Notices To Competitors

GUNPOWDER REGATTA May 1 and May 2, 2021 Organizing Authority: Hobie Class Assn. of North America, Hobie Class Division 11 and Hobie Fleet 54 Division 11 Hobie 14 Championship Gunpowder State Park - -Hammerman Area, Maryland SAILING INSTRUCTIONS 1 RULES 1.1 The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing 2021-2024. 2 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS & INFORMATION MEETING(S) 2.1 Notices to competitors will be posted electronically on Regatta Network with QR code to access. 2.2 There will be a competitors’ Zoom meeting on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at 10:00am. Other competitors’ meetings may be scheduled as required. 3 CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted not less than 60 minutes prior to the first scheduled race on the day it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by the close of protest time (instruction 15.2) on the day before it will take effect. 4 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE 4.1 No signals will be made ashore. 5 SCHEDULE OF RACES 5.1 The scheduled race information is given in the table below. Refer to instruction 11.5 for order of start. 5.2 On the last day of the regatta no warning signal will be made after 3:00pm. 5.3 One extra race per day may be sailed, provided that no class becomes more than one race ahead of schedule and the change is made according to instruction 3. Day Date Class Time of First Warning Signal Maximum Number of Races per Day Saturday May 1, 2021 All 11:30 hrs Unlimited Sunday May 2, 2021 All 10:00 hrs 4 6 CLASS FLAGS 6.1 Class flag assignments will be announced at the Skipper’s meeting and posted on the official notice board. 7 RACING AREA 7.1 Appendix B shows the location of racing areas. 8 THE COURSES 8.1 IHCA courses will be used. Reference Appendix A. 8.2 No later than the warning signal the race committee signal boat may display the approximate compass bearing and distance of the first leg. 8.3 All marks left to port, except gates. 9 MARKS 9.1 Marks shall be orange tetrahedrons or as announced at the Skipper’s meeting and posted on the notice board. 9.2 The starting and finishing marks will be orange tetrahedrons 9.3 If a barging (keep away) buoy is used at the RC signal boat, neither the buoy nor its line shall rank as part of the boat, and neither will rank as an obstruction. 10 THE START 10.1 The starting line will be between an orange flag on the signal boat and the windward side of the mark as described in instruction 9.2 10.2 Boats whose warning signal has not been made, shall avoid the starting area during the starting sequence for other races. 10.3 The Appendix U Audible-Signal Racing System will be used to minimize the number of volunteers needed to support the race in compliance with COVID-19 protocols. No signal flags will be utilized and the starting sequence will be three minutes with only audible signals. 10.4 A boat starting later than three minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start without a hearing. This changes RRS A4. 10.5 Minimum wind conditions: No race will be started in under 3 knots of wind at all marks of the course as determined by the Race Committee. 10.6 Order of the initial start will be announced at the initial competitors’ meeting, and will be posted on the official notice board. Multiple classes may be started together at the discretion of the Race Committee. 11 CHANGE OF THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE 11.1 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. 11.2 Except at a gate, boats shall pass between the race committee boat signalling the change of the next leg and the nearby mark, leaving the mark to port and the race committee boat to starboard. 12 THE FINISH 12.1 The finishing line will be between an orange flag on the signal boat and the course side of the mark as described in instruction 9.2 13 PENALTY SYSTEM 13.1 Rule 44.1 is changed so that the Two-Turns Penalty is replaced by the One-Turn Penalty 14 TIME LIMITS AND TARGET TIMES 14.1 Time limits and target times are as follows: Class Race Time Limit A Mark Time Limit All 90 minutes 30 minutes 14.2 If no boat has passed Mark A (the initial weather mark) within the Mark A time limit the race will be abandoned. 14.3 Boats failing to finish within 30 minutes after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored Did Not Finish without a hearing. This changes RRS 35, A4 and A5. 14.4 FINISHING ON THE WATER: Boats may be finished on the course at the discretion of the RC. The Race Committee determines the method and order of finishing. This changes RRS 35 and A4. 15 PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS 15.1 Protest forms are available online at: US_Sailing_Hearing_Request_Form_20210301_Fillable.pdf. Protests and requests for redress or reopening shall be delivered to the PRO via email at: lff315@msn.com within the appropriate time limit. 15.2 For each class, the protest time limit is 60 minutes after the signal boat has docked after the last race of the day and the time limit is posted on the official notice board. 15.3 Email notices will be posted no later than 30 minutes after the protest time limit to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses. Hearings will be held in a designated outdoor area or via Zoom or other electronic platform, the location of which shall be posted on the official notice board, beginning at the time posted on the official notice board. 15.4 A boat protesting another boat shall follow RRS 61.1(a) with the following modification: The ISAF requirement for under 6 meter boats applies to all Hobie Catamaran Classes. This changes RRS 61.1(a)(2). 15.5 Notices of protests by the race committee or protest committee will be posted to inform boats under RRS 61.1(b). 15.6 Breaches of instructions 10.2, 10.4, 17, 20 and 21 will not be grounds for a protest by a boat. This changes RRS 60.1(a). Penalties for these breaches may be less than disqualification if the protest committee so decides. The scoring abbreviation for a discretionary penalty imposed under this instruction will be DPI. 15.7 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 30 minutes after the requesting party was informed of the decision on that day. This changes RRS 66. 15.8 On the last scheduled day of racing a request for redress based on a protest committee decision shall be delivered no later than 30 minutes after the decision was posted. This changes RRS 62.2. 16 SCORING 16.1 One race is required to be completed to constitute a series. 16.2 (a) When three or fewer races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores. (b) When four or more races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score. 17 SAFETY REGULATIONS 17.1 CHECK IN: Boats are requested to check in by hailing their sail numbers to the RC signal boat before the start of the first race each day (and the first race following any postponement ashore). 17.2 A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible. 18 REPLACEMENT OF CREW OR EQUIPMENT 18.1 Substitution of competitors will not be allowed without prior written approval of the race committee, under the provisions of IHCA General Class Rule 17. 18.2 Substitution of damaged or lost equipment will not be allowed unless authorized by the race committee. (a) Substitution of sails will not be allowed without prior written approval of the race committee, under the provision of IHCA General Class Rule 12.3. (b) Requests for substitution of equipment other than sails shall be made to the race committee at the first reasonable opportunity. 19 EQUIPMENT AND MEASUREMENT CHECKS 19.1 A boat or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules and sailing instructions. On the water, a boat can be instructed by a race com¬mittee equipment inspector or measurer to proceed immedi¬ately to a designated area for inspection. 19.2 All boat, crew weight, and equipment violations may additionally be protested under RRS 2 (Fair Sailing) and would be scored DNE – Disqualified Not Excludable. Whenever possible, competitors should be warned of potential equipment violations on the beach before racing when observed by other competitors, the protest committee, or regatta officials. 20 TRASH DISPOSAL Boats shall not put trash in the water. Trash may be placed aboard support and race committee boats. 21 RADIO COMMUNICATION Except in an emergency, a boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats, under the provision of IHCA General Class Rule 16.3. This restriction also applies to mobile telephones. 22 PRIZES Prizes will be mailed to competitors. 23 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, prior to, during, or after the regatta. 24 INSURANCE Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum coverage of $100,000 (USD) per event or the equivalent. 25 SPECIAL NOTES 25.1 On the water, no questions will be answered by the race committee. 25.2 Any boat receiving ‘hands on’ assistance from rescue/mark boats will be scored Did Not Finish. This changes rule A5. The race committee may decide when a boat or crew needs assistance. 25.3 SPORTSMANSHIP: The race committee may request redress for competitors who exhibit extraordinary sportsmanship. IHCA ADDITIONAL SAFETY NOTES TO ALL SAILORS GENERAL If wind, wave, or water conditions make you doubtful of your ability to handle the conditions, please retire from the race. ELECTRICAL POWER LINES – AVOID !!! Before raising the mast, and always while sailing, check for and avoid low overhead electrical power lines. If you see a power line, AVOID IT! A MAST COMING IN CONTACT OR EVEN NEAR AN ELECTRICAL POWER LINE CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO PEOPLE ON OR TOUCHING THE BOAT!