Tralee Bay Sailing Club

DINGHY SAILING INSTRUCTIONS 2010

1. GENERAL   

Racing will be held under the rules of the I.S.A.F.(2005), the I.S.A. and Tralee Bay Sailing Club. The rules are taken to include the appendices attached thereto.

2. Responsibility

Competitors and their crew sail entirely at their own risk. It shall be the sole responsibility of each competitor to decide whether or not to sail, start, or continue to race. Boats are the responsibility of competitors, whether owners, tenants or borrowers, and they shall be liable for all damages arising from infringements of racing rules and sailing instructions.

3. Insurance

It is the duty of each boat owner to have his boat insured against any risk, including civil responsibility to Third Parties. It is a requirement to have a current Insurance certificate to be presented upon request. Failure to do so may result in disqualification, i.e. insurance is compulsory.

4. ELIGIBILITY 

All permanent Helms and Crews must be members of TBSC. Guest sailors are permitted for a maximum of three races, after which they must become members. All sailors must pay the relevant entry fee prior to racing. In the event of failure to pay the appropriate fee race results may not be given, or may be adjusted accordingly by the dinghy committee at any time thereafter.

5. SAFETY.

Adequate personal buoyancy shall be worn at all times. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Wetsuits or dry suits do not constitute adequate personal buoyancy. Each boat shall carry a bow rope (of at least three meters), in position at all times.

Competitors and their crew sail entirely at their own risk.

6. RESCUE BOAT'S RIGHT OF WAY

When on rescuing maneouvres, a rescue boat shall have right of way over competitors.

7. STARTING SIGNALS

Starting signals will be in accordance with RRS 26. RRS 26 is amended as follows.

Racing shall be started using either sound and/or visual signals, as shown below. Times shall be taken from the visual signals and the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded. In the absence of visual signals then the times shall be taken from the sound signals.

Prior to the Warning Signal  a series of short sound signals may be made to alert competitors that the warning signal will be made shortly.

8. RECALLS

As per rule 29 as amended below.

Individual Recall                   1 sound signal and/or Flag X.

General Recall                      2 sound signals and/or 1st substitute

The absence of either one of the sound signals or visual signals shall be disregarded.

9. SCORING SYSTEM

In each fleet three boats are required to cross the start line to produce a valid race.

Each boat finishing shall score points in each race as follows: -

1^st place             0.75points

2^nd place            2 points

3^rd place            3 points

4^th place            4 points

Etc

All other boats, including a boat that is in the start area at the start of a race but thereafter retires or is disqualified will be scored points for the finishing place one more than the number of boats that were competing boats in the race.

Average points will be awarded for regional, national and school team racing dinghy events, for O.O.D duty and those rostered for safety boat duty. Points for events shall only be rewarded when the committee has been informed in advance of the event. Requests for other events should be made in advance to the committee – regional and national events will generally be accepted. Points may also be awarded for races on the day immediately preceding an event. Sailing instructors who are asked to cover for a colleague at short notice may also claim average points.

Average points will be calculated after the discards for that series.

Discards: The number of discards will be calculated in relation to the number of races completed in a series as follows: -

A change of helm during a series constitutes a new entry. A change of crew is permissible with the approval of the OOD.

Where a competitor uses a different rig in any race (e.g. radial or full rig), during a series the handicap to be used will be that of the higher rig for all the races in the series. Races previously sailed shall be re-calculated if required.

10. SERIES

A minimum of four races is required to constitute a series. If this does not occur the races will count towards the following series. In this situation Wednesday races will count towards Wednesday series only and Saturday/Sunday races will count towards Saturday/Sunday series only.

11. O.O.D DUTIES

If you are scheduled as O.O.D, regardless if you race or act as O.O.D, you will be given your average points for that race.

12. MIRROR, LASER, TOPPER, OPTIMIST AND SAILOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS.

These awards shall be made on the basis of a sailor’s results as follows:

        Three best results in the following series:

• May Sunday Series
• May June Wednesday Series
• June Saturday series
• July Saturday Series
• July August Wednesday Series
• August Saturday Series

        Result in Spring regatta

        Result in Autumn regatta

One of these 5 scores shall be discarded. In the event of a tie then the sailor with the best result in the Autumn regatta shall be the winner. If neither sailor has sailed in the Autumn regatta then the best result in the Spring Regatta shall decide the winner.

13. DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE 

Courses will be decided by the O.O.D. on the day and advised at the briefing. Also included at the briefing will be a description of the marks and the time limit if it applies.

It is the decision of the OOD whether conditions are suitable for a race to start or continue and his/her decision is final.

14. SHORTENING COURSE

Courses may be shortened at the discretion of the O.O.D by finishing at any of the rounding marks.

15. AVERAGE LAPS

There is a wide range of different dinghies in the fleet, as well as a wide difference in the experience of sailors. In order to facilitate these and to give a reasonable and fair race to all sailors the average lap system may be used. The O.D shall have total discretion to finish boats at any time, irrespective of the number of laps completed. No racer shall suffer a disadvantage by completing more laps e.g. if the wind should drop during their last lap. In this situation their average may be calculated over fewer laps

16. ALTERATIONS TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS.

The Sailing Committee may vary these instructions by posting a notice in writing on the Official Dinghy Notice Board at least one hour prior to the starting of the race.

17. PETER GREENE MEMORIAL TROPHY

The Peter Greene trophy will be limited to members who are under 19 years on the 1^st of January preceding the event. Optimists may not be sailed in this event.

18. THE YOUNG HELMSMAN TROPHY

The Young Helmsman trophy is limited to members under the age of 16 on the 1^st of January preceding the event. Only Optimists may be sailed in this event.