Sailing Instructions

Download a printable copy of the 2020 Season Sailing Instructions

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

2020 SEASON

Organizing Authority

MARBLEHEAD RACING ASSOCIATION

Marblehead, MA, USA - www.mheadrace.org

Boston Yacht Club	Corinthian Yacht Club	Eastern Yacht Club

1 RULES

1.1 - The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.

1.2 - This event is being held in compliance with all the current requirements, policies, restrictions and procedures promulgated by Federal, Massachusetts State and local government entities that may apply during the Covid-19 Pandemic, furthermore, this guidance shall be carefully followed by MRA, competitors, and other race staff.

1.3 - Crew Members: Each skipper shall maintain a list of all crew name, phone and email address and date they sailed.

1.4 - All classes shall be limited to 3 people on board.

1.5 - All classes shall be required to wear a face covering while racing.

2 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to Competitors. Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board online on the regatta home page. https://theclubspot.com/regatta/NQT4vm6VYE

3 CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted before 0800 on the day it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by 1800 on the Friday before it will take effect.

4 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

4.1 - Signals made ashore will be displayed on the yardarms at BYC, CYC and EYC and will be repeated by text to the competitors.

Competitors are encouraged to monitor VHF Channel 78 for courtesy announcements regarding postponed or abandoned races and any change in starting area. Announcements may be made after flag/sound signals and on approximately the hour and half-hour.

4.2 - Signals made ashore:

5 SCHEDULE OF RACES The club race committee staffing sequence is South/North Line.

5.1 - Schedule

5.2 - The intention is to sail a minimum of two races.

5.3 - The scheduled time for the first warning signal for the first race each day is 1230, except for the Town Class, whose first warning signal is scheduled no earlier than 1330.

5.4 - Flag A displayed, with no sound, while boats are finishing means 'No more racing today.'

6 CLASS FLAGS

Class flags for each class will be the class insignia or numeral pennants as follows:

7 RACING AREAS

The 'MRA Racing Chart' shows the location of racing areas.

8 THE COURSES

8.1 - The racing courses are detailed on the Marblehead Racing Association web site here, including the approximate angles between legs, the order in which marks are to be passed, and the side on which each mark is to be left.

8.2 - The approximate compass bearing and distance from the signal boat to Mark 1 and the course pattern will be displayed on the signal boat.

8.3 - The course will not include a leeward gate.

8.4 - The course will not include an offset mark.

8.5 - A green placard or a green flag displayed no later than four (4) minutes before the start means 'Mark 1 for the class about to start will be a green tetrahedron. This applies to each rounding of Mark 1 by this class' (changes RRS 27.1 and Race Signals).

8.6 - A pink placard/a pink flag displayed no later than four (4) minutes before the start means 'Mark 1 for the class about to start will be a pink tetrahedron. This applies to each rounding of Mark 1 by this class' (changes RRS 27.1 and Race Signals).

9 MARKS

9.1 - Except as provided in this SI 8.5, 8.6 or 9.3, the turning marks will be orange tetrahedrons for South Line and yellow tetrahedrons for North Line, or a M flag displayed on a race committee boat.

9.2 - When Mark 1 is orange or yellow, a change mark will be a pink tetrahedron, and a subsequent change will revert to orange or yellow (as the case may be). When Mark 1 is green, a change mark will be identified by a black band, and a subsequent change will be un-banded. When Mark 1 is pink, a change mark will revert to orange or yellow (as the case may be).

9.4 - The normal starting and finishing marks will be green tetrahedrons.

9.5 - In the event of racing under this SI 4.2, H over class flag(s), rounding marks may be other than orange or yellow tetrahedrons.

10 THE START

10.1 - The starting line will be between a staff on the race committee signal boat from which an orange flag is displayed and the nearby mark at the port end of the line.

10.2 - The next class starting will have its class flag, as defined in SI 6, flown one (1) minute prior to the warning signal.

10.3 - Audible signal system will be used. A Five (5) Minute start sequence will be used based upon the timing of RRS 26.

10.4 - The race committee will attempt to hail boats that are identified as on the course side (OCS) on the VHF channel listed in SI 19.1. The failure to hail, the hail of some but not all boats, or untimely hail of a boat or boats shall not be grounds for granting redress. This changes RRS 62.1(a).

11 THE FINISH

11.1 - The finishing line will be between a staff on a race committee boat from which a blue flag is displayed and the nearby mark

11.2 - In the interest of starting another race in a timely fashion, the race committee may assign a finish position to the last finisher(s) in a fleet provided that the position(s) can be determined in a reasonable manner.

11.3 - A gun or other sound signal for a boat crossing the finish line is a courtesy only; the presence or absence of such a signal does not change a boat's finishing status.

12 PENALTY SYSTEM

12.1 - RRS Appendix V, Alternative Penalties, will apply. Submit request for Alternative Penalties to mraprotests@mheadrace.org

13 TIME LIMITS AND TARGET TIMES

13.1 - The time limit for the first boat in each class to finish is 2 ½ hours.

13.2 - Boats failing to finish within 30 minutes after the first boat in their class sails the course and has finishes will be scored DNF without a hearing. This changes RRS 35, 63.1, A4, and A5.

14 PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS

14.1 - RRS 61.1(a)(2) is deleted. All boats shall conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity regardless of hull length.

14.2 - For each racing line, the protest time limit is sixty (60) minutes after that racing line's signal boat has docked.

14.3 - Protests forms are available on the Official Notice Board and on the MRA web site. Protests forms shall be submitted to mraprotests@mheadrace.org.

14.4 - Protest hearings will be held virtually. Hearing will be a Zoom type meeting held at a mutually agreed to time.

15 SCORING

15.1 - Boats scored DNC, DNS, OCS, DNF, RET and DSQ will be awarded points equal to 1 more than the number of registered boats that crossed the starting line (changes RRS A9).

15.2 - A race will only be started and scored for a class in which two (2) or more boats start (changes RRS A4.1).

16 SAFETY REGULATIONS

16.1 - A boat shall check in before her first start of each day and shall advise the race committee of the number of souls on board.

16.2 - Checking in by radio is not allowed unless the race committee announces an exception on the VHF channel listed in SI 19.1.

16.3 - A boat that decides not to start after coming to the racing area, or that withdraws from a race, or that does not start a second or subsequent race shall advise the race committee as soon as reasonably possible.

16.4 - A boat that borrows sails shall strike through the numbers with a thin strip of tape and shall notify the race committee when checking in; this changes RRS 77 and Appendix G.

16.5 - The race committee shall penalize a boat without a hearing for a breach of SI 16.1, 16.2 or 16.4 by applying a 20 percent scoring penalty as calculated in RRS 44.3(c) for each race in which a breach occurs. This changes RRS 63.1 and A5.

17 EQUIPMENT

Each competing boat shall carry a working VHF Radio. The race committee shall penalize a boat without a hearing for a breach by applying a 20 percent scoring penalty as calculated in RRS 44.3(c) for each race in which a breach occurs. This changes RRS 63.1 and A5.

18 OFFICIAL BOATS

Official boats will be marked as follows:

• The Race Committee Signal boat will fly a blue race committee flag.
• Mark and patrol boats will fly a yellow race committee flag.

19 RADIO COMMUNICATION

19.1 - Emergency conditions should be reported directly to the race committee on VHF radio.

Channel 78 for the South Line, and VHF Channel 71 for the North Line. Each race committee will monitor the appropriate frequency from the time they leave the dock until they return to the dock at the end of the day. Boats in need of assistance can call the Marblehead Harbor Master on VHF Channel 16. For transportation of any persons from the water to shore, they shall be directed to the Marblehead Town Landing per the Marblehead Emergency Response procedure.

19.2 - Race committee broadcasts concerning its intentions (postponement or abandonment, the course to be sailed, starting times, course changes, etc.), are a courtesy only. Failure of the race committee to make a broadcast, the timing of the broadcast or the failure of a boat to hear a broadcast shall not be grounds for granting redress under RRS 62.1(a).

20 PRIZES

Day prizes will be awarded to boats finishing first in each race for each class in which two (2) or more boats start. Day prizes will be available from the clubs staffing the lines for the respective classes on the day of the race.

21 DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See RRS 4, Decision to Race. The organizing authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury, or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta.

MARBLEHEAD RACING ASSOCIATION

FLEET REPRESENTATIVES