SAILING INSTRUCTIONS THE OYSTER REGATTA PALMA 2016 4 th 8 th October 2016 Based from RCNP, Palma All Regatta times shown are local time Mallorca UTC/GMT+1 hours Page 1 of 9
INTRODUCTION The Oyster Regatta Palma 2016 is Oyster s 38 th Regatta, and will follow a similar format to previous Oyster events, with the emphasis on a fun and friendly event for all the family, with Corinthian racing by day and parties and dinners by night. These Sailing Instructions are to be read in conjunction with the Notice of Regatta. In the event of conflict, the Sailing Instructions have priority. CONTACT NUMBERS Oyster Team Regatta Enquiries Molly Marston +1 401 225 1216 Email: molly.marston@oysteryachts.com Berthing Enquiries Elvira Abellana +34 971 287 474 Email: elvira.abellana@oysteryachts.com Customer Service/Technical Enquiries Mark Durham +34 673 772 675 Email: mark.durham@oysteryachts.com Race Management Enquiries David Tydeman +44 7702 073 496 (No calls during racing please except in an emergency) Page 2 of 9
1. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS Notices to competitors will be announced at the Daily VHF Roll Call (see SI 4 below). 2. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS Any change to the sailing instructions, unless issued in writing, will be announced at the Daily VHF Roll Call (see SI 4 below). Changes relating to courses may be announced during racing by VHF. 3. COMMUNICATIONS The Regatta control frequency is VHF Channel 68. Yachts are requested to maintain a continuous listening watch on VHF Channel 68 from 10:00 hrs daily until 30 minutes after finishing the last race of the day. 4. DAILY VHF ROLL CALL & SAIL CHOICES 4.1 The Race Officer, call sign Oyster Race Committee will hold a Daily Roll Call on VHF Channel 68 each morning, to confirm entries, announce the courses for the day and to note individual choices of sails for the day s racing this determines the handicaps to be used for the day. 4.2 The procedure is as follows: Time check (yachts are advised to listen out from 10:00 hrs). Race information - the Race Officer will announce details of the day s sponsor/s, weather, safety and navigation information and the course to be sailed together with any amendments to the sailing instructions and the event operations. Roll Call - approximately 30-60 minutes after the details of the course has been announced, the Race Officer will request by VHF that each yacht, in a differing order daily, states her sailing configuration for the day. The options will be discussed in more detail at the Skippers Briefing, however, amending the Notice of Event, section 9 & 10, the daily handicaps will be based on one of three sail choices: White Sails sails mainly designed for sailing close hauled ie headsails set on standard forestays and cutter forestays, together with mainsails, in-mast or boom furled or fully battened. This excludes for example, any sail hoisted pre-furled on a removable stay. Option A White Sails plus one Supplementary Sail used with or without a pole Option B White Sails plus more than one Supplementary Sail, used with or without pole o o o A Supplementary Sail is defined as a sail designed for hoisting and lowering during sailing and to respond to wind conditions when not sailing close-hauled for example, a Spinnaker, Cruising chute, Asymmetric, a Code Zero and/or a Spinnaker staysail. The Race Committees decision on what counts as a Supplementary Sail is final and participants are encouraged to seek guidance before racing if there is any doubt. Options A & B will incur a rating penalty and yachts have to decide on a daily basis whether the gain in speed from the use of Supplementary Sails is worth the increased rating. Page 3 of 9
5. SCHEDULE OF RACES & COURSES Daily Wednesday 4 th October to Saturday 8 th October 10:00 Daily radio check and start of Roll Call between yachts and Race Committee 12:30 approximately - start of racing in Palma Bay 17:00 approximately - yachts return to berthing at RCNP If two races are held on the same day, the second race will start as soon as practicable after the last finisher of the first race that day. The Race Committee will broadcast details by VHF as required. Courses will be announced each day using the marks shown in figure 2 together with moveable marks for which the positions will be given by VHF each day as required. 6. FLAGS & NOTICE BOARD Other than flags identifying the committee boat and sponsors no flags will be used for the starting sequence, starting penalties or changes to courses etc. There will be no class flags this amends RRS part 3. There is no official notice board. The Oyster House Flag should be flown from the spreaders. 7. THE START 7.1 Races will be started using RRS 26 (5, 4, 1, GO) with the warning signal made 5 minutes before the first starting signal, amended as follows. 7.1.1 Races will be run using elapsed times between the individual starting time of each yacht and their finish time, corrected by applying handicaps. 7.1.2 The start times for yachts will be run using one of two sequences. The sequence for one class will not necessarily be the same as the sequence for other classes. Sequence 1: For groups of yachts: First start for a group of yachts, following a 5 mins, 4 mins, 1 minute, go sequence SI 7.1, RRS 26 Second start for another group of yachts, 3 minutes after the go signal for the first Start Third start for another group of yachts, 3 minutes after the second start, and so on until the last start The Race Officer will announce each yacht for each start by VHF and provide a countdown between each start, 2 minutes to go, 1 min to go etc. The Race Officer will announce by VHF which yachts are in which group and in which order they start. Subject to weather and other conditions on the day, the gap between starts may be extended to 3 or more minutes any such change will be announced by the Race Officer by VHF. Page 4 of 9
Sequence 2: Individual starts: First start, following a 5 mins, 4 mins, 1 minute, go sequence SI 7.1, RRS 26 Second start, 1 mins after the go signal for the first Start Third start, 1 mins after the second start, and so on until the last start If this sequence is used, yachts will start individually, probably in size or rating order either smallest or largest first and subject to weather and other conditions on the day, the gap between starts may be extended to 2 or more minutes. Details will be provided by the Race Officer by VHF. 7.2 The Warning Signal for all yachts will be the 5 minutes signal for the first start. The Preparatory Signal will be the 4 minutes signal for the first start and thereafter the Preparatory Signal will be the starting signal for the start ahead e.g. the starting signal for the first start will be the Preparatory Signal for the second start and so on. 7.3 The Starting Line will be between an orange flag on the Committee vessel and the adjacent laid mark, unless otherwise advised by the Race Officer at the skippers briefing, in writing or by VHF. 7.4 Yachts in the second and subsequent starts within each Class shall keep clear of the starting area until their preparatory signal. Yachts are requested to keep out of the box see figure 1 - after the first warning signal for their Class until the starting signal for the yacht(s) starting ahead of them. Yachts in a different Class to the Class in a starting sequence are requested to stay well away from the starting line. 7.5 For start line penalties see SI 10 below this amends RRS 29. 8 CHANGE OF START / SHORTENING COURSES 8.1 Depending on weather conditions, the Race Officer may shorten the course, either by relocating the starting line, by finishing the race at any rounding mark or turning point, or by announcing a new finishing line location. The Race Officer will announce all such changes repeatedly on VHF Channel 68. This amends RRS 27, 32 & 33. 8.2 The Committee vessel, when on station at a shortened course finishing mark, may also make repetitive sound signals & VHF broadcasts to confirm the change. 9. THE FINISH The finishing line will be between an orange flag on the Committee vessel and the adjacent laid mark, unless otherwise described by the Race Officer by VHF. After finishing yachts shall clear the finishing line area and keep clear of all yachts still racing. 10. PENALTY SYSTEM 10.1 A yacht recorded On the Course Side (OCS = over the line) at the starting signal will be informed of her infringement by the Race Officer on VHF Channel 68. For safety reasons any such yacht shall NOT return or attempt to return to the pre-start side of the starting line to restart. Such yacht shall follow the verbal instructions of the Race Officer see SI s 10.2 and 10.3 below. This amends RRS 30. Page 5 of 9
10.2 A yacht called OCS shall be given a 20% place penalty in her Class. 10.3 Any yacht infringing SI s 10.1 above may incur an additional penalty, which could include disqualification, at the discretion of the Race Officer. 10.4 RRS 44 is amended as follows: For safety reasons RRS 44.1 (Taking a Penalty) and 44.2 (One-Turn and Two-Turns Penalties) shall not apply. In the event of contact between yachts, they may both be disqualified from the race in which the incident occurred. Rule 44.3 (Scoring Penalties) will apply for RRS31 (Touching a Mark) but the place penalty shall be 20%, to the nearest round number. For safety reasons, yachts that touch a mark should not attempt to do turns or re-round the mark, as this will not exonerate the incident. 10.5 Any yacht accepting a penalty for infringement of a rule of Part 2 or RRS31 shall do so by informing the Race Officer via VHF Channel 68 and receiving an acknowledgement. 10.6 The penalties imposed by the Race Officer will be at his sole discretion. 11. TIME LIMITS The time limit for each race, unless amended by the Race Officer by VHF, will be 60 minutes after the finishing time of the first yacht in each class. 12. PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS 12.1 Protests are discouraged, and have never been in the spirit of Oyster regattas, but, if necessary, protesting yachts shall advise the Race Officer at the earliest opportunity on VHF Channel 68 and at the latest within 30 minutes of the finish of the days racing. Protest forms are available from the Race Officer and completed protest forms shall be lodged with the Race Officer within one hour of the finish of the last race of the day. 12.2 Written protests shall be submitted with a deposit of 200, which will be forfeited if the protest is considered frivolous. The Race Officer may waive the requirements for the hail and the red flag in RRS 61.1(a). 13. COMMITTEE VESSELS The Committee boat is a ~32ft Motorboat with the lettering CAN Club Nautic Arenal on each side and will be identified by a large Oyster Regatta flag. Full details will be given at the Skippers Briefing. Additional vessels, which may be used by Press, Photographers, Film Crews etc, which are not under the jurisdiction of the Race Committee will be described at the Skippers Briefing and/or by the Race Committee by VHF. 14. EMERGENCIES In an emergency, yachts are requested to contact the Race Officer on VHF Channel 68. All emergency contact numbers and VHF channel(s) will be confirmed at the Skippers Briefing. Page 6 of 9
15 DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY 15.1 None of the Organising Authority, Race Officer, Race Committee or Regatta Partners shall be liable for any loss, damage, death or personal injury howsoever caused to any person on board a yacht participating in the Regatta as a result of their taking part in races or any other part of the Regatta. Moreover, by entering the Regatta the Owner of each participating yacht warrants the suitability of his/its yacht and its equipment and crew for any race in which it participates. 15.2 The safety of a boat and her entire management including insurance shall be the sole responsibility of the Owner/Skipper who must ensure that the boat is fully found, thoroughly seaworthy, manned by a crew sufficient in number and experience who are physically fit to face bad weather. The Owner/Skipper must be satisfied as to the soundness of the hull, spars, rigging and all gear. He must ensure that all safety equipment is properly maintained, stowed and in date and that the crew know where it is kept and how it is to be used. 15.3 The Owner/Skipper of each yacht participating in the Regatta bears full responsibility for the conduct and good behaviour of their crew and guests for the duration of the Regatta. 15.4 Neither the establishment of these conditions, nor their use by the Organising Authority and the Race Officer, in any way limits the absolute responsibility of the Owner/Skipper. The crew is nonetheless advised to satisfy themselves as to the experience of the skipper and the adequacy of all safety equipment and insurance arrangements. 15.5 It is a condition of entry that the Owner of each yacht participating in the Regatta accepts this disclaimer of liability on behalf of himself / itself and the yacht s crew and agrees to indemnify the Organising Authority and the Race Officer and the other members of the Regatta Committee against any claims and demands of any nature whatsoever made against any of them by any person participating in the Regatta on board his yacht. Page 7 of 9
Figure 1 Direction of racing 100 m 100 m 100 m Start line 100 m 200 m the box Dimensions approximate Page 8 of 9
Figure 2 Mark Lat Long 1 39,31.40'N 002,36.00'E 2 39,29.30'N 002,33.50'E 1 3 39,27.50'N 002,32.50'E 4 39,24.10'N 002,43.40'E 5 39,27.50'N 002,42.80'E 2 7 6 6 39,29.50'N 002,42.60'E 7 39,29.00'N 002,38.00'E 3 8 5 8 39,27.00'N 002,36.00'E 4 Please note: Marks on the map are shown for illustration only and might not be on the exact position as listed in the table. Page 9 of 9