HSC SAILING INSTRUCTIONS 2024

 

  1.0  RULES

​

 1.1  All club racing will take place under the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the prescriptions of the

  RYA, these sailing instructions and the appropriate class rules.

  1.2  All club events are designated category B.

 

  2.0  CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

 

2.1  GENERAL

2.1.1  The safety of a yacht and her entire management, including insurance to cover third party risk

to a minimum of £5,000,000, shall be the sole responsibility of the owner / competitor racing the yacht who must ensure that the yacht and her crew are adequate to face the conditions that may arise during the course of the race.

2.1.2  Neither the establishment of these sailing instructions nor the inspection of the yacht under these conditions in any way limits or reduces the absolute responsibility of the owner / competitor for his crew, the yacht and the management thereof.

2.1.3  The race organisers shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury howsoever caused to the owner/competitor, skipper or crew as a result of their taking part in the race or races. Moreover, every owner/competitor warrants the suitability of the yacht for the race or races.

 

2.2  MEASUREMENT CERTIFICATES

All boats must have a measurement certificate and or comply with the class rules. In exceptional circumstances the Sailing Committee may request a competitor to present a valid measurement certificate before that yacht is permitted to compete in the HSC race programme.

 

2.3  SAIL NUMBERS
A yacht may use an alternate sail number other than that required by RRS 77 provided they

make the race committee aware prior to the race. All yachts racing should have a sail number. If a yacht has no sail number the helm should inform the Race Officer (prior to the race start). The Race Officer will determine if the yacht will be allowed to participate or not.

 

2.4  ELIGIBILITY

2.4.1  Competitors for all club events, other than those designated Open or Interclub are to be

members of HSC although a non-member may race up to four times per season (in club races) as a guest, after which they shall be required to apply for membership or not participate any further that season.

2.4.2  Non-members racing shall complete an HSC Open meeting entry form

 

2.5 PERSONAL BUOYANCY / WINTER CLOTHING

RRS 40.1 Personal Buoyancy shall not apply. Competitors shall wear adequate personal buoyancy at all times while afloat to include whilst racing. Neither a wetsuit, nor a dry suit constitutes adequate personal buoyancy. In addition to personal buoyancy, appropriate clothing for the prevailing colder conditions must be worn whilst racing between November 1st and 30th March.

​

 

  3.0 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice boards located in the entrance hall of

HSC.

​

​

  4.0  CHANGES TO THE RACING PROGRAMME OR SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

​

4.1  Any changes in the racing programme and / or sailing instructions will be posted for 6 days

before the advertised starting time of the race or races concerned.

4.2  Races postponed may be run on subsequent dates of the same series without need to give separate notice to a maximum of 3 races on any day

 

  5.0 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

Flag signals made ashore, for sea racing will be hoisted on a flagpole visible above the HSC clubhouse roof, and for harbour racing will be hoisted on a flagpole situated at the rail of the starting platform adjacent to the RNLI station or the harbour side balcony of HSC clubhouse.

 

  6.0 SCHEDULE OF RACES

​

The Racing Programme indicates the schedule of races and the first fleet start times.

​

  7.0  CLASS FLAGS

​

7.1  The Sea Fleet (all boats competing in a race scheduled to take place within Christchurch Bay) shall use “numeral one” as its class flag.

7.2  The Harbour Fleet (all boats competing in a race scheduled to take place within ChristchurchHarbour) shall use “numeral three” as its class flag.

Note: This may vary for Club Champ, Interclub Events and Open Event.

​

  8.0  THE COURSE

​

8.1  The course configuration shall be determined by the race committee on the day of racing. Details of its shape and the number of rounds may be displayed on the chalk board in the club foyer or on the support boat.

8.2  The Race Committee may shorten a race giving competitors differing numbers of laps. In these circumstances the Race committee shall add time to those competitors who have completed less laps. The amount of time to be added shall be equal to the number of laps that that competitor failed to complete multiplied his/ her average lap time

​

  9.0  MARKS

​

9.1  Sea: Yellow inflatable marks shall generally be used for racing marks although a dan buoy with a flag may be used as a start / leeward mark. Alternative marks may be used in the case of long distance races when navigational marks may also be used.

9.2  Harbour: Course marks are pink spherical buoys permanently laid. The approximate position of these marks is displayed on the chart adjacent to the race notice board in the clubhouse foyer. A further mark may be laid adjacent to the club house.
At the discretion of the Race Officer inflatable buoys may also be laid on the day of racing.

​

  10.0 STARTS

​

10.1  Sea Racing: The start line is defined as the line between the mast on the starting boat flying an orange flag and a starting buoy (usually carrying an orange flag)

10.2  Harbour Racing: The starting line will normally be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the” starting platform” situated adjacent to the RNLI station and an outer starting line mark

which shall be a yellow spherical buoy. At the discretion of the Race Officer the start line may alternatively be between a mast flying an orange flag on a starting boat and a starting buoy. 7

10.3 Starting Procedure

The normal starting procedure shall be used in accordance with the RRS. Ie 5 min, 4min 1 min Go!

​

  11.0  PROHIBITED AREA PENALTIES

​

11.1  All boats are prohibited from passing between the outer post mark of Clarendon rocks and Mudeford Sandbank.

11.2  All boats are prohibited from the buoyed exclusion areas for birds in the harbour

11.3  Certain areas of the Harbour are out of bounds to sailors and are marked with yellow buoys. The area that is most likely to affect an event is the one round Blackberry Point on the edge of Stanpit Marsh. Sailors are not to enter these areas when racing. Doing so in an emergency is permitted but will be taken as a retirement from that race.

​

  12.0  FINISHING

​

12.1  Sea Racing: The finishing line shall be between the mast displaying a blue flag aboard the finishing boat and the finishing mark which shall be the nearby rounding mark

12.2  Harbour Racing: The finishing line shall be between the mast displaying a blue flag either on the finishing boat or the starting/finishing platform and the finishing mark which shall be the nearby rounding mark.

​

  13.0  TIME LIMITS

13.1  Sea and Harbour Racing: RRS 35 shall not apply.

13.2  The time limit for any particular race is to be determined by the Race Officer

​

  14.0  PROTESTS

​

14.1  Protests shall be written on R.Y.A. protest forms available from the clubhouse and shall be lodged with the Race Officer within 60 minutes of the last yacht finishing the last race of the day, unless extended at the discretion of the Race Committee. Protests will be heard in approximate order of receipt as soon as possible. (Normally the same day

14.2  The time and place of protest hearings shall be notified by being’ displayed on the on the racenotice board in the foyer of the clubhouse

​

  15.0  SCORING SYSTEM

​

15.1  The low points scoring system, Rule A2 will apply, with races scheduled as per the Racing Programme, of which 2 shall be completed to constitute a series.
A helm may race different classes of boats within a series and combine his or her results to calculate his / her final result. Specifically, however, a competitor racing a Laser, Laser Radial or Laser 4.7 shall be scored for all races in the series based upon the handicap for the faster boat if he or she uses differing rigs within a series. The same principle applies to the RS Aero 9, 7 and 5 rigs.

Each competitors total score shall be the sum of her scores for all races, excluding her worst scores determined in accordance with the following table:

12 - 14 9 - 11 6 - 8 4 - 5

races sailed, races sailed, races sailed, races sailed,

discard 4 worst scores discard 3 worst scores discard 2 worst scores discard 1 worst scores

If fewer than 4 races are sailed, no discards shall be allowed.

15.2  Average Points for series races will be awarded for Race Officer and Rescue Boat duties as rostered. Average points are derived from the sum of the best scores available at the conclusion of the series after allowing the relevant discards
The average points are then re-entered into the scores profile and the total score finally computed.

15.3  If an Open meeting is held at the same time as a club race all those assisting with the Open event will be awarded average points as above for races missed.

15.4  Awarding of Points: For all series races scheduled in the Racing Programme, points shall be awarded to the helm not the yacht. Where more than one class of yacht is sailed by the same helmsman in a particular series, points shall be awarded to the yacht and not the helm.

Where a competitor chooses to change between rig sizes to suit conditions e.g. Laser / Laser radial /Laser 4.7/Laser Rooster it shall be counted as one entry, but in such case the handicap to be applied to that entry for all races in that series, is the handicap of the fastest rig used.

15.5  Series Tie
If, after discard, two or more boats have the same points total the tie will be broken in accordance with RRS Appendix A8

15.6  Handicap numbers
Generally, the RYA published Portsmouth Yardstick numbers are used. Discretion is however

given to the Sailing Committee to make minor amendment if there is a reasonable case to do so

​

  16.0 SEA RACING RESTRICTIONS

​

Yachts with a Portsmouth Yardstick Number in excess of 1300 must be approved by the Race Officer to compete in Sea Fleet handicap races. This decision will be based upon prevailing weather conditions and available safety cover

​

  17.0 OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE

​

As a variation to the RRS competitors may receive assistance from the Race Committee and continue to compete providing they receive no significant racing advantage

​