DYC Racing Instruction - 2010

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Monday and Thursday Night Racing Series

1. Introduction

These racing instructions are issued by the Dahlgren Yacht Club (DYC) Race Committee and shall govern all the racings series sponsored by DYC These race series shall be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) for 2010-2012 as published by the United States Sailing Association (USSA) except as modified by this instruction. By participating in DYC sponsored events, each yacht and crew agree to be governed by these rules. The format of this document is to provide general rules for all DYC series and specific rules for the three Monday Night Series and the three Thursday Night Series.

2. ELIGIBILITY

All entrants must complete a DYC entry form and submit it to the Race Officer or Event Coordinator prior to entry. This form will include a release of DYC and its officers including race officers from any liability concerning the participant in the race . Membership in DYC is required. Guest yachts may be extended temporary participation privileges consistent with normal standards of hospitality.

a. Monday Night Series. The Race Series are open to all yachts eligible under PHRF of the Chesapeake policies and dinghies scored using Portsmouth handicap system.

b. Thursday Night Series. Open to dinghies racing using the Portsmouth Handicap system.

3. SAFETY

All yachts participating in DYC sponsored races shall comply with the following safety requirements. Yachts that do not comply will be disqualified.

a. Skipper's Responsibility. The safety of a yacht and her crew and its entire management, including insurance, shall be the sole responsibility of the skipper/owner. Neither these racing 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 yacht/ skipper to decide whether or not to start or to continue a race.

b. Check-In. All competitors are required to sail close by the Race Officer platform before the start and shall hail the Race Officer to inform them of their intent to race.

c. Withdraw/Retire. Any yacht 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 yachts can be accounted for.

d. Minimum Safety Equipment. All competitors will satisfy the minimum safety equipment standards of the USCG appropriate to a yacht of their size. In addition, competitors in the PHRF classes will comply with Category 6P safety requirements as established by PHRF of the Chesapeake.

e. 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

f. 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.

g. Race Abandonment due to Safety Concerns.

• The Race Officer may delay or abandon a race due to bad weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances (such as an active firing range). The Race Committee may not override a decision of the Race Officer to abandon a race.
• The Race Committee reserves the authority to abandon a race prior to the start. If in the opinion of a majority of the Race Committee members present, conditions warrant abandonment, the Race Committee will inform the Race Officer of the abandonment and the Race Officer will perform the duties required.
• For Monday Races - In the event of abandonment of a race prior to the Race Officer Boat leaving the dock, the abandonment will be broadcast on VHF radio Channel 68. If the race is abandoned with the Race Officer Boat at the race area, the race will be abandoned in accordance with RRS Rules 27 and 32 and announced on VHF radio Channel 68.

h. Bow Lookout. While in the starting area, prior to a yacht's 5 minute warning signal, all yachts with 3 or more crew will post a bow lookout stationed forward of the mast for collision avoidance.

i. Crew Limitations. All PHRF yachts are required to have at least two (2) persons on board at all times while racing. The PHRF of the Chesapeake maximum crew limitation will not be enforced.

j. Radio Communication. All PHRF event participants shall monitor VHF CH68 to aid in safety and communications.

4. SCHEDULE OF RACES

The schedule of races will be prepared and distributed by the Race Committee. Race schedule is posted on the DYC website, in the Clubhouse and may be found offsite posted at Dahlgren Marine. Canceled races will not be made up. There are three Monday Night Race series named: Spring, Summer and Fall. There are three Thursday Night Series, named Spring, Summer A and Summer B.

5. Scoring

5.1. Series Scoring

The Low Point scoring system, RRS Appendix A4 as modified below, will apply.

. Awards will be presented at the end of each series. A yacht will be scored DNS for all races in the series in which it did not compete. A DNS score will be the total number of yachts that competed in the series plus 1.

For each race that Race Officer duty is performed, a yacht performing Race Officer duty shall be awarded points equal to the average (truncated to an integer) of that yacht's started and completed races in the series. A yacht that competes in a race in which that yacht is providing a Race Officer shall be scored based on that yacht’s finishing position in the race and will not be awarded points based on performing Race Officer duty.

a. Monday Night Series. PHRF Yacht finishes will be corrected using a time on time formula. The formula being: Corrected time =Elapsed Time * TCF. TCF being the Time Correction Factor.

TCF= A/(B+PHRF) Where A and B are constants set by the Race Committee. The value of these constants will appear on the score sheet. Portsmouth boats will be scored by the Portsmouth Handicap system.

Each yacht's total score will be the sum of her 5 best scores for all races in each series. The lowest score at the end of each series wins for that series.

b. Thursday Night Series Scoring will be by skipper not boat. Participation in the Laser and Portsmouth fleet races will be scored as two concurrent series. The smaller of 1/2 of the completed races of the series or 4 races will be thrown out.

5.2AnnualHigh Point Championship. The High Point Championship is awarded annually to the PHRF, Portsmouth and Laser Classes. Races counting toward the High Points Championship are the races in the three series for each class. A yacht must compete in minimum of 10 races to be eligible for High Point standing. One throw-out is allowed for every 6 races. Throw-outs will be determined by the Chief Scorer to achieve the highest possible score for the yacht. Note that the highest possible score may be the result of a yacht not using all of its throw-outs. Each yacht is scored one point for starting, plus one point for finishing, and one point for each starting yacht it beats. Each yacht's total score is divided by the sum of total number of yachts starting in each race the scored yacht started plus one point for each completed race The highest score at the end of the year wins. PHRF Awards will be presented for both class and overall standing in the High Point Championship. Races where a yacht performed Race Officer duty are not included in the high points calculation for that yacht. However race officer duties will count toward the 10 race minimum eligibility requirement.

. Portsmouth racers participating in the Monday series will be scored as a separate class.

6. RACE ADMINISTRATION

6.1 . Handicap Requirements

a. PHRF Race Event yachts must have a valid handicap certificate issued by PHRF of the Chesapeake. DYC member yachts and guest Yachts without PHRF certificates will be assigned a temporary handicap by the Race Committee. The temporary handicap will be valid for 5 weeks beginning with the yacht's first start, after which a PHRF certificate will be required for continued participation. The Race Committee reserves the authority to make handicap adjustments as necessary to improve competition.

b. Portsmouth Race Event yachts will use the Portsmouth Handicap D-PN.

6.2 . Fleet Composition.

a. PHRF

The Race Committee prior to each series, for the entire series, will determine the PHRF Race Series fleet composition. If there are not sufficient yachts to form multiple fleets then yachts with a rating less than 120 will have a delayed start, but will be scored as one fleet. The length of the delay is listed as a note in Appendix A – The Starting Sequence.

. Spinnaker – Non-Spinnaker. A yacht must declare prior to her first start of a series as to whether she is competing as spinnaker or non-spinnaker for that series. If no designation is declared, the designation will be spinnaker. The declaration may be made to either the PHRF Representative of the Race Committee or to the Race Officer of her first race of a series. A non-spinnaker yacht will have her rating increased by 15 seconds per mile for the series.

. When participating as a non-spinnaker yacht, only one (1) headsail may be used at a time while racing, except for cutter rigs flying headsails in the normal configuration. Two (2) headsails may be flown during a sail change, which must be completed in a seaman like manner.

b. Portsmouth

The fleets will consist of the Portsmouth and the Laser one design. Lasers can compete for scoring in both fleets in each race.

6.3 Minimum number of participants

A minimum of 3 boats are required at the start of a race for a valid race.

6.4 MONDAY NIGHT RACE COURSES AND STARTS

a. Race Courses

Racecourses shall make use of government and other marks in the vicinity of the mouth of the Upper Machodoc Creek. The Race Officer shall display a letter to indicate the course selected from the list. If the letter "Z" is displayed, all competitors should sail close by the Race Officer boat to receive details of a special course.

1. There are two classes of primary courses: Triangle (default class if no designation) designated as "T" and Windward/Leeward designated as "W". Furthermore, each course will assume counter-clockwise as the default direction; the letter "R" appended to the course designator will indicate a clockwise course direction. If the basic course is to be repeated, the number of repeats will be appended to the course designation. Note: All multiple laps will be "thread the needle." In the event of multiple laps, lap times will be recorded in the event the race is later shortened in which case the last lap time will be the finish time. See Appendix C for course descriptions

b. Start and Finish lines. The start and finish lines will be between the orange flag flown from the Race Officer platform and the appropriate starting or finishing mark. The starting area will be the rectangle formed by the starting line and extending 100 yards prior to the starting line. A yacht not racing shall keep clear of yachts that are racing. If the Race Officer boat is not on station at the finish, each yacht shall take her own finishing time when passing the line from the finishing mark perpendicular to the line from the prior mark. Each yacht should also note the time interval between their finish and those of adjacent finishers.

c. Start Times and Location. All yachts should rendezvous with the Race Officer boat in the vicinity of the Junction Mark prior to the scheduled rendezvous time. The Race Officer boat may then lead the fleet to the starting area, which may be located in the river. The regular Monday night rendezvous time will be 1630 for Monday. No race start sequence shall begin prior to 1654 for Monday, unless otherwise scheduled.

d. Time Limit. Unless otherwise stated, the time limit for races during April, May, September, and October will be 1900. During June, July and August the time limit will be 1930. If one or more yachts finish within the time limit, then the race shall be valid for all competitors. Yachts finishing more than one hour after the time limit will receive a DNF (did not finish). The Race Officer boat shall remain on station until all yachts have finished or all yachts have reported in, whichever comes first.

e. Starting signals. The starting signals described in RRS Rule 26 shall be used. See appendix A for information on the start sequence.

6.5 Thursday Night Race Courses and Starts

a. Race Courses . Racecourses shall consist of orange or yellow balls, and navigational Aid Pylons. The course will be specified verbally by the Race Officer before the start.

b. 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.

c. 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.

d.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.

e . Starting signals. The starting signals described in RRS Rule 26 shall be used. See Appendix for the starting sequence flag description.

6.6 RACE OFFICER DUTIES

Each skipper/owner participating in any Race Series will be required to provide a Race Officer and platform for the purpose of conducting the race in accordance with these race instructions. A minimum of two persons is required to serve on the Race Officer platform. The Monday and Thursday Night Race Coordinators shall make duty assignments for their respective series. It is the responsibility of the skipper to notify their respective coordinator if unable to perform these duties. Skippers neglecting these duties may be disqualified and disallowed from participating in the Race Series.

7. PROTESTS AND PENALTIES

7.1Protests.

Protests shall be made in accordance with RRS 61 Protest Requirements. Protests must be declared to the Race Officer at the finish line and the actual protest form must be submitted within 1 hour from the time the Race Officer boat docks. The Race Governor or event coordinator is responsible for appointing protest committees and ensuring protests are received, heard and decided in accordance with RRS Part 5, Section B.

7.2 Penalties.

1. Minor Infraction. The Two-Turns Penalty, RRS Rule 44.1, shall apply in the event of a minor infraction of rules RRS Part 2 during a race.

2. Touching A Mark. The yacht may exonerate infringement of RRS Rule 31.1, TOUCHING A MARK, by a yacht by taking the One Turn Penalty of RRS Rule 44.1.

8. CHANGES TO THE RACING INSTRUCTIONS

Any amendment to these instructions will be distributed to all competitors and posted at the DYC Clubhouse. 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.

Appendix A

Starting Sequence

PHRF Fleet Note : PHRF fleet may have multiple starts

Blue Flag is used for the second start

Appendix B

Race Signals

The meanings of visual and sound signals are stated below. An arrow pointing up or down (↑↓) means that a visual signal is displayed or removed. A dot (∙) means a sound; dots with dashes (∙–––∙) mean a repetitive sound. When a visual signal is displayed over a class flag, the signal applies only to that class.

Appendix C

Race Management After the Start

i. Individual recalls. Individual recalls will be indicated in accordance with RRS Rule 29. 2 - Flag X (white flag with a blue cross). If any part of any yacht(s) is over the start line when the start signal is made, a second horn will be sounded and flag "X" will be displayed. The Race Officer may hail the premature starter(s). When all premature starter(s) have returned to behind the start line, or after 4 minutes, flag "X" will be lowered. Yachts returning to restart have no rights over yachts that have started.

1. Reducing Laps in Multi-Lap Course.When appropriate and prior to any yacht completing the original course, the Race Officer may reduce the number of laps in a multi-lap course to the last lap completed by the lead yacht by flying the pure green flag. In this event, the Race Officer shall make every effort to inform all competitors by using VHF CH68, two sound signals and hailing. The finish line shall be a line from the finishing mark perpendicular to the course from the prior mark. The latest lap times will be used as the official finish times. Yachts that have not completed the last lap of the race within one hour after the 1 st yacht in their class will be scored "DNF".

n. Abandon Race. When appropriate, the Race Officer may abandon the race by flying flag "N" (a blue and white checkerboard flag). In this event, the Race Officer shall make every effort to inform all competitors by using VHF CH68, three sound signals and hailing. When the race is abandoned, there will be no score for any yacht regardless of finish .

Appendix D

LIST OF PRIMARY COURSES FOR MONDAY RACE SERIES

* Normal Course -- Starboard Round from IM & Non-Mark from 29

Reverse Course -- Non-Mark to 29 & Port Round to IM

** Start/Finish Line Same

Key for Marks:

IM Inner Range Mark in Machodoc Creek

JB Red & green day mark at junction of Machodoc Creek and the back channel

• Main channel red nun 2

4 Main channel red nun 4

6 Main channel red nun 6

29 Main channel green buoy 29

BC2 Back channel red nun 2

BC4 Back channel red nun 4

S Government nun S (SE of back channel)

P Government nun P (E of S)

D "D" Navigation Mo(A) (E of P)

• Main channel red buoy 32 (N of 29)

M Race Officer Placed Mark

For more information, please contact the Race Governor.

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