SAILING NOTES

Sailing Instructions for Club Racing

1. Races will be sailed under the current ISAF rules except as varied in these instructions.

2. All yachts racing must have a valid class measurement certificate, including all relevant endorsements or variations.

3. Members are reminded that it is a condition of membership that they carry appropriate insurance cover. Failure to do so will be grounds for disqualification from any race organised by the Club.

4. All competitors must wear a BSI/CE approved buoyancy aid or lifejacket while racing.

5. The safety of a yacht, her crew and their management including insurance is the sole responsibility of the person in charge of that yacht.

6. The start of a club race will normally be between the mast of the Committee Boat and an adjacent turning mark or other convenient buoy OR using the Club fixed line.

7. Courses will usually be defined by boards displayed at the start showing the first letter of the turning marks, the position of which is shown on the chart on the back cover of the Handbook. Letters will be shown on either a red or green background indicating the side on which they are to be left.

8. Important information concerning the day’s racing will also be shown on the Clubhouse notice board, and all competitors should check this board before going afloat.

9. The Stone Bank buoy should always be passed on the deep water side. A yacht passing between this buoy and the marsh to the south will be disqualified.

10. For Club handicap racing the PYs posted on the notice board at the Club will apply.

11. Club racing will be subject to a time limit of 2 hours for any race, except in the case of Round the Island or Thornham Crusher races, where the time limit will be specified at a pre race briefing. Boats not finishing within the time limit will be scored as Did Not Finish (DNF).

Starting Procedure

Club races will be started using the Starting Procedure described in the Racing Rules of Sailing.
This procedure is:

WARNING	Class Flag	1 Sound - 5 minutes before the Start
PREPARATORY	Flag P	1 Sound - 4 minutes before the Start
ONE - MINUTE	Flag P removed	1 Sound - 1 minute before the Start
STARTING	Class Flag removed	1 Sound - The Start

For multiple starts the WARNING signal for each subsequent start will be the STARTING signal of the preceding start.

N.B. The Rules allow the use of other flags as the Preparatory Signal, but these will not be used for Club racing.

Other race signals are as described on notices in the Clubhouse.

Severals Order and Tenery

An area of the foreshore and seabed is covered by the Brancaster Staithe Fishery (Variation Order) 1994 for the protection of local fishermen’s oyster, mussel, and other commercial interests. Members are asked to comply with the regulations by not landing, walking on, removing, or otherwise disturbing shellfish and generally respecting the area which is shown by shading on the chart on the back cover of the handbook.

The western tip of Scolt Head Island is a renowned breeding ground for terns and other wildlife. Other than in an emergency, Members are asked not to land boats in this area until the middle of August to avoid disturbance during the breeding season.

Scolt Head Island Races

The Island Race has always been one of the most attractive features of the sailing calendar. The race is unique in its potential dangers being sailed over unfamiliar and sometimes difficult water. Nevertheless, these are the very factors which significantly contribute to the attractions of the race and which a large majority of members wish to preserve. These conditions also dictate that we must take special steps to ensure that competitors are aware of what they are taking on. Since each individual Island Race is also unique, a pre-race briefing is the only effective way to pass on to competitors relevant and up to date information and recommendations. Times of briefings are published in the sailing programme.

Scolt Head Island races will be subject to a time limit to be specified at the pre race briefing (see Sailing Instructions for Club Racing – Point 11 – above). The Club has limited scope to enforce safe practices so it must rely largely on persuasion. However, in order to bring such persuasion to bear as forcefully as possible it is mandatory to sign on for an Island Race at the pre-race briefing.

Coastal Race: "The Thornham Crusher"

Due to the difficulty in setting manageable courses round Scolt Head Island in certain weather conditions and with increasingly large fleets, an alternative sea course to the west of Brancaster harbour may be set on scheduled Island Race days. This can be an equally challenging event, being sailed close to the beach towards and perhaps into Thornham Harbour. This race will be subject to the same requirements as a Scolt Head Island Race for a pre-race briefing and signing on at the briefing.

Training

Sail training for younger members will be arranged on the dates shown in the Club sailing Programme. Numbers are limited and places are usually fully taken up early in the season. Early registration is strongly recommended. Further details are available from Maria Spink – email: maria_spink@yahoo.co.uk

Radio Training

All regular radio users should complete a proper training course and obtain a licence. Help, advice and certification on this may be obtained from Mike Spink.

RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC)

The Club is authorised to examine candidates for this certificate. Information can be obtained from Mike Spink.

Typhoon Series

The Typhoon Trophy is awarded to the helm and boat (no change of boat allowed) with the best five results out of nine designated races. Any starter in any designated race will be deemed to have entered the series for the purposes of the scoring system. This results in an entry list of around fifty boats, causing a heavy penalty for a “Did Not Start”.

Class Designated Weekends

Some weekends have been identified in the programme as ones which the prominent classes in the Club have adopted. This is intended to influence sailors in these classes to make a special effort to sail on these weekends, thereby creating the largest possible fleet gatherings. However, racing will also be provided for allcomers on these dates, and no member should feel that they are being discouraged from sailing at any time. Class designated weekends are usually well supported, and those who wish to meet others of their kind, or who may wish to try crewing should really try to attend on these occasions.

Portsmouth Yardstick Handicap System

The Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) is the method used in club racing to correct times in handicap races. A boat’s elapsed time for a race, which is measured to the nearest second is corrected using the following formula:

Corrected Time =

Elapsed Time x Scratch Boat PY
Actual PY

The corrected times for each boat can then be directly compared.

Portsmouth Yardstick values for the year only become available in March. Class PYs will be posted on the Sailing Notice Board at the Club as soon as they are available. These will be the values used in the calculations for all handicap racing through the year.

Scoring System for Club Race Series

The scoring system used will be the Low Point System, of the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing, amended as follows:

First	1 Point
Second	2 Points etc.
Did Not Start (DNS)	Number of Starters for the Series Plus 3
Retired (RTD)	Number of Finishers for the Race Plus 3
Disqualified (DSQ)	Number of Finishers for the Race Plus 5

Number of Races to Count for Club Points Series

7 or 8 Races Sailed in a Series	2 Discards Allowed
4, 5 or 6 Races Sailed in a Series	1 Discard Allowed
3 or Less Races Sailed in a Series	All Results to Count
Typhoon Series	5 Results to Count

Adult and Junior Races

In order to encourage younger sailors there is a day set aside in the Club Sailing Programme for mixed adult and junior crews. There will be separate trophies for those boats helmed by a junior and those helmed by an adult. To promote the fairest possible competition, other special sailing instructions may be applied.

BASIC RULES: THE RULES EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

Boats Racing – in the same race or in different races

Basic Rights of Way in Open Water
•	A boat on port tack keeps clear of a boat on starboard tack.
•	A windward boat keeps clear of a leeward boat.
•	A boat clear astern of another keeps clear of the one ahead when they are both on the same tack.
•	When an overtaking boat becomes overlapped with another boat less than two boat lengths to windward of her she must not sail above her proper course, except to cross astern of the other boat.
•	Except when sailing to windward, a boat that is less than two boat lengths from a boat which is leeward or is clear astern, must not sail below her proper course unless she gybes.
•	A boat which is tacking or gybing keeps clear of one that is not.
•	When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to move.
•	When a right of way boat alters course she must give the other boat room to keep clear.
Basic Right of Way at a Windward Mark
•	A boat on port tack shall keep clear of a boat on starboard tack.
•	When on the same tack the boat on the inside must be given room to round the mark.
•	A boat that wishes to tack at a mark must, while tacking, keep clear of a boat that was clear astern.

Basic Right of Way at an Offwind Mark
(An offwind mark is one that you have sailed to on a fetch, reach or run.)
•	The boat on the inside shall be given room to round the mark.
•	If the course requires an inside boat to gybe at the mark, she shall gybe immediately and must be given room to do so.
NOTE No boat has the right to room at a starting mark when approaching the starting line to start.
Penalties
•	For infringement of a rule – two turns in the same direction (720)
•	For hitting a mark of the course – one turn (360)

Sailing Boats Not Racing and Motor Boats

The Rules which apply are “The International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea”. The basic rule is that power gives way to sail but sailing boats must give way to:
•	fishing boats
•	power vessels that are restricted in their ability to manoeuvre
•	those which are constrained by their draft (limited to deeper channels).
When sailing boats are not racing (and when one which is racing meets one that is not racing) the Rules are:
•	Port tack keeps clear of starboard tack
•	Windward boat keeps clear of leeward boat
•	Overtaking boat keeps clear of overtaken boat.

When motor boats meet:
•	End on – both must alter course to starboard to keep clear.
•	When they are crossing – the one which has the other on its starboard side must keep clear.
Any boat, sail or power, overtaking keeps clear of any other boat she is overtaking.