Riverton Yacht Club

 

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
RIVERTON YACHT CLUB
2009

Please see recent change to Section 4.

F.doc
1 RULES: All Riverton Yacht Club racing will be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing, current edition, prescriptions of the US Sailing Association, rules of individual National Class Associations, and by these sailing instructions.  These Sailing Instructions apply to all Riverton Yacht Club races unless separate Sailing Instructions for a regatta are published.   Changes to Sailing Instructions and notices to competitors will be posted on the Bulletin Board located in the club breezeway.

2 ENTRIES: Eligible skippers are encouraged to be members of US Sailing.  Class Associations rules will apply regarding membership requirements to race.

Boats racing  in the PHRF A and PHRF B fleets must have a valid PHRF Rating Certificate to be scored.  Fleet Captains may specify a grace period, ending not later than the Governor’s Cup regatta, for boats that are making application.

3 SCHEDULE: Events and race times shall be in accordance with published RYC schedules and specific Notices of Race

4 AREAS/COURSES:  There will be one designated area and courses may vary between fleets as specified by the race committee.

All races will be started in the vicinity of the club.  The starting line will be between the flagpole and an orange buoy in the water around the club unless otherwise specified by race committee.  The courses will be posted on the club signboard on the second level of the RYC clubhouse.  Fleet courses will use government marks and RYC marks as noted on the course sheet.  Race committee official communicationwill be by VHF radio channel 72.  At the discretion of race committee communication may also use the club’s PA system.

The anchorage at Quaker City Yacht Club in Philadelphia is closed to navigation until further notice. Any boat observed inside the mooring field during a race will be disqualified without a hearing.

Explanation:  Quaker City YC has received complaints from members who have moored boats there about damage caused by boats passing through their anchorage.  The Philadelphia Police have threatened to issue reckless boating tickets to any vessel, sail or power, caught inside their mooring field. To save Riverton Yacht Club and its members and guests from ill will and bad publicity we are adding this amendment.

5  THE START:  Starting will be under RRS 26 sequenced as follows:
5 Minute Warning Signal/Class Signal – 1 Sound & Yellow Light On
4 Minute Preparatory Signal – 1 Sound & Green Light On
1 Minute – Remove Preparatory Signal- 1 Sound & Both Yellow and Green Lights Off
0 Minute - 1 Sound & Red Light On (Warning Signal Yellow Light on for rolling starts). 

The visual signals shall be traffic lights mounted on the roof of the Riverton Yacht Club.  The start of the proceeding class will be the warning signal (5 minute) for the next class in the sequence. The starting class’s course may be altered immediately after the 5 minute warning signal.  The starting line will be between the RYC flagpole and an orange buoy in the vicinity of the RYC pier. The starting order for the first race will be as follows or as modified at the discretion of the race committee:

1)         J22
2)         Lightning
3)         Mariner
4)         PHRF A
5)         PHRF B

The race committee may utilize separate start times and different courses for fleets.  Subsequent races may be started by the race committee as each fleet finishes.  Upon completing a race each fleet shall be prepared to start another race as soon as the last boat has finished. Course changes after the start will be signaled by the race committee before the leading boat has begun the next leg.

 6 SHORTENED COURSE: Races will be shortened in accordance with rule 32.2

7 INDIVIDUAL RECALL: The committee will attempt to hail individual boats over the line early, failure of the boats to hear the recall is not grounds for redress.

8 GENERAL RECALL:  The recalled class will be started 5 minutes after the last class in the starting order.  If more than one class has been recalled, they will start in the order they were recalled.  Recalled classes will restart in 5 minute intervals.

9 FINISH:  Unless the race is shortened to finish at a rounding mark each fleet will finish between the RYC flagpole and a buoy in front of the pier.

10 POSTPONEMENT: The race committee may postpone a race. The AP (red and white flag) will be lowered and a sound signal made One (1) minute prior to the Warning (5Min) signal.

11 TIME LIMITS

  • For the Governor’s Cup all fleets will have a 2 hour time limit to complete each race.  Boats not finishing within 30 minutes of the first boat in their class and having continued to race will be scored TLE.
  • Special Event, Distance, Pursuit and Junior race time limits will be at the discretion of the race committee.
  • For Wednesday Night Series Races

For PRHF A & PHRF B the race will be abandoned 20 minutes past the official time of Sunset for that date posted on the Bulletin Board located in the club breezeway.  Boats not finished at the time of abandonment or not finishing within 60 minutes of the first boat in their class and having continued to race will be scored TLE. 

For J-22, Lightning and Mariner fleets the time limit in the first race for a boat in a fleet to finish is 90 minutes from the start of that race.  For the second race of the night the race will be abandoned 20 minutes past the official time of Sunset for that date posted on the Bulletin Board located in the club breezeway. Boats not finishing within these time limits that were still racing will be scored TLE.

All boats scored TLE will be scored as 2 points more than the number of boats finished in their class; however the highest score for boats continuing to race and scored TLE will be one point less than the DNF score.  This modifies rules 35 and A4.2. 

The race committee reserves the right to award a finish to a competitor that has not completed the course in order to expedite the completion of races. 

12 PENALTY SYSTEM: For all races rule 44.1 is changed so that the Two-Turns Penalty is replaced by the One-Turn Penalty including one tack and one jibe.

13 PROTESTS: Contestants who wish to file a protest should notify the RC immediately after finishing the race in which the incident occurred. A written protest must be submitted to the RC within one (1) hour after the final race for the day.  Contestants should also follow protest guidelines as specified in the Racing Rules of Sailing.  Protests should be delivered to the second floor of the RYC clubhouse.  Rule 66 is changed by this sentence:  For regattas on the last day of the racing, a party to the hearing may ask for a reopening no later than 15 minutes after being informed of the decision.

14   SCORING

  • The low point system RRS Appendix A4 will apply for all races.
  • Race scores for a club series longer than a regatta shall be in accordance with RRS Appendix A9.
  • For a boat to be scored in a club series the skipper shall be a member of RYC. 
  • A minimum of three (3) boats in a class are required for a race to count. 
  • Series score will be the total of a boat’s points after allowed throw outs. 
  • For series races, each fleet shall determine the number of races required to constitute a series and number of throw outs that shall apply. 
  • Fleet championships will be awarded to the boat having the low total of it’s final position ( not points ) in each series.  Each fleet will determine which series count toward the Fleet Championship however the results of the Governor’s Cup regatta shall be included. 

For the Governor’s Cup, up to four races shall be scheduled for Saturday and up to two on Sunday. Up to five races will be sailed over two days, one race will constitute a series, and there shall be no throw outs.

15   SAFETY:

  • Rule 40 is replaced by: It shall be the individual responsibility of each competitor to wear adequate personal buoyancy when conditions warrant. 
  • All safety equipment required by Class rules must be carried on board. 

A boat must not exercise right of way, crossing in proximity to, or interfere with reasonable transit of the race area by commercial freighters, tugs or tows or other commercial vessels that are unable to respond readily.  If a boat is without way in a shipping channel the skipper shall take whatever action is necessary to clear them self from harms way, including motoring or paddling.  If a boat advances her position in the race she shall retire, however if they did not go closer to the next mark of the course they may continue racing.

Download 2009 Sailing Instructions F-DOC (27k PDF)



RYC photos