1      Rules

All races will be governed by the latest revision to the 2009 – 2012 International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Racing Rules of Sailing (RSS), the prescription of US Sailing, class rules (except as any of these are altered by the sailing instructions) and by these sailing instructions. All races are designated advertising Category A.

2      Entries

2.1         Eligible boats may be entered by

(a)    Completing registration, including sail declaration, at Browns Creek Sailing Association clubhouse prior to the skipper’s meeting, or

(b)   By notifying the Race Committee and making sail declarations prior to the skipper’s meeting, or

(c)    By notifying the Race Committee prior to the lowering of the answering pennant. This method is not allowed for pursuit fastnet races.

2.2         Boats entering by 2.1(c) will be registered with 155% genoa and spinnaker. Boats with genoas greater than 155% will be registered with the appropriate genoa size.

2.3         Three or more boats must enter an event; otherwise it will be canceled.

3      Notices to Competitors

Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located at the BCSA clubhouse.

4      Changes in Sailing Instructions

Any change in the sailing instructions will be posted on the notice board at the BCSA clubhouse or published in the BCSA newsletter with an effective date.

5      Skipper’s Meetings

All skipper’s meetings will be held one hour before the start of the first race or at the time and place noted in the race schedule.

6      Schedule of Races

6.1         The race schedule is shown in Appendix B.

6.2         Regatta Schedule

Race 1 (Saturday)          10:00 a.m.         Skipper’s Meeting

                         Approx. 11:00 a.m.         First Race Starts Additional races to follow

Race 1 (Sunday)            10:00 a.m.         First Race Starts Additional races to follow

6.3         For Saturday night races, the skipper’s meeting is at 4:00 p.m. and the first race will be at 5:00 p.m.

6.4         Wednesday night races, the skipper’s meeting is at 6:00 p.m. and the race will begin as soon as is practical.

6.5         Except for night events, no races will be started after 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, or after 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.

7      Racing Area

The racing area will be as shown in Illustration 1, attached. Combined LGSC/BCSA races may be held n the vicinity of Upper Guntersville Light.

8      The Course

8.1         The course will be described in the Notice of Race or displayed on a signboard on the Raced Committee boat. The Race Committee may choose to designate the course by the use of letter or shape signals.

8.2         The approximate compass bearing from the starboard end of the start line to the first Mark shall be displayed from the raced committee signal boat. The first mark will be the “A” mark unless otherwise designated and will normally be the windward mark.

8.3         A boat may cross the finishing line while racing even if she is not finishing. This is sometimes called an open gate. If no designation is made by the race committee, then the gate shall be assumed to be “open”.

8.4         The Race Committee may shorten or alter the course. Code flag “S” will be displayed from the Race Committee boat to signify a shortened course. The race committee will continue to display the “S” flag at the finish line of the shortened course. Boats shall finish between the Race Committee boat and the mark she is standing by in a natural way.

9      Marks

9.1         Marks will normally be orange inflatable tetrahedrons, or yellow inflatable cylinders, and the Race committee may choose a Navigation Aid, such as Lower Guntersville Light, as one of the marks. Dinghy races will normally be conducted closer to the Browns Creek Marina. An orange barrel may also be used as a mark. The starting and finishing marks will be the mainmast of the committee boat or a flagstaff with an orange flag and a pin with a flag or one of the marks listed above.

9.2         The Race Committee may choose to place a barging mark close behind the committee boat. The purpose of the barging mark is to prevent boats from colliding with the committee boat prior to and during a race. This mark shall be considered to be an extension of the committee boat and therefore no boats may pass between the barging mark and the committee boat.

10  The Start

10.1     Races will be started in accordance with Rule 26 of the Racing Rules of Sailing. The Answering Pennant shall be a red and white striped flag or shape. The Warning Signal (class flag) shall be a white flag or shape. The Preparatory Signal shall be code flag “P” or a blue shape with white squares. If more than one class is racing, additional class flags shall be designated.

Except in series races identified in the race schedule, if a single class is represented by 4 or more boats, the race committee may provide separate starts for that class. Classes will start at 5 minute intervals and in the order specified by the race committee. Races with more than one fleet or class starting will be started in accordance with Rule 26.

10.2     Time is taken from the visual signals (flags / shapes). The failure of a sound signal shall be disregarded.

10.3     The start line is between a staff displaying an orange flag or shape on the committee boat at the starboard end and a mark at the port end. The port end of the starting line will be one of the following course marks A, B, C, or D or a pin. The barging mark is an extension of the committee boat and not part of the starting line.

10.4     Boats whose preparatory signal has not been made will keep clear of the starting area and of all boats whose preparatory signal has been made.

10.5     The Race Committee shall only start a race when the wind is at least 3 MPH throughout the 5 minute start sequence.  The Great River Race is excluded from this rule.

11  Recalls

11.1     Individual recalls will be signaled in accordance with racing rule 29.1.

11.2     When a general recall has been signaled a new warning signal for a new start of the recalled class will be made one minute after the lowering of the first substitute flag.

12  The Finish

If the Race Committee boat is a sailboat, the finishing line will be between the main mast of the committee boat and one of the following: the course marks A, B, C, or D, or a pin. If the committee boat is a pontoon boat, the finish line will be between a flag staff with an orange flag on the committee boat and one of the following: the course marks A, B, C, or D, or a pin. The committee boat should also hoist a blue flag or shape to designate that the finish line is set. Once finished, boats should clear the area of the finish line.

13  Time Limit

The time limit is two hours. When no boat finishes within the prescribed time limit, the race shall be abandoned. The two-hour time limit does not apply to pursuit fastnet races or the Great River Race in which case the time limit is at the discretion of the race committee.

14  Protests

14.1     Protests shall be written on forms available at the BCSA clubhouse and lodged there within 30 minutes after the race committee or representative docks. The race committee will give a sound signal when they dock.

14.2     The protest committee will hear protests in approximately the order of receipt as soon as possible.

14.3     Protest notices will be posted within 30 minutes of the protest time limit to inform competitors where and when there is a hearing in which they are parties to a protest or named as witnesses.

15  Handicapping

15.1     The US Sailing Association 2009 Portsmouth Yardstick shall be used to determine handicaps to the extent that the handicaps are specified therein. Handicaps not specified therein shall be determined by the race committee.

15.2     The following allowance modification factors from Table VI shall be used with the D-PN and Wind Handicap to calculate handicaps:

(a)    Class normally with the spinnaker, not equipped with one

(b)   Class normally without spinnaker, carrying one

(c)    Headsail allowances will be used

(d)   Other allowances may be employed at the discretion of the Race Committee (e.g. spinnaker pole deviations, unusual prop orientation allowance)

15.3     Corrected times will be calculated by dividing the elapsed time (in decimal minutes) by the handicap then multiplying by 100.

15.4     Boats will be scored in order of corrected time with the smallest corrected time first, the next larger corrected time second, and so forth.

16  Scoring

16.1     Individual Races

Each boat starting and finishing a race, and not thereafter retiring or being disqualified, will be scored points equal to her finishing place, as follows:

Each place thereafter shall add 1 point. Except in series races, all other boats, including a boat that finishes and thereafter retires or is disqualified, will be scored points equal to one more than the total number of boats entered.

16.2     Day or Regatta Score

A.    Each race will be scored according to 16.1

B.     Each boat’s day or regatta score will be determined by finding the sum of her scores for all races held, excluding any throw-outs. Beginning with the lowest total sum, each boat will then be scored points equal to her relative standing, as follows:

16.3     Series Scoring

A.    Each race will be scored according to 16.1 with the following modifications: Boats that came to the starting area but retired, were disqualified or did not finish will be scored points equal to one more than the number of all boats that came to the starting area.

B.     Each day will be scored according to 16.2. Boats that did not come to the starting area will be scored points equal to one more than the number of boats entered in the series.

C.     For a 4 race series, competing boats must participate in the number of race days minus one race day to be scored for the series. The series scores for each boat will be the sum of her race scores for each race day, excluding the throw-out(s). The qualified boat with the lowest series score is the winner and others are ranked accordingly.

D.    For a 6 race series, the series scores for each boat will be the sum of her race scores for each race day, excluding 2 throw-outs. The qualified boat with the lowest series score is the winner and others are ranked accordingly.

16.4     Ties

A.    Day Races or Regattas – When there is a tie on total points between two or more boats, the tie will be broken in favor of the boat with the most first place finishes in individual races, and if the tie remains, the most second place finishes, and so on for such races as count for total points. If a tie still exists it will be broken in favor of the boat with the better finish in the last race in which the tied boats competed and did not throw-out the race’s score.

B.     Series Races – When there is a tie on the total points between two or more boats, the tie will be broken in favor of the boat with the most first place day’s scores, and if the tie remains, the most second places scores, and so on, using only the scores for each boat that count for her series score. If a tie still exists, all individual races will be counted (excluding throw-outs) and broken in favor of the boat with the best score. If a tie remains, each boat’s race scores shall be listed in order of best to worst, and at the first point where there is a difference the tie shall be broken in favor of the boat with the best score. 

C.     Rule A7 of the Racing Rules of Sailing, regarding sharing and equal prizes for ties, shall only apply when all other practical means of breaking the tie are exhausted.

17  Throw-outs

17.1     For regattas, a boat may throw-out one of her scores if the total number of races exceed 5. If the total number of races exceeds 8, there will be 2 throw-outs.

17.2     For a 4 day series race, a boat shall throw-out one entire day’s score. For a 6 day series race, a boat shall throw-out 2 entire day’s score. The race day(s) not included in the scoring shall be the highest race day score(s). A boat’s throw-out(s) shall not be used to break a tie.

18  Penalties

No changes from the RRS.

19  Prizes

19.1     Trophy Eligibility for Series races and Pursuit Fastnet races

In order to be eligible for a trophy, the race entrant must have served as a Primary Race Officer, or an Alternate Race Officer at least once during the calendar year. Serving as Race Committee on other races, such as the Great River Race or Multi-club regattas will count as credit towards trophy eligibility. Exceptions will be at the discretion of the Race Committee Chairman. In the event that a race is cancelled, credit will still be given for those who were to be to be Primary or Alternate race officers for that day.  Those serving as Race Officer will be scored a 3 for that day.

19.2     Awarding of Prizes

Prizes will be awarded as follows:

20  Boat Number

A boat’s identifying number shall be its mainsail number. No two boats of the same type shall possess the same mainsail number. In the even that two boats of the same type have the same mainsail number, the boat whose mainsail does not match that of the hull shall be penalized unless there are other identifying features by which the race committee may easily distinguish between competing boats.

Appendix A – Pursuit Fastnet Races

When this instruction is used it will replace instructions in sections 10 and 15 of the sailing instructions.

10        The Start

10.1     Races will be started in accordance with Rule 26 (See section 10.1 of these sailing instructions.)

10.2     The race committee will specify each boat’s start time as minutes and seconds after the starting signal.

10.3     The starting line will be between the main mast of the committee boat at the starboard end and the port end starting mark.

10.4     Boats whose preparatory signal has not been made will keep clear of the starting area and of all boats whose preparatory signal has been make.

15        Handicapping

15.1     The current Portsmouth Yardstick, as published by US Sailing Association, shall be used to determine handicaps. Each year, new numbers are published, and will be in effect as soon as they become available.

15.2     The following allowance modifications factors from Table V shall be used with the D-PN and Wind Handicap to calculate handicaps:

(e)    Class normally with the spinnaker, not equipped with one

(f)    Class normally without spinnaker, carrying one

(g)   Headsail allowances will be used

(h)   Other allowances may be employed at the discretion of the Race Committee (e.g. spinnaker pole deviations, unusual prop orientation allowance)

15.3     The Portsmouth handicap shall be converted to time-on-distance handicaps based on Table V in the Portsmouth Yardstick.
               PHRF = (DPN – 55) X 6

15.4     The PHRF handicap of each boat shall be multiplied by the course length in miles to obtain the time allowance in seconds. The boat(s) with the largest time allowance will start at the start of the race. The start time for each remaining boat is obtained by subtracting its time allowance from the time allowance of the scratch boat. This is the time in seconds after the start that a boat is allowed to start.

15.5     Boats will be scored in order of finish.

Notes: