1.
RULES - This series is governed by the 1997-2000 ISAF Racing
Rules, the prescriptions of the USSA, the Standing HDA Sailing Instructions
of the YRA of San Francisco Bay and these Sailing Instructions.
2. RESPONSIBILITY - Alameda, Encinal, Island, Oakland, Sea Breeze, BAMA, and Club Nautique accept no responsibility for the safety or well being of the yachts, skippers or crews, before during or after the start and finish of these races. It is the sole responsibility of each skipper to decide whether or not to start, continue to race and for the safety of his crew. The “Y” flag will be used at the Race Committee’s discretion.
3. MANAGEMENT - The series is under the management of a Joint Race Committee comprised of representatives of each participating club - Alameda, Encinal, Island, Oakland, Sea Breeze Yacht Clubs, Bay View Boat Club, and Club Nautique. Each club will host one or more races and as such will provide the Principal Race Officer for the hosted race. The Principal Race Officer is responsible for the management of that particular race. The Joint Race Committee shall have the sole power to establish and interpret the rules governing the series and to determine eligibility.
4. ELIGIBILITY/ENTRIES - This series is open to monohull, ballasted sailing yachts and qualified multi-hull yachts with a minimum overall length of 20 feet. Only members of the participating yacht clubs and organization may compete. Those wishing to enter may do so by completing the Race Application and giving this to the representative of their yacht club or organization.
5. NON-COMPETING YACHTS - Competitors are advised that non-competing yachts may or may not be governed by the ISAF Racing Rules as adopted by the USSA and that the Inland Rules of The Road govern meetings with non-competing yachts or commercial traffic.
6. INTERFERENCE WITH COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC - Yachts must not interfere with large commercial vessels, Naval vessels or tugs with tows. Yachts so doing and thereby endangering their own safety or that of the commercial vessel are subject to disqualification or protest by the Joint Race Committee or by other competitors.
7. RATINGS
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7.1 Mono-hull
- Each mono-hull competitor must, upon request of the Joint Race Committee,
furnish a copy of their current, 2000 Northern California PHRF certificate.
Standard unmodified, production boats without a PHRF certificate will be
assigned a PHRF rating by the Joint Race Committee based on the published
list of ratings by the Northern California PHRF Committee which, in the
judgment of the Joint Race Committee, reflects the speed potential of the
yacht. There will be no appeal of a rating assigned by the Joint Race Committee
except to provide the Joint Race Committee a current, 2000 copy of the
PHRF Certificate. It is the sole responsibility of a yacht’s owner to make
certain that their PHRF certificate is current with the YRA office.
7.2 Multi-Hull - Each multi-hull competitor must, upon request of the Joint Race Committee, furnish a copy of their current, 2000 Bay Area Multihull Association certificate. Standard unmodified, production boats without a BAMA certificate will be assigned a BAMA rating by the Joint Race Committee based on the published list of ratings by the BAMA Committee which, in the judgment of the Joint Race Committee, reflects the speed potential of the yacht. There will be no appeal of a rating assigned by the Joint Race Committee except to provide the Joint Race Committee a current, 2000 copy of the BAMA Certificate. It is the sole responsibility of a yacht’s owner to make certain that their BAMA certificate is current.
8. HANDICAP SYSTEM - All races will be handicapped according to the standard PHRF time on distance rating system. There will be one or more classes for spinnaker, non-spinnaker and multi-hull yachts dependent upon the number of entries.
9. SAILS - ISAF Racing Rule 50.4 is in effect. Cruising/asymmetrical spinnakers, drifters, etc. are not allowed in the non-spinnaker classes. Each single masted yacht shall use only one sail abaft the mast while competing and it shall be tacked to the boom of the boat at its clew and tack.
10. RACE DATES, START TIMES, COURSES AND MARK DESCRIPTIONS - Published as a separate Course Sheet. The Course Sheet ranks as a part of these Sailing Instructions.
11. ON THE WATER COMMUNICATIONS AND CHECK IN - All yachts must sail by the Race Committee Boat, displaying their main sail numbers in order to check in. Check-in by radio will not be accepted by the Race Committee. The Race Committee will monitor channel 72 for traffic concerning withdrawals and emergencies. The Race Committee will broadcast on channel 72 any instructions relating to cancellations or abandonment of a Race. The race committee will also monitor channel 14.
12. CHANGES TO THESE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS - Changes may be made prior to the start of any race to which the changes apply. Notification of any change must be made to all yachts for the change to apply. Changes will be signaled with international code flag “L” flown from the Race Committee boat. Any changes will then be posted at the participating Yacht Clubs for the remainder of the series.
13. MINIMUM EQUIPMENT - All yachts must comply with the US Coast Guard equipment requirements for a recreational vessel. Production yachts shall race with all doors, cushions and other equipment as required by the Northern California PHRF standards.
14. LIMITING BUOY - A buoy may be set to protect the Race Committee boat, close to her and on the same side as the start/finish line. The triangle formed by the bow and stern of the Race Committee boat and this buoy is a restricted area into which no boat may sail. The limiting buoy may or may not be on the start/finish line. When set, it ranks as a mark of the course. Any yacht hitting the Race Committee boat shall be protested and is subject to disqualification. The exoneration procedure under ISAF Racing Rule 31.2 is not available to any yacht hitting the Race Committee boat.
15. START TIMES AND SIGNALS - All signals will be made on board the Race Committee boat as shown on the Course Sheet. The hoisting of shapes at five minute intervals as prescribed in ISAF Racing Rules 26 System 2 shall define the starting sequence. The starting signal for each class shall be the preparatory signal for the next class and the warning signal for the class after that. ISAF Racing Rules are amended to read “Course for a class will be hoisted with the Preparatory signal for that class. The former course signal shall be dropped one minute before the Preparatory signal and the new course signal will be displayed with the class/divisions Preparatory signal.”
16. LATE STARTS - Any yacht attempting to start more than 20 minutes after her scheduled start must sail by and obtain permission from the Race Committee to start.
17. MISSING MARKS - May be replaced by a temporary club mark or a Committee boat displaying International Code Flag “M”.
18. RESTRICTED AREAS - The restricted areas are as shown in the Standing Sailing Instructions of the YRA and in the YRA Master Schedule.
19. RESTRICTED START/FINISH LINE - Any yacht whose Preparatory signal has not been made must keep clear of those yachts whose Preparatory signal has been. Yachts shall not cross the start/finish line unless their Preparatory signal has been made and they are preparing to start, starting or finishing.
20. POSTPONEMENT - The signal to postpone will be the hoisting of the International Code signal “AP” (Answering Pennant) and two sound signals. The postponement period will be ended with the lowering of the Answering Pennant and one sound signal. One minute after the end of the postponement period, the warning signal will be made signaling the resumption of the starting sequence. The International Code flag “P” shall be flown on the Race Committee boat indicating that a postponement in the sequence has taken place.
21. INDIVIDUAL RECALLS - Yachts prematurely across the starting line at their starting signal will be signaled by the hoisting of the International Code flag “X” and the Race Committee making one sound signal. The Race Committee will attempt to hail yachts that are over early by calling their sail numbers. When all yachts have cleared the line, the Race Committee will lower the International Code flag “X”. Nothing shall relieve a yacht from the responsibility of making a proper start.
22. GENERAL RECALL - Recall of the entire start will be signaled by the hoisting of the International Code flag “First Substitute” and the Race Committee making two sound signals. ISAF Racing Rule 29.3 is in effect to provide that all of the starting yachts will start again at the next five minute starting signal and sail the course signaled with their original Preparatory signal. All following starts will start five minutes later in the assigned sequence. If there is a second general recall for the start, their start will be postponed until five minutes after the last scheduled class of starters. If there is a second general recall for additional starting groups, the recalled classes will start in order of their initially scheduled starts, following the completion of the scheduled starts YRA HDA Standing Sailing Instructions and ISAF Racing Rule 29.3 are amended to provide that the International Code flag “I” may be displayed with the general recall signal to indicate that ISAF Racing Rule 30.1 is in effect for the start being recalled. In the event of a General Recall, International Code Flag “P” will be flown for subsequent starts.
23. SHORTENED COURSE - If the Race Committee elects to shorten the course, the Race Committee boat or a stake boat will take station at a mark of the course and thereby establish a new finish line. The Race Committee boat or stake boat will display the International Code flag “S” and a blue shape or Race Committee flag to indicate the course is shortened and the Race Committee is on station to record finishers per ISAF Rule 32.
24. ABANDONMENT - ISAF Racing Rules 32 and Race Signals are in effect. An abandoned race is declared by the following signals: (a) Three sound signals and the display of the International Code flag “N” shall mean abandon race - further signals shall be made from the Committee Boat. (b) Three sound signals and the display of International Code flag “N” over “H” shall mean abandon race, further signals to be made ashore. (c) Three sound signals and the display of International Code flag “N” over “A” shall mean abandon race, to be sailed on a later date.
25. TIME LIMIT - The time limit shall be five hours after the actual start time for each class. ISAF Rule 35 is amended to read “any yacht which has not finished within the time limit shall be scored DNF”.
26. WITHDRAWALS - Any yacht retiring or withdrawing prior their finish must notify the Race Committee on channel 72, or by sailing by and hailing the Race Committee or by calling the Yacht Club sponsoring that day’s event immediately upon returning to its home port. Any yacht failing to comply will be subject to protest. The penalty for gross violation, as determined by the Protest Committee shall be that the yacht found at fault be given points for that race equal to the number of entrants times two. On the race sponsored by Sea Breeze Yacht Club, all withdrawing yachts which have not notified the Race Committee, as prescribed above, are instructed to call 510-522-6868.
27. SCORING - The low point scoring system, as described in RRS Appendix A2.2 will be used for individual races with the following amendments:
Boats finishing first in their fleet will be assigned .75 points rather than 1.0.Unless a finish is scored DND (Not discardable), a yacht’s highest point race will be discarded when determining final series standings. Races canceled by the Race Committee will not be included in series scoring.
Penalty points will be added to the number of boats starting each race as follows:
• Plus 1 for DNF (Did Not Finish) or RET (Retired after Finishing)
• Plus 2 for OCS (Over early and didn’t start), or DNC or DNS (Did not Come or Did not Start)
• Plus 3 for disqualification (DSQ or DND)
28. PROTESTS - Protests must be filed in accordance with ISAF Racing Rules 68. Protests may be delivered by hand to an Interclub Standing Race Committee representative, or mailed to the Inter Club Race Committee c/o Alameda Yacht Club, 1535 Buena Vista Ave., Alameda, CA 94501. Mailed protests must be postmarked no later than the Monday following the race. Protests, other than those involving collisions of two or more yachts where ISAF Rule 14 may be involved, will be heard at a mediation hearing by a single mediator chosen by the Race Committee of the host Yacht Club. Each party at the mediation will be represented by one person. No witnesses will be called. At the conclusion of the mediation hearing, the protest may be withdrawn or one or both the parties may withdraw from the race. A yacht withdrawing prior to the end of the mediation hearing will be scored “DNF”. If the protest is not resolved, a protest hearing will be scheduled.
29. RACE RESULTS - It shall be the responsibility of each Yacht Club’s representative to the Inter-Club Race Committee to disseminate results to participating yachts from his or her club and post the results at their yacht club. Race results will be delivered by the person who scores the Regatta to the Alameda Yacht Club following each race and will be faxed or hand delivered to each Yacht Club’s representative. Race results may also be obtained on the the internet by accessing Oakland Yacht Club’s Webpage at http://www.oaklandyachtclub.com.
30. TROPHIES - Trophies will be presented at a post regatta party on a date and Yacht Club designated prior to the end of the series. Announcements shall be sent out with the final Series standings and will be posted at each participating Yacht Club, advising each participant of the date, place and time of the trophy presentation.