OFF THE BEACH PRE-SEASON VYC SERIES 1 & 8 September 2018 NOTICE OF RACE & SAILING INSTRUCTIONS INTRODUCTION The pre-season handicap series will run over two Saturdays leading up the opening of the 2018/19 134th Sailing Season, aimed to be a warm-up for all Off the Beach classes. Competitors will be split into divisions, which is at the discretion of the Race Committee, however is intended to be as per NOR 2.4. Sailors will compete against all competitors in their division, despite their class, and scored as one fleet using YVC (Victorian Yardstick) handicapping. 1 RULES 1.1 Racing will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing. 1.2 The prescriptions and Special Regulations of Australian Sailing Inc. shall apply. 1.3 The YVC (Victorian Yardstick) handicap numbers shall be used. 1.4 RQYS Club Participation Rules, House Rules and Code of Conduct shall apply. 2 ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY 2.1 Series entry is open to dinghies and boards owned by financial members of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. 2.2 Crew is required to be a member of AS by having a club membership with a yacht or sailing club. 2.3 Casual entrants are required to be a member of AS by having a club membership with a yacht or sailing club. 2.4 All boats shall be divided into five (5) divisions, based on Yardstick Handicap number: Division 1 - Mulithulls Division 2 - Boards Division 3 - Monohulls Fast (29ers, 49ers, Skiffs) Division 4 - Monohulls Medium (all Lasers, Flying 11, Finns) Division 5 - Monohulls Junior (all Optimist, Open Bic, 420) 2.5 The classes in each division will combine and compete using Off the Beach Yard Stick handicapping (YVC). 2.6 Entry shall be via the online entry portal. 2.7 Both series and casual entries shall be eligible to win each division. 3 ENTRY FEES Series Entry Single Handed $35.00 Series Entry Double Handed $45.00 Casual Entry Single Handed $20.00 Casual Entry Double Handed $25.00
4 SCHEDULE The proposed schedule is as per below: DATE EVENT FIRST WARNING or TIME Saturday, 1 September 2018 3 Races 1300 hours Saturday, 8 September 2018 3 Races 1300 hours Presentation on Rigging Lawn After racing 5 SAILING INSTRUCTIONS The Sailing Instructions are incorporated into this Race Document. 6 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located outside the regatta office on the Southern fence line adjacent to the main rigging lawn. 7 CHANGES TO THE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS Any changes to the Sailing Instructions will be emailed to all correctly entered competitors and posted on the event webpage as a notice or an amendment. 8 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE 8.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed on the official flag pole located adjacent to the RQYS Bill Kirby Jetty. 8.2 When flag AP is displayed ashore, 1 minute is replaced with not less than 45 minutes in the race signal AP. 8.3 When a visual signal is displayed over a course flag or class flag, it applies to that course area/ class only. 9 CLASS FLAGS Class flags shall be: FLEET FLAG Division 1 - Multihulls Numeral Pennant 1 Division 2 - Boards Numeral Pennant 2 Division 3 - Monohull Fast Numeral Pennant 3 Division 4 Monohull Medium Numeral Pennant 4 Division 5 - Monohull Junior Numeral Pennant 5 10 RACING AREA The racing area is shows in Appendix A. 11 COURSES The courses will be Olympic Triangles as described in Appendix B. 12 MARKS Marks are described in Appendix B 13 THE START 13.1 The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the start vessel at the starboard end and the course side of the port-end starting mark. 13.2 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. 13.3 Boats whose warning signal has not been made shall avoid the starting area during the starting sequence for other classes. 13.4 A boat starting later than four (4) minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start without a hearing. This changes RRS A4 and A5.
14 CHANGE TO THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE 14.1 To change the next leg of the course, the race committee will lay a new mark (or change the finish line) and remove the original mark as soon as practicable. 14.2 The change mark is a yellow inflatable cylinder, as per Appendix B. 14.3 When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced it will be replaced by an original mark. 15 THE FINISH 15.1 The finish line will between a staff displaying a blue flag on the finishing mark at the starboard end and the course side of the port-end finishing mark. 15.2 Boats shall not pass through the Start or Finish lines unless starting or finishing. Passing through the start/finish lines if not finishing or starting shall be deemed an obstruction. 16 PENALTY SYSTEM For the catamarans and sailboards RRS 44.1 is changed so that the Two-Turns Penalty is replaced by the One-Turn Penalty. 17 TIME LIMITS 17.1 The time limit for the first boat in each division shall be 80 minutes. 17.2 Boats failing to finish within 20 minutes after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored Did Not Finish without a hearing. This changes RRS 35, A4 and A5. 17.3 Intermediate and Green Fleet Optimists who finish outside of 20 minutes of the lead boat in those fleets shall be given a Still Racing Score (SRS) of the last place finisher plus one (1) point. 18 PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS 18.1 Protest forms are available at the RQYS Sailing Office. Protests and requests for redress or reopening shall be delivered there within the appropriate time limit. 18.2 For each division, the protest time limit is sixty (60) minutes. 18.3 Notices will be posted no later than thirty (30) minutes after the protest time limit to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses. Hearings will be held in the protest room in the vicinity of the RQYS Sailing Office, beginning at the time posted. 18.4 Notices of protests by the Race Committee or Protest Committee will be posted to inform boats under RRS 61.1(b). 18.5 Discretionary penalties may be applied by the Protest Committee. 18.6 A request for reopening a hearing shall be delivered no later than 24 hours after the requesting party was informed of the decision. 19 SCORING 19.1 The completion of two (2) races constitutes a series. 19.2 When four (4) or fewer races have been completed, a boat s series score shall be the total of her race scores. 19.3 Once five (5) races have been completed, a boat s series score shall be the total of her race scores, excluding her worst score. 20 SAFETY REGULATIONS 20.1 All skippers shall SIGN ON before racing each day and SIGN OFF at the earliest possible time after the completion of racing (but not later than the end of protest time). 20.2 The skipper of a boat that retires or does not intend to continue racing is required to SIGN OFF immediately on return to shore. 20.3 A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible. 20.4 Failure to SIGN ON shall result in that boat being penalised three (3) points for the first race of the session (but not worse than DNF). Failure to SIGN OFF shall result in that boat being penalised three (3) points for the last race of the session (but not worse than DNF). Penalties will be applied without a hearing. This changes RRS 63.1 and A5. 20.5 Competitors shall comply with the following harbour bylaws: - All sailing vessels shall give way to powered vessels at all times whilst inside the Manly Boat Harbour. - Once outside the Manly Boat Harbour, competitors are to as soon as possible stay outside of the main channel, keeping clear of powered vessels. - No Spinnakers are to be flown in the Manly Harbour 6-knot area.
21 DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY Competitors participate in the series entirely at their own risk. See RRS Rule 4, Decision to Race. The organising 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 series. 22 INSURANCE Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover of $10 million. 23 FURTHER INFORMATION For further information please contact RQYS Sailing Office 07 3396 8666 or sailing@rqys.com.au.
APPENDIX A RACING AREA RACING AREA
APPENDIX B COURSE DIAGRAM CODE COURSE MARKS DESCRIPTION T1 Start 1 2 3 Finish Marks 1, 2 & 3: Orange Inflatables T2 Start 1 2 3 1 3 - Finish Marks 1a & 2a: Purple Inflatables T3 Start 1 2 3 1 3 1 2 3 Finish Start & Finish Pin: Orange Teardrops Ta1 Start 1a 2a 3 Finish Change Mark: Yellow Cylinder Ta2 Start 1a 2a 3 1a 3 - Finish Boats shall not pass through the Start or Finish Ta3 Start 1a 2a 3 1a 3 1a 2a 3 Finish lines unless starting or finishing. The start/finish lines shall be deemed an Obstruction.