Brockport Yacht Club

2007 Sailing Instructions

1. The current ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), and the prescriptions of US Sailing (USSA) will govern all BYC Races.

2. Keelboat races shall be handicapped in accordance with PHRF-LO Time on Time. PHRF handicapping allows for a “Club adjusted rating” for extenuating circumstances.

3. Starts:
All Keelboat Races shall be started in accordance with RRS rule 26.
A Green Flag shall signify the BYC RC boat is on station (anchored).
The Warning Flag shall be a Yellow Flag.
The Starting Line will be in the vicinity of the meeting area (Y-buoy).
There will be one start for all divisions. Start line will be between the flagstaff on the committee boat and the nearest mark.

All Sunfish races shall be started in accordance with RRS small boat starts, Appendix Q3.

Wednesday evening races will Start (Warning signal) at 18:30 hours through August 8.
Wednesday evening races will Start (Warning signal) at 18:00 hours beginning August 15.

Postponements may be signaled ashore no later then 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of race. The shore signal shall be the AP code flag, flown from the BYC flagpole.

No race shall be started after a delay of one hour on Wednesday evenings. In Accordance with the RRS, the race committee may cancel or abandon a race at any time for (i.e. Safety, lack of wind, full gale, lightning).

Holiday and specials races will start as published in the race schedule and posted on the BYC Race Notice board in the clubhouse.

4. Recalls: Over the start line early is denoted in the RRS as On Course Side (OCS). The Race committee (RC) shall endeavor to hail each OCS boat, however it is the responsibility of each competitor to insure the have properly started.

Individual recalls:
In accordance with RRS rule 29.1. The RC shall promptly display the code X flag with one sound and shall continue to display the flag until all OCS boats are completely on the pre-start side of the course, but no later than 4 minutes after the starting signal.

General Recall:
In accordance with RRS rule 29.2. If the RC is unable to identify all OCS boats or there has been an error in the starting procedure, the RC may signal a General Recall by promptly displaying the First Substitute code flag with two sounds and shall within a reasonable time commence to repeat the start sequence. The General Recall flag shall be lowered one minute before the warning signal for the restart.

5. Mark Missing: See RRS rule 34 Code flag “M” with repetitive sounds shall be displayed.

6. Shortened course: See RRS rule 32
The RC may shorten course by displaying the code flag “S” with two sounds. The finish will
then be at the mark of the course where the committee boat has anchored.

7. Abandon Race: See RRS rule 32
The Race shall be abandoned by displaying the code flag “N” accompanied by three sounds.

8. Course Change: See RRS rule 33
Changes in marks or mark positions will be signaled by displaying code flag “C” with several
Repetitive sounds at the mark previous to the changed mark. Competitors will be informed
of the mark change as they round.

9. Finish: The finish shall be between the committee boat flagstaff and the nearest mark to the
Committee boat, as approached from the previous mark of the course.

10. Penalties: RRS rules 44.1 and 44.2 (Two turns penalty) shall be in effect for the for RRS
Part 2 rule infractions.
RRS rule 31 (one turn penalty) shall be in effect for touching a mark.

11. Time Limit: The RC may abandon a Wednesday evening race if:
A. The lead scratch boat takes longer than one hour to reach the first mark.
OR
B. The lead scratch boat takes longer than two hours to finish.

Any boat not finishing within one hour of the scratch finishing boat, may be required to
take it’s own time if the RC boat is no longer on station. The time will be time of day
Recorded in hour: minutes: seconds (08:14:53pm).

12. Protests:
A. Only valid protests shall be heard as specified in RRS rules 60 and 61.

B. For a protest to be valid RRS 61.1a must be adhered to. The wording “first
reasonable opportunity” has been defined by a USSA representative as, a nearly immediate hail (with the word “PROTEST”). Thereafter, the protest flag must be displayed, in as much time as it might take for a crewman to retrieve the flag from a known location and hoist it, at the time of protested infraction.

The RRS regarding protests are quite specific and it is highly recommended that competitors read and understand RRS rules 60 and 61.
Protest forms may be available at the Race Notice board, however the RC is not required to provide protest forms. A protest form is provided in your rule book.

The time limit for filing protest shall be two hours after the last boat in the race finishes RRS rule 61.3. If the RC is not available to receive the protest form, have a fellow competitor note the time of day on the form and initial it to show the form was completed in the time allowed. Post the form on the Race Notice board for the ROC to retrieve at the first opportunity.

Competitors will be informed as to the time of the protest hearing.
13. Scoring:
BYC will use the RRS Low Point system as described in Rule 89.3 and Appendix A. Competitors receiving letter scores (see A11) in a BYC division-specific race SERIES, shall be scored in accordance with Appendix A rule A9. The Low Point use of letter scores shall not be used fro awards where several individual class scores are combined. BYC specific award charters shall be in effect of combined awards. Low Point letter scores may only be used after all non-letter scores have been used for a series where allowable. Letter scores may NOT be substituted for non-letter scores. When the use of letter scores is applicable, a competitor may use their best letter scores (from best to worst).

VI. Classes
1. Classes shall be as follows:
Division 1: PHRF-LO handicap 217 and higher.
Division 2: PHRF-LO handicap 216
Division 3: PHRF-LO handicap 215 and lower.
Division A: PHRF 222 and lower.
Division B: PHRF 223 and higher.
Division C: Cruising Boats

Division C, Cruising boats, will be defined by having a full keel, wing or bulb keel, and/or a dodger (up while racing) and/or a Bimini top. The ROC will have final determination over cruising boat status.

Divisions A, B & C must declare the intention to race in these divisions before the start of the Holiday Series. Skippers must declare to the Race Committee at the skippers meeting. These divisions are used for the Holiday Race series. Divisions A, B & C are boats that did not race in the Wednesday night series.

Sunfish Fleet:
Sunfish classes shall be sailed as one design and in accordance with Sunfish Class rules, or as may be modified in specific Race Instruction, to be posted on the BYC race notice board.

15. Racers Meeting:
Wednesday evening races will not hold a competitors meeting before each race.

All other Races shall begin with a competitors meeting ashore in accordance with the times
published in the BYC Racing schedule.

16. Notices to competitors: shall be posted on the Race Notice board located in the BYC
clubhouse.

17. Equipment requirements: In addition to all NYS and USCG requirements, all yachts shall
have the following safety equipment:
1. An Anchor with 100 feet of anchor rode.
2. A bucket for bailing.
3. A compass.
4. A VHF Radio.

18. The RC boat and all yachts so equipped should monitor VHF channel 68. The RC boat
MAY make pertinent race announcements and hails such as OCS, however the absence
of such hails will not be cause for redress.

19. Courses and marks of the course:
BYC Race Marks can be the following:
Orange inflatable Tetrahedrons.
Smaller Orange Ball marks used for starting pin
One Orange permanent Spar called “Y”

The course shall be displayed on the course board of the RC boat no later than the
warning signal unless otherwise noted at a skippers meeting. The Wednesday evening
courses shall be Windward-Leeward, buoys to port. The courses shall be named:
Course #1 Windward-Leeward twice around with a downwind finish.
Course #2 Windward-Leeward-Windward twice around with an upwind finish.

The Course shall be sailed in accordance with RRS rule 28. Windward Leeward
Courses shall be sailed leaving marks to port. Special races may set a course other
than W-L and Rule 28.1 will govern the required side to leave the mark.

For long distance races, the Wautoma shoal government buoy (Green Can) may be
used as a mark of the course.

Races shall be started within a 2.5 mile radius of the mouth of Sandy Creek (usually
around the “Y” mark)

20. Definitions:
RC (Race Committee): for the purpose of these Sailing Instructions, RC refers to the PRO
(Principal Race Officer) of the race and his crew.

21. All boats required to carry liability inshurance.