Sailing Instructions for Races Organised by the Club

1. Rules
1.1 All club races will be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS 2009-2012), the prescriptions of
the RYA, the rules of the appropriate classes and by these Sailing Instructions.

2.Notices to Competitors
2.1 Notices to competitors will be posted on the Official Notice Board situated in the windows of the Club Hut.

3. Applicability and Changes to Sailing Instructions
3.1 These sailing instruction are applicable from the 1^st April 2009 and replace any earlier Sailing Instructions issued by the club.
3.2 Any change in the Sailing Instructions will be posted on the Official Notice Board at least one hour before the advertised starting time of the race or races concerned. Flying Flag ‘L’ ashore will indicate changes to the Sailing Instructions or the Notice of Race. When no further changes have been made Flag 'L' will be lowered after the start of the last race of that day.

4. Signals made Ashore
4.1 Signals made ashore will be hoisted on Club Hut.

5. Schedule of Races
5.1 The programme of races and start times is published in the Diary section of the annual Club Programme.
5.2 Changes to the programme of races and starting times will be posted on the Official Notice Board.
5.3 The start time given in the programme of races is the scheduled start time of the first race.  Any subsequent races will be started at five minute intervals thereafter.

6. Classes
6.1 The Class Flags will be

6.2 A single handicap race will be held unless the Club Programme specifies that there will separate race for boats with a PY number of or less than 1200 (Fast).  Boats with a PY Number greater than 1200 (Slow) will sail in the Slow Handicap race.  There may also be a separate handicap race for Juniors where the helm must be 16 or under on the day of the race.
6.3 Where there are more than two Devon Yawls or other similar heavy displacement craft they will have their own start starting five minutes before the rest of the boats in their race.  Their corrected times will be adjusted accordingly.  That is their elapsed time will be calculated using their actual start time, not that of the rest of the boats in their race.

7. Racing Area
7.1 Races will be held within Chichester Harbour and Hayling Bay.

8. The Courses
8.1 The courses will be displayed at the Hard or near the Club Flag Staff at East Head or on the committee boat that is being used to start the race.  Alternatively, the courses can be displayed on the Official Notice Board, but in this instance they must be displayed at least 50 minutes before the start of the race.
8.2 The order in which marks are to be passed and the side on which each mark is to be left will be displayed as described in 8.1 above.  When one of the standard club courses is used the course identifier and number of rounds will be displayed.

9. Marks
9.1 Marks of the Course will be the Chichester Harbour Federation racing marks plus the navigation buoys and beacons that can be used as racing marks (see Chichester Harbour Federation Handbook) plus the moveable buoys belonging to the club.

10. OBSTRUCTIONS
10.1 When entering or leaving the Thorney Channel boats must pass between the port and starboard beacons, commonly known as the Goalposts.
10.2 Boats must not sail between the Pilsey beacon and Pilsey Island.
10.3 Boats that contravene these instructions can absolve themselves of any penalty by returning and passing these obstructions on the correct side.

11. The Start
11.1 The Starting Procedure will be in accordance with RRS 26 (i.e. 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 1 minute, go).
11.2 For Pursuit Races the Starting Procedure will be in accordance with RRS 26 for the first group of boats to start.  The starting times of each subsequent group of boats will be indicated by a single sound signal.  The race officer will announce the name of the group that is about to start using a loud hailer.
11.3 Flag C displayed below the Club Burgee on the Club Hut, a minimum of 50 minutes before the published start of the first race, indicates a Committee Boat start.  If only the Club Burgee is displayed on the Club Hut the Club Start line will be used.
11.4 Committee Boat Start Line
11.4.1 The Start Line is defined as the line between a mast flying an orange flag on the Committee Boat and one of the moveable buoys belonging to the club.
11.4.2 Inner limit marks may be laid adjacent to a Committee Boat. They will be small dan buoys and are marks of the course. Boats shall not pass between any limit mark and the Committee Boat it guards after the preparatory signal.
11.5 Club Start Lines
11.5.1 The Club Start Line lies between the Club Flag Staff at East Head and Fenner beacon or one of the moveable buoys belonging to the club.
11.6 Boats whose warning signal has not been made shall avoid the starting area.
11.7 If a General Recall is necessary the starting sequence for the later starters will continue with the race being recalled being restarted at the end of the sequence.

12. The Finish
12.1 Committee Boat Finish Line
12.1.1 The finish line will be between the mast displaying a blue flag aboard the finishing boat and the finish mark defined as one of the moveable buoys belonging to the club, a fixed racing mark or the mast of a vessel bearing an orange flag and, for courses which are shortened, the nearby rounding mark.
12.2 Club Finish Line
12.2.1 The Club Finish Line lies between the Club Flag Staff at East Head and Fenner beacon or one of the moveable buoys belonging to the club.
12.3 The course will designate which type of finish line is to be used.

13. Time Limits
13.1 The time limit for all races is 2 hours 30 minutes or sunset if this is earlier.
13.2 Boats finishing more than 1 hour after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored as Did Not Finish.  This changes rules RRS 35 and RRS A4.
13.3 When no boat finishes within the time limit the race will be abandoned.

14. Protests and Requests for Redress
14.1 Protest Forms are available from the Race Officers.  Protests shall be lodged in writing, along with a deposit, with the Race Officer or Sailing Secretary within one hour after the time of the last boat’s finish.  When two or more races have been sailed without coming ashore then protests shall be lodged within one hour of the last boat finishing the final race.  The deposit will be £5 unless the protestor is less than 18 years old in which case it will be £1.  The deposit is non-refundable and will be donated to a charity chosen by the Committee of the Club.

15.Scoring
15.1 The Low Point System of Appendix A of the RRS will apply. 
15.2 Points will be awarded to the combination of a boat and a helmsman or partnership as allowed for in paragraph 21.2 below.
15.3 At least two boats must start the race and at least one boat must successfully finish the race for a race to be scored in a series, or prizes awarded for a single race.
15.4 One race is required to be completed to constitute a series.
15.5 When fewer than three races within a series have been completed a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores.
15.6 When three or four races have been completed a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score.
15.7 When more than five, six or seven races have been completed a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her two worst scores.
15.8 When eight or more races have been completed a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her three worst scores.
15.9 Average points will be awarded to those competitors in a series, for the races that did not compete in, because they completed a Race Officer, Safety Officer or Coxswain duty.  Average points are calculated by dividing by three, the sum of the results for the three immediately preceding races started by the competitor, rounded to the nearest integer. If three preceding races are not available then the next immediately available results in the series are taken (e.g. may be one before and two after the duty) or, if no preceding race then the next three races started by that competitor. If five or less races are sailed the average will be calculated using two races.
15.10 For a series other than Holiday Points,  a boat that came to the starting area but did not start, did not finish, retired after finishing or was disqualified shall be scored points for the finishing place one more than the number of boats that came to the starting area. A boat that did not come to the starting area shall be scored points for the finishing place one more than the number of boats entered in the series.

16. Safety Regulations.
16.1 Adequate personal buoyancy for all crewmembers shall be worn at all times.
16.2 The helm of each boat competing in a race must Sign On using the Club Race Entry form. The Race Officers will make this form available either at the Hard or in the vicinity of the Club Flag Staff at East Head.  For a committee boat start helms must sign on 30 minutes before the advertised start of the first race except when the Race Officers postpone the start of the first race whilst still ashore in which case this period of 30 minutes is extended by the period of the postponement.  For starts from the Club Line the period of 30 minutes is reduced to 10 minutes.
16.3 The helm of each boat must Sign Off using the Club Race Declaration Form as soon as reasonably possible.  By signing off they will indicated they have obeyed the rules or retired by signing in the appropriate column.
16.4 The Club Race Declaration form will normally be located in the vicinity of the Club Flag Staff at East Head.  The Race Officer can specify an alternative location as part of the course.  The form will be taken to the Hard 15 minutes after the last boat has finished their last race of the day where it will be made available for competitors to sign off.  The form will be withdrawn once all competitors have signed off.  Any competitor that has not signed off 60 minutes after the last boat has finished their last race of the day will be disqualified.
16.5 A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.

17. Equipment and Measurement Checks.
17.1 Every boat will comply with their Class Rules.
17.2 The Race Committee may permit a boat to use sails carrying a distinguishing number other than that required by RRS Appendix G.  Such a request shall be made in writing to the Race Officer.
17.3 A boat or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules and sailing instructions.
17.4 Every boat must carry a painter capable of being used to tow the boat.

18. Official Boats
18.1 Official Boats will either marked with WWSC and / or display the Club Burgee.

19. Support Boats
19.1 Support personnel, unless expressly permitted by the Race Officer, shall stay outside areas where boats are racing from the time of the preparatory signal for the first class to start until all boats have finished or the race committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment.

20. Prizes
20.1 Prizes will be awarded at the Club’s Annual General Meeting unless otherwise stated in the notice of the race.  The Club Committee will determine the prizes and trophies awarded.
20.2 Prizes will only be awarded to members of the Club.  The club trophies will not be awarded to temporary members.

21. Eligibility
21.1 A boat can only be helmed by a member of the Club or their guest provided the member is crewing the same boat.  Boats helmed by a guest of a member must obtain the agreement of the Race Officer before starting the race.
21.2 In a boat intended for a crew of two or more either party may helm the boat in a series provided they lodge a written declaration with the Club Sailing Secretary that they wish to sail the series as a partnership before the first race in a series.
21.3During a race Helms and crews may not swap roles except in case of difficulty.
21.4 All boats must display a valid Harbour Conservancy Plaque.

22. Handicapping
22.1The RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme as set out in the current YR2 will be used.  Portsmouth Numbers (PY Numbers) will be adjusted according to the mechanism described in this document.
22.2 PY Numbers will be published, as a Notice to Competitors at least an hour before the start of the races to which they are to apply.
22.3 Where a boat has changed its configuration during a series and those configurations have differing PY numbers, the lowest PY will be used to calculate results during that series.

23.              Disclaimer of Liability
23.1            A boat is entirely responsible for her own safety, whether afloat or ashore, and nothing, whether in the notices or Sailing instructions or anywhere else, reduces this responsibility.
23.2            It is for the boat to decide whether she is fit to sail in the conditions in which she will find herself.  By launching or going to sea, the boat confirms that she is fit for those conditions and her crew is competent to sail and complete in them.
23.3           Nothing done by the organisers can reduce the responsibility of the boat nor will it make the organisers responsible for any loss, damages, death or personal injury, however it may have occurred, as a result of the boat taking part in the racing.  The organisers encompass everyone helping to run the race and the event, and include the organising authority, the race committee, the race officer, patrol boats and beach masters.
23.4            The provision of patrol boats does not relieve the boat of her responsibilities.

24.Insurance
24.1 The boat is required to hold adequate insurance and in particular to hold insurance against third party claims in the sum of at least £3 million.