SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MINNOW STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018

To be conducted from Saturday 3th – Monday 5th March, by the Minnow Class Association of WA

Hosted by Dunsborough Bay Yacht Club (Inc)




  1. RULES
  1. The regatta will be governed by the ’rules’ as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing, the special regulations of Yachting Australia, the Minnow Association class rules and by these Sailing Instructions.
  1. In starting sequences, flag U as detailed in RRS L 11.5 may be used.
  1. Novice Division –The Novice division is to encourage participation andenjoyment of the State Championships for the inexperienced sailors. It is expected that sailors skilled enough to sail in the Open Division shall do so in order to maintain the spirit of the Novice Division.

Final acceptance into the Novice Division will be made after the Invitation Race by the State President of Western Australia (or nominated representative) in conjunction with the Race Committee chairman. Refer to the MAWA website for the Minnow Novice Fleet Guidelines.

The Novice Division will race under the ISAF Introductory Rules for Racing (refer to Appendix B).

  1. Open Division - Sailors not competing in the Novice Division will complete in theOpen Division. This division shall comprise:

a)Open Division: All Minnow sailors who are not competing in the Novice Division.

b)Junior Division: Any Minnow sailor under twelve years of age on the day of the first scheduled race of the Regatta, and who is not competing in the Novice Division.

  1. Open and Novice Divisions will race on separate courses with a common start and finish lines. Location of these courses will be identified at each sessions briefing.
  1. Coaching is allowed on the Novice course by official coach boats appointed by the Western Australian Minnow Class Association.
  1. Discretionary Penalties will apply to those SI's marked with a “DP”.
  1. Standard penalties will apply to those SI’s marked with a ‘SP’

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2.NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to competitors will be posted on the official sailing notice board located at the Dunsborough Bay Yacht Club.

3.CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Any change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted no later than forty five (45) minutes before the start time of any race it will affect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by 1800 on the day before it will take effect.

4.SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

  1. Signals made ashore will be displayed at the flag mast located on the front verandah of DBYC.
  1. When flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 20 minutes’ in the race signal AP.
  1. When flag Q is displayed ashore, competitors must not leave the beach until this signal is lowered. Flag Q will be lowered no less than 20 minutes prior to the first warning signal.
  1. When a division flag is displayed, the instruction will refer to that division only.

5.SCHEDULE OF RACES

  1. One (1) Invitation Race and eight (8) Championship Races are scheduled.
  1. No more than five (5) races will be conducted per day. Some days may include a morning and afternoon session.
  1. For back to back racing the Warning Signal for the next race in the session will be made as soon as possible after the finish of the preceding race.
  1. On Monday 5th March, no warning signal will be made after 1200.
  1. The Race Officer may call competitors meetings at any time.
  1. The schedule of race sessions will be as follows.

Date / Time / Activity
Saturday 3rd Mar / 0800 / Registration
0900 / Briefing and Information Session
1000 / Invitation Race
1300 / First Warning Signal – Afternoon Session
Sunday 4th Mar / 0900 / First Warning Signal – Morning Session
1200 / Minnow Association AGM
1300 / First Warning Signal – Afternoon Session
Monday 5th / 0900 / First Warning Signal – Morning Session
Presentations

6.CLASS FLAGS

  1. Open Division class flag will be a black Minnow emblem on a blue background.
  1. Novice Division class flag will be a blue Minnow emblem on a white background.

7.RACING AREAS

  1. The racing area is in Geographe Bay in the vicinity of Dunsborough Bay Yacht Club.
  2. A briefing will be held before teh first race session to identify the racing area for each fleet. Racing areas will be determined based on weather. Further briefings may be held prior to subsequent race sessions at the discretion of the Race Officer if the racing area for any fleet is to be changed from that used in the previous race session.
  3. If the reving area is required to be changed during the race session, the committee boat shall display Code Flag “L” during the move to the new location. All boats in that class shall follow the committee boat to the new location.

8.THE COURSES

  1. Courses are detailed in Appendix A.
  1. Novice Division will only sail Course 1 or Course 2.
  1. All marks will be rounded to Port.

9.MARKS

  1. Open Division –Marks 1, 2 & 3 will be red Red & Yellow cylindrical buoys.
  1. Novice Division –Marks 1, 2 & 3 will be orange cylindrical buoys.
  1. The starting and finishing pin end marks will be a round orange buoy.
  1. New marks, as provided in Sailing Instruction 11 will be a round orange buoy.

10.THE START

  1. Races will be started by using rule 26 – Starting Races.
  1. The start line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the Committee Boat at the starboard end and a pin buoy displaying an orange flag at the port end.
  1. A boat starting later than five (5) minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start without a hearing. This changes rule A4. SP
  1. To alert competitors and coaches that the next race sequence will commence, the orange flag will be displayed with a long sound signal. The flag will be raised at least five minutes before the warning signal is displayed.
  1. If flag U has been displayed as the preparatory signal, no part of a boats hull, crew or equipment shall be in the triangle formed by the ends of the starting line and the first mark during the last minute before her starting signal. If a boat breaks this rule and is identified, she shall be disqualified without a hearing, but not if, after she breaks the rule, the start is recalled or the race is postponed or abandoned. This changes rule 26 – Starting Races. When U flag is used as the preparatory signal, rule 29.1 – Individual Recall does not apply. The scoring abbreviation for a U flag penalty is UFD. This changes rules 29.1 – Individual Recall and A11 – Scoring Abbreviations. SP.
  1. CHANGE OF THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE

To change the next leg of the course, the Race Committee will lay a new mark (or move the finishing line) and remove the original mark as soon as practicable. When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark.

  1. THE FINISH

The finish line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the Committee Boat at the starboard end and a pin buoy displaying an orange flag at the port end. The Committee boat will display a blue flag under the orange flag to indicate it is in the finishing position.

  1. PENALTY SYSTEM OPEN DIVISION

For each division Rule 44.1 – Taking a Penalty - is changed so that two (2) penalty turns are replaced by one (1) penalty turn.

  1. TIME LIMITS
  1. The Time limit for each race will be seventy (60) minutes.
  1. Boats failing to finish within thirty (30) minutes after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored Did Not Finish without a hearing. This changes rules 35, A4, A5, and 63.1. SP
  1. RETIREMENT AND OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE – DP
  1. Any boat retiring from a race shall, where possible, notify an official Race Committee Boat prior to returning to shore. Should a boat be unable to notify a Race Committee boat they shall advise the Race Office immediately on returning ashore and complete the Retirement form within the protest time limit.
  1. A boat receiving outside assistance shall report that assistance to the Race Office and complete the Outside Assistance form within the protest time limit.
  1. SI 15.2 does not apply to the Novice Division.
  1. PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS – DP

Section 16 and 17 does not apply to the Novice Division, as they will sail under the ISAF Introductory Rules for Racing (refer to Appendix B).

  1. Protest forms are available from the Regatta Office at DBYC.
  1. Protests and requests for redress or reopening shall be delivered to the Race Office within the time limit.
  1. The protest time limit is forty five (45) minutes after the last boat has finished the last race of the session in which the protest occurred.
  1. Notices will be posted no later than thirty (30) minutes after the protest time limit to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties. Hearings will be held in the DBYC Race Office, or at another venue as advised on the protest notice, beginning at the time posted.
  1. Notices of protests by the Race Committee or Protest Committee will be posted to inform boats under rule 61.1(b).
  1. On the last scheduled day of racing a request for redress based on a Protest Committee decision shall be delivered no later than thirty (30) minutes after the decision was posted. This changes rule 62.2.
  1. On the last scheduled day of racing a request for reopening a hearing shall be delivered:

a)Within the protest time limit if the requesting party was informed of the decision on the previous day;

b)No later than thirty (30) minutes after the requesting party was informed of the decision on that day. This changes rule 66.

  1. Breaches of SI’s marked “DP” will not be grounds for a protest by a boat. This changes rule 60.1(a). Penalties for these breaches may be less than disqualification if the Protest Committee so decides.
  1. ARBITRATION
  1. Rule 44.1 – Taking a Penalty is changed to permit a boat that has broken a rule of Part 2 or rule 31 to take a penalty after racing but prior to any protest hearing. Her penalty shall be a scoring penalty equal to a finishing place mid-way between the boat's actual finishing place and the score for a disqualification. Half points shall be disregarded and the points of other boats shall not be adjusted.
  1. An arbitration hearing will be conducted for all protests lodged in accordance with rule 61 – Protest Requirements which allege an infringement of a rule of Part 2 or rule 31. Such hearings will be held subsequent to the protest being lodged and prior to the protest hearing.
  1. The time and place of the arbitration hearing will be decided by the Arbitrator and such advice may be given verbally. One representative of each boat will attend the arbitration hearing and no witnesses will be allowed. The Arbitrator will decide the manner in which testimony is given.
  1. After taking testimony, the Arbitrator will make one of the following conclusions:

a)The protest does not comply with rule 61 and the protester should withdraw the protest.

b)The matter shall proceed to a protest hearing. This may be because rules not suited to arbitration may be involved or because evidence is too complex

or divergent or because injury, serious damage or a significant advantage may have occurred or because of the apparent severity of the alleged infringement or for any other reason decided by the Arbitrator.

c)No rule was broken and the protester should withdraw the protest.

d)A rule was broken by one or more of the boats involved, the infringing boat(s) may accept a scoring penalty as detailed above and if so accepted, the protester should withdraw the protest.

  1. An arbitration hearing shall not be reopened. No conclusion of an Arbitrator shall be subject to appeal or be grounds for redress.
  1. Should the protest proceed to a protest hearing then the Arbitrator may be a member of the Protest Committee. Any evidence given by an Arbitrator during a protest hearing shall be given only in the presence of the parties to the hearing.
  1. SCORING
  1. The low point scoring system of RRS Appendix A will apply.
  1. Four (4) races are required to be completed to constitute a series.
  1. When six (6) or fewer races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores.
  1. When from six (6) to eight (8) races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her two (2) worst scores.
  1. A maximum of eight (8) races are scheduled for the championships.
  1. SAFETY REGULATIONS – SP
  1. Sign On

All competitors must sign on prior to commencement of each race session. The sign on sheets will be located under the front veranda of DBYC. Failure to sign on will result in a boat being given a score equal to their finishing place plus a penalty of 25% of the total number of boats in the fleet in which they are entered. Scores shall not be more than that for a Did Not Compete, half points will be disregarded, the points of other boats shall not be adjusted. This changes rule 63.1 – Requirement for a Hearing.

  1. Sign Off

On returning to shore after each race session all competitors must sign off no later than forty (40) minutes from the finishing time of the last boat. Failure to sign off will result in a boat being given a score equal to their finishing place plus a penalty of 25% of the total number of boats in the fleet in which they are entered. Scores shall not be more than that for a Did Not Compete, half points will be disregarded, the points of other boats shall not be adjusted. This changes rule 63.1 – Requirement for a Hearing.

  1. REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT – DP

Substitution of damaged or lost equipment will not be allowed unless authorised by the Race Committee. Requests for substitution shall be made in writing to the Race Committee at the first reasonable opportunity.

  1. EQUIPMENT AND MEASUREMENT CHECKS – DP

A boat or its equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules and Sailing Instructions. On the water, a boat may be instructed by a Race Committee equipment inspector or measurer to proceed immediately to a designated area for inspection.

  1. OFFICIAL BOATS

The Committee Boats may be marked with the DBYC Club Burgee.

  1. SUPPORT BOATS – DP
  1. Support boats shall stay outside of the restricted racing area (unless requested by the Race Committee) from the time of the warning signal until all boats have finished, retired or the Race Committee signals a postponement or abandonment. The Race Committee will protest any support boat infringing in the racing area. A penalty may be applied to all boats associated with the support personnel.
  1. The restricted race area is defined as the area bounded by the area 100m outside the course marks and 100m clear of any boats racing.
  1. SI 23 does not apply to registered Coach boats for the Novice fleet.
  1. RADIO COMMUNICATION – DP

A competitor shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This restriction also applies to mobile telephones.

  1. PRIZES

Open Division –The overall winner of the Open Fleet will be awarded the Western AustralianMinnow Champion Perpetual Trophy. Prizes will be awarded to the top three overall place getters of the Open Division.

Junior Division –Prizes will be awarded to the first three place-getters of the JuniorDivision.

Novice Division –Prizes will be awarded to the top three overall place getters of theNovice Division.

Most Improved – The Les Thomas Perpetual Trophy will be awarded to the most improved sailor. This shall be determined at the sole discretion of the Race Committee.

Additional prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the Minnow Association of WA.

  1. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

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

  1. INSURANCE

Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third party insurance with a minimum cover of AUD $10,000,000 per event or the equivalent. By signing the entry form, guardians are deemed to have made a declaration that the boat has such cover.

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Appendix A

Courses

∙1

∙2 Start/Finish

∙3

Course 1 will be indicated by Numeral Pennant 1.Start-1-2-3-Finish

Course 2 will be indicated by Numeral Pennant 2.Start-1-2-3-1-3-Finish

Course 3 will be indicated by Numeral Pennant 3.

Start-1-2-3-1-3-1-2-3-Finish

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Appendix B

Introductory Rules for Racing

Version 1.01 - February 2008

Some Explanations

Windward and Leeward: The leeward side of your boat is the side where yourmainsail lies. The windward side is the other side.

Port and Starboard tack: You are on port or starboard tack according to your windward side.

Advisor: A person appointed by the race organisers to assist competitors inunderstanding the rules and, when appropriate, to penalize a boat.

Basic Rules

1. You must comply with the principles of good sportsmanship.

  1. You must try not to collide with another boat. Rules When Boats Meet
  1. When you and the other boat are on opposite tacks, if you are on port tack you must avoid the boat on starboard tack.
  1. When you and the other boat are on the same tack, you must avoid the other boat

(a)if she is in front of you, or