These General Sailing Instructions shall be applied together with the Specific Event Sailing Instructions for the Puget Sound Large Boat and Sound One Design Programs.
REGISTRATION
Early registration aids in the efficient planning of quality regattas. Please help us create good events by registering before the stated deadlines. To enter an event, submit a completed registration form and pay the appropriate fee by 1600 at least four business days prior to the first race entered. (E.g., by 1600 Tuesday for a Saturday Regatta) Registration forms can be hand-delivered to the CYC Shilshole Clubhouse or submitted via mail, fax (206) 789-5896, or through the web site at www.cycseattle.org. Registrations received after this deadline will be assessed a $25.00 late fee.
RULES
Races will be governed by the 2009 - 2012 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), PIYA Category Equipment Requirements (where specified), these Sailing Instructions, and the Specific Event Sailing Instructions for each event except as modified by the Special Sailboat Safety Regulations (see below). In case of conflict between these General Sailing Instructions and the Specific Event Sailing Instructions for an event, the Specific Event Sailing Instructions will govern.
NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
3.1 Notices will be posted at the CYC Shilshole Clubhouse on the bulletin board and window adjacent to the entrance door on the upper level, hereafter referred to as the “Shilshole Notice Board”. Notices and class breaks may be posted at www.cycseattle.org, but this will not constitute an official notice location.
3.2 Any change in the sailing instructions will be posted at least 2 hours before the first warning of the race in which it will take effect. Code flag “L” may be flown from the Clubhouse flagstaff when such changes are made.
3.3 The Race Committee may post on the Shilshole Notice Board a list of boats scored OCS, DNS, ZFP, BFD, or DNF at the earliest opportunity after returning to dock and before the stated protest time limit.
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 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.
4.3 All boats/boat owners shall have liability insurance currently in effect, covering yacht racing activities, property damage, personal injury and death in an amount appropriate for the type of boat being sailed. (Minimum coverage of $300,000 per occurrence is recommended for keelboats.)
4.4 When a boat is notified that she has been selected for an inspection of required safety equipment, she shall report for and submit to the inspection.
4.5 Boats must be operated in accordance with US Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Regulations and shall monitor VHF channel 14 when in the vicinity of, and while occupying, the VTS lanes.
SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
Signals made ashore will be displayed from the CYC Clubhouse flagstaff. When flag “AP,” the 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 and those in keelboats without lifelines 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 centerboard 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 at www.ussailing.net/piya.
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 via VHF ch. 67, 69 or 72.
6.5 Navigation lights, if standard equipment for the boat, shall be lit between sunset and sunrise and in times of restricted visibility per COLREGS Rule 20.
6.6 The Special Sailboat Safety Regulations apply. These can be found immediately following these General Sailing Instructions.
6.7 A boat that breaks sailing instruction 6.2, or 6.6 could receive a warning, be disqualified or not accepted in future competition, depending on the severity of her offense. This changes RRS 64.1(a).
CHANGES IN RATING
A change in a PHRF rating takes effect on the day it is recorded by the local handicapper. If a change in a boat's rating occurs during a series, then, for that series only, the boat shall continue to sail in the fleet in which she was sailing before her rating was changed, and she will be eligible for awards in that fleet. After the date the rating change takes effect, the boat's corrected time will be calculated using her new rating.
STARTING ORDER
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 reader-board. When a plus sign (“+”) is displayed between two class placards, those two classes will start together at the same time. The starting order for subsequent races may be different than the starting order for the first race.
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 mark, the last is the finishing mark, and those in between are the rounding marks.
9.2 Mark descriptions and locations are printed inside the back cover of this Racebook. NOTE: The leeward marks may be either to windward and/or leeward of the committee boat.
9.3 Start between the starting mark 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 mark 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 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.
9.5 Individual classes may be abandoned or shortened by displaying their class flag along with the appropriate race signal flag.
9.6 Warning: The race committee may use its engine to hold position, and it may do so even when apparently anchored.
9.7
IMPORTANT RESTRICTION: After completing the first leg of the course, a boat shall not cross the line between mark F and the 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 mark end of the 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 Two-Turns penalty. This changes RRS 28.1. The finishing line is an obstruction for boats that are subject to this restriction. A boat that fails to exonerate herself may be scored DNF without a hearing. This changes RRS 63.1 and Appendix A5. (PLEASE NOTE: Regatta Specific Instructions modify this rule.)
9.8 When boats are finishing after dark, the race committee boat may display a yellow/green beacon.
SHIP CANAL RESTRICTED AREA
Boats shall not enter the area defined by the following three lines:
From the south end of the Shilshole breakwater northwestward to buoy C “1”
From buoy C “1” southwestward to buoy N “2”
From buoy N “2” southeastward to buoy N “4”
A boat that enters this area may not correct her error. This changes RRS 28.1. This area is considered to be an obstruction.
THE START
Races will be started using RRS 26 except a blue shape will replace flag P. The race committee may hail to the next class whose warning signal is about to be made.
When the Specific Sailing Instructions note a 3 minute starting sequence, (E.g.: Sound Wednesday and Thursday Evenings and many Sound One-Design Regattas) the interval between the warning signal and the start will be THREE minutes with the Preparatory Signal given at TWO minutes and the Preparatory Signal removed at ONE minute. This changes RRS 26.
INDIVIDUAL RECALLS
The race committee may attempt to hail the sail numbers of recalled boats. Failure to do so, the timing of the hails, the order of the hails, the failure to hear the hail, or any other issues associated with the hail will not constitute grounds for redress. This modifies RRS 62.1(a).
PROTESTS
13.1 Weekend regattas: Protests shall be delivered to the Protest Committee no later than one hour after the race committee boat docks. The schedule of protest hearings will be posted on the Protest Board along the west wall of the lower level of the CYC Shilshole Clubhouse shortly after the protest time limit. This posting is considered notice given as required by RRS 63.2 and satisfies the notice requirement of RRS 61.1(b). Hearings will proceed whether or not all boats are represented. Protesting parties may be offered the opportunity to participate in voluntary protest mediation. For PSSR (Large Boat) and PSSC (Large Boat), protests will include arbitration.
13.1.1 Where arbitration is provided, an arbitration meeting will be scheduled for each protest involving a rule of Part 2 unless the arbitrator deems the protest inappropriate for arbitration. One representative of each party, who was on board at the time of the incident, will meet with the arbitrator. No witnesses will be permitted. After taking testimony from each representative, the arbitrator will render his/her opinion in one of the following ways:
(a) The protest is invalid or no boat broke a rule. If the protestor agrees, the arbitrator will allow the protest to be withdrawn and it shall not be reopened or appealed. If the protestor disagrees, the protest committee will schedule a protest hearing.
(b) One or more boats broke a rule. The boat(s) breaking the rule may accept a 20% Scoring Penalty and the protest may be withdrawn. If not, the protest committee will schedule a protest hearing. If the penalty is accepted the matter is closed and cannot be resubmitted to a hearing, be reopened, appealed, or submitted for redress.
(c) The arbitrator decides a protest hearing is required. The protest committee will schedule a protest hearing.
13.1.2 RRS 63.1 is changed by adding, “The arbitrator may allow a protest to be withdrawn without the approval of the protest committee.”
13.2 All other events and series (i.e. not weekend regattas): 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 faxed or emailed before the end of office hours on that day. (CYC Office Staff may note the time of sending and receipt on participant’s protest form.) This changes RRS 61.3. Parties to a hearing will be notified of the date, location and time of their hearing.
13.3 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 be waived. This changes RRS 63.1.
SCORING
14.1 The Low Point scoring system of RRS Appendix A will apply. Boats that are OCS, do not finish, retire, or are disqualified will score points equal to the number of boats that finish in their class in that race plus one. Boats that do not start will score points equal to the number of boats that finish in their class in that race plus two. This changes RRS Appendix A4.2. and A9.
14.2 PHRF corrected times will be calculated using the time-on-distance method.
14.3 A boat's series score is the sum of her race scores. However, if five or more races are completed, her worst score will be discarded when determining her series score. This changes RRS Appendix A2.
14.4 One completed race constitutes a series.
AWARDS
Corinthian Awards will be presented for all events as indicated in the Specific Sailing Instructions. The results of each event will be posted on the CYC web site.
MOVABLE BALLAST
A boat designed to use and constructed with equipment to pump on board, discharge and move water ballast may use that equipment, provided her PHRF rating assumes its use. This changes RRS 51.
BOAT STORAGE/MOORAGE
Unless notified to the contrary, competitors must make their own arrangements for boat storage/moorage.
SPECIAL SAILBOAT SAFETY REGULATIONS
Introduction: We must share Puget Sound with its commercial traffic, including many deep-water vessels and long tows. It is sobering to note that, if your boat is one mile dead ahead of a freighter coming down the Sound at normal speed, and the freighter's helm is put hard over to avoid you, the freighter's bow will miss you, but her stern will not! Obviously this implies that early and decisive action is required to keep your boat out of the path of a large oncoming vessel or tow.
Yachts must not sail across a tow line, too close ahead, or too close alongside of commercial traffic. Deep water vessels have limited ability to change course and speed. Barges under tow can yaw unexpectedly well out to the side at speeds essentially the same as they are being towed. Yachts should not pass less than ONE mile ahead and 1/4 mile to the side of large vessels.
Rule 10 of the International and Inland Rules to Prevent Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) requires that no power driven vessel less than 20 meters (66 feet) in length, and no sailing vessel (of any size) may impede the safe passage of a power driven vessel following a Vessel Traffic System (VTS) Lane.
Rule 9 of the COLREGS requires that no power vessel of less than 20 meters (66feet) in length and no sailing vessel (any length) shall impede the safe passage of any vessel which can navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway. Puget Sound can be considered a “narrow channel” for most large commercial traffic. “Impede” means cause to alter speed or course or to take evasive action.
A yacht in position where it may impede commercial traffic must exit from the “danger area” immediately, under auxiliary power if necessary. If power is used, it must be reported to the Race Committee at the finish line. Also, a written report must be made on a protest form, showing the location, time, duration of power use, speed, direction of exit, and that the competitive position of the yacht was not improved. If the last item cannot be demonstrated adequately, a time penalty may be imposed.
Radar reflectors must be flown at all times when racing in the vicinity of the VTS Traffic Lanes. A radar reflector, all metal, of the triplaner corner reflector type, each plane at least 12" square or 12 1/2 inches diameter to be carried at least 13 feet (4 meters) above the waterline. Other types of reflectors may be used provided that it has been demonstrated that they are effective under all conditions. See PIYA Special Regulations paragraph 3.8.
Navigation lights must be shown between sunset and sunrise and in times of restricted visibility as required by the International Rules of the Road.
Observed and/or reported violations of the safety regulations may be protested. The Race Committee shall have the option of issuing a “warning” when deemed appropriate. Warnings are recorded and may be considered when judging any future reports.