2020 Sailing Instructions and Program

Version	Change Made By	Description of Major Changes
1.0	RC	First Draft

These instructions are for The Cobourg Yacht Club’s 2020 COVID-19 Phase 3 Wednesday Night races. Any questions should be addressed to the Rear Commodore (Alan Clough).

RACE COMMITTEE 2020:

Alan Clough

Rob Lenters (PHRF-LO handicapper)

Will McCrae (Scorer)

1        RULES

1.1       Races will be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) 2017-2020, and the prescriptions of Sail Canada, except as any of those are altered by these sailing instructions.

1.2       Skippers must register their yachts at least 48 hours prior to participating in any series race by signing their registration form (Appendix A) and supplying all required information to a member of the RC by email. Appendices B (Crew Manifest) and C (safety equipment review) must be completed at the same time as registering (Appendix A) .

1.3       Under RRS 4 it is the sole responsibility of the skipper (Person in charge) of each eligible yacht to decide whether or not to start, continue in, or retire from a race. The safety of a boat and her crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the Person in Charge who shall do their best to ensure that the boat is fully found, thoroughly seaworthy and manned by an experienced and appropriately trained crew who are physically fit to face bad weather. The person in charge shall also assign a person to take over his/her responsibilities in the event of his/her incapacitation.

1.4       All yachts will be racing under the PHRF-LO system and must have a valid PHRF-LO rating certificate.  If a yacht is awaiting a rating change or initial rating certificate, a temporary rating may be assigned by the RC if deemed appropriate by the RC. Results for any series or season will only become valid for a yacht and will only be calculated based on a valid PHRF-LO certificate. Refer to CYC PHRF Rating policy as published on the CYC’s web-site.

2        NOTICE TO COMPETITORS

2.1       There is no official notice board. All notices will be by email. Failure to get a notice is not grounds for protest or redress.

3        CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

           

3.1       Every effort will be made to email Skippers with changes to the Sailing Instructions, it is the Skippers responsibility to ensure that the RC has their current email address; failure to receive a change by email is not grounds for a protest or redress.

3.2       The RC may make verbal changes to the Sailing Instructions via VHF Channel 06 on the water.

4        SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

4.1       When a skippers’ meeting is to be held, a horn will sound in the vicinity of the clubhouse to signify the imminent start of the meeting outside of the CYC clubhouse.

4.2       When conditions dictate, the RC may postpone the start of a race on shore. This postponement will be announced on VHF Channel 06. There will not be an AP Flag. Races will not be held when winds are persistently above 20 knots, however this is at the discretion of the RC and is not subject to Protest or redress.

5        SCHEDULE OF RACES

5.1       Refer to Appendix D. This Appendix may be revised and published separately.

6        FLEET SPLITS and FLEET FLAGS

6.1       Refer to Appendix E. This Appendix may be revised and published separately.

7        RACING AREA

7.1       Races will be held in an area generally located south-south-east of the entrance to Cobourg harbour.

8        THE COURSES

8.1       The Starting and Finish line will be the extension of line drawn between the Cobourg Eastern Harbour Light and the South side of Mark 2. Competitors are asked to start and finish as close to Mark 2 as is reasonably and safely possible. Especially with respect to traffic entering or leaving the Harbour, Competitors are reminded that the Collision Regulations apply between boats that are racing and those that are not racing, failure to observe this is a breach of Rule 2; remember that a boat that intends to race is governed by the RRS immediately as it leaves its dock until such time as it returns to its dock.

8.2       Course #1: Start, Peters Rock Mark (leave to Port), Finish.

            Course #2: Start, Mark 3 (leave to Starboard), Finish

            Course #3: Start, Mark 3 (leave to Starboard, Mark 2 (leave to Port), Mark 3 (leave to Starboard), Finish

            Course #4: Start, Peters Rock Mark (leave to Port), Mark 3 (leave to Starboard), Finish

            Course #5: Start, Mark 3 (leave to Starboard), Peters Rock Mark (leaver to Port), Finish

8.3       Shortening Course or Abandoning after the start.

            This replaces Rule 32 in its entirety.

• -       If there are FS and NFS divisions then the Shortening or Abandonment will apply to all boats in that division;
• -       Races cannot be shortened or abandoned if 1 boat has finished;
• -       Races can be shortened to the last mark a boat has rounded; for example, if the race is Course #1, Peters Rock and back, then the race can be shortened to finish at Peters Rock even if one or more boats have rounded Peters Rock.
• -       Boats should keep a record of the times of their Mark Rounding, particularly for the courses including the Peters Rock Mark.

9        MARKS

9.1       Mark 2 is the Cobourg Water Treatment Inlet Mark, toward the eastern side of the Victoria Beach at approximately 43 56’56N 078 09.02W.

9.2       Mark 3 is the Cobourg Waste Water treatment plant outlet near Lucas Point at approximately 43 57’14N 078 07’06W. It is highly recommended that boats consult their charts regarding safe depth before rounding this mark.

9.3       This is the Cardinal Buoy at Peters Rock Mark is located at approximately 43 56’06N 078 14’29W. It is highly recommended that boats consult their charts regarding safe depth before rounding this mark.

10      AREAS THAT ARE OBSTRUCTIONS

The swimming area to the south of Cobourg’s Victoria Beach is an Obstruction. The harbor walls and rocks on the east and west sides of the Cobourg harbor are considered obstructions. Also, the rocky shore extending into the lake in the vicinity of Cobourg’s water treatment plant (situated to the east of Victoria Beach) is an obstruction.

11      THE START SEQUENCE

11.1     This modifies Rule 26.

            There will be no visual signals.

            Boats will start in one-minute intervals; the boat with the numerically largest PHRF rating (“the slowest boat”) will start first, the boat with the numerically smallest PHRF rating will start last (“the fastest boat”).

An alert signal of 5 blasts on horn roughly 5 minutes before the 5-minute start sequence.

The start sequence:

5 Minute - 1 blast on Horn

4 Minute - 1 blast on Horn

1 Minute – 1 long blast on Horn.

0 Minute - 1 blast on Horn first start of race – the boat with largest PHRF rating

-1 Minute – 1 blast on Horn second start of the Race

-2 Minute - 1 blast on Horn third start of the Race

And so on until all boats have started.

11.2     The RC will attempt to notify any boats that started to early on VHF Channel 06, failure to do so is not grounds for Redress.

11.4     Errors by the Race Committee shall not be grounds for Redress; however, a boat may be protested by any boat or the RC for starting earlier than scheduled.

• 11.5     The first start sequence race shall not commence later than 1900 hours for all starts should a delay be encountered.

12      CHANGE OF COURSE

           

To change a course the Race Committee will make an announcement on VHF Channel 06. There will be no Change of Course Flag, and no sound signals. This replaces RRS 33.

13      THE FINISH

13.1     The Finish line will be the extension of line drawn between the Cobourg Eastern Harbour Light and the South side of Mark 2. Competitors are asked to finish as close to Mark 2 as is reasonably and safely possible.

13.2     Finish times shall be recorded by the finishing boat based on the moment any portion of a boat or its equipment in its regular position crossing the finish line. The absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded. Boats will email the scorer their finish times or elapsed time

14      PENALTY SYSTEM

               

14.1       Refer to RRS Rule 44. Rule 44.3 does not apply.

• .

15      TIME LIMITS

15.1    Any yacht not finishing within 3.0 hours of elapsed time from their start will be declared “DNF” subject to the limitations of Appendix F item 9. At their own discretion the last boat in a fleet to remain on the race course can withdraw from the race and will be awarded a last place finish based on the number of boats racing in that fleet that night.

15.2     Specialty Race end time will be based on the published time of sunset for Cobourg unless changed at the Skippers Meeting. The last boat to remain on the race course can withdraw from the race and will be awarded a last place finish based on the number of boats racing in the Specialty Race.

16      PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS

PROTEST COMMITTEE 2020

Protest committees shall be formed as required. Membership will consist of at least one member of the RC plus two other race participants (if applicable) or any knowledgeable former CYC racer, for a minimum of two protest committee members. The committee participants may be randomly selected from all yachts except those involved directly in the protest.  The protest shall be filed by email to the Protest Committee chair according to Rule 61.2 before midnight of the day of the race; this modifies the time limit in RRS 61.3.  The Protest Committee Chair will schedule a protest hearing at the first opportunity, should either the protestor or the participant being protested not attend the scheduled protest meeting  and are not able to convince the RC of reasonable mitigating circumstances as to why, the protest will be dealt with accordingly in favour of either party. 

16.1     Refer to the Racing Rules of Sailing 2017-2020 Part 5.

16.2     Arbitration: For protests where there is no damage and in which no more than two boats are involved, there will be a mandatory Arbitration hearing in accordance with Appendix T of the RRS. As RRS 44.3 does not apply (See 14, Penalty System above) the only post-race penalty available under RRS T4(a) is to retire in which case the boat will be scored RAF (Retired After Finishing). Any protest that is either ineligible or not resolved by the Arbitration process will be referred to the Protest Committee for a full hearing. Boats that are disqualified at a Protest Hearing will be scored DNE.

17      SCORING

17.1     See Appendix F.

18      SAFETY EQUIPMENT/REGULATIONS

18.1     Any yacht retiring from a race shall promptly notify the RC boat of her intentions. If a yacht is unable to reach the RC via VHF a relay should be sent via another yacht.

18.2     Compliance with the Safety Requirements as established in the current Transport Canada Safe Boating Guide (www.tc.gc.ca/boatingsafety) is required for each boat. A VHF radio in good working order is expected for each yacht but lack thereof shall not be grounds for any protest, penalty, or request for redress.

18.3     Skippers and other persons helming a boat must have a P.C.O.C. Skippers must have the radio operators certificate known as the Restricted Operators Certificate (Maritime).

18.4     It is highly recommended, but not yet required, that skippers review the World Sailing Category 4 safety requirements https://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/mo4180104-[23486].pdf and move toward rectifying deficiencies; note that these requirements are already in use in daytime racing regattas on Lake Ontario such as LYRA.

18.5     It is highly recommended that at least one person be trained and hold a current certification in Standard First Aid & CPR. Skippers and crew must comply with requirements of Rowan’s Law which can be found on the Ontario Sailing Association web-site at https://ontariosailing.ca/news/rowans-law-your-legal-requirements/  .

18.6     Signed Form Appendix C must be submitted to the Race Committee.

18.7     Required: Submission of crew manifest form (Appendix B), including information for non-club members. Due date is in Appendix B.

18.8     No yacht shall participate in a CYC sanctioned race with fewer than two persons on board the yacht. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in a score of DSQ.

18.9     Yachts racing after sunset are reminded that running lights are required. Yachts finishing after dark must illuminate their sail numbers to have their finish recognized by the R.C. boat.

18.10   Each Skipper (Person in Charge) must have on their person or on their boat a copy of the RRS 2017-2020 and these Sailing Instructions in printed or electronic form.

19      RADIO COMMUNICATION

19.1     The RC Boat will make every attempt to monitor and make announcements on VHF channel 06. Except in an emergency, a boat that is racing shall not make or receive voice or data transmission that is not available to all competitors. This does not apply to personal non-race related texts, emails or other similar transmissions.

20        DISCLAMER OF LIABILITY

Competitors participate in racing entirely at their own risk (see rule 4, decision to race in RRS). CYC will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during or after racing.

21      INSURANCE

            Each participating boat shall be insured with a valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover of $2million Canadian. per incident or the equivalent.

Appendices

A - Racing Application

B - Crew Manifest

C - Safety equipment review

D - Schedule of Races

E - Fleet splits and fleet flags

F - Scoring

Appendix A

Racing Application:

Boat Name:_____________________________________________

Skipper:________________________________________________

Skipper Contact info:  Phone # ________________________

Email     ________________________

PHRF-LO Rating:_________ [   ] Flying Sails or    [   ] No Flying Sails

Note. This Rating will be used for all races including Monday, Wednesday and Specialty Races.

Certificate #:____________

Make/Model of boat:________________________________ Sail #:__________

I agree to be bound by the Racing Rules of Sailing 2017-2020, the CYC Race instructions and program and by all other rules that govern these events. I am familiar with the 2017-2020 Racing Rules of Sailing, and have read and understand the current CYC Race Instructions & Program.   Furthermore, unless the rating for my yacht is revised by PHRF-LO during the course of the current racing season, I agree that the above rating will be applied to my yacht for all CYC races in which I will be participating this season.

Date: ________________       Signed: ____________________________

EACH APPLICATION SUBJECT TO RACE COMMITTEE APPROVAL

Must be submitted to the RC on, or before, participating in first race in 2020. Failure to comply will result in the race(s) being scored DNS until the form is submitted; those races scored DNS will not have their scoring changed.

Appendix B

Crew Manifest:

The crew manifest will be kept at the CYC bar and used in the event of an emergency involving your boat. 

Name	E-Mail	Emergency Telephone Number

Must be submitted to the RC on, or before, the first Race

It is the Skippers responsibility to keep this document up-to-date by submitting revisions as and when needed. Failure to comply will result in the race(s) being scored DNS until the form is submitted; those races scored DNS will not have their scoring changed.

Appendix C

Safety equipment review

Boat Name:                                                         

Sail #:                                                                                      

As skipper I have reviewed with my crew the safety features on my boat and the location of the various safety devices (PFDs, current flares, VHF radio, bailing bucket / bilge pump, fire extinguisher, waterproof flashlight, emergency plugs for through-hulls, knife for cutting lines, device to cut mast shrouds, man-overboard pole/throwing buoy, life ring, etc.). I have also reviewed compliance with Rowan’s (concussion) Law as set out in paragraph 18.5 above.

Skipper’s Name:        _____________________

Skipper’s Signature  _____________________

Must be submitted to the RC on, or before, the first Race

Failure to comply will result in the race(s) being scored DNS until the form is submitted; those races scored DNS will not have their scoring changed. This date may maybe delayed at the sole discretion of the Race Committee (e.g. due to inclement weather).

Appendix D

Schedule of Races

CYC 2020 Keelboat Racing Calendar

Wednesday Night Series    Race 1         August 12th

Wednesday Night Series    Race 2         August 19^th

Wednesday Night Series    Race 3         August 26^th         

Wednesday Night Series    Race 4         September 2nd

Wednesday Night Series    Race 5         September 9^th

Wednesday Night Series    Race 6         September 16th

The start sequence for Wednesday races will commence at 18:00 hours

Appendix E

Fleet splits

• 1.    Divisions (FS and NFS) and Fleets therein will be decided by the number of boats participating.

• 2.   

Appendix F

Scoring

• 1.    Divisions (FS and NFS) and Fleets therein will be decided by the number of boats participating

• 2.    Finishing times will earn points as follows; 1^st = 1 point, 2^nd = 2 points, 3^rd = 3 points, etc. For Wednesday night series the Low Points system will be used.

• 3.    Scoring abbreviations see Appendix A, item A11 in the 2017 - 2020 RRS.  Boat will be scored as follows: OCS, DNS, DNF, RAF = Number of boats sailing in the race for the fleet + 1. DNC, DSQ, DNE = Number of boats registered for series + 1.

 

• 4.    Throw-outs will be calculated as follows: 5 races or fewer, no throw-outs. 6 races 1 throw-out.
• 5.    Breaking Ties for Race series: refer to appendix A8 of the RRS.
• 8.    In an event where no boats in a Fleet finish then that event will be discarded as if the event never occurred. That is, RRS 35 & Rule 90.3 (a) will apply at the Fleet level and not at the Division level nor across Divisions.

This information is the private property of Cobourg Yacht Club and its members. No use is granted except for the personal use of the members.
"Cobourg Yacht Club" is a non-profit organization.100 Hibernia St, Cobourg, ON K9A 3J8, Canada mailing address: P.O. Box 561 Cobourg, Ontario K9A 4L3