! HOOE POINT SAILING CLUB CIVIL SERVICE SAILING ASSOCIATION (PLYMOUTH) SAILING INSTRUCTIONS FOR CRUISERS 2015 1. RULES 1.1. The Organizing Authority is Hooe Point Sailing Club (HPSC). Racing will be governed by the rules as defined in the current Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the prescriptions of the RYA (except as any of these are changed by these Sailing Instructions), and by these Sailing Instructions. In the event of a conflict between the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions, the Sailing Instructions shall prevail. 1.2. Plymouth is a Naval and Commercial Port and the Port Authorities have ABSOLUTE control of seagoing activities within the Port, which by definition also extends two nautical miles to seaward of the Breakwater. Where boats are racing within the boundaries of a port they shall comply with such regulations as may be in force within that port. In particular, regulations regarding the safe navigation of large vessels shall be strictly observed. Competitors are referred to the Dockyard Port of Plymouth Order 1999. When the Race Committee believes that such regulations have been broken so as to bring the sport into disrepute it will act under RRS 60.2(c) requesting the Protest Committee to act under RRS 69.2 (a), Allegation of Gross Misconduct. The Port Authority may also take legal action. 2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS. Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located in the HPSC Clubhouse. 3. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS. Any change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted on the official notice board by 1700 hrs on the day before which it will take effect. 4. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE. Signals made ashore will be displayed on the HPSC flagpole. 5. SCHEDULE OF RACES The schedule and times of races will be as published on HPSC website and on the official notice board. 6. CONDITIONS OF ENTRY RISK STATEMENT 6.1 Rule 4 of the Racing Rules of Sailing states: The responsibility for a boat s decision to participate in a race or to continue racing is hers alone. 6.2 Sailing is by its nature an unpredictable sport and therefore involves an element of risk. By taking part in the event, each competitor agrees and acknowledges that: 6.2.1) They are aware of the inherent element of risk involved in the sport and accept responsibility for the exposure of themselves, their crew and their boat to such inherent risk whilst taking part in the event;
6.2.2) They are responsible for the safety of themselves, their crew, their boat and their other property whether afloat or ashore; 6.2.3) They accept responsibility for any injury, damage or loss to the extent caused by their own actions or omissions; 6.2.4) Their boat is in good order, equipped to sail in the event and they are fit to participate; 6.2.5) The provision of a race management team, patrol boats, umpires and other officials and volunteers by the organiser does not relieve them of their own responsibilities; 6.2.6) The provision of patrol boat cover is limited to such assistance, particularly in extreme weather conditions, as can be practically provided in the circumstances; 6.2.7) They are responsible for ensuring that their boat is equipped and seaworthy so as to be able to face extremes of weather; that there is a crew sufficient in number, experience and fitness to withstand such weather; and that the safety equipment is properly maintained, stowed and in date and is familiar to the crew. 6.2.8) Their boat is adequately insured against third party claims. 6.3 The competitor in charge of a yacht shall wherever possible enter the yacht s name on the race entry sheet, normally located at the clubhouse, prior to the start of the race. 6.4 A yacht taking part in a race shall display Numeral Pennant 2 from the first warning signal until such time as the race has been completed or the competitor has retired. 6.5 Racing is open to all members of PPSA clubs but only HPSC members will be eligible to receive trophies. Non HPSC members must register with the Race Officer before racing on each occasion. A completed entry form will be required. 7. SAFETY 7.1 It is not the practice of HPSC to inspect craft or their safety equipment but where a specific boat or equipment fault comes to the race organisers notice, the race organiser reserves the right to refuse entry of that craft to any race or event. 7.2 It is not the practice of the Club to provide a safety boat during racing or other cruiser events. 7.3 Any boat which retires or is compelled through unforeseen circumstances to delay its arrival at the finish beyond the time limit, shall inform the Race Officer or any other competitor as soon as possible by hailing, by vhf Ch 14 Call Sign Hooe Point Race Control, or by any means at its disposal. Boats which fail to comply with this requirement in a timely fashion will receive a formal warning. A record of this warning will be lodged with the General Secretary of the P.P.S.A. by the Race Officer. A second offence of the same nature will result in the name of the boat being reported to all P.P.S.A. affiliated clubs, who will be invited to consider refusing entry in any further races this and the following season under the terms of R.R.S. 76.1 8. RADIO COMMUNICATIONS 8.1. A boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This includes mobile phone calls. 8.2. The Race Committee may broadcast information to competitors on VHF Channel 77
9.0 COURSE INSTRUCTIONS 1. The Course for a race will be boardcast on Ch77 5 minutes before first warning signal. The course for a race may also be displayed by letters on a board on the end of Mountbatten Pier. The letters refer to the list of pre-determined courses as shown in Appendix A 2. Yachts, when racing, shall not enter any mooring areas, e.g. off Mountbatten in the Cattewater or sail between the buoys in any line of moorings e.g. the line of mooring buoys to the North East of Drakes Island. These prohibited areas rank as obstructions under RRS and any infringement may result in the yacht concerned being disqualified. Any yacht entering a mooring area or line of buoys e.g. to allow a large vessel navigation room, shall return to the course at the same place it left the course i.e. back between the same two buoys. 10.0 HANDICAPS 11. STARTS Each yacht will be given a personal handicap at the beginning of a series. These handicaps will be reviewed and may be amended before the start of the next series. Start times will be displayed on the official notice board. It is the skipper s responsibility to check his start time before the race. 11.1. Races will be started in accordance with RRS 26 i.e. 5, 4, 1, go. 11.2. Pursuit races. Competitors are responsible for starting not earlier than the times appropriate to them and may not use propulsion other than sail during the five minutes before such times. Unless the Race Officer gives notice otherwise, no sound signals will be made at the various individual start times. 11.3. The start line will be a line from the red and white pole on the end of Mountbatten Breakwater to the green West Mallard buoy (whilst sailing in a generally Southerly direction). 11.4. West Mallard buoy shall be left to starboard and shall be treated as a mark of the course for the start. 11.5. A race will take place only if at least three yachts start. 12. FINISHING 12.1. The finish line shall be a line from HPSC flagstaff through a transit pole with an red and white square. 12.2. The Race Officer shall determine and give notice accordingly that a race is to be abandoned if no yacht has reached the finish line or a specified mark by a specified time. Alternatively he may give notice that the race is to end at the first mark rounded by the leading yacht subsequent to a specific time or he may end it at any mark. 12.3. The competitor in charge of a yacht shall be responsible for recording the precise time of crossing the finish line and conveying that time to the Race Officer as soon as is practicable or indicating that he has retired. The Race Officer may arrange for the finishing times to be recorded other than by competitors. 12.4. Pursuit races: - The results of such a race shall depend on the relative positions of the competitors at the specified finishing time. The boat nearest to the next mark shall be the winning boat. To prevent disputes over close finishes, each boat is to record her position by GPS at the expiry of the set race period. This position shall be reported to the Race Officer if requested. Failure of a boat to provide this information may result in that boat being scored in a lower place than a boat which has provided the information. 12.5.Alternative finishes: - As designated by the Race Officer. 13. PROTESTS
13.1. Protests shall be given to the Race Officer, in writing, within one hour of the last yacht finishing the race. 13.2. The intention to lodge a protest shall be signaled by a yacht displaying a red flag, having informed the alleged offender as soon as possible after the incident. This varies RRS 61.1.a.2 13.3. A protest shall be considered by a Protest Committee which shall consist of three officers and/or members of the club and shall normally include the Race Officer. The Protest Committee s decision shall be final. 14. POINTS SCORING 14.1. Points will be awarded according to the finishing order. The winner of a series will be the yacht with the lowest number of points. Points scored = Finishing Position (On Corrected Time) Winner = ¾ Point Retiring yacht = Number of starters + 1 Disqualified yacht = Number of starters + 4 Did not come to the Start Line = Number of starters + 6 14.2 Races can be discarded in calculating the result of a series 15. PENALTIES Discards will be allowed as follows:- When 3 or fewer races have been completed no discards shall be allowed When 4 to 6 races have been completed then one result shall be discarded. When 7 to 9 races have been completed then two results shall be discarded. For every 3 further races completed one additional race shall be discarded. In a pursuit race any yacht taking a penalty shall ensure that the penalty is completed before the specified finish time. Failure to complete a penalty before the specified finish time will result in disqualification from that race.
APPENDIX A
COURSES COURSE A- Melampus (s), Asia (s), West Mallard (s) COURSE B - Yacht Haven (p), Dunstone (p), West Mallard (p) COURSE C - Dunstone (s), F Buoy (s), Melampus (s), North West Winter (s), West Mallard (s) COURSE D - New Grounds (s), Ash (p), St Nicholas (p), South Winter (s), E Buoy (p), Duke Rock (s) COURSE E - North Drakes Island (p), Dunstone (s), Melampus (s), Ash (p) COURSE F - Kildare Rock (p), South Winter (p) COURSE G - South Winter (p), South Mallard (p), West Mallard (p) COURSE H - Melampus (p), West Mallard (p) COURSE I - Melampus (p), Dunstone (p), South Mallard (p) COURSE J - Duke Rock (s), Yacht Haven (s), North East Winter (s) COURSE K - Dunstone (s), Yacht Haven (s), West Mallard (s) COURSE L - South Winter (s), North West Winter (s), Deadman Bay (s), Royal Marine (s) COURSE M - E Buoy (p), F Buoy (p), South Winter (p) COURSE N - Duke Rock (s), Kildare Rock (s), West Mallard (p), North West Winter (p) COURSE O - Ash (p), Asia (p), South Winter (p), South Mallard (p) COURSE P - Melampus (s), St Nicholas (s), West Mallard (s) COURSE Q - Duke Rock (s), Kildare Rock (s), E Buoy (s) COURSE R - Yacht Haven (s), Ash (s), South Winter (p), West Mallard (p) COURSE S - South Mallard (s), North East Winter (s), Deadman Bay (s) COURSE T - North West Winter (p), South Winter (p), West Mallard (p) COURSE U - F Buoy (s), Melampus (s), Dunstone (s) COURSE V - Yacht Haven (s), West Mallard (s) COURSE W - North East Winter (p), South Winter (p), South Mallard (p), West Mallard (p) COURSE X - Melampus (s), Deadman Bay (s) COURSE Y - E Buoy (s), Melampus (s), South Mallard (s) COURSE Z - Yacht Haven (p), Dunstone (p), West Mallard (p)
ENTRY FORM AND DECLARATION I have received a copy of the current HPSC Sailing Instructions. I agree to be bound by The Racing Rules of Sailing, these Sailing Instructions and by all other rules that govern this event I will ensure that my crew is briefed on the HPSC Sailing Instructions and the current information relating to racing. Signed: Date:.. Name: Boat Name:... Class: Sail Number: Anyone in charge of a boat and venturing onto the water whether for a race or a recreational event is responsible for the following:- 1. Being familiar with the local Notice to Mariners, including recent publications. 2. Having the current weather information 3. Knowing current forecast shipping movements 4. Knowing about other local water-borne events 5. Ensuring his crew is briefed about 1 4 above and is made aware of the potential hazards of sailing (Especially casual visitors to the club) 6. Details of 1 4 may be displayed on the Sailing Notice Board. If they are not it is the responsibility of the person in charge of the boat to find this information. By way of explanation for the above:- 1. You are required by QHM to comply with 1 5 above. 2. The club or person organising a race or event will not be held liable in any way if, for some reason, 1 4 above are not displayed. 3. Skippers who want to participate in a race or event and are out sailing for the day or are travelling to the start from another location need not comply with the entry form in the clubhouse but must ensure that they have current up-to-date information S.I. 7.3 There have been instances where the rescue services have been called out for boats which have retired and been safely at anchor or in port. If you pack up and go fishing or for a picnic in an out of sight cove let someone know! If the weather gets bad and you head home early let someone know!