58th National Heron Sailing Championships 29th Dec 2016 to 6th Jan 2017 Sailing Instructions The Organising Authority is the St Leonards Yacht Club and Motor Squadron (SLYC&MS), and the Victorian Heron Sailing Association (VHSA) on behalf of the National Heron Sailing Association of Australia (NHSAA). With thanks to our hosts and major sponsors 2016 Heron Nationals Championship SI s Rev 3 For Use Page 1 of 8
RULES. 1.1. The Regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS 2013-2016), and the Special Regulations of Australian Sailing (AS), Part 2 for Off the Beach (OTB) Boats 1.2. A boat may receive help from any outside source, to help crew members in the water, ill, injured or in danger; provided that such help results in no significant advantage. This changes rule 41(a). 1.3. Competitors may use the genoa if they meet either of the following conditions:, 1.3.1. The combined crew weight exceeds 135 kg; or 1.3.2. The combined crew weight exceeds 125 kg, and the boat carries weight correctors of at least the difference between the crew weight and 135 kg, affixed under the front thwart 1.4. Competitors intending to use a genoa shall be weighed at registration wearing underwear, shorts and a T-shirt and carrying their PFD. 1.5. Both crew members may be reweighed at any time during the series 1.6. A suit of sails is defined as a foresail (jib or genoa) and a mainsail 2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS. Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located at the entrance of the Club rooms. 3. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS. Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted before 09:00 hrs on the day it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by 19:00 hrs on the day before it will take effect. 4. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE. 4.1. Signals made ashore will be displayed from the Club flag pole. 4.2. When flag AP is displayed ashore, boats shall not leave the shore, and 1 minute is replaced with not less than 30 minutes in the race signal AP. 2016 Heron Nationals Championship SI s Rev 3 For Use Page 2 of 8
5. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS. 5.1. Registration Date Thursday 29 th December 2016 Friday 30 th December 2016 5.2. Measurement and Inspection 10:00 Hrs 16:00 Hrs 10:00 Hrs 16:00 Hrs Date Thursday 29 th December 2016 Friday 30 th December 2016 10:00 Hrs 16:00 Hrs 10:00 Hrs 16:00 Hrs 5.3. The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race each day is as follows Date 1 st Warning Signal Races per Day Fri 30 th December 2016 13:55 Hrs Inv. Race Sat 31 th December 2016 12:55 Hrs 2 Sun 1 st January 2017 Reserve Day Mon 2 nd January 2017 12:55 Hrs 2 Tues 3 rd January 2017 12:55 Hrs 1 Wed 4 th January 2017 12:55 Hrs 1 Thurs 5 th January 2017 12:55 Hrs 1 Fri 6 th January 2017 10:55 Hrs 1 5.4. On the last scheduled day of racing, no warning signal will be made after 15:00, unless the previous signal made by the race committee is a general recall. 5.5. One extra race per day may be sailed, provided that the class becomes no more than one race ahead of schedule and the change is made according to instruction 3. 5.6. To alert boats that a race or sequence of races will begin soon, the orange starting line flag will be displayed with one sound at least five minutes before a warning signal is made. 6. CLASS FLAG. The class flag will be the Victorian Heron class flag. 7. RACING AREAS. Racing will be conducted on the waters of Port Philip in the vicinity of St Leonards YC&MS. 8. THE COURSES. The diagrams in Attachments A and B show the courses, including the order in which marks are to be passed, and the side on which each mark is to be left. 9. MARKS. The marks are described in attachments A and B. 2016 Heron Nationals Championship SI s Rev 3 For Use Page 3 of 8
10. THE START. 10.1. The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the race committee boat at the starboard end and the course side of the port-end starting mark. 10.2. A boat starting later than 10 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start (DNS) without a hearing. This changes rule A4. 11. CHANGE OF THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE. To change the next leg of the course, the race committee will lay a new mark (or move the finishing line) and remove the original mark as soon as practicable. When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark. 12. THE FINISH. The finishing line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the race committee boat at the starboard end and the course side of the port-end finishing mark. 13. PENALTY SYSTEM Rule 44.1 is changed so that the Two-Turns Penalty is replaced by the One-Turn Penalty. 14. TIME LIMIT. 14.1. The first boat must sail the course and finish within 120 minutes. If not, the race will be abandoned. 14.2. Boats failing to finish within thirty (30) minutes after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored points equal to the number of boats finishing within the time limit plus 30% of the number of starters rounded to the nearest whole number, but no more points than the number of starters. The scoring abbreviation is TLE (Time Limit Expired). This changes rules 35, A4.2 and A5. 15. PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS. 15.1. Protest forms are available from the registration desk. Protests and requests for redress or reopening shall be delivered there within the appropriate time limit. 15.2. The protest time limit is 60 minutes after the last boat has finished the last race of the day. 15.3. Notices will be posted on the official notice board as soon as possible to inform competitors of the time and place of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses. 15.4. On the last scheduled day of racing a request for reopening a hearing shall be delivered; a) Within the protest time limit if the requesting party was informed of the decision on the previous day; b) No later than 30 minutes after the requesting party was informed of the decision on that day. This changes rule 66. 15.5. On the last scheduled day of racing a request for redress based on a protest committee decision shall be delivered no later than 30 minutes after the decision was posted. This changes rule 62.2. 2016 Heron Nationals Championship SI s Rev 3 For Use Page 4 of 8
16. SCORING. 16.1. Eight Races are scheduled of which four must be completed to constitute a series. 16.2. When fewer than five (5) races have been completed, a boat s series score shall be the total of her race scores 16.3. When from five (5) to seven (7) races have been completed, a boat s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score. 16.4. When eight (8) races have been completed, a boat s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her two (2) worst scores. 17. SAFETY REGULATIONS. 17.1. A Sign-out / Sign-in form will be located at the registration desk. A competitor from each boat shall Sign-out on this form prior to leaving the shore, and Sign-in at the completion of racing, prior to the protest time limit. 17.2. Failure to Sign-out or Sign-in may result in the boat being scored points equal to Did Not Compete (DNC) without a hearing. This changes rules 63.1, A4 and A5. 17.3. A boat that retires from a race is requested to notify a rescue boat operator, the race committee boat or the Yacht Club base radio operator as soon as possible. 18. REPLACEMENT OF CREW OR EQUIPMENT. 18.1. Substitution of skippers is not permitted. 18.2. Substitution of the crew will not be allowed without prior written approval of the race committee. 18.3. Substitution of damaged or lost equipment will not be allowed unless authorized by the race committee. Requests for substitution shall be made to the committee at the first reasonable opportunity. 19. EQUIPMENT AND MEASUREMENT CHECKS. A boat or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules and sailing instructions. 20. OFFICIAL BOATS. Official boats will display the SLYC&MS Burgee. 21. SUPPORT BOATS. Team leaders, coaches and other support personnel shall stay outside areas where boats are racing from the time of the preparatory signal until all boats have finished or retired or the Race Committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment. 22. TRASH DISPOSAL. Boats shall not put trash in the water. Trash may be placed aboard support and race committee boats. 23. RADIO COMMUNICATION. The Race Committee may broadcast race information on VHF Channel 69. 2016 Heron Nationals Championship SI s Rev 3 For Use Page 5 of 8
24. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY. Competitors participate in this regatta entirely at their own risk. See Rule 4, Decision to Race. The organizing authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with, or prior to, during or after the regatta. 25. INSURANCE. Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with racing extension for a minimum cover of $10,000,000. 2016 Heron Nationals Championship SI s Rev 3 For Use Page 6 of 8
Attachment A Triangle-Windward-Leeward Course Marks Description Start / Finish Thin Yellow Inflatable Cylinder 1, 2 & 3 Yellow Cylinder Shaped Air Bag New Red Truncated Cone 2016 Heron Nationals Championship SI s Rev 3 For Use Page 7 of 8
Attachment B Windward-Leeward Course Marks Description Start / Finish Thin Yellow Inflatable Cylinder 1 & 2 Yellow Cylinder Shaped Air Bag 1a Orange Cylinder Air Bag New Red Truncated Cone 2016 Heron Nationals Championship SI s Rev 3 For Use Page 8 of 8