LUNENBURG YACHT CLUB

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

( Revised May 30th, 2001 ) GM

1. Authority

i) These Sailing Instructions are issued by the Race Committee of the Lunenburg Yacht Club (LYC) in accordance with the RRS rule 25 of the International Sailing Federation Racing Rules of Sailing and the Bylaws of LYC.

ii) The Racing Schedule is issued under the authority of the Race Committee and is subject to change at the discretion of the Race Committee. Any changes will be posted on the official LYC Racing Notice Board.

2. Rules

All races conducted by LYC will be governed by the latest edition of the International Sailing Federation Racing Rules of Sailing 2001 - 2004, the prescriptions of the Canadian Yachting Association, and the LYC Sailing Instructions.

3. Courses

Specific race instructions will be described by code flags and coloured yacht class shapes flown from the yellow signal mast adjacent to the SW corner of the LYC building. The specific course will be indicted either by numbered white or red / green coloured square(s) displayed on the course board adjacent to the SW corner of the LYC building. The mark legend for these numbers is described on the current LYC Race Course Card, ( Revision Apr/99 CM ) available at the club.

i. Specific Pre-set Course Indicated by Numbered White Square(s)

      ( System A )

      The course number displayed indicates the course to be sailed, the mark rounding order and direction as per LYC Race Course Card listed above.

ii. Course Indicated by Individual Green and/or Red Numbered Square(s)

      ( System B )

      The numbered green and/or red square read from left to right indicate the order and direction to round each individual race mark posted. The numbers correspond to the mark legend on the LYC Race Course Card listed above.

      Please note: This system is to accommodate the selection of a reasonable course when any and all of the pre-set numbered courses have poor wind angles and or too long or short distances as per wind conditions on a given day.

iii. Pre-set Courses Sailed in Reverse Order and LYC Special Courses

      ( System A – ONLY )

      If the course number(s) is preceded by a solid coloured red square, the course mark list will be sailed in reverse order.

      If LYC Special Courses # 50 - # 53 are preceded by a solid coloured red square, the course mark list will be sailed in reverse order leaving all marks to port.

      If LYC Special Courses # 50 - # 53 are preceded by a solid coloured green square, all marks will be left to starboard.

iv. Staggered Start Sequence Format

Any races where the staggered start sequence format is used, code flag "E" will be flown well in advance to the starting sequence and a coloured class shape will be displayed indicated the specific class starting sequence. ( see: Note #7 LYC Race Staggered Starting Sequence - staggered format )

The class shape will be flown 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the race in accordance to RRS Rule 26.

4. Notices and " Officer of the Day " Responsibilities

       

    1. Notices to competitors will be posted on the official LYC Racing Notice Board in or on the LYC building. Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted on the official LYC Racing Notice Board one hour before the scheduled start of the race in which they are to take effect. It is the responsibility of each skipper to check the official LYC Racing Notice Board before each race.

    2. All LYC yachts which regularly race and the LYC Race Committee are scheduled as the "Race Officer of the Day" for all yacht races ( including the Friday Flotilla Fun Races ) throughout the LYC 2000 Boating Schedule. The "Race Officer of the Day" is listed on the LYC 2000 Boating Schedule posted on the official LYC Racing Notice Board and in the 2000 LYC Calendar. It is the responsibility of the skipper or regular crew member of the yacht listed to select and post the race course number and any additional coloured squares for the given race, 20 minutes before the scheduled race start. If the "Race Officer of the Day" listed is not present, then the next scheduled yacht ( and so on, if required ) will select and post the race course number to be sailed.

5. Eligibility

The skipper of any LYC yacht participating in club racing must be a member in good standing of LYC. Only once per year will someone who is not a club member be allowed to skipper your yacht. All Entries shall be completed on the forms provided by LYC and are to be submitted with the required fee, to the LYC Race Committee. This fee must be paid prior to racing or finish times will not be recorded and the yacht will be scored DNS.

Exception: Those who participate in the Friday Flotilla Fun Races only, will be exempted from this requirement, though they are encouraged to pay their racing dues, to help support the clubs racing activities.

Boats of the single or double manned planing hull, daggerboard type will not be eligible to race in regular club races of LYC. These include, but are not limited to Lasers, 470's, FJ's, and windsurfers. The onus is on the skipper to receive written confirmation of his vessel's eligibility before starting any scheduled race.

6. Liability Insurance

All entrants are required to file proof of $500,000 Public Liability Insurance Coverage to the Race Committee prior to participating in any LYC racing. A photo copy of the insurance policy indicating the companies name, expiry date and policy number shall be considered proof of insurance. Failure to do so and a given yacht will be scored DNC at the discretion of the LYC Race Committee.

7. Starts

i) Time of race starts are listed on the LYC 2000 Boating Schedule posted on the official LYC Racing Notice Board and in the 2000 LYC Calendar. Times may be changed at the discretion of the Race Committee with one week prior notice. For any races where a staggered start is used, Code Flag " E " will be flown from the yellow signal mast adjacent to the SW corner of the LYC building. All other races will be regular format LYC race starting sequence.

ii) The actual start time will be preceded by a preparatory start sequence. "The Race Committee Starting Officer" will begin the preparatory start sequence 5 minutes prior to the posted start time.

LYC Race Starting Sequence ( regular format )

LYC Burgee - General Class Flag - All Yachts

00:00 minutes 5 Minute Warning Cannon and General Class Flag Up

01:00 minutes Preparatory Cannon and Code "P" Up

04:00 minutes 1 Minute Warning 1 Long Horn and Code "P" Down

05:00 minutes Start Cannon and General Class Flag Down

LYC Race Staggered Starting Sequence ( staggered format )

"A Fleet Staggered Start " can be used for any LYC race, at the discretion of the LYC Race Committee or the Officer of the Day. After prior advance notice to all skippers, the "Race Committee Starting Officer" and Code Flag " E " flown , the staggered start sequence will be the following:

(Yellow Shape - Class Flag -Yachts rated 110 or less )

(Blue Shape - Class Flag -Yachts rated 110.5 to 117 )

(Red Shape - Class Flag -Yachts rated 117.5 or more )

 

00:00 minutes 5 Minute Warning Cannon and Yellow Class Shape Up

01:00 minutes Preparatory Cannon and Code "P" Up

 

04:00 minutes 1 Minute Warning 1 Long Horn and Code "P" Down

 

05:00 minutes Start Cannon and Yellow Class Shape Down

 

and starts 5 Minute warning for next class

 

05:00 minutes 5 Minute Warning Cannon and Blue Class Shape Up

 

06:00 minutes Preparatory Cannon and Code "P" Up

 

09:00 minutes 1 Minute Warning 1 Long Horn and Code "P" Down

10:00 minutes Start Cannon and Blue Class Shape Down

 

and starts 5 Minute warning for next class

 

10:00 minutes 5 Minute Warning Cannon and Red Class Shape Up

 

11:00 minutes Preparatory Cannon and Code "P" Up

 

14:00 minutes 1 Minute Warning 1 Long Horn and Code "P" Down

 

15:00 minutes Start Cannon and Red Class Shape Down

iii) Starts will be signalled in accordance with RRS Rule 26.

iv) RRS rule 30.1 (the "one minute rule" ) shall be in effect for all LYC club racing and it is not required that Code Flag " I " be displayed. All yachts on course side of the start line with 1 minute or less prior to the start, shall sail to the pre-start side of the start line around either end of the start line before starting. All yachts failing to do so will be scored OCS.

v) A minimum of two yachts are required in order to start a race

8. Safety Requirements

All yachts competing must comply with applicable Transport Canada Safety Regulations. All yachts having minimum freeboard in excess of 20 inches (508 mm) may be required to demonstrate adequate means of retrieving a man overboard. In most cases, this means the use of a boarding ladder. Any yacht may be inspected by the Race Committee or their agents immediately following a race.

i) In windy conditions it will be the discretion of the LYC Race Committee, to fly Code Flag " Y " which indicates all competitors shall be required to wear a PFD. Any competitors failing to do so will result in the yacht sailed on being scored as DSQ.

9. Start and Finish

The starting and finishing line shall be the extension of a line through the yellow LYC signal mast adjacent to the SW corner of the LYC clubhouse and " the closest " of the two yellow buoys marking the start/finish line. The outer yellow buoy marks the outer limit of the start/finish only and may or may not lie on this extended line.

  • Provision: In the event of an outside start, a notice will be posted one week prior or if all participants are in agreement , the race will be started to the specific race instructions posted or given at the time.

    •

    10. Signals

    Courses may be shortened in accordance with RRS ( rule 32 ) or by displaying Code Flag " S " on the yellow LYC signal mast and making two sound signals as the lead boat in the fleet approaches the LYC start/finish line. Alternately, the sound signals and flag may be displayed from a Race Committee boat, in which case the finish line is between the Committee boat and the nearby mark of the course.

    1. Special Instructions

    i) Any time yachts are proceeding from east to west past the start/finish line as part of the course, they shall pass between the two yellow buoys marking the limits of the start/finish line. This restriction does not apply when proceeding west to east.

    ii) While racing, no yachts shall pass between Seal Ledge Stake (MJ51) and Hermans Island or Covey Ledge Light Buoy (M61) and Coveys Island except to round them when they are marks of the course. While racing, no yachts shall pass between Little Herman Island and Hermans Island. The red stakes off Little Herman Island (ME66 and ME64) shall be respected at all times.

    iii) CYA Rule 55 is modified such that yachts will be allowed to fly Canadian or Provincial flags during LYC club races.

    iv) Yachts are requested to monitor channel 67 on the VHF.

    12. Time Limits

    i) Except as posted separately or at the discretion of the LYC Race Committee for LYC Special Courses.

    ii) For Thursday evening races, except for the TNS Fall series the lead yacht must finish by 2100 hours. Remaining yachts shall have until 2145 hours to finish.

    iii) The Thursday Night Fall Series will start at 1800 hours and the lead yacht must finish by 2015 hrs. Remaining yachts shall have until 2045 hours to finish.

    iv) For weekend club races the time limit for the lead yacht shall be four hours. The time limit for remaining yachts shall be five hours thirty minutes.

    13. Scoring

    The low-point scoring system, RRS Rule A2 will apply with the following modifications

    i. Yachts which do not start ( DNC or DNS ) a race will be scored points for a finishing place two more than the number of yachts in the series.

    ii. Yachts starting but not finishing a race, or those who retire or are disqualified ( OCS, DNF, RET, or DSQ ) will be scored points for a finishing position one more than the number of yachts in the series.

    iii.To be scored in a series, a yacht must have sailed 50% or more of the races in that series.

    iv. Each yacht's overall Thursday Night Series score will be the total of her 9 best race scores.

    v. Each yacht's monthly Thursday Night Series score will be the total of her 3 best race scores in that series.

    14. Racing after Dark

    From 1/2 hour after sunset until 1/2 hour before sunrise, the rules of the Canadian Shipping Act (the International Rule for the Prevention of Collision at Sea) shall replace the corresponding rules of the Racing Rules.

    Any yacht finishing a scheduled race without proper navigation lighting as described in the rules of the Canadian Shipping Act ( the International Rule for the Prevention of Collision at sea ) will be scored DSQ.

    15. Alternative Penalties

    The 720 degree Turns penalty, RRS rule 44.2, will apply. In addition, a yacht who realizes after finishing, but before protests are heard, that she has broken a rule of Part 2 while racing, may choose to accept a 20% scoring penalty as outlined in RRS rule 44.3(c). Such penalty shall not be less than 1 place. Acceptance of this penalty must be communicated to the "Race Officer of the Day", prior to any protests being heard. RRS 44.4 shall apply to this penalty.

    16. Protests

    i) The time limit for lodging a protest is thirty minutes after the last yacht finishes or abandons the race.

    ii) Protests will be heard, when possible, at the LYC clubhouse immediately following lodging of the protest. When not possible, all efforts will be made to hear them within one week, at a time set by the LYC protest committee.

    iii) Protests must be accompanied by a $20.00 fee which will be returned if the protest is successful.

    17. Abandoned Races

    Races which are abandoned may be re-sailed at a later date at the discretion of the Race Committee. Entrants will be notified of the date and time of a re-sail via the notice board.

    Any races that are abandoned after the starting sequence shall be signalled by raising code flag "N" in accordance to RRS rule 32.1 and sounding 3 cannon signals

  • Withdrawal or Disablement

    • In the interest of safety and to prevent needless emergency response, yachts must report withdrawal or disablement to the Race Committee either in person or by telephone or radio as soon as possible. Yachts not so reporting may be penalized at the discretion of the Race Committee.

    19. Right of Way

    On no account will competitors interfere with the orderly passage of naval or shipping traffic. The right-of-way of sail over power vessels is not valid in these circumstances. Failure to abide by this rule is grounds for disqualification.

    20. Recalls

  • Individual recalls will be signalled in accordance with RRS rule 29.2.

    • Code Flag " X " will be raised and (one) sound signal. Any yacht(s) on coarse side of the start line shall sail to the pre-start side of the start line around either end of the start line before starting. Any yacht(s) failing to do so will be scored OCS.

  • General Recalls will be signalled in accordance with RRS 29.3.

    • 1st Substitute Code Flag will be raised and (two) sound signals. The re-start sequence will begin 1 minute after the 1st Substitute Code Flag is lowered, with a sound signal and yacht class coloured shape or flag.

  • In addition, if there is more than one yacht starts prematurely, or the yacht(s) can not be identified, the Race Committee Start Officer has the option to signal a General Recall.

  • Either the propane cannon or an air horn can be used as the recall sound signal.

    • 21. Handicaps

    LYC Yacht Handicaps will be assigned and governed by a system prescribed by the LYC Race Committee. See separate information sheet, LYC 2001 Handicap System.

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