DAHLGREN YACHT CLUB CENTERBOARD RACING FLEET RACING INSTRUCTION

1. RULES

These racing instructions are issued by the Dahlgren Yacht Club (DYC) Race Committee and shall govern all Centerboard Racing Fleet events sponsored by DYC. All races shall be governed by the current The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) as published by the United States Sailing Association (USSA), the rules of the national class for non-Portsmouth fleets, and by these sailing instructions. The events under these sailing instructions are designated Category A. By participating in DYC sponsored Centerboard Racing Fleet events, each boat and crew agree to be governed by these rules.

2. ELIGIBILITY

Open to all boats that do not qualify for PHRF Certificates.

3. SAFETY

All yachts while participating in DYC sponsored Centerboard Racing Fleet events shall comply with the following safety requirements. Yachts which do not comply will be disqualified.

1. Skipper's Responsibility. The safety of a boat and her crew and its entire management, including insurance, shall be the sole and inescapable responsibility of the skipper/owner. Neither these sailing instructions, nor any action or omission of the Race Officer or Race Committee shall in any way reduce this responsibility of the skipper/owner. It shall be the sole responsibility of each boat to decide whether or not to start or to continue a race.
   
2. Check-In. All competitors are required to sail close by the Race Officer before the start and shall hail to inform them of the intent to race.
   
3. Withdraw/Retire. Any boat that withdraws or retires from the race shall inform the Race Officer at the earliest opportunity. This procedure is an important safety measure so that all boats can be accounted for.
   
4. Minimum Safety Equipment. All competitors will satisfy the minimum safety equipment standards of the USCG appropriate to a boat of their size.
   
5. Life Jacket Rule. When the Code Flag 'Y' (YELLOW and RED diagonally striped flag) or a life jacket is displayed from the Race Officer's location, life jackets or other USCG approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) shall be worn above deck. Unless the Race Officer requires PFDs, the wearing of PFDs is at the discretion of the boat's captain.
   
6. Render Assistance. All competitors are reminded of their responsibility under RRS Rule 1.1 to give all possible help to any person or vessel in danger.
   
7. Liability Release Waiver. Each competing boat must complete a liability release waiver form and submit the waiver to the DYC Race Committee prior to participating in the series.

4. SCHEDULE OF RACES

This sailing instruction governs the regular DYC Thursday Night Centerboard Fleet Races. The Thursday Night Races shall consist of two series of events in accordance with the DYC calendar for Centerboard Series.

5. RACE ADMINISTRATION

1. Race Registration. Each night each skipper shall sign a list located at the clubhouse or check in with the Race Officer and register to record the boat they are sailing and provide for a bad weather safety list. Only boats so checked in will be scored.
   
2. Race Courses. Race courses shall consist of orange or yellow balls, and navigational Aid Pylons. The course will be specified verbally by the Race Officer before the start. Due to the starting location at the Pier, the first leg of the race may not be a beat, but at the start of the race, one of the legs in the race will be a beat.
   
3. Start / Finish line. The start / finish line will be between the orange flag flown from the end of the DYC Pier and a small orange buoy located to the west or south of the Pier. Competitors will cross the starting line in the direction of the first mark, and cross the finishing line in the direction from the last mark.
   
4. Start Times. No race start shall be prior to 1700 on Thursday nights. The number of races run on a given night is at the discretion of the Race Officer and wind conditions. There shall be no more than 4 races per night.
   
5. Starting signals. The starting signals described in RRS Rule 26 shall be used with a yellow flag to be used for the fleet flag. The following table shows the sequence:

   CENTERBOARD FLEET STARTING SEQUENCE Regular Thursday Night starting times should be around 1700 if possible. In no event shall a Thursday night race begin prior to 1700. Do not rush the start sequence. It there are problems, do not start the sequence until you are ready to continue. Follow the table of actions below:
   Time	Action	What flags are up after action
   Prior to Timer=0	Hoist Postponement Flag
   Timer=0	Inform fleet starting sequence will begin in 1 minute. Lower Postponement Flag and sound horn. Start Timer
   Timer=1	Hoist pure Yellow flag, sound horn Fleet Warning Signal
   Timer=2	Hoist "P" Flag, sound horn
   Timer=5	Lower "P"  flag, long sound horn
   Timer=6	Lower Yellow flag, sound horn, record start time Fleet Start Signal

6. Time Limit. There is no specific time limit short of darkness. The Race Officer may abandon a race that, in the Race Officer's opinion, cannot be completed in the principles of fair racing, safety, or darkness.

6. RACE OFFICER DUTIES.

Each skipper/owner participating in the Thursday Race Series will be required to serve as Race Officer on an as needed basis and conduct the race in accordance with these race instructions.

1. A minimum of one person is required to serve as the Race Officer. Two people are desirable as with a single person, if a rescue is required, the Race Officer will abandon the race to allow the rescue.
2. The rescue boat shall be on the water until all boats have returned to the vicinity of the dock.
3. All boats shall be started as a single fleet and finishing times recorded. Splitting of the Laser and Portsmouth Handicap fleets will be performed by the Chief Scorer.
4. The Race Officer shall insure boats are off the water before dark. The Portsmouth Race Committee Representative shall make duty assignments.
5. It is the responsibility of the skipper to notify the Portsmouth Race Committee Representative if unable to perform these duties.
6. Skippers neglecting these duties may be disqualified and disallowed from participating in the Thursday Night Race Series.

7. PROTESTS.

Protests shall be in accordance with RRS Part 5. For these series the time limit in 61.3 shall be 1 hour after the last boat in the race finishes. 

8. CHANGES TO THE RACING INSTRUCTIONS.

Any amendment to these instructions will be distributed to all competitors and posted at the DYC boathouse. In addition, a notice will be posted at Dahlgren Marine Works. It is the responsibility of the skipper to check for and comply with posted notices.

9. SCORING. 

1. The fleet will be scored using the Portsmouth Handicap D-PN.  Lasers will additionally be scored as a fleet.  Awards will be made for the Portsmouth Handicap score.
   
2. Scoring will be done by skipper, not boat. Participation in Laser and Portsmouth fleet races during one series will be scored as two separate skippers.
   
3. The low Point scoring system, rule A2, will apply, modified as follows:
   
   1. A boat will be scored DNS for all races in the series that it did not compete in. A DNS score will be the number of boats that competed in the Series plus 1.
   2. Races not prohibited by rule A1.3 will be eligible for throwouts. The smaller of 1/2 of the completed races of the series or 4 races will be thrown out.
   3. For each race that Race Officer duty is performed, the skipper performing Race Officer duty shall be awarded points equal to the average (truncated to an integer) of that skippers started and finished races in the series.

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