These General Sailing Instructions shall be applied together with the Specific Event Sailing Instructions for the Lake Washington Racing Program. In case of conflict, the Specific Event Sailing Instructions govern.
REGISTRATION
1.1 To enter an event, submit a completed registration form and pay the appropriate fee. Registration forms can be hand delivered to the club or submitted via mail, fax (206) 789-5896, or through the web site at www.cycseattle.org/reg_form.html.
1.2 Weekend Events: Boats that have not paid a package fee shall register and pay the entry fee in the CYC Leschi clubhouse between 0900 and 1000 on the first day of the event.
1.3 All other events and series: Submit a completed registration form and pay the appropriate fee to the CYC office at least three days prior to the first race entered.
RULES
Races will be governed by the 2001-2004 Racing Rules of Sailing (‘RRS’), the prescriptions of US SAILING, the rules adopted by local one-design fleets (when applicable), the rules of PHRF Northwest (when applicable), these sailing instructions, and the specific event sailing instructions for each event.
NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
Notices will be posted in the window at the CYC Leschi Clubhouse entrance. Any change in the sailing instructions will be posted at least 90 minutes before the first warning of the race in which it will take effect.
RESPONSIBILITY
4.1 The skipper of each boat is responsible for any unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of his or her crew. If action is taken under RRS rule 69, Allegations of Gross Misconduct, it may result in a competitor being excluded from further participation in the CYC racing program.
4.2 Occasionally, sailboat racing has resulted in injury or loss of life. All competitors in CYC events participate at their own risk. It shall be the responsibility of the skipper to inform the crew of the risks of sailboat racing, to make sure they understand and accept those risks, to decide whether the crew is competent and adequate for the event, and to decide whether to start or continue in a race.
SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
Signals made ashore will be displayed from the Race Tower or the race committee boat at its moorage. When flag "AP" - Postponement Signal is lowered after having been displayed ashore, all contestants shall proceed promptly to the starting area.
SAFETY
6.1 Competitors in centerboard boats shall wear a life jacket or flotation garment other than a wet suit or dry suit at all times when racing. Between November 1 and April 1, competitors in centerboards boats shall wear a wet-suit or dry-suit in addition to a life jacket.
6.2 Unless racing in a one-design class, keelboats (including those with retractable keels) shall comply with the PIYA Category III equipment requirements. A PIYA form listing these requirements is available from the CYC office.
6.3 Competitors needing help should signal by waving an open hand. A wave of a closed fist will be interpreted to mean help is not needed.
6.4 A boat that leaves the racing area before finishing or before the last race of a day should notify the race committee.
6.5 Navigation lights shall be lit between sunset and sunrise.
CHANGES IN RATING
A change in a PHRF rating takes effect on the day it is recorded by the local handicapper. After that day, the boat's corrected time will be calculated using her new rating.
STARTING ORDER AND CLASS FLAGS
Classes will start in the order in which class placards are displayed, reading from left to right and from the top line to the bottom line on the race committee boat readerboard. When a plus sign ("+") is displayed between two class placards, those two classes will start together at the same time.
COURSES
9.1 Each course will be signaled by a row of letters following the placards of the classes that are to sail that course. Each letter designates a mark. The first letter displayed is the starting buoy, the last is the finishing buoy, and those in between are the rounding marks.
9.2 Mark descriptions and locations are inside the front cover of the race book. NOTE: The leeward marks may be either to windward and/or leeward of the committee boat.
9.3 Start between the starting buoy and the orange flag on the race committee boat. Pass each rounding mark in the order displayed and on the same side as the starting mark. Finish between the finishing buoy and the orange flag on the race committee boat. When a number, such as "2" or "3", follows the course letters, it signals a multiple-lap course. Sail the course as many times as is indicated by that number, crossing the finishing line at the completion of each lap.
9.4 IMPORTANT RESTRICTION: After completing the first leg of the course, a boat shall not cross the line between mark F and the committee boat or the line between mark "G" and the orange flag on the race committee boat unless she is:
(a) finishing,
(b) completing a lap of a multiple-lap course (as indicated by a number following a designated course), or
(c) rounding the buoy end of the starting or finishing line when such a rounding is required by the course for her class.
A boat that fails to observe this restriction may exonerate herself by making a 720° turn, just as she would to take a 720° penalty. This changes RRS rule 28.1. The finishing line and the line between mark "G" and the orange flag on the race committee boat are obstructions for boats that are subject to this restriction. A boat that fails to exonerate herself will be scored DNF without a hearing. This changes RRS 63.1 and appendix A5.
9.5 Gate mark: If flag "G" is displayed at the preparatory and the starting signals for a class, there will be a gate (two marks) instead of a single mark for that class, and boats shall pass between the two gate marks and then round either the port gate mark to port or the starboard gate mark to starboard.
9.6 Individual classes may be abandoned or shortened by displaying their class flag along with the appropriate race signal flag.
9.7 Warning: The race committee may use its engine to hold position, and it may do so even when apparently anchored.
THE START
Races will be started by using RRS rule 26 except a blue shape will replace flag P. The race committee may give a hail to the next class whose warning signal is about to be made.
INDIVIDUAL RECALLS
The race committee may attempt to hail the sail numbers of recalled boats. Failure to do so or failure to hear the hail will not constitute grounds for redress.
PROTESTS
12.1 Weekend regattas: Protests shall be delivered to the race committee no later than one hour after the race committee boat docks. The schedule of protest hearings will be posted in the window at the CYC Leschi Clubhouse shortly after the protest time limit. Protesting parties may be offered the opportunity to participate in voluntary protest mediation, the procedures for which will be described at the skipper's meeting. Posting of the protest schedule is considered notice given as required by RRS rule 63.2 and satisfies the notice requirement of RRS rule 61.1(b). Hearings will proceed whether or not all boats are represented.
12.2 All other events and series: Protests shall be sent to the CYC office by mail with a U.S. Postal Service postmark date no later than the first weekday following the race in which the incident occurred or hand delivered before the end of office hours on that day. Parties to a hearing will be notified of the date, location and time of their hearing. A protested boat may elect to acknowledge breaking a rule and to accept the appropriate penalty. In such a case she should notify the protest committee chairman to that effect and the hearing may waived. This changes RRS rule 63.1.
SCORING
13.1 The Low Point scoring system of RRS Appendix A will apply.Boats that do not finish, retire, or are disqualified will score points equal to the number of boats that raced in their class in that race plus one. Boats that do not start will score points equal to the number of boats that raced in their class in that race plus two. This changes RRS Appendix A4.2 and A9.
13.2 PHRF corrected times will be calculated using the time-on-time method.
13.3 A boat's series score is the sum of her points in all the races. However, for the Evening Series if four to six races are completed, one score will be discarded, if seven to nine races, two will be discarded, and if ten or more races, three will be discarded. For Weekend Regattas there will be no discarded scores. This changes RRS A2.
13.4 One completed race will constitute a series.
AWARDS
Corinthian sailing awards will be awarded as indicated in the specific sailing instructions. Race results for each class will be posted on the CYC web site.