5O5 Midwinter Championships 2005

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1. RULES

1.1 The Regatta will be governed by the current Racing Rules of Sailing, the current 505 Class Rules and by these Sailing Instructions.

2. SAFETY

2.1 Safety equipment as specified in the Class Rules must be carried. Life jackets shall be carried on board at all times, and shall be worn when the RC vessel flies International Code Flag (ICF) "Y". A proper towline is required to be aboard. All those taking part in the racing do so at their own risk and responsibility. The hosting organizations are not responsible for the seaworthiness of a yacht whose entry is accepted. Attention is drawn to Part 1, Fundamental Rule 4. All competitors will sign the liability waiver form acknowledging acceptance of responsibility for their own safety.

3. ENTRIES

3.1 Only 505 Class yachts as defined by the International 505 Class Association may enter. All entrants must be current members of their national 505 Class association, have completed both registration and measurement and have paid regatta entry fees with the organizing authority before becoming official competitors.

4. MEASUREMENT

4.1 Sail measurement will not be required.

5. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

5.1 Notices to Competitors and Results will be posted on the Official Notice Board located at the Isla Del Sol Yacht Club dock.

6. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

6.1 Changes to the Sailing Instructions or any changes to the racing schedule will be posted on the Official Notice Board prior to 0830 on the day they are to take effect.

7. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

7.1 Signals may be displayed from the flagstaff at Isla Del Sol Yacht Club.

i) International Code Flag "L", Come Within Hail", indicates that a Notice to Competitors has been posted.

ii) ICF "AP" indicates that racing has been postponed. A Warning Signal will be made no sooner than forty-five (45} minutes after the AP is lowered.

iii) ICF "AP" over "A" indicates that there will be no more racing on that day.

iv) ICF "B" will be flown from the time the RC boat docks to the end of the protest period.

8. SCHEDULE OF RACES

  Day Date Time Activity
 ThursdayFebruary 101600-1800Registration, Isla Del Sol YC
 Friday February 110830Competitor’s Meeting, IDSYC
     1000First Warning Signal, followed by subsequent races.
Hosted dinner.
 Saturday February 12 0930First Warning Signal, followed by subsequent races.
      
  1. Dinner at IDSYC.
 Sunday February 13 0930First Warning Signal, followed by subsequent races.
      Awards upon completion of racing, (IDSYC)

8.2 Competitors are responsible for getting to the starting area on time. If suitable conditions exist for starting a race, the Race Committee (RC) will not wait for any latecomers.

8.3 No starting sequence will begin later than 1400 hours on Sunday, February 13th.

9. RACING AREA

9.1 Racing will take place on the Gulf of Mexico, or on Boca Ciega Bay if conditions warrant.

10. COURSES

      1. Courses will primarily be Windward-Leeward courses. Order of marks shall be: start-windward, leeward, windward, finish. The distance from the leeward mark to the windward mark will be 0.8 - 1.2 nautical miles, depending on wind conditions. Marks shall be left to Port.
      2. When conditions warrant, the Race Committee may signal a modified worlds course with notice given to all boats by display of ICF "L" and hailing from the RC Vessel. Order of marks shall be: start-windward, leeward, windward, reach mark, leeward mark, windward, finish to leeward. The distance from the leeward mark to the windward mark will be 0.8 - 1.2 nautical miles, depending on wind conditions. Marks shall be left to port.

11. CHECK IN

11.1 All Yachts shall check in with the Race Committee before the first preparatory signal of EACH race. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. They should pass astern of the Committee Vessel on either tack, so that their sail number can be recorded. After a long postponement, the Race Committee may require that all competitors re-check in. To signal this, the Race Committee shall raise ICF "L".

12. MARKS

12.1 The windward, jibe and leeward marks will be inflatable orange/yellow tetrahedron. The start marks will be as described below. The change of course mark is an orange ball.

13. STARTS

13.1 Either line starts or gate starts will be used, at the discretion of the Race Committee. Line starts will be signalled by the Race Committee displaying a white board sign denoting "Line Start" after ICF "L" is displayed; gate starts will be the default start, with no signal other than starting signals RRS 26.

13L. LINE STARTS

13L.1 The starting line will be between the mast or flag of the Race Committee Vessel, and a port end floating buoy when notification from the RC Vessel is displayed.

13L.2 Starting signals will be in accordance with RRS 26

13L.3 Individual recalls shall be signalled in accordance with RRS 29.2.

13L.4 General recalls shall be signalled in accordance with RRS 29.3, except that one minute after the First Substitute is lowered, the new warning signal shall be made.

13G. GATE STARTS

13G.1 The Committee Vessel may or may not be anchored while on station in the vicinity of the leeward mark. It will display starting signals in accordance with RRS 26. The gate launch will fly ICF "G". It will be located near the leeward end of the course to be sailed by the pathfinder, close to the leeward mark..

13G.2 The Race Committee will nominate the Pathfinder and the Reserve for the first race. The Pathfinder and the Reserve for subsequent races will be the yachts, which finished 5th and 6th respectively in the preceding race. If either of these yachts are unable to race, or have acted as Pathfinder previously during the event, then the next finishers not so excused will take their place. The sail number of the Pathfinder will be written on the Committee Vessel's chalkboard/whiteboard prior to each race. Failure of the Pathfinder to follow the instructions outlined herein may result in her disqualification from that race or any restarts of that race. Under such circumstances the Race Committee shall lodge a protest.

13G.3 Between 5 and 10 seconds before the starting signal, and at the instruction of the Race Officer, the Pathfinder will commence a close hauled port tack course from just abeam of the leeward mark. She will be followed by the Gate Launch, which will keep station close astern of her.

13G.4 The starting line for all yachts except the Pathfinder, shall be between a free-floating starting mark (an orange ball) and the center of the stern of the Gate Launch. The orange ball will be released from the stern of the Gate Launch approximately 3 seconds before the starting signal.

13.G5 All yachts, except the Pathfinder, shall start on starboard tack after the starting signal. A yacht not having already correctly started and which is on the course side of the Gate Launch while the gate is open shall not return across the starting line from the course side. RRS 29.2 "Individual Recall" shall not apply. Yachts in violation of this Instruction will be recorded DNS.

13G.6 The Pathfinder will continue her close hauled course for a minimum of thirty seconds and any further time deemed necessary by the Race Committee. The Gate Launch will then release the Pathfinder by hailing her. The Pathfinder is then free to tack or hold her course. The Gate Launch will maintain her course and speed for a further 30 seconds, or longer, at the discretion of the Race Committee; she will then stop and drift and make a sound signal to indicate that the Gate is fully open. After a minimum of 1 additional minute, ICF 'G" will be lowered together with a sound signal signifying that the gate is closed. No competitor may start after the closing of the gate; any yachts attempting to do so will be scored DNS.

13G.7 A yacht shall not obstruct the Pathfinder. A yacht shall not pass between, or attempt to pass between, the Pathfinder and the Gate Launch or cause another yacht to do so on the Pathfinder's final approach to the RC vessel and during the start. The Race Committee may disqualify any yacht, without a hearing, that violates this Instruction, disqualifying it from that race and any subsequent start of that race. However a yacht shall be entitled to a hearing if another yacht caused her violation in which case that yacht shall act in accordance with RRS 60.1.

13G.8 The Starting Mark and the Gate Launch rank as Starting Marks from the Preparatory Signal until the Gate is closed. The Pathfinder also so ranks as a mark until she has tacked or the Gate is fully open, whichever occurs earlier.

13G.9 A General Recall may be signalled as per RRS 29.3 any time before the closing of the Gate. The new Preparatory Signal will be made 1 minute after ICF "First Substitute" has been lowered.

14. CHANGE OF COURSE AFTER THE START

14.1 If there is a substantial wind shift during the race, the Committee may elect to relocate the windward mark more directly to windward or the finish line more nearly downwind. If used, the jibe mark may be repositioned as required.
      1. Any change of course will be signalled by an Official Vessel stationed near the previous mark by displaying ICF "C", and a red or green flag to indicate the new mark has been shifted to port or starboard respectively, with repeated whistle signals. A leg changed in length without direction change will be denoted by a "+" or "-" board. The signals will commence as the leading boat approaches the mark even though the new mark may not yet be repositioned. A leeward mark or finish mark change is indicated port or starboard from the perspective of a boat on that leg of the course.

14.3 Courses may be shortened only by shortening the length of a leg or legs of a course. Races must be a minimum of four legs.

15. THE FINISH

15.1 The finish shall be between the leeward mark and a blue shape displayed on the Finishing Vessel.

16. TIME LIMIT

16.1 The time limit will be 1.5 hours for the first yacht. Any yacht that finishes within 45 minutes of the first yacht shall be scored. All others shall be scored DNF. This modifies RRS 35. The Race Committee, in their sole discretion, may award places to any of the last 3 boats, before they have crossed the finish line.

17. SCORING

17.1 The Low point scoring system, Appendix A2 of the racing rules will be used. A minimum of 3 races is required to constitute a series. If five or more races are completed, a yacht’s worst race will be dropped before calculating the overall results.

18. ALTERNATIVE PENALTIES

18.1 The 720 Turns Penalty, RRS 44.1,2 shall apply.

19. PROTESTS

19.1 Any yacht that wishes to protest, shall comply with RRS 61. A protesting yacht shall inform the finishing vessel, or its designate, of the sail numbers(s) of the yacht(s) being protested. The protest must be filed with the Committee, within 1 hour of the docking of the Race Committee Vessel, unless the Race Committee feels that a later time is justified. Protests shall be written upon the forms available from {the Race Committee} and submitted to the Race Committee. Protests will be heard in the approximate order of their receipt following the day's racing.

20. PRIZES

20.1 Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 teams.