class flag and 1 sound, preparatory: flag P and 1 sound, starting: flags removed and 1 sound. This varies RRS 26.
A bell shall be used at the clubhouse as a sound signal approximately 5 minutes before the start of the next series.
7 Fixed line starts : Clubhouse Line
The starting line will be taken as the transit formed by the red and white staff surmounted by a triangle at the waters edge of the club site, and the white staff surmounted by a disc on the balcony in front of the Clubhouse. All starts shall be made between the Inner and Outer distance markers which are white buoys with yellow flags.
8 Fixed line starts : Committee Boat
An orange flag flown at the clubhouse will signify that a committee boat starting line will be used for the next series of starts. Two sound signals will be made when this flag is broken out. The starting line will be a line between the mast of the committee boat (defined as the forward upright of the flag signals frame) and the outer orange buoy with a yellow flag. An extra buoy (orange with a yellow flag ) will be laid as a limit mark adjacent to the committee boat. No boat shall pass between this limit mark and the committee boat, any such boat will be liable to disqualification.
The course details and number of rounds will be displayed on the clubhouse as in SI 5. An X on the course board denotes the position of the starting line in relation to the rest of the course. The buoy number to the right of the X will be the first mark of the course following the start, after which the course sailed will be as displayed, ignoring the X on subsequent rounds. The position of the starting line will also be indicated on the map in the clubhouse. A bell may be used at the clubhouse as a sound signal approximately 10 minutes before the start of the next series.
9. Start Line: Exclusion zone
A start line exclusion zone will be used at the discretion of the Race Officer. All competitors will be briefed on its use prior to the start of the days race programme. The rectangular zone is defined by the inner and outer distance marks of the start line, and two pole buoys displaying orange flags positioned some 30 to 40 metres on the pre-start side of the start line. Competitors may not sail in the zone until the preparatory flag for their class is displayed.
Breaches of this instruction will not be grounds for protest by a boat, judge, or race committee.
10 Recalls
Individual recall
When at their starting signal any part of a boat's hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the starting line, the boat shall sail completely to the pre-start side of the line before starting. In the event of a boat or boats being over the line at the start, an audible signal will be made once and the flag X will be displayed until all such boats are completely on the pre-start side of the starting line, or until 2 minutes has elapsed, whichever is the earlier.
General recall
If there are a number of unidentified boats failing to start correctly or there is an error in starting procedure, a general recall may be signalled by displaying the First Substitute flag and by making two audible signals. The class flag of the class being recalled will remain flying and the preparatory signal (Code flag P) together with the warning signals (class flags) for any following starts will be lowered.
After two minutes the First Substitute flag will be lowered and one sound signal made.
One minute later the preparatory signal (Code flag P) for the recalled class will be made together with the warning signal (class flag) of the next class in the series if necessary. The start for the recalled class will then take place exactly three minutes later.
Note: The above procedure means that, as a result of the general recall, the start of the recalled class and any subsequent starts in the series will be delayed by exactly six minutes.
11 Finishing line : Clubhouse line
The finishing line is as defined in SI 7, between the inner and outer distance marks. A round is completed each time a boat crosses the transit for the finishing line in the direction indicated by the arrow on the course board.
12 Finishing line : Committee boat
If a committee boat finish is to be used, this will be indicated on the course board. The finishing line will be between the mast of the Committee boat and the outer orange buoy with a yellow flag. Boats must finish in the same direction as the start. When a committee boat finish is used then a round is completed each time a boat crosses the extension of the finishing line, in the direction to finish, on the leg containing X.
13 Finishing : Average lap method
When Flag U is displayed and two audible signals are made, complete the lap and finish in the direction of the arrow from the last mark of the course, at the end of a complete lap. As defined in SI 11.
14 Touching a mark
RRS rule 31 shall apply (After getting well clear of other boats as soon as possible, take a penalty by promptly making one complete 360 degree turn including one tack and one gybe).
15 Alternative penalties for an infringement of a rule of part 2
RRS rule 44 shall apply (After getting well clear of the other boats as soon after the incident as possible, a boat takes a 720 degree turns penalty by promptly making two complete 360 degree turns in the same direction, including two tacks and two gybes). The scoring penalty RRS 44.3 shall not apply.
16 Shortening the course after the start
Shortening the course after the start: RRS part 3 (conduct of a race) rule 32 is adopted.
17 Protests
Protests shall be made in accordance with RRS rules and handed in within 30 minutes after the last boat in the race finishes. The protest will be heard as soon as possible. The quorum of the protest committee shall be three persons. Protest forms may be obtained from the starting box.
The Exoneration Penalty (and the Advisory Hearing and RYA Arbitration) of the RYA Rules Disputes Procedures will be available.
18 Scoring system
The low point scoring system, RRS A2 shall apply. Points will be awarded to the combination of boat and helm; this varies RRS A2. The winning boat/helm in each race of a Season, Regatta, or Open Event points series will score 1 point, the second 2 points, and the others finishing the same number of points as their position. A starter who does not finish, who retires through an infringement of the rules, or who is disqualified will receive points that are one more than the number of starters in that race. A boat/helm that does not come to the starting area will receive points one more than the number of boats entered in that race. In the event of a tie in a points series the tie shall be broken in favour of the boat/helm with the most first places, or, if the tie remains, the most second places, or lower places if necessary, using only the scores for each boat that count for their series, followed if necessary by the last race procedure.
Special instructions for Club points series days.
(a) For races of less than three starters the following points will be awarded for finishing the race; one starter- 3 points; 2 starters- first 2 points, second 3 points, a boat/helm that did not finish shall be scored 4 points. A boat/helm disqualified shall not count the race as a qualifying race for the series.
(b) Where a class race has only one entry, the boat/helm may race in the appropriate All-Comers race, for which a corrected time will be given, and three points will be awarded to the class race as in (a) above.
Special instructions for Additional Awards at Spring & Summer Regattas.
(a) Awards for highest placed Junior and Female helms are derived from the entrants final position relative to the total number of entries within their relevant class.
19 Handicaps.
The RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme will be used. Portsmouth Numbers as published online and in the current edition of the RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Book (YR2) will be used as a guide. The Sailing Sub Committee will complete an annual analysis of the clubs results for the previous season and either allocate each class a Class Number based on that analysis or adopt the RYA recommended Portsmouth Numbers.
In the absence of a published handicap in YR2, a Trial Number will be allocated by the Sailing Sub-Committee, based where available on the Portsmouth Number allocated by the relevant Class Association or the Number in common use on the Broads as published in the current NSBA Green Book. A boat which competes using a Trial Number will not be eligible for the award of a Club trophy. The Sailing Sub Committee will on completion of a qualifying number of races in a series either confirm that number as a Club Number or adjust it to suit local circumstances and conditions. That decision will be based on the analysis of the results of the qualifying number of races using the RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme. A boat with a Club Number is eligible for the award of a Club trophy.
Any Portsmouth Number issued by the Sailing Sub Committee shall be at its sole discretion and its decision shall be final.
The Portsmouth numbers used to define the bands of All-Comers A, All-Comers B and All-Comers C will be published following the Sailing Sub-Committees annual results analysis and prior to the start of the seasons racing.
20. Class Championships
Class and Club championships will be held for classes selected at the discretion of the Sailing Sub Committee. They will be full season trophy series running from the start of the Spring Series to the end of the Autumn Series and will be based on the places achieved, within class, in All-Comers Race 2/Series.
In each class all helms start with zero points and the helm with the highest score after the last race is the winner. In the event of a tie at the end of a series the result of the last race will be used to decide the winner.
The predetermined number to be used for scoring each class will relate to the predicted average number of starters and will be set by the Sailing Sub Committee prior to the start of the seasons racing. Each helm will be awarded one point for every race they start plus one point for every other helm they beat who started the race within the predetermined number of points below them or any number of points above them.
Last updated 15:13 on 31 March 2024
