SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
2014 SEA SPRITE 23 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
1. RULES
1.1 The Championships will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012 (RRS), the Notice of Race and these Sailing Instructions.
1.2 A valid, signed Entry Form including a liability waiver by all participants with full payment of fees must be submitted to Carter Hall by July 11, 2014, at 1700.
1.3 The rules of RRS Part 2 are replaced with the right-of-way rules of state and federal regulations governing inland navigation when encountering commercial traffic.
1.4 Spinnakers shall not be used.
1.5 No PHRF certificate will be needed.
1.6 Class requirements including sail dimensions and construction are listed on the Sea Sprite Association website at http://www.seaspriteassociation.com/. Sails constructed before 2008 will be grandfathered in.
1.6.1 If a pole is used to wing out a headsail, it must be attached to the mast.
1.6.2 All boats must display sail numbers on at least one sail during the race consistent with their race registration.
2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
2.1 Notices will be posted on the race committee bulletin board located in the main hallway of the BYC clubhouse.
3. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
3.1 Changes to these SI’s will be posted on the race committee bulletin board and emailed to registered skippers prior to 1700, July 11, 2014.
4. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
4.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed from the club’s flagpole on the front lawn.
4.2 When flag “AP” is displayed ashore, the warning signal for the first race will be made not less than 60 minutes after removal. This changes the meaning of Race Signal “AP” when it is displayed ashore.
5. SCHEDULE OF RACES
5.1 There will be 2 races on July 12th, 2014.
5.2 The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race is 1300.
6. RACING AREAS
6.1 The starting area is in Bristol Harbor, west of Town Pier.
6.2 First alternate starting area is between Castle Island light and C3 (Usher’s Rock).
6.3 Second alternate starting area is south of the Herreshoff anchorage.
7. THE COURSES
7.1 The course will be a windward/leeward course consisting of a windward and a leeward mark.
7.2 Course length will be determined by RC.
7.3 After the start, boats may not pass between the starting pin and the committee boat until finishing.
8. MARKS
8.1 Windard and leeward marks will be temporary racing inflatable orange or yellow buoys.
8.2 The starting and finishing marks will be the race committee signal boat and an orange or yellow inflatable buoy.
9. THE START
9.1 The location of the starting area will be as described in Instruction #6.
9.2 The starting line will be between an orange, inflatable buoy and a staff displaying an orange or white flag on the race committee signal boat.
9.3 Races will be started according to Rule 26.
10. THE FINISH
10.1 The finish line will be between the staff displaying an orange or white flag on the race committee boat and the anchored finish mark.
10.2 After starting, the Race Committee may shorten the start/finish line by moving the pin or relocating the finish boat without signaling. This changes rule 33.
11. AREAS THAT ARE OBSTRUCTIONS
11.1 The areas between the following aids to navigation and the adjacent land are obstructions at all times:
C “3” Usher’s Cove
Castle Island Beacon N of Hog Island
Hog Island Shoal Light House SE of Hog Island
C “3” E of Hog Island
RB “1” QK FL Bell SW of Popasquash Point
RN “2” SW of Bristol Point
12. TIME LIMITS
12.1 The first place boat must cross the finish line within 2 hours of start, or the race is cancelled.
12.2 The time limit for each race will be 3 hours from start.
12.3 The second race will not start after 1630.
12.4 Boats failing to finish within the time limits will be scored DNF without a hearing. This changes Rules 35, A4 and A5.
13. PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS
13.1 Protest forms will be available from the RC.
13.2 Protests must be submitted within 30 minutes after the RC Boat docks.
13.3 Hearings will be held in the protest room, located on the second floor of the clubhouse, beginning 40 minutes after the RC Boat docks.
13.4 Breaches of instructions 11.2, 17, 19, 20, and 21 will not be grounds for a protest by a boat. This changes rule 60.1(a). Penalties for these breaches may be less than disqualification if the protest committee so decides. The scoring abbreviation for a discretionary penalty imposed under this instruction will be DPI.
14. SCORING
14.1 Each boat finishing a race, and not thereafter retiring or being disqualified, will be scored as follows:
Finishing Place Score
First 1 pts
Second 2 pts
Third 3 pts
Fourth 4 pts
Each place thereafter add 1 point
14.2 All other boats that start in that race and retire or are disqualified will receive the score for their finishing place one more than the number of boats competing in that race.
14.3 Boats that do not compete in the race (DNC) will be scored for their finishing place 2 more than the number of boats competing in that race.
14.4 The series score for each boat will be the sum of her race scores divided by the number of races for which she is scored.
15. SAFETY REGULATIONS
15.1 A boat shall Check-In prior to racing by identifying herself by sail number and reporting the number of souls aboard. It will be each boat’s responsibility to assure acknowledgement from the race committee.
15.2 Check-In shall be done when passing within hailing distance of the race committee signal boat, or by VHF radio channel 72.
15.3 A boat shall Check-Out with the race committee by finishing the race, or, if retiring, to do so as soon as possible either by so communicating on Channel 71 VHF or by passing within hailing distance of the RC boat and so communicating verbally. A yacht that has withdrawn must not cross the finish line.
15.4 Narragansett Bay, including Bristol Harbor, is considered a “restricted channel” and there shall be no interference with commercial or privileged marine traffic. When boats meet vessels not sailing under these Sailing Instructions, the rules of Part 2 are replaced by government right-of-way rules. The race committee or protest committee, upon the observation, or proper report, of an incident shall protest the boat. This changes rules 60.2 and 60.3.
16. RADIO COMMUNICATION
16.1 The race committee may broadcast courtesy racing information such as weather, courses, starting sequence, starting violations, time limits, etc. Failing to do so will not be grounds for redress.
16.2 VHF Channel 71 will be used for any announcements by the race committee and for communication with competitors, except radio check-in.
16.3 VHF Channel 72 will be used for radio check-in only, following the protocol noted under Safety Regulations.
17. PRIZES
17.1 Trophies will be awarded to first, second, and third place finishers for the Championship.
17.2 The overall winner will have his or her name engraved on the perpetual trophy named “Sea Sprite Regatta.”
18. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
18.1 Competitors participate in the races entirely at their own risk. See RRS 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 races.
19. INSURANCE
19.1 Each participating boat should be insured with valid third-party liability insurance.