SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1 RULES

All dinghy and tidal series racing will be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the rules of the appropriate Class Association (except as any of these are changed by these sailing instructions) and by these sailing instructions. Separate sailing instructions will be issued for offshore passage racing and Open Events.

2 ENTRIES

2.1 INSURANCE AND LAKE LICENCE

All boats shall hold a current class certificate and third party insurance for at least £5,000,000 and, for races held on the Marine Lake, a current Lake Licence.

2.2 HELM ELIGIBILITY

Helms must be members of WLYC to be eligible for club dinghy and tidal racing trophies/awards, or members of either the WLYC or SSC to enter the Joint One Day Event racing (except as stated in 2.3 below).

2.3 VISITING HELMS

Bona fide visitors may be eligible to race at the discretion of the Sailing Committee or Officer of the Day, but will not be scored.

2.4 SIGNING ON

Eligible Helms shall enter the class, sail number, helm and crew details on the race sheet (located adjacent to the Club Notice Board) before racing.

2.5 CREWS’ RACE

The Crews’ Race is for members who have crewed regularly during the season and have not helmed in more than 6 club races since 1st January prior to the Race. Boats competing in the Crews’ Race shall be awarded average points for a series race that is raced at the same time. Single hander dinghies shall not be sailed “two up” in the Crews’ Race. No other club race will sail concurrent with the Crews’ Race 2.6 Ladies’’ RACE

Boats competing in the Ladies’ Race shall be awarded average points for the series race that is raced at the same time. Single hander dinghies shall not be sailed “two up” in the Ladies’ Race. No other club race will sail concurrent with the Lady’s Race

2.7 LASER – VARIATION OF SAIL PLAN

Laser helms may choose to sail with Laser Standard, Radial or 4.7 rigs in class racing, where appropriate PY will be applied in each race. In class racing all Lasers will start together, regardless of rig. In class and handicap racing the use of a Radial or 4.7 rig shall be indicated when signing on otherwise the standard handicaps will be applied.

2.8 RACE MANAGERS

The Officer of the Day (OoD), Assistant (AOD) and safety boat personnel will be eligible to be counted as entrants for each race they help to manage and may count such races towards qualifying for a series. They will be awarded average points (see 11.5). Race officers should record on the OOD’s record sheet each race for which they require average points.

3 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

3.1 PERSONAL BUOYANCY

All competitors shall wear adequate personal buoyancy at all times when afloat. When sailing on the tide all competitors shall wear adequate personal buoyancy at all times. During the period from 1st October to 1st June wet suits or dry suits shall be worn in addition to personal buoyancy during tidal racing.

3.2 COMPASS

When sailing on the tide it is recommended that each dinghy shall carry a compass.

3.3 FOR TIDAL RACING

A boat shall indicate by a tally system that she has returned safely ashore.

3.4 SAFETY ON THE WATER

Any boat that is capsized, stranded or its crew are in the water for more than 10 minutes, shall be towed to safety. This is for the safety of that competitor and the safety of the rest of the fleet racing.

4 COMMUNICATIONS TO COMPETITORS

4.1 NOTICE BOARD

All notices, the course, the declaration sheet and results will be displayed on, or adjacent to, the Club Notice Board which is situated between the accessible toilet and the bar or our website.

4.2 FLAG SIGNALS,

Other than shorten course signals, will be displayed from the Committee Boat which will fly the WLYC burgee for identification.

4.3 ALTERATIONS TO INSTRUCTIONS

The race committee reserves the right to alter, amend or add to these Sailing Instructions by notice posted on the Club Notice Board not later than 20 minutes before the start of any race. Any change in the schedule of races will be posted on the Club Notice Board at least five days before it will take effect. Competitors will be responsible for acquainting themselves with any such amendments, etc.

5 COURSE AND NUMBER OF LAPS

5.1 THE COURSE

and number of laps for each fleet will be displayed at least ten minutes before the start of each race. At the discretion of the OoD a Slow Handicap fleet may be set a smaller number of laps than other dinghies. All course marks shall be rounded in the required side and the correct order shown.

5.2 CHANGE OF COURSE

If a displayed course is amended shortly before the start of a race to which it applies, attention will be drawn to the amendment by displaying code flag ‘C’ accompanied by two sound signals.

5.3 TIDAL COURSE

The course to be sailed for dinghy racing will be displayed at a briefing on shore before launching.

(a) If it is a water based start, the first mark will be a windward mark. In the event of a major wind shift during the race the windward mark may be repositioned and signified by the display of Code Flag ‘C’ at the leeward mark. The position of subsequent marks may be altered.

Race length will be two laps unless indicated differently from the Committee Boat or a RIB that will deploy starting signals and sounds.

(b) If it is a Shore Based Start, the OoD shall remain on shore and manage the race via radio or mobile phone to the RIB that will deploy starting signals and sounds. The starting line will be an extension of a transit on shore between two poles with orange diamonds and a base limit mark. The first leg may not be to windward: if heading north towards Southport all marks will be left to port, if heading south towards Formby all marks to be left to starboard. The sound and visual signals will be made from a safety boat near the starting line. The finish line will be between the base mark and a shorebased pole with an orange diamond. Race length will be two laps unless indicated differently at the briefing or from instruction from a RIB.

(d) Premature starters shall be awarded 10% of their race time as a penalty.

5.4 OUT OF BOUNDS

The area of the lake to the north east of an imaginary line between the slipway on the north west shore and the end of the breakwater (extending from the Promenade opposite) is sometimes out of bounds, and the line bounding this area will rank as an obstruction. However, provided there are no ski / power boats on the lake, at the sole discretion of the OoD the area may be used

5.5 VESSELS RESTRICTED IN THEIR ABILITY TO MANOEUVRE

The Southport Belle and other craft operated by The Lake Licensee shall be regarded as a vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre and as such dinghies shall keep out of her way.

6 STARTING

RRS Rule 26 (Starting Races) is varied as follows:

6.1 TIME OF START

The start time of the first race will be as stated in the Sailing Calendar in the Club Handbook. Any subsequent start times will be after a convenient interval. A boat shall not start later than two minutes after her starting signal.

6.2 THE STARTING LINE

A line joining a pole or mast flying the Club Burgee and a white mark, or a transit from the control tower to a white mark. The start line may also be limited by a white inner distance mark, in which case boats shall sail between the inner and outer distance marks when approaching the starting line from the pre-course side to start.

Starting line buoys will be marks of the course at the start only.

6.3 THURSDAY EVENING

Starting signals will be made at two minute intervals (4 - 2 - GO).

(a) Series A, B, C, D, E, S, and 100 will be fleet starts in the following order: Handicap fleet (Code Flag ‘F’), Enterprise (Code Flag ‘E’), then GP14 (Code Flag ‘A’); note the handicap fleet may be scored as 2 separate classes: Fast Handicap and Slow Handicap. In the months of April and September there will be a single start but scored as in class racing.

(b) The Crews’ Race will compete in a separate race on a Thursday evening.

(c) The Ladies’ Race will compete as part of Thursday evening series racing but scored as a handicap fleet with a separate start.

6.4 SATURDAY SERIES RACING

Starting signals will be made at two minute intervals (4 - 2 - GO).

(a) There will be a single start and scored as handicap racing.

(b) If there are too many starters for a long start line then, at the discretion of the OoD, the racing may be separate class starts.

6.5 TIDAL RACING

shall use the 5-4-1-0 sequence for the start. In the event there are more than 3 dinghies of the same class on the tidal course then those dinghies will race as a class; the remainder will remain in a handicap fleet. The general Handicap fleet will use Code Flag ‘F’.

6.6 RECALLS

If one or more boats are over the line at the start, a further sound signal will be given and Code Flag ‘X’ will be displayed, until such boats have returned and started to the satisfaction of the race officer or two minutes have elapsed, whichever is the earlier. Recall numbers will not be displayed.

This varies RRS Rule 29.1.

6.7 GENERAL RECALL

To indicate a general recall two further sound signals will be given and the “First Substitute” displayed until one minute before the fresh Preparatory Signal. Any subsequent starts will also be affected by the general recall. The “Rounding an End” requirement of RRS Rule 30.1 will apply to all subsequent starts for the recalled fleet. No signal will be displayed or otherwise made to indicate the start of the one minute interval before the new preparatory signal.

6.8 POSTPONEMENT

A postponed race will, if possible, be re-sailed on a date fixed either by the Sailing Committee or one of the Captains and a notice shall be posted on the Club Notice Board at least five days before the re-sailed date.

7 FINISHING

7.1 THE FINISH LINE

will be either:

(a) a line joining the outer white painted upright post on the race movable white post and a white buoy, or

(b) a line joining the mast of the Committee Boat and a white buoy or:

The white finish buoy will be a mark of the course at the finish only,

7.2 SHORTENING COURSE

Two sound signals will be given and code flag ‘S’ displayed close to the mark at which the course is to be shortened. All boats should then round the mark and sail directly to the finish line. A shorten course signal intended to apply only to one fleet will be accompanied by the appropriate code flag.

This varies RRS Rule 32.

7.3 TIME LIMIT

A time limit of 15 minutes for class racing and 30 minutes for handicap racing shall apply after the leading boat in each fleet has finished. Any boat not finished by this time will be deemed to have retired.

This varies RRS Rule 35.

8 PENALTIES AT THE TIME OF AN INCIDENT

The two-turns penalty as defined in RRS Rule 44.2 will apply.

9 PROTESTS

Notice of intent to protest shall be given to the race officer immediately upon coming ashore. Protests shall be written on the forms available from the race officer. Completed forms shall be handed to the race Officer within 30 minutes of completion of the days racing.

10 DECLARATIONS

A Boat that retires from a race shall not pass through the finish line. If retiring after finishing, the OOD must be informed.

11 SCORING

One starter shall constitute a race for club series racing; however more than one dinghy will be required to race in a trophy race.

11.1 RACES TO COUNT

The number of races to count in each series shall be half-plus-one (rounded down if necessary to a whole number) of the total number of races sailed.

11.2 RACE POINTS

The Low Points System RRS Appendix A4.1 shall apply.

11.3 RACE POINTS – HANDICAP RACING

Any change of class in a handicap series will be treated as a separate entry.

11.4 TIE BREAKS

Ties shall be broken in accordance with RRS Appendix A8.

11.5 AVERAGE POINTS

Will be calculated for eligible helms by taking the total of the points scored in a series for the races actually helmed, divided by that number actually helmed.

12 LIABILITY

By signing on for each race competitors agree to accept all liability for taking part in that race. West Lancashire Yacht Club does not accept any liability for injury or damage or loss of any kind arising out of its racing activities. Nothing done by the organisers can reduce the responsibility of the boat nor will it make the organisers responsible for any loss, damage, death, or personal injury, however it may have occurred, as a result of the boat taking part in the racing. The organisers encompass everyone helping to run the race and the event, and include the organising authority, the race committee, the race officer, safety boats, and beach masters.

RACE COMMITTEE

To meet RYA requirements there will be a “Race Committee” which shall consist of the Offshore Captain, Dinghy Captain and the Officer of the Day. A quorum of two may be formed.