RM Challenge Series 63rd September 2017TgaRSC
Marblehead Class
2017 Challenge Series 6
Sailing Instructions
Dates: Sunday 3rd September 2017
Organising Authority: Tauranga Radio Sailing Club
Venue: Lake Taurikura
Scoria Close entrance, Tauriko
Tauranga, New Zealand
1 Rules:
1.1 All racing will be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2017-2020 (RRS) as changed by RRS Appendix E thereof, the Marblehead Class Championship Rules, The Notice of Race (NOR), the Sailing Instructions (SI), the Marblehead Class Rules and the Equipment Rules of Sailing (ERS).
1.2 The Championships shall be raced and scored under HMS 2016 v3 or better. Modifications to the promotion / relegation provisions of the HMS may be made.
1.3 The Sailing Instructions shall prevail in the case of a conflict with the Notice of Race.
2 Eligibility:
2.1 The Championship is open to any Marblehead Class Yacht, the owner and skipper of which is/are affiliated to their National Association and is/are a current financial member of a radio yacht club affiliated to their National Association, and holding both a current registration and measurement certificate. Measurement Certificate is to be produced at registration. All competitors shall confirm their entry at registration and present their boats for any measurement or scrutiny as required.
2.2 Boats may be spot checked at any time during the regatta
3 Notices to Competitors:
3.1 Notices to competitors will be verbal by the appointed Race Officer (RO), and confirmed in writing on the notice board.
4 Changes to Sailing Instructions:
4.1 Any change to these sailing instructions will be advised verbally by the RO at a skippers meeting prior to the start of competition each day and confirmed in writing on the notice board..
5 Schedule of Races:
Sunday 3rd SeptemberRegistration / 0830hrs
Briefing / 1000hrs
First Race / 1030hrs*
Last race / 1600hrs*
· Prize Giving approx 20 mins after last race completed
· Or at Race Officer’s discretion
In any Race except the last, all heats need not be completed prior to the completion of a days racing.
6 Racing Area
6.1 The Racing Area is a defined area with limits set as “The Bridge” at the Southern end and The Northern end of Lake Taurikura, entry from the Landing Drive – Scoria Close pathway.
7 The Course
7.1 The course to be sailed will be advised verbally by the RO prior to the warning signal for the first race of the day. A board showing the course will also be used.
7.2 The RO shall verbally advise any change of course no later than the warning signal for the next race. The change will also be noted on the notice board.
7.3 Should any yacht reach the first windward mark on a single tack the RO may, at their discretion, abandon the race and reset the course for that race.
8 Marks
8.1 Marks used will be the standard TgaRSC numbered/lettered bouys with some non standard bouys used as required.
9 The Start
9.1 Races will be started as follows:
A verbal call of “Boats to the water” shall be made approximately 1 minute before the start of a 1 minute countdown.
A verbal call will come every 10 seconds until the final 10 seconds which will be counted down individually to the start signal.
9.2 The starting line will be between numbered/lettered buoys to be used as verbally advised by the RO and shown on the notice board.
9.3 Recalls: Following a General Recall rule 30.1 will apply. Following a Second General Recall in the same race rule 30.3 will apply except that notification will be verbal.
10 The Finish
The finishing line will be between numbered buoys to be used as verbally advised by the RO and shown on notice board.
11 Time Limits
11.1 The time limit for the first boat to sail the course and finish shall be 30 minutes.
11.2 Boats still sailing the course and failing to finish within 5 minutes after the second boat sails the course and finishes will be scored their position on the water at that time as judged by the RO.
12 Protests and Requests for Redress
12.1 Protests and requests for redress shall be advised to the RO within the appropriate time limit.
12.2 The protest time limit is 5 minutes after the last boat has finished the race in which the incident occurred OR just prior to the warning signal for the next race, whichever is the sooner.
12.3 The RO will inform competitors of any hearing in which they are parties or named as witnesses. Hearings will be held as soon as possible after the completion of the race in which the protest arose.
12.3 Decisions of the protest committee will be final.
13 Race Observance
13.1 The RO may appoint Race Observers who may be competitors, not competing in the current race.
13.2 All competitors will be advised of any observers appointed.
13.3 The IRBOS system may be used. (Refer appendix A)
14 Racing System
14.1 The racing will be sailed under the Heat Management System (HMS 2016) and its associated scoring system except where modified by these sailing instructions.
14.2 HMS 2016 v3 (Finish of Heat – Time Out Limit) shall be replaced by: In any heat, any boat(s) still racing 5 minutes after the first (1st) boat has finishes the course will be scored their place on the water as judged by the Race Officer at the 5 minute point.
14.3 The number of heats, and size of higher order heats, will be determined by the number of entries unless permanently withdrawn boats allow a reduction in the number of heats.
14.4 The number of boats promoted / relegated may be modified to provide increased sailing opportunity for all competitors.
14.5 The Time Limit for the first boat to finish in any heat shall be 30 minutes.
14.6 Discards shall be made after the 4th and 8th races and then every 8th race thereafter.
15 Basic Principles:
15.1 A fundamental principle of sportsmanship is that when competitors break a rule they will promptly take a penalty, which may be to retire.
15.2 If a competitor sees other boats breaking a rule without taking appropriate penalty he has a right to protest those boats.
16 Identification on Sails:
16.1 Rule E8(b)(3) shall not apply to full sail suites measured before 1st January 2013.
16.2 Rule E8.G1.3(a) shall not apply to sails measured between 1st January 2013 and 31st December 2016 provided they comply with RRS 2013-16 E8.
17 EXONERATION
17.1 The on the water exoneration under Rule 21 is only available if the boat required to give room or mark room verbally acknowledges its infringement and carries a penalty turn or retires.
18 Heat Marshaller / Launching:
18.1 Skippers are to follow the instructions of the Heat Marshaller for the launching prior to their heat
18.2 Once a boat has been launched the skipper shall immediately vacate the jetty and immediate area.
18.3 No adjustments shall be made whilst on the jetty.
18.4 Any skipper failing to follow the instructions of the Heat Marshaller or failing to immediately vacate the launching area may be excluded from that heat or be liable for action under Rule E7.
19 Protests – “FiDRO”: (Final Decision by Race Officer)
19.1 Unless any party to the protest elects for the protest to be heard by a full Protest Committee, protests will be held by the FiDRO Officer and will be conducted orally without written protest forms.
19.2 Acceptance of the FiDRO system is final – no further protest will be considered by the Protest Committee.
19.3 Protests will be held in approximately the order of receipt.
19.4 The SYRPH (System for Reducing Protest Hearings) may be adopted by the race committee. The Race officer will advise accordingly at the briefing.
19.5 A FiDRO decision may receive a DSQ (Disqualification – may be discarded).
19.6 Protests to a Protest Committee shall be on written forms available from the Race Committee and must be lodged within 20 minutes after the first boat finishes in that heat.
19.7 If the PROTESTING Boat elects a full Protest Committee and is disqualified it will be given a DNE (Disqualification – not able to be excluded), unless the Protest Committee deems that the protest was lodged in good faith and determines that the penalty should be a DSQ.
20 Penalties:
20.1 Rule 44.1 is changed to: A boat may take a One-Turn Penalty when she may have broken one or more rules of Part 2, or rule 31, in an incident while racing. However,
(a) when she may have broken a rule of Part 2 and rule 31 in the same incident she need not take the penalty for breaking rule 31;
(b) if the boat gained a significant advantage in the heat or race by her breach despite taking a penalty, her penalty shall be an additional One-Turn Penalty;
(c) if the boat caused serious damage, or as a result of breaking a rule of Part 2 she caused another boat to become disabled and retire, her penalty shall be to retire.
21 Conduct:
21.1 The New Zealand Radio Yachting Association recognises that major events offer considerable publicity opportunities to the Association and the sport in general. Competitor behaviour can impact unfavourably on the sport and all competitors are advised that their actions will be under scrutiny and in the event of any behaviour which is in breach of good manners or sportsmanship, or which may bring the sport into disrepute will result in a hearing in accordance with Rule 69.1. The Principle Race Officer and all Race Officials have been directed to record any incidents which will be dealt with to the full extent available to the Protest Committee. Penalties available to the Protest Committee include exclusion from the race in question, or subsequent races, or the regatta, or any other action within the Committee’s jurisdiction.
22 Liability:
22.1 Competitors sail entirely at their own risk. Neither the Organising Authority, nor any of the organising bodies or individuals appointed or volunteering for the contest, accepts any liability for damages (material or personal) suffered during the races or at any time, nor are they responsible for the seaworthiness of any boat whose entry is accepted or the sufficiency or adequacy of its equipment.
RACING WITH OBSERVERS
Observers
(a) The race committee may appoint observers, who may be competitors.
(b) Observers shall hail the sail numbers of boats that make contact with a mark or another boat and shall repeat the hail as appropriate.
(c) At the end of a heat, observers shall report to the race committee all unresolved incidents, and any failure to sail the course as required by rule 28.
Rules for Observers
Observers and umpires shall be located in the control area. They shall not use any aid or device that gives them a visual advantage over competitors.
IRBOS
INFRINGEMENT CALL BY OBSERVER SYSTEM
Rule E5.1 and E5.3 will be used in the following manner:
Race observers shall note in the book supplied all incidents involving contact between boats or between boats and a mark. They shall also listen for hails of protest and note the sail number(s) of the boat(s) so hailing.
Race observers shall report all unresolved instances and any failure to sail the course as required by Rule 28.1 to the race committee at the end of the heat.
If an observer has seen an incident of boat/mark or boat/boat contact he shall immediately hail the sail numbers of the boats involved.
Any boat breaking a rule of the RRS in an incident called by the observer shall be obliged to immediately sail clear and take one – turn penalty or face the subsequent protest committee hearing.
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