NOYC GENERAL SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Rules All regattas will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2021-2024, US Sailing prescriptions, class rules, GYA Bylaws when applicable, and the Notice of Regatta. In the event of a conflict, the Notice of Regatta shall govern unless a posting is made to the official notice board.
  2. DECISION TO RACE Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 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.
  3. ENTRIES
    1. Unless stated otherwise, entry must be made for each regatta separately. Regattas not scheduled to be sailed on consecutive days require an entry for every day of sailing.
    2. Each entrant shall provide the following: event to be entered; skipper’s name; contact info (phone or email) and yacht club; boat’s make, sail number and name (if visible); and, as applicable, PHRF rating and fleet to be entered.
    3. Entry shall be made using one of the following methods: on the website at noyc.org, via phone (504) 283-2581, or at the NOYC bar.
    4. Entry will close 45 minutes prior the first warning signal.
  4. NOTICE TO COMPETITORS Notices will be posted on the NOYC bulletin board near the south entrance.
  5. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
    1. Changes in the sailing instructions will be posted no later than one (1) hour before the scheduled start of the first affected class on the day they will take effect, except that any change to the race schedule will be posted by 2000 hours of the previous day.
    2. On the water hailing – oral instructions may be given on the water per instruction 14.
  6. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE - (Changes Signal AP)
    1. Signals made ashore will be displayed from the flagpole located in NOYC dry storage.
    2. When flag AP is displayed ashore, races not started are postponed. If a numeral pennant is displayed ashore, it indicates in hours the minimum delay. Warning signals shall be made not less than 30 minutes after AP is lowered.
  7. CLASS FLAGS PHRF Class Flags are attached as Appendix B. One design class flags will consist of the Class Burgee, or in the case of Capediville events a GYA burgee, or will otherwise be posted on the notice board.
  8. NON-SPINNAKER SAIL RESTRICTIONS Boats in a non-spinnaker PHRF class may not carry a spinnaker as defined by RRS 50.4 or in Appendix B of the GYA PHRF Bylaws. Whisker poles are to be no longer than the yacht's spinnaker pole length (SPL), which is usually equal to the "J" measurement and found on the PHRF certificate. Whisker poles must follow RRS Rule 50.2.
  9. COURSE - (Changes Rule 27.1)
    1. Temporary mark courses shall use only temporary marks and shall be designated in accordance with Appendix A.
    2. Fixed mark courses shall use only fixed marks, except that one (1) temporary mark may be used, but only as the starting mark, the start/finish mark, or the first mark after the start and shall be listed as Σ in the course designation. Standard fixed mark courses shall be designated as provided in Appendix A. The relative angles of the legs may vary from the diagrams to accommodate the fixed marks.
    3. No later than the preparatory signal for each class, the RC boat shall display the following: (this changes Rule 27.1)
      1. The course designation for the starting class.
      2. For courses using one or more temporary marks, the approximate compass bearing from the start to the first mark after the start.
      3. For handicap temporary mark courses, the approximate distance, in tenths of nautical miles, from the start to Mark 1.
      4. Note that different courses may be designated for different classes.
    4. The Race Committee may hail course information using the methods provided in instruction "on the water hailing".
  10. MARKS
    1. Fixed marks designations, with heading and distance are found in Appendix C. A missing fixed mark may be replaced with an orange cylinder, but its original fixed mark designation shall remain
    2. Temporary rounding marks used for one or all marks of a course shall be orange inflatable marks except for change marks which will be yellow.
  11. THE START
    1. The start will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the committee boat and at the starting mark.
    2. Competitors shall stay clear of the starting area when not in sequence.
    3. A boat starting later than five minutes after her starting signal will be scored DNS without a hearing. This changes Rule A4.1
  12. RECALLS - (Changes Rule 29)RRS Rule 29 is changed to include that the race committee may also attempt to hail the sail numbers of recalled boats as per instruction 15, and may further attempt to hail each boat after it has returned to the pre-start side of the starting line. Failure to hear a hail is not grounds for protest.
  13. CHANGE OF THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE
    1. When using temporary marks, to change the next leg of the course the race committee will lay a new mark and remove the original mark as soon as practicable. The change will be signaled before the leading boat in a class being changed has begun the leg, although the new mark may not yet be in position. When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark.
    2. When using fixed marks, to change the next leg of the course the RC shall display the letter designation of the new fixed mark in lieu of the compass bearing. This alters rule 33.
    3. 13.3 Boats shall round the mark beginning a changed leg in the same direction as it was to be rounded before the change.
  14. TIME LIMIT - (Changes Rule 35, A4)
    1. The time limit for each class is two and one-half (2½) hours. Boats which fail to finish within 30 minutes after the first boat in her class finishes, or after the time limit, whichever is sooner, will be scored according to the following.
    2. All boats not finishisng within the time limit will be scored TLE, with points equal to the number of boats finishing within the time limit plus two.
    3. Boats required to carry a VHF as per instruction 15 will be hailed after the time limit expires. If they do not respond to the hail they will be scored DNF.
  15. ON THE WATER HAILING - VHF 69All hailing will be by voice or loud hailer with the exception of boats required to carry a VHF according to instruction 18, in which case the radio maybe used.
  16. PROTESTS
    1. All regattas will be sailed using the US Sailing Prescriptions Appendix T – alternative procedures for dispute resolution. US Sailing prescriptions T1, T2, and T4.2 apply.
    2. Protests maybe filed with the PRO, scorer, or at the bar no later than forty-five minutes (45) after the Race Committee boat docks.
  17. SCORING - (Changes Rule A2)
    1. The Low Point scoring system of Appendix A will apply, except that no score will be excluded unless three (3) races are held. One race constitutes a series.
    2. PHRF Scoring will be time over distance with distance rounded to the nearest 0.1 nm. Portsmouth Yardstick will be scored using wind handicapping. The distance is not subject to protest.
  18. SAFETY REGULATIONS - (Changes Rule 40, Flag Y)
    1. Life jackets of USCG-approved design shall be worn by the crews of all single-handed and trapeze boats at all times while racing. On all other boats it is the responsibility of the skipper and crew to determine when life jackets will be worn. The meaning of Race Signal Y is changed to, “Comply with RRS 1.2”.
    2. All classes of PHRF boats and any other classes as designated must carry a VHF radio and monitor channel 69.
    3. If the race starts or finishes after dark, including all Wednesday night races, all boats shall have working running lights. Boats 7 meters or less in length shall have the running lights required for boats of 8 meters. Boats not otherwise required to have a VHF, must have a working VHF.
    4. A boat withdrawing must notify the race committee as soon as possible, and if unable to contact the race committee then must inform the bar or club management. A boat failing to do so will be scored DSQ.
  19. CHANGES IN PHRF BYLAWS
    1. Boats carrying ODR on PHRF certificate shall not be restricted to one-design rules and will race under the PHRF bylaws as a PHRF boat.

COURSE OPTIONS

  1. WEDNESDAY NIGHT COURSE
    1. The course shall use fixed marks. The Race Committee will post the course on the Committee Boat. See noyc.org/images/chart.pdf on the NOYC website for the fixed mark names, their position, bearing and distances. If the course includes "J-H-A" or "J-H-B", for that portion of the course, boats shall round the offset after rounding the "J" mark, and if the course is not shortened at "H", boats may pass "H" on either side. If the "J" mark is used in a different course, the offset is not part of the course. If "J" mark or its offset are missing, round the remaining mark.
    2. If a course designation is followed by a numeral, the course shall be sailed as laps equal to the numeral. The course may be changed or shortened at any mark of the course. Distances are not subject to protest.
    3. All mark roundings of the course shall be to port. If the course to be sailed requires that the marks to be rounded to starboard, the Race Committee shall indicate such by displaying a green flag prior to the Warning Signal for each class to start.
    4. When shortening the race course, race committee will attempt to notify competitors via VHF channel 69.
  2. BIG WHEEL COURSE This course will only be sailed if the Notice of Regatta so states.

    The Race Committee will post the course on the Committee Boat. The Committee Boat will be on station at the T mark. The course will round the marks A through H shown on the NOYC standard chart. For example, if the course is ET2, all boats shall, after starting between T and the Committee Boat, proceed to E and round to port, then proceed around the circle of marks in a counterclockwise direction two times. After two rounds, the initial mark will be passed to port again before proceeding to the finish line between T and the Committee Boat. The course will not be changed or shortened. All marks rounding’s of the course shall be to port. Missing marks will be replaced with temporary RED marks.
  3. WINDWARD-LEEWARD COURSE "W1.5" W/L Racing Diagram Options for this course may include:
    1. increasing or decreasing the number of legs;
    2. sailing multiple rounds of the course;
    3. finishing at Mark 1 or 3;
    4. when present, the use of a separate Mark 3 set to windward of the start/finish line;
    5. finishing to port or starboard of the finishing mark depending on the location of the RC boat.
    Temporary Fixed Description
    W m1 m3 1 round, 2 legs, start - 1 - finish
    W1.5 m1 m3 1.5 1.5 rounds, 3 legs, start-1-3-finish
    W 2 m1 m3 2 2 rounds, 4 legs, start-1-3-1-finish
    W 2.5 m1 m3 2.5 2.5 rounds, 5 legs, start-1-3-1-3-finish
    W 3 m1 m3 3 3 rounds, 6 legs, start-1-3-1-3-1-finish
  4. TRIANGLE COURSE "G" Triangle Racing Diagram Options for this course may include:
    1. increasing or decreasing the number of legs;
    2. sailing multiple rounds of the course;
    3. finishing at Mark 1 or 3;
    4. finishing to port or starboard of the finishing mark depending on the location of the RC boat;
    Temporary Fixed Description
    T m1 m2 m3 1 round, 3 legs, start-1-2-finish
    T 2 m1 m2 m3 2 2 rounds, 6 legs, start-1-2-3-1-2-finish
    T W m1 m2 m3 T W triangle-windward, 4 legs, start-1-2-3-finish
    G or GC m1 m2 m3 GC Gold Cup, 5 legs, start-1-2-3-1-finish

CLASS FLAGS

PHRF class flags

RACING CHART - NOYC.ORG/CHART

Updated 3/1/2021