ITCA (Ireland)

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SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

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The organising authority is Lough Erne Sailing Club 

The event will be based on Lough Erne near the Clubhouse. 

Racing will be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing, the prescriptions of the RYA , the rules of the Topper International Class Association except as any of these are changed by these sailing instructions. The regatta is designated Category B.

Eligible boats may be entered by completing registration on the official entry form and shall register their details and sign the entry form before the series begins. All boats must enter their sail number and must display that number on their mainsail throughout the race.

The safety of a yacht and her entire management shall be the sole responsibility of the competitor racing the yacht, who must ensure the yacht and the crew are adequate to face the conditions that may arise in the course of the race. The establishment of these sailing instructions in no way limits or reduces the absolute responsibility of the competitor for his crew, his yacht and the management thereof. It is the sole and exclusive responsibility of each yacht to decide whether or not to start or continue the race.

Each vessel will have valid and current third party insurance. The race organisers shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury howsoever caused to the competitor, his boat or crew, as a result of taking part in the race or races.

Owners / representatives shall acknowledge their responsibility on the official entry form and draw the attention of their crew to this disclaimer before the start of any race.

Adequate personal buoyancy shall be worn at all times while on the water. Wetsuits do not constitute adequate personal buoyancy. In all races owners must ensure crews are properly prepared and clothed to face bad weather.

Notices to competitors will be posted in the clubhouse. Flag signals ashore will be made at the front of the clubhouse.

Changes to sailing instructions will be posted for 60 minutes before the advertised start time of any race, which is not sailed back to back.

Before the start of the first race each yacht shall be made available for an official scrutineer. Only one sail is permitted to be used in the championship and that may be inspected and endorsed by the Scrutineer prior to the first race.

A sail damaged during the event must be inspected by the Scrutineer, who may, at his/her discretion allow the use of a substitute measured sail. These circumstances, including any change of sail number must be submitted to the Race Officer, by the helm for approval.

The Race Committee may permit a yacht to use sails carrying distinguishing numbers other than required by IYRR 25.1 only. in exceptional circumstances. Such requests must be made in writing to the Race Officer.

Flag AP with two sound signals ( one when lowered ) means the race is postponed. The Warning Signal will be made not less than 30 minutes after AP is lowered.

7th April 2001

Race 1: Warning Signal : 1100hrs

Race 2: Warning Signal : Immediately after Race 1 finish

Race 3: Warning Signal : 1400hrs

Race 4: Warning Signal : Immediately after Race 3 finish

8th April 2001

Race 5: Warning Signal : 1030hrs

Race 6: Warning Signal : Immediately after Race 5 finish

The racing area will be on Lough Erne close to the Clubhouse.

The diagram in Addendum A shows the course, the order in which the marks are to be passed, and the side each mark is to be left.

Marks will be large spherical orange bouys.

Races will be started using rule 26, System 1, with the Warning Signal 6 minutes before the start and the Preparatory Signal 3 minutes before the start.

The Warning signal will be ICF ‘T’.

A boat shall not start later than 15 minutes after her starting signal.

The Race Committee boat will be displaying ICF ‘Z’.

The starting line will be that formed by the main mast of the Race Committee boat and the staff of a second race committee boat displaying an orange flag.

13.2 Gate Start

1. The start line area will be situated approximately 0.2 N.miles to leeward of mark 3.
2. Before the warning signal, the Race Committee Boat displaying ICF ‘G’ will drop anchor leeward of mark 3 and left axis. The Race Committee Boat may use it’s engine to maintain position.
3. Starting signals will be made from the Race Committee Boat.
4. After the Warning Signal the Pathfinder will keep station close to the Gate Launch (displaying ICF ‘G’) and the Guard Launch (displaying ICF ‘U’). The Guard Launch will be on starboard of the Pathfinder during all the start. Both boats will remain close to the Race Committee Boat in the warning and preparatory periods.
5. The Pathfinder for the first race will be nominated by the Race Committee. Subsequently, the pathfinder will be the tenth boat in the preceding race. When she is unable to race, or has been the pathfinder previously in the event, the pathfinder will be the 11^th boat in the preceding race and so on. Her number will be posted on the official notice board. In back to back races, the pathfinder will be notified at her finish in the first of the races.
6. At or around the starting signal the pathfinder will sail from the starting mark (laid by the gate boat) on a close hauled port tack. During the start the pathfinder will be followed by the gate boat and the guard boat will keep station off the pathfinder’s starboard bow.
7. The starting line will be between the starting mark and the stern of the gate launch.
8. The pathfinder will remain on her course until released by the Race Officer.
9. After the release of the pathfinder the gate boat will maintain her course and speed until 4 minutes after the starting signal. When she stops she will drift for a further 11 minutes then lower ICF ‘G’ and make a sound signal.
10. A boat not having correctly started, which is on the port side of the gate launch while the gate is opening, shall not cross the starting line from the course side.
11. After the preparatory signal a boat which interferes with or tries to pass between the pathfinder and the gate or guard boat, or that causes another boat to interfere in these ways, will be disqualified without a hearing. If the race is restarted or resailed she is not entitled to compete.
12. The gate boat, guard boat and the pathfinder until release, rank as starting marks.
13. A boat that cannot avoid touching a starting mark may hail a right-of-way boat for room and shall retire.
14. A boat shall not start later than 15 minutes after the starting signal when ICF ‘G’ on the gate boat and the race committee boat will be lowered.

1. The finishing line will be that formed by a mark of the course and a finishing vessel’s mast displaying a blue flag.
2. In each race there will be 2 finishing lines. One will be the mark, Mark 1, at which the first boat finishes and will be called the Primary Finishing Line. The other will be at the mark preceding, Mark 3, and will be called the Secondary Finishing Line.
3. When the first boat has finished at the Primary Finishing Line, such boats as have rounded the penultimate mark will complete the leg and finish at the Primary Finishing Line. Boats approaching the penultimate mark to start the final leg of the course, when the first boat has finished at the Primary Finishing Line, will be finished at the Secondary Finishing Line.

The time limit on the race will be 1.00 hours. If in any race should one boat complete the course within this time limit the race may be extended by 30 minutes. In the event of the race failing to complete a second or subsequent round within the time limit, the positions at the end of the last complete round shall be taken as the result of the race. Boats failing to finish within the time limit will be scored Did Not Finish. This changes rule 35.

Protests shall be written on forms provided by the Race Officer, and lodged with the Race Officer within 1 hour of the finishing time of the last race of the session.

Protests will be held in the order of receipt as soon as possible.

Decisions of the protest committee will be final as provided in rule 70.4.

The event will be scored using Appendix RYA 1.

The first yacht to finish at the Secondary Finishing Line will receive 1 point more than the number of yachts to have rounded the penultimate mark. Each successive boat will receive 1 more point than the yacht in front of it.

Each boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores with her worst score discarded if 5 or more races have been completed.

Team leaders, coaches and other support personnel shall not be in the racing area from the time of the preparatory signal for the first class to start until all boats have finished or the race committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment. The penalty for failing to comply with this requirement will be disqualification of all boats associated with the support personnel who do so.

Results will be advised on the club notice board. Prizes and trophies will be awarded as soon as possible after racing in the clubhouse.

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Last modified: July 29, 2001