RACING

General Sailing Instructions

1. Rules

• The Regattas will be governed by the International Yacht Racing Rules, the prescriptions of US Sailing, and by these sailing instructions. The Regatta is designated Category A.

2. Entries

• Eligible yachts may be entered by completing the registration with the organizing authority.
• Eligible competitors shall be members in good standing of the South Winds Sailing Club.
• Regatta fees will be $5.00 per boat per race day.

3. Schedule of Regattas

• Regattas are scheduled as shown at Racing Schedule
• In the event a Saturday 'trophy' race is canceled due to inclement weather, the makeup race will be the next day, Sunday. Skippers meeting at 13:00.

4. Regatta Area

• The Regatta area will generally be considered to be the area from the mouth of Illinois Creek to the East, to North of Victoria Landing on Lake Allatoona.

5. The Course

• The course will be set for each Regatta by the Race Committee Boat (RCB). The course will generally consist of legs between marks that may consist of buoys, any Lake permanent marks, or any temporary marks.
• The actual course will be set at the discretion of the RCB. The RCB is urged to set a course with legs of equal distance and attempting to have the race duration be 45-60 minutes long.

6. The Start

• Starting signals will be audible signals only. No pennants will be used. The RCB will sound a single horn blast at the following intervals:
1. Warning Signal - 5 minutes prior to the designated start time, count down sequence has started
2. Preparatory Signal - 4 minutes prior to the designated start time
3. Preparatory Signal - 1 minute prior to the designated start time
4. Starting Signal - at the designated start time

7. Recalls

• Individual recalls will be signaled with 1 horn blast followed immediately by a voice and/or radio hail of the offending yacht(s). General recall will be signaled by 3 horn blasts following the single starting horn.

8. Abandonment

• At the skippers meeting prior to any Regatta, a procedure for changing the course will be discussed. In general, the procedure will include a sound signal (2 blasts of the horn repeated at 5 minute intervals for 3 intervals) and an agreed upon visual signal The RCB will also hail the Regatta fleet over VHF channel 72 and inform the fleet of the abandonment.

9. Changes of Course after the Start

• At the skippers meeting prior to any Regatta, a procedure for changing the course will be discussed. In general, the procedure will include a sound signal (1 blast of the horn) and an agreed upon visual signal (pennant code flag "C") which will remain flying to the conclusion of the Regatta.

10. Time Limit

• The time limit will be 3 hours for any Regatta. The Regatta will be official if any boat finishes prior to the time limit. In the case of an Official Regatta, boats failing to finish before the time limit will be scored based upon their position in the fleet. In the case of no finishers, the Regatta may be rescheduled for a later date.

11. Protests (refer to US Sailing, ISAF Rules of Sailing, Part 5)

• Protests shall be written on forms available from the RCB. Protests must be filed with the RCB within 1 hour of the final Regatta and after the docking of the RCB. Once an appropriate jury can be formed, protests will be heard in the order of receipt. All protests will be heard as soon as practical. Parties to any protests will be notified as to the time and place of a hearing as soon as practical, but parties will be given no less then 30 minutes warning of a hearing. At least 3 of the 6 members of the 2009 Regatta Committee shall serve at the protest hearing.

12. Scoring

• SWSC is a mixed class of sailboats and uses Portsmouth Yardstick for handicap scoring located at Portsmouth Yardstick
• The Regatta Committee (RC) is considered "the club" as referred to by the Portsmouth Yardstick for scoring. The RC consists of the Vice-Commodore, the Fleet Captain, and volunteers. The Vice-Commodore is head of the committee.
• Any changes to the Portsmouth Yardstick Handicap averages should be brought to the RC and voted on by the RC. Any Handicap not listed by Portsmouth is to be brought to the RC , calculated and agreed on by the RC.
• Head sail size and spinnaker handicap ratings are removed from the club members' modified handicap. The club wants to encourage skippers to improve their skills by using the sail best suited to the weather conditions.
• Furler adjustments and other design alterations not considered by Portsmouth, such as some Fractional Rigs, are represented on the club members' handicap rating list.
• All Catalina sailboats are assumed to use a spinnaker if race conditions allow it.
• The low-point scoring system, Appendix A2 of the racing rules will apply, with modifications that apply handicaps as shown in the SWSC Regatta Information notebook binder. For the "Skipper of the Year" series, sixteen scores will constitute a total score. If you race more than 16 races, we will take your 16 highest scores, includes Race Committee Boat duty.
• The most points you can get for serving on RCB throughout the year is 4.
• You can earn 1 point for serving as RCB on a special race day such as 4th of July race or Turtle Rock to name a few. (Ladies and small boat races do not count though we really do need member support and RCB for these races as well).

13. Alternative Penalties (refer to US Sailing, ISAF Rules of Sailing, Rule 44.1)

• The 720 degree turns penalty will apply if any Rule in Part 2 is broken (When Boats Meet). The 360 degree penalty applies if Rule 31 is broken (Touching a Mark).

14. Support Boats and Outside Aid

• No outside aid is to be made available to competitors from other non-racing boats. The penalty for failing to comply with this requirement will be the disqualification of all yachts associated with the infringement from both the individual race and the racing series. Any competitor who gives aid under Fundamental Rule 1.1 should note at what location and time the yacht suspended racing and what time the yacht resumed the Regatta. Then the yacht should resume the Regatta at the same position on the course for possible adjustment to elapsed time.

15. Radio Communication

• A yacht shall neither make radio transmissions or receive special radio communications not available to all yachts. Communications to and from the RCB are exempt from the rule unless flagrant misuse becomes a problem. SWSC Regatta communications will occur on VHF channel 72.

16. Prizes

• Trophies are awarded to members and sponsored clubs only.
• "Skipper of the Year" series winner will be awarded a trophy and a plaque at the Commodores Ball in November. Named Regattas in the schedule also have trophies and/or plaques associated with them which will be awarded at the Commodores Ball in November.
• In order to be eligible for Skipper of the Year, each skipper must complete two days of Race Committee Boat (RCB) duties.
• In order to qualify for any special trophy awarded, the skipper must serve as RCB for one race day, this includes special races. (Ladies and small boat races do not count though we really do need member support and RCB for these races as well).

17. Skipper's Responsibility

• By competing in the Series of Regattas herein described, the skipper acknowledges that s/he will be bound by the International Yacht Racing Rules of Sailing and the Prescriptions of US Sailing. Furthermore, it is each skipper's responsibility to decide whether or not to race in any given race after weighing her/his skill level, any pertinent weather conditions, safety issues, and any other issues s/he deems relevant.

18. Race Committee Boat Responsibility

• It is the responsibility of the Race Committee Boat (RCB) to run the race in accordance with these sailing instructions, including the abandonment or postponement of any race.
• The RCB has no responsibility for any skipper's decision to compete.
• The RCB sets up a race course on race days and keeps track of the race time and results.

Cruising Cup Series

• We will continue the "Long Distance Regatta" series. These races WILL NOT count towards "Skipper of the Year" series, but towards a separate trophy to be awarded to the winner of that named Regatta.

TIES

• When there is a tie on total points between two or more yachts, the tie will be broken in favor of the yacht(s) with the most first places, and, when the tie remains, the most second places, and so on, if necessary for such races as count for total points. If a tie remains at this point the same procedure will be applied to additional races in which all tied boats participated, but whose scores were not initially counted. When the tie still remains, it shall stand as part of the final results. Rule 88.3 also applies.