OFFSHORE SAILING CLUB RACING PROGRAM SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

OFFSHORE SAILING CLUB RACING PROGRAM

2009

(version 2a as of 8/9/09)

*** The ISAF/US sailing rules will be followed with the following amendments for our special harbor.

Local Rules

1. Sailing into restricted zones results in immediate disqualification for the race.

2. Five horn blasts (the danger signal) from any vessel results in immediate disqualification for the race.

3. MARSEC warnings should be known and followed.

4. Any contact with another boat, the two (or more) parties will be disqualified for that race, regardless of who was at fault.

5. For evening races, in the last race of the evening, a boat must display working navigation lights at twilight, but it will be at the discretion of the committee to allow the race to continue after dark, or stop the race. Any boats still on the course if the committee chooses to stop the racing will be scored DNF. Any boats who successfully finished the race if the committee chooses to stop the racing will still be scored their proper points for finishing.

6. The committee will use its judgment as whether to start a last race or not with less than 30 min. left before official time of sunset.

7. The committee will use VHF Marine band radio transmissions to announce the course and any changes in course or sailing instructions to the racers. Each boat racing must have a working marine band VHF radio on board before leaving the dock. If the built in radio on the boat is not functional a hand held VHF radio must be provided by the sailors. If no one on the boat has a radio, please contact the committee so that one can be borrowed from another boat before leaving the dock. Lack of a radio or confusion over the committee's hailed instructions shall not be grounds for protest.

8. The committee will also fly signal flags and make sound signals from the committee boat to describe the course and the start sequence. A chart with those signals described is available for each boat from the committee at the dock. It is each boat’s responsibility to have the proper chart and knowledge to interpret those signals and lack of understanding shall not be grounds for protest.

9. The first warning and starting signals will be given promptly (at the committee’s discretion) at the published times for each racing session. Evening Sessions will have the 5-minute warning at 18:55 and the starting gun at 1900. Morning Sessions will have the 5-minute warning given at 09:55 and the starting gun at 10:00. Boats not at the starting area in time will not be given any special consideration. BE ON TIME.

10. It is the intent of the committee and the club to run as many races as possible each session. Racers are asked to stay close to the committee boat and the starting area prior to racing and between races. The committee may choose not to wait for boats who straggle away from the area.

10. For any boat being asked to give room at obstructions or commercial shipping or any of the designated security areas in the harbor, room should be given immediately. The committee will always rule on the side of safety in a situation where room was called for to avoid danger.

Racing Signals

An arrow pointing up or down means that a visual signal is displayed or removed.

A dot ( • ) means a sound; dots with dashes ( • _ _ _ _ • ) mean repetitive sounds.

Starting Sequence

Signal	Flag and sound	Minutes Before Start	Flags
Prior to Start Sequence	None	Undefined
Attention	Repetitive sounds	6	Remove AP Flag
Warning	Raise class flag: one sound	5
Preparatory	Raise P, I, Z, Z with I or Black One sound	4
One-minute	Preparatory flag removed One long sound	1
Starting	Class flag removed one sound	0

Preset Race Courses (“A” IS ALWAYS A PLACED BUOY MARKING THE START)

Pennant 1 A – W – A (W is a Placed Buoy)

Pennant 2 A – W – J - A (W and J are Placed Buoys)

Pennant 3 A – G – A (W is a Placed Buoy. G is a Government Mark(# indicated on White Board)

Pennant 4 A – G1 – G2 – A (W is a Placed Buoy. G1 & G2 are two Government Marks(#’s indicated on White Board)

Pennants 1, 2, 3 or 4 over A Means twice around the designated course

Pennants 1, 2, 3 or 4 over Special Means race to windward mark and finish at Morris Canal “G1”

1. Course will be indicated both with flags and written on a white board at the committee boat prior to the warning signal.

2. Course will also be announced on VHF on the designated race channel.

3. Mark “A” is the pin end of the starting / finishing line.

4. Bearing from “A” to “W” will be as close to the wind as practical.

5. Marks “A”, “J”, “W” are floating buoys placed by the Offshore Race Committee.

6. Mark “G” is a designated government mark.

7. The gate is open (boats may pass through the start/finish line on the way to a mark.

Race Course Zones

At the dock a white board will indicate in which zone number the starting line will placed. The Zones are:

ZONE 1: Morris Canal Entrance

ZONE 2: The Cove between the Train Station and Ellis Island

ZONE 3: The River just off the Statue of Liberty

ZONE 4: The Flats South of Governor’s Island

Postponement Signals

AP Races not started are postponed. The warning signal will be made 1 minute after removal.

AP over H Races not started are postponed. Further signals ashore.

AP over A Races not started are postponed. No more racing today.

Abandonment Signals

N All races that have started are abandoned. Return to the starting area. The warning signal will be made 1 minute after removal unless at that time the race is abandoned again or postponed.

N over H All races are abandoned. Further signals ashore.

N All races are abandoned. No more racing today.

Signals Before the Start

P Preparatory signal.

I Rule 30.1 is in effect (boats must be below start line at 1 min. signal)

Z Rule 30.2 is in effect. (boats are penalized if in triangle of start line and W at 1 min. signal)

Black Rule 30.3 is in effect (boats are disqualified if in triangle of start line and W at 1 min. signal)

Recall Signals

X Individual recall

First Substitute General Recall. The warning signal will be made 1 min. after removal.

Course Change Signals

Displayed no later than the 5 min. warning signal: Sail the short course.

Displayed at a rounding or finish mark: Finish between the nearby mark and the staff displaying this flag.

• _ _ _ _ •

C The position of the next mark has been changed.

Other Signals

Ashore: A notice has been posted.

Afloat: Come within hailing distance

• _ _ _ _ •

M The object displaying this flag replaces a missing mark..

(no sound)

Blue This race committee boat is in position at the finish line.

GOALS OF THE RACING PROGRAM:

The goals of the racing program are to Have Fun Racing, race with someone new, and encourage new people to join in the fun of racing. Sailors who like to race together should bring someone new into the group each time out. Individuals who are not part of a prearranged group should meet at the dock and form teams or join a group already on a boat. Offshore staff will assist with this. As soon as a boat has 4 sailors, a Race Card and has checked with the Committee Boat they should leave the dock.

THE RACING SERIES AND SPECIAL REGATTAS

There are multiple racing series programmed into the calendar for the summer. Some are multi-day ongoing series with winners to be chosen from the results of the entire series. Some are single day, stand alone regattas with the winners based solely on the results from one day. Here is a brief description each series, its scoring methods, and the date for the first and last race.

Name	Starts	Ends	Description	Awards Date
Sunday Series I	5/10/09	6/29/09	Six Sunday mornings in the first half of the season. Each day is a series of races scored like a regatta based on the 1^stplace = 1 pt. 2^nd place = 2 pts. 3^rd place =3 pts. Etc. system. The totals for each individual day will be used to determine the over all winner for that day and then each sailor will be assigned a overall finish for the day with the same point system used. Ties are allowed for the daily overall results At the end of the entire series the overall daily finish points will be totaled to determine the series winner. Each sailor’s worst daily finish will be thrown out, and traditional tie breaking methods will be applied to determine the final series results. A “virtual Award Plaque” will be awarded to the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place sailors for the series.	7/10/09
Wednesday Series I	5/20/09	7/8/09	Eight Wednesday evenings in the first half of the season. Scoring methods will be the same as described above for the Sunday I Series.	7/10/09

Championship Regatta Part I	7/12/09	7/12/09	A stand alone, one day regatta that will feature each of the six winners from the Sunday and Wednesday Part I regattas as the six skippers for the boats of this regatta. Crew for this event will be chosen at the dock as a rotating pick system with the Sunday 1^st place skipper having first pick. Wednesday 1^st place will be second pick, Sunday 2^nd place will be third pick, Wednesday 2^nd place will be 4^th pick etc. Winners will announced dockside immediately after the regatta.	7/12/09
Wednesday Series II	7/15/09	9/9/09	Nine Wednesday evenings in the second half of the season. Scoring methods will be the same as described above for the Sunday I Series.	9/11/09
Sunday Series II	7/19/09	8/30/09	Seven Sunday mornings in the second half of the season. Scoring methods will be the same as described above for the Sunday I Series.	9/11/09
Championship Regatta Part II	9/13/09	9/13/09	A stand alone, one day regatta with the same rules as the Championship Part I listed above.	9/13/09
Single Hand Regatta	9/20/09	10/11/09	A two day series of single hand racing (Two people to a boat with one sailor racing and the other sailor aboard as safety crew for an emergency. Duties will be rotated after each race). Spinnakers may be flown at the discretion of the crew. Each day will include an even number of races so that all sailors have the same number of races. The winners of each day will be determined and points for each day’s finishes will be determined and then totaled to find the overall winners.	10/31/09
Double Hand Regatta	9/27/09	10/18/09	A two day series of double hand racing. Spinnakers may be flown at the discretion of the crew. The winners of each day will be determined and points for each day’s finishes will be determined and then totaled to find the overall winners.	10/31/09

Long Distance Race	10/4/09	10/4/09	A full day long distance race. Course will be determined by the committee, but should be of about 10 to 15 nm.	10/31/09
After Dark Series	9/23/09	10/4/09	Four Wednesday evenings with races starting at twilight and continuing until about 9:30pm. Lights are mandatory on the boats and sailors will need to attend a night sailing seminar on 9/16/09 and must be familiar with the Coast Guard navigation lights section of the rules of the road. Scoring is the same as that used for the Sunday Series I listed above	10/31/09
Final Regatta	10/25/09	10/25/09	A stand alone regatta with traditional scoring.	10/31/09