RBSA Sailing Instructions (revised 2008)
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RULES
1.1 Round Bay Sailing Association
(RBSA) races will be governed by The Racing
Rules of Sailing 2005-2008 as adopted
by US Sailing (except where modified).
Participants are reminded of the RRS’
Basic Principle of Sportsmanship and the
Rules: “Competitors in the sport of
sailing are governed by a body of rules that they
are expected to follow and enforce. A
fundamental principle of sportsmanship is that
when competitors break a rule they will
promptly take a penalty or retire.”
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NOTICE TO COMPETITORS
2.1 Information regarding membership,
social events, committees, and other club
matters will be announced in the club’s
periodic newsletters that are sent to members
in good standing, and broadcast on the
internet at www.roundbaysailing.com.
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CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
3.1 Any change to the Sailing
Instructions will be announced in the club’s periodic
newsletters that are sent to members in
good standing, and broadcast on the internet
at www.roundbaysailing.com.
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SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
4.1 Since RBSA does not have a yacht
club or sailing association property, all signals
germane to a specific event will be
made by the Race Committee on Linstead
Community Pier or onboard a Committee
Boat prior to the warning signal.
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SCHEDULE OF RACES
5.1 The Schedule of Races for each
season will be announced in the club’s periodic
newsletters that are sent to members in
good standing, and broadcast on the internet
at www.roundbaysailing.com.
5.2 For a race to take place there must
be at least three starters.
5.3 Canceled or abandoned Sunday or
Wednesday races will not be made up
unless there are less than three races
at the scheduled end of a series. Make up
races will be announced by email and
posted on the club’s website.
6| CLASS FLAGS
6.1 Boats participating in an RBSA race
are requested to display a class flag from the
backstay a minimum of 4 feet above the
transom while racing.
6.2 Wednesday evening races will
feature two classes. Class One participants are
requested to display Code Flag One.
Class Two participants are requested to display
Code Flag Two.
6.3 Sunday races will feature one
class. Participants are requested to display the club
burgee or suitable white flag until
they receive their burgee.
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RACING AREAS
7.1 Unless otherwise specified, club
races will take place on the Severn River.
7.2 Boats racing in the vicinity of
Linstead pier may not sail into the boat mooring
area on the west side of the pier.
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COURSES
8.1 A board on a Committee Boat (or Linstead Community pier)
will display the course
prior to the warning signal (five minutes). Letters
displayed will correspond to
rounding marks listed below, and are shown graphically on a
map in the yearbook.
8.2 Marks will be rounded in the posted order reading left
to right. A red background
indicates a mark will be left to port and a green background
indicates the mark will be
left to starboard. Mark “D”, when indicated on the course
board by a red/green
background, may be rounded either way. The number of laps
will be indicated by a
numeral listed after the finishing mark.
8.3 If the Race
Committee decides to shorten a course prior to the arrival of the
lead boat, the
course may be shortened by displaying the “S” Flag with One
Sound, then hailing
“over” to each boat as it crosses the line. The course may be
shortened so it
finishes at any mark.
8.4 Postponement will be signaled by display of the “AP”
Flag with Two Sounds.
When ready, the Race Committee will lower the “AP” Flag with
One Sound and
restart the starting sequence at the warning signal (five
minutes).
8.5 Recalls: Display of
“X” Flag with One Sound will be used when boats have started
prematurely. The Race Committee will attempt to hail early
starters. However, it is the
sole responsibility of each skipper to return and restart
when over early. When the Race
Committee is unable to identify premature starters, a
display of the “First Substitute”
Flag and Two Sounds will be made to recall an entire start.
The warning signal for a
new start of the recalled class shall be made one minute
after the “First Substitute” is
removed with One Sound, and the starts for a succeeding
class shall follow the new start.
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MARKS
9.1 All government navigational marks will always be honored
in any RBSA event.
9.2 Racing marks will normally be orange and white cans or
orange buoys. Marks will
be located approximately as follows:
A - South of Linstead community pier
B - West of Eaglenest Point near R 10
C - Northeast of Sherwood Forest community Pier
D - St. Helena Island (may always be rounded either way)
E - Southeast of R 12 near Herald Harbor
N - Southeast of R 10 near Swan Point
S - Inside of Sullivan’s Cove
V - Southeast of G 9 near Long Point
DISTANCE
MATRIX
This is the approximate distance in nautical miles between
marks on the course
(applies as follows: Corrected Time = Elapsed Time - PHRF
Handicap x Course Length).
A B C D E N S V
A 0.64 1.94 1.74 0.37 1.20
0.35 0.91
B * 1.37
1.40 0.91 0.57 0.46 0.57
C * 1.46 2.06 0.86 1.83 1.10
D * 1.75 1.37 1.76 0.84
E *
1.42 0.71 0.96
N *
1.02 0.66
S *
0.93
V *
9.2 These distances may be changed during the year but no
distances will be
changed during a series.
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CHECKING IN
10.1 Prior to the warning signal boats must check in and be
recognized by the Race
Committee by stating the boat’s name and sail number.
10.2 Boats must
notify their intention to sail non-spinnaker by hail and acknowledgement
of the Race Committee
when checking in.
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STARTS
11.1 Wednesday Races will start using the following signals,
and the sequence
beginning approximately 1815 hours. Times shall be taken
from visual signals;
the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded. Class
Two begins first.
Signal Flag & Sound Minutes before
starting signal
Warning Class Flag; One
Sound 5
Preparatory
“P” Flag hoisted; One
Sound 4
One-Minute “P” Flag removed; One long Sound 1
Starting Class Flag removed; One Sound 0
The
starting signal of Class Two shall be the warning signal for Class One.
11.2 Approximately one minute before the warning signal the
Race Committee may
make a series of sounds to announce their intention to begin
the starting sequence.
This is not a timed signal and failure to receive such
cannot be grounds for protest
or redress.
11.3 Boats not starting must keep clear of those in another
fleet attempting to start.
11.4 Sunday Races
shall be started using the following signals, beginning
approximately 1500
hours.
There is a single class racing on Sundays.
Signal Flag
& Sound Minutes
before
starting signal
Warning Class Flag; One
Sound 5
Preparatory
“P” Flag hoisted; One
Sound 4
One-Minute “P” Flag removed; One long Sound 1
Starting Class Flag removed; One Sound 0
11.5 Unless otherwise specified, the starting line will be
between the “R” Flag
hoisted by the Race Committee and Mark A. The Race Committee
may be
stationed on a committee boat or on the Linstead Community
pier.
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CHANGES TO THE COURSE
12.1 With the exception to shortening the course length, no
changes will be made to
any mark on the course once the race has begun.
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FINISHES
13.1 Unless otherwise specified, finishes will be at the
same line as the start. If a
course has been shortened prior to a boat’s arrival at the
finish, skippers must take
note of the race committee signals prior to the finish and
cross the line appropriately.
The required side of a mark may change when a shortened
course is signaled.
See RRS rule 28.
13.2 If there is no Race Committee on station at the finish,
the first boat should
stand by and record all finish times.
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PENALTY SYSTEM
14.1 A boat that has taken a penalty under rule 31.2 or 44.1
shall notify the Race
Committee upon finishing.
15.1
A race in which no boat has finished by 2030 hours on Wednesdays or 1830
hours
on Sundays shall be abandoned.
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PROTESTS AND REQUEST FOR REDRESS
16.1 The format for submitting a Protest can be found in the
club yearbook, and
must be delivered to the club mailbox (P.O. Box 963, Severna
Park, MD 21146) or
to the Race Committee Chair.
16.2 The time limit for submitting a Protest or Request for
Redress is 48 hours
after the conclusion of the race or incident (whichever
comes later).
16.3 Protest and Redress hearings will be scheduled at the
discretion of the
Race Committee and the procedure will be in accordance with
US Sailing Rules.
Notice will be given to anyone involved.
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SCORING
17.1 Boats will be scored against each other using PHRF
handicaps.
17.2 A boat cannot be
scored non-spinnaker if there are no spinnakers flown by any
other boat in a race in the fleet.
17.3 Racing will be scored using the Racing Rules of Sailing
2005-2008 including
the Low Point Scoring System and tie-breaking procedures.
17.4 Each series will be scored on the basis of a boat’s
best races. For each six
races sailed, boats earn one throw-out. DSQs may be thrown
out. If there are
less than six races none will be thrown out.
17.5 If a skipper provides the Race Committee personnel for
a race in which
his boat does not compete, this will count as participation
in that race. Points
will be awarded equal to the boat’s average score in her
races in that series
(excluding throw-outs). Only one such award may be made per
series.
17.6 If the first
boat to finish in each class does not average two knots over the
length of a course,
that race shall not count in the club’s annual High Point
calculation.
17.7 Any boat not finishing within 30 minutes of the finish of the first
boat in her
class
will be scored TLE (time limit expired). This changes RRS 35.
17.8
The Race Committee, without hearing, will assign boats scored TLE points
equal
to the number of boats in their class finishing within the time limit plus 2
points,
except
that they will not be scored worse than the number of boats entered in that
class.
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COURTESY BROADCASTS
18.1 The Race Committee may make announcements on VHF
Channel 69 as a
courtesy to competitors. However it is the responsibility of
each skipper to follow
visual instructions and signals, and failure to receive such
shall not be grounds
for protest or redress.
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SAFETY REGULATIONS
19.1 All U.S. Coast Guard required safety equipment (and
minimum PHRF of the
Chesapeake mandated safety equipment) must be aboard and
available. The safety
of each boat is the sole responsibility of the boat’s
skipper.
19.2 U.S. Coast Guard approved flotation devices must be
worn by anyone on
deck between the warning signal and the finish signal from
November 15th until
April 1st.
19.3 The Race Committee may direct competitors to wear
flotation devices by
displaying Flag “Y”. Failure to comply may result in
disqualification.
19.4 Boats retiring from a race shall notify the Race
Committee as soon as possible.