2009 WVSC Racing Schedule and Instructions
Management & Rules. All races are under the jurisdiction of the Race Committee of WVSC. They will be conducted using the 2009-2012 Racing Rules of Sailing, the prescriptions of the USSA, and applicable class rules, except as modified by these Racing Instructions.
Entry.
Competitors should register at the Competitors meeting to establish the Skipper, Sail Number, and Portsmouth Handicap of their boat. Boats missing this registration should register later or with the RC boat before a race starts.
Notices to Competitors.
Notices to competitors will be posted on the race notice board located in the Clubhouse. Race Committee notices or changes to the Sailing Instructions will be posted and signaled no later than 15 minutes prior to the departure of the RC boat.
Schedule.
May 2 Saturday
May 10 Sunday
May 16 Saturday
May 24 Sunday
May 30 Saturday
June 7 Sunday
June 13 Saturday
June 21 Sunday
June 27 Saturday
July 12 Sunday
July 18 Saturday
July 26 Sunday
Aug 1 Saturday
Aug 9 Sunday
Aug 15 Saturday
Aug 23 Sunday
Aug 29 Saturday
Sept 6 Sunday
Sept 12 Saturday
Sept 20 Sunday
Sept 26 Saturday
Oct 4 Sunday
Timing of Racing Events.
1:00 PM Competitors meeting
2:00 PM 1st Race
Approx 3:00 PM 2nd Race, to follow
Approx 4:30 PM Recognition of finishes
Races scheduled for a certain time may be postponed for up to 1 hour to change the course or starting line because of wind shifts. No races will be started after 4:30 PM.
Courses & Marks.
The courses will be standard or modified (by center starts and/or finish) Olympic, Triangle, or Windward-Leeward configurations. Courses will be denoted on the course board on the committee boat and will correspond with the laminated course layout sheet or decal provided.
Marks will be yellow, cylindrical, inflatables. The starting mark, if optionally used, will be either a white ball, or a yellow inflatable mark.
Starting Sequence.
There will be a keelboat fleet and a centerboard fleet. All keelboats and centerboard boats shall check in with the Race Committee boat prior to the preparatory signal. The keelboat fleet will start first.
About 6 minutes prior to start the come-within-hail flag ("L"-Black & yellow diagonal squares) will be lowered.
At 5 minutes to start the warning flag ("Q" Yellow square) for the keelboat fleet will be raised with one sound.
At 4 minutes to start the preparatory flag ("P" White square inside a blue field) will be raised with one sound.
At 1 minute to start the "P" flag will be lowered with one sound.
The start will be the lowering of the "Q" flag with one sound and concurrently the raising of the warning flag for the centerboard fleet ("B"- Red square). The lowering of the flag, and not the sound, establishes the start of a race.
Thereafter, the start sequence for the centerboard fleet is the same as for the keelboat start.
The starting line shall be between an orange flag on the RC boat and the starting pin. In the event of a general recall of the keelboat fleet, the keelboat fleet starting sequence will begin again with the warning flag ("Q" Yellow square) and shall continue the sequence, including the raising of the warning flag for the centerboard fleet ("B"- Red square).
Centerboard boats shall keep clear of the starting line between the keelboat preparatory and start signals.
If 5 or less keel and centerboard boats are in the starting area, only 1 start will be made and all boats will start together. If there are less than 3 boats in a fleet, that fleet’s results will not be recorded.
Recalls.
Individual Recalls shall be indicated by the hoisting of code flag "X" (Blue plus sign on a white square) and accompanied with one sound. The RC will attempt to notify early starters, but it is the responsibility of each racing boat to be aware of her relative position with the starting line. A General Recall shall be indicated by the hoisting of code flag "First Substitute"(Yellow triangle within a Blue triangular pennant) and accompanied with two sounds.
.
If a postponement ("AP" Red & white vertical stripe pennant) or a general recall is signaled, the next warning signal will be made one minute after the lowering of the AP or general recall flag.
Altering the Course after the Start.
Because WVSC does not use a second RC boat, a change or shortening of the course may be done, if the RC boat makes a reasonable and clear effort to verbally notify all racers and moves any mark only when no one is sailing toward it. Code flag "C" (Blue, white, red, white, blue horizontal stripes) and 2 horn blasts will be the signal.
The Finish.
Boats may not pass between the RC boat and the start-finish pin when the Blue "On-Station" flag is displayed. The finish line shall be between the Orange flag on the RC boat and the course side of the finish pin. After a boat finishes, it shall clear the finish line and keep clear of unfinished boats.
Time Limits.
The time limit for a fleet race is 1 1/2 hours for the 1st boat to finish. Any boat in a fleet not finishing within 45 minutes after the first boat will be scored "Did Not Finish". Should the 1st boat fail to complete the 1st leg within 1 hour, the RC shall abandon the race.
Safety.
It shall be the sole responsibility of each skipper to decide whether to start or continue to race. Each skipper shall evaluate his own boat's sea-worthiness and his and his crew’s sailing ability and determine to race, continue racing, or not to race. Each boat must carry safety gear prescribed by its respective class and other authorities.
Protests.
A boat which infringes a racing rule against another boat may exonerate itself by making two turns or by making one turn if a mark is touched. A claim of protest shall be communicated to the protestee boat as soon as possible after the infringement. Boats of 5 meters or longer should display a red protest flag. A protest should be reported to the RC promptly upon finishing that race. Any protest shall be made in writing within 30 minutes of the time the RC boat returns ashore. Protest notices and hearing schedules specifying the protestor and protestee shall be posted within the next 30 minutes. An arbitrator will be used to try to resolve the protest prior to an official hearing.
Corrected race times will be calculated using the most current USSA Portsmouth Numbers and Beaufort Scale Handicap Numbers. The total points for all finishes by a boat will be totaled and averaged. A bonus of .1 points will be subtracted from the boat’s average score for each race started. Boats in each fleet will be ranked from the lowest total points to the highest total points to determine the yearly standing & the keelboat & centerboard fleet champion.
Championships will be awarded to the skipper of the boat, or boat in the case of joint ownership. A boat must have on board at least one current member of WVSC in order to compete in the race. The winner of the club Championship must participate in 30% of the races held. Serving on the Race Committee constitutes as race participation towards the 30%, if races are held that day.
Race results will be calculated as soon as possible, hopefully that day. Yearly averages, bonus deductions, and percent participation will be posted in the clubhouse usually by the following Wednesday.
One-Design Fleet Captains will be responsible for obtaining the finish positions of all participants of a one-design fleet and for determining that fleet’s standings.