Saturday 18 th to Sunday 19 th November 2017 To Tei Wan, Tai Tam Bay, Hong Kong The Organizing Authority is The Hong Kong Sailing Federation (HKSF) Co-organized by The Hong Kong Hobie Club (HKHC) Supported by Leisure and Culture Services Subvented by Home Affairs Bureau (Arts & Sports Development Fund) 1 Rules 1.1 The Event will be governed by: SAILING INSTRUCTIONS the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing 2017-2020 (RRS), (the prescriptions of the Hong Kong Sailing Federation will not apply.) the rules of the International Hobie Class Association (IHCA) the Notice of Race the Zedra/BDO Hobie Asian Championships 2017 Sailing Instructions. Succeeding items in this list will take precedence. 1.2 The Racing Rules of Sailing will be changed as follows: RRS 44.1, in NoR paragraph 11. 1.3 All sailors shall wear a personal flotation device whilst afloat. 1.4 The Organizing Authority recommends that all sailors carry a sharp knife which is accessible at all times whilst sailing. 2 Notices to Competitors 2.1 Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located at the Race Office, HKHC Clubhouse, To Tei Wan. 2.2 The Competitors Briefing will take place at 1000 hrs on Saturday 18 November 2017 at the Hong Kong Hobie Club beach at To Tei Wan. Other competitors meetings may be scheduled as required and the date and time will be posted on the official notice board.
3 Changes to Sailing Instructions Any change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted on the official notice board no later than 90 minutes before the first race of the day, except that any changes to the Sailing Instructions affecting the schedule of races will be posted on the official notice board by 2100 hrs on the day before it will take effect. 4 Signals Made Ashore 4.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed ashore at the HKHC Clubhouse flag pole. 4.2 The race area used for the first race of each day will be displayed ashore. Pennant 1 will indicate Race Area 1; Pennant 2 will indicate Race Area 2. 4.3 When flag AP is displayed ashore, 1 minute is replaced with not less than 30 minutes in the race signal AP. 5 Schedule of Races 5.1 Saturday 18 November First warning signal 1130 hrs No warning signal after this time 1630 hrs Target # of races 5 on geometric course Sunday 19 November First warning signal 1030 hrs No warning signal after this time 1500 hrs Target # of races 3 on geometric course and the Island Race 5.2 Races will continue back to back until the No warning signal after this time is reached or racing is abandoned or postponed. 5.3 After a long postponement, to alert boats that another race will begin soon, an orange flag will be displayed with one sound signal for at least five minutes before a warning signal is displayed. 6 Class Flags Hobie 16 - Yellow flag with Hobie class insignia. 7 The Courses 7.1 The course to be sailed will be displayed on the signal boat on number board no later than the warning signal. 7.2 The courses are defined below. Geometric Course No. Course 1 (S) A C A C A C (F) Downwind 2 (S) A C A C (F) Downwind Island Race No. Course 3 (S) Beaufort Island (port) Chesterman Buoy (port) (F) 4 (S) Beaufort Island (port) Shek O Rock (port) Beaufort Island (port) Castle Rock (stbd) (F) 5 (S) Castle Rock (port) Chesterman Buoy (port) (F) [S = start, A = weather mark, C = leeward gate, F = finish]
7.3 For geometric courses 1 and 2, after starting and before finishing all marks shall be left to PORT, except when there is a gate at Mark C1 and Mark C2 when boats shall sail between Mark C1 and Mark C2 from the direction of the previous mark and round either Mark C1 or Mark C2. If one gate buoy is missing boats are required to round the remaining mark to port. 8 Racing Areas and Course Configurations 8.1 The map below shows the locations of the racing areas referred to in Sailing Instructions 4.2 and the courses 3, 4 & 5.
8.2 The diagrams below show the course configurations. Courses 1 & 2 (not to scale) Mark A Mark C1 Mark C2 Finish Mark Start Mark Signal Boat 9 Marks 9.1 Mark A, C1 and C2 will be an inflatable triangular orange buoy. 9.2 The Change Mark will be a thin inflatable yellow buoy with red strips. 9.3 The Start Mark will be an inflatable triangular white buoy. 9.4 The Finish Mark will be an inflatable triangular yellow buoy. 10 The Start 10.1 The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the signal boat at the starboard end and the port-end Start Mark. 10.2 Boats starting later than 4 minutes after their starting signal will be scored Did Not Start (DNS). This changes RRS A4 and A5. 10.3 No race will be started if Local Storm Warning Signal No. 3 or higher is hoisted.
11 Change of Course after the Start 11.1 To change the position of the next mark, the Race Committee will lay a new mark (or the finishing line) and remove the original mark, as soon as practicable. The change will be signaled before the leading boat has begun the leg, although the new mark may not yet be in position. Any mark to be rounded after the new mark may be relocated without further signaling to maintain the course configuration. When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark. 11.2 Except at a gate, boats shall pass between the race committee boat signaling the change of course and the nearby mark, leaving the mark to port and the race committee boat to starboard. This changes RRS 28.1. 12 The Finish 12.1 The finishing line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the signal boat at the starboard end and the port-end Finish Mark. 12.2 Hoisting a blue flag on the signal boat will open the finish line. 12.3 Lowering the blue flag when the last boat has finished or the time limit has expired will close the finish line. This adds to the meaning of the blue flag in Race Signals. 13 Penalty System 13.1 RRS 44.1 is changed so that the Two-turn Penalty is replaced by the One-turn Penalty. 13.2 Exoneration Penalty: A boat that may have broken a rule may, after finishing the race concerned and before the start of a related protest hearing, notify the Race Committee that she accepts a (20%) scoring penalty, minimum 3 places. It is not available for a breach of Rule 2 or of class rules or for gross misconduct under Rule 69. Nor is it available to a boat that caused injury or serious damage, or gained a significant advantage by her breach. 14 Time Limits When an Exoneration Penalty is accepted, a) neither the boat nor the Protest Committee may then revoke or remove the penalty, and b) the boat shall not be penalised further in a protest hearing when the Protest Committee decides that it was appropriate to the facts found and the appropriate rules. 14.1 The target time is 60 minutes. 14.2 The time limit is 90 minutes. 14.3 The Mark A time limit is 20 minutes. If no boat has passed Mark A within the time limit, the race will be abandoned. 14.4 Boats failing to finish within 15 minutes after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored Did Not Finish (DNF). This changes RRS 35, A4 and A5. 14.5 At the discretion of the Race Officer in extenuating circumstances, the time limits may be extended. 15 Protests and Requests for Redress 15.1 A Protest Committee shall be appointed. 15.2 A boat protesting another boat shall follow RRS 61.1 (a) with the following modification: The RRS requirement for under 6 metre boats applies to all boats i.e. boats do not have to fly a red flag when protesting. 15.3 A boat s intention to protest must be indicated on the sign off form.
15.4 Protest forms are available at the Race Office. Protests shall be delivered there within the protest time limit. 15.5 Any protest must be made in writing and be lodged in the Race Office within Protest Time, which will end 90 minutes after the last boat has finished the last race of the day. This same protest time limit applies to protests by the race committee and to requests for redress. This changes RRS 62.2. 15.6 Notices will be posted within 30 minutes of the end of the protest time limit to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses. 15.7 Notices of protests by the race committee will be posted to inform boats under RRS 61.1(b) before the end of the protest time limit. 15.8 On the last day of the regatta a request for reopening a hearing or a request for redress from a protest committee decision shall be delivered (a) (b) within the protest time limit if the party requesting reopening was informed of the decision on the previous day; no later than 10 minutes after the party requesting reopening was informed of the decision on that day. This changes RRS 62.2 and 66. 16 Scoring 16.1 The low-point scoring system as per RRS Appendix A will apply. 16.2 One race is required to be completed to constitute the Zedra/BDO Hobie Asian Championships 2017. 16.3 When 4 races have been completed, a boat s score will be the total of her race scores. 16.4 When 5 or more races have been completed, a boat s score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score. 17 Safety Regulations 17.1 All boats will sign on before leaving the beach to indicate that they will be joining the racing. 17.2 On returning to the beach all boats will sign off, as soon as practicable and within the protest time limit, to confirm 1. their return to the beach 2. that they completed all races in compliance with the Sailing Instructions, and 3. their intention to protest. 17.3 Boats failing to sign on or to subsequently sign off correctly within the protest time limit will receive a 20% scoring penalty for each race completed that day. The penalty will be calculated as stated in RRS 44.3(c). 17.4 A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible. Boats retiring are still required to sign off when they reach the beach. 18 Replacement of Crew or Equipment 18.1 Substitution of competitors will not be allowed without prior written approval of the race committee. Changes of crew shall be registered at the Race Office. Crew changes must comply with the IHCA General Rules, i.e.: Rule 17.3 If a crew change is required due to injury or other special circumstances, the crew weight shall not be less than the original weight and not more than 10 lbs. (4.54 kg.) over the original weight unless approved by the race committee. * Weights may be carried to maintain the original crew weight provided the provisions of Rule 17.4 are met.
Rule 17.4 A maximum of 50 lbs. (22.7 kg.) of permanent dry (solid) weight may be carried on the boat to bring crew weight up to the minimum crew weight. If more than 50 lbs. (22.7 kg) are needed to make minimum crew weight, an additional crew person shall be carried. 18.2 Substitution of damaged or lost equipment will not be allowed unless approved by the race committee. Requests for substitution shall be made to the committee at the first reasonable opportunity. Attention is drawn to IHCA General Rule 12.3. 19 Equipment and Measurement Checks 19.1 A boat or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the Class Rules and Sailing Instructions. 19.2 Competitors are reminded that the requirements of RRS 43 Competitor Clothing and Equipment will apply. 19.3 All crews are required to comply with their Class Weight Rules and will be weighed in at registration. The Organizing Authority reserves the right to weigh a team at any time, if it believes it to be close to or under the minimum weight limit. 20 Support Boats 20.1 Prior to the start of the first race, team leaders and coaches shall register their boat at the Race Office by completing the form provided and detailing all competitors associated with them and receive a numbered flag showing their status which shall be prominently displayed at all times whilst afloat. 20.2 Team leaders, coaches and other support personnel shall stay at least 100 metres outside areas where boats that are racing may sail at any time during the race from the time of the preparatory signal until all boats have finished or the race committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment. 20.3 The penalty for infringing these requirements will be at the discretion of the protest committee, but can include disqualification of one or all boats associated with the infringing vessel or a 20% points penalty of the boats entered in the Series for each class. 20.4 Support/coach boats may be notified by the race committee to render assistance to any boat, if the safety of a boat or its crew is in question. 21 Radio and Mobile Phone Communications All boats are advised to carry a mobile phone for use in an emergency. However, except in an emergency, a boat shall neither make or receive radio or mobile phone transmissions while racing. 22 Prizes 22.1 Prizes will be awarded to the first 3 boats of geometric course races and first boat of Island Race. 22.2 Other prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the Organizing Authority. 23 Disclaimer of Liability 23.1 Competitors participate in the Zedra/BDO Hobie Asian Championships 2017 entirely at their own risk. See RRS 4, Decision to Race. The Organizing Authority, the event sponsors and their representatives, officers, members and volunteers 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. 23.2 The term Skipper shall mean the person, whether or not the owner of the boat, who is designated on the entry form as the Helm. The skipper shall be in charge of the boat during the Event and is responsible for the boat, its handling and safety, conduct of the crew before, during and after each race and compliance with the Sailing Instructions.
24 Insurance All boats must have adequate insurance to cover racing risks whilst in Hong Kong (not less than HK$1,000,000 for third party risk). 25 Special Notes 25.1 No questions will be answered by the race committee after the warning signal and until 5 minutes after the last start of a race. 25.2 The race committee may request redress for competitors who exhibit extraordinary sportsmanship. 25.3 Boats seen discharging trash into the water will be subject to protest by the race committee. 25.4 Boats shall display sponsors stickers as follows: ZEDRA stickers on outside face of port hull and inside face of starboard hull near bow. BDO stickers on outside face of starboard hull and inside face of port hull near bow. 25.5 All competitors shall wear the sponsors rashguard on top of all gears at all times during racing. 25.6 Boats or competitors failing to display or wear sponsors materials may receive a 20% scoring penalty for each race completed without them. The penalty will be calculated as stated in RRS 44.3(c). Redress may be sought from any such scoring penalty only if the failure to display the stickers is through no fault of the competitor.