Todd Chart Agency Ltd. Mid Lough Series

9th & 10th May 2009

Carrickfergus SC, Ballyholme YC, Royal Ulster YC

Sailing Instructions

1. Rules

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

1.2. IRC Rules, Parts 1, 2 and 3; RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme; Laser SB3 class rules; RS Elite class rules; Sigma 33 class rules will apply.

1.3. Racing rule(s) 35, 60.1(a), 62.1(a), 62.2, 63.1, 66, A4, A5 will be changed. Changes appear in full in these Sailing Instructions.

2. Notices to Competitors

2.1. Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice boards located in the foyer of the Carrickfergus Sailing Club and the Royal Ulster Yacht Club notice board located at Bangor Marina.

3. Changes to Sailing Instructions

3.1. Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted before 0900 on the day it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by 2000 on the day before it will take effect.

4. Signals Made Ashore

4.1. Signals made ashore will be displayed at the Carrickfergus Sailing Club and Bangor Marina flagpoles.

4.2. When flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 60 minutes’ in the race signal AP.

5. Schedule of Races

5.1. Dates of racing: Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th May 2009

5.2. Number of races: Six

5.3. The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race each day is 11:00.

5.4. After a long postponement, to alert boats that a race or sequence of races will begin soon, an orange flag will be displayed with one sound for at least four minutes before a warning signal is displayed.

5.5. On the last day of the regatta no warning signal will be made after 15:30.

6. Class Flags

6.1. Class flags will be:

6.2. Each boat in IRC, PY Cruiser and Whitesail PY classes shall conspicuously display the flag appropriate to its class, as described above, from or near the backstay at the start and finish of each race.

7. Racing Areas

7.1. The racing area will be at approximately 54°41’ N 5°44’ W.

8. The Courses

8.1. The diagrams in Attachment A show the courses, 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.

9. Marks

9.1. Marks 1, 2 and 3 will be Red Spherical marks.

9.2. The starting and finishing marks will be Green Spherical marks.

10. The Start

10.1. The starting line will be between the main mast of the Committee Vessel and the starting mark.

10.2. Boats whose warning signal has not been made shall avoid the starting area during the starting sequence for other races.

10.3. A boat starting later than 4 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start without a hearing. This changes rules A4 and A5.

10.4. If any part of a boat’s hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the starting line at any time during the two minutes before her starting signal and she is identified, the race committee will attempt to broadcast her sail number on VHF channel 37. Failure to make a broadcast or to time it accurately will not be grounds for a request for redress. This changes rule 62.1(a).

11. Change of the Next Leg of the Course

11.1. To change the next leg of the course, the race committee will move the original mark (or the finishing line) to a new position.

12. The Finish

12.1. The finishing line will be between the main mast of the Committee Vessel and the finishing mark.

13. Time Limits

13.1. Time limits are as follows: 90 minutes

13.2. 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 rules 35, A4 and A5.

14. Protests and Requests for Redress

14.1. Protest forms are available at the Race Office at Royal Ulster Yacht Club. Protests and requests for redress or reopening shall be delivered there within the appropriate time limit.

14.2. For each class, the protest time limit is 90 minutes after the last boat has finished the last race of the day.

14.3. 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 the protest room, located at Royal Ulster Yacht Club, beginning at the time posted.

14.4. Notices of protests by the race committee or protest committee will be posted to inform boats under rule 61.1(b).

14.5. Breaches of instructions 10.2. , 16. , and 18. 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. The scoring abbreviation for a discretionary penalty imposed under this instruction will be DPI.

14.6. 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 rule 66.

14.7. 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 rule 62.2.

15. Scoring

15.1. Two races are required to be completed to constitute a series.

(a) When fewer than four 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.

16. Safety Regulations

16.1. A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.

16.2. Boats shall not race with an anchor on the bow. Boats infringing this instruction shall be disqualified without a hearing. This changes RRS 63.1

17. Equipment and Measurement Checks

17.1. 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 committee equipment inspector or measurer to proceed immediately to a designated area for inspection.

18. Radio Communication

18.1. Except in an emergency, a boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This restriction also applies to mobile telephones.

19. Prizes

19.1. Prizes will be given as follows: 3 entries - 1st place, 4 entries - 2nd place, 5 or more entries - 3rd place.

19.2. The Prize Giving will take place at Royal Ulster Yacht Club after racing on Sunday.

20. Disclaimer of Liability and Insurance

20.1. A boat is entirely responsible for her own safety, whether afloat or ashore, and nothing, whether in the Notice of Race or Sailing Instructions or anywhere else, reduces this responsibility.

20.2. It is for the boat to decide whether she is fit to sail in the conditions in which she will find herself. By launching or going to sea, the boat confirms that she is fit for those conditions and her crew is competent to sail and compete in them.

20.3. The boat is required to hold adequate insurance and in particular to hold insurance against third party claims in the sum of at least £2m sterling.

20.4. Nothing done by the organisers can reduce the responsibility of the boat nor will it make the organisers responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury, however it may have occurred, as a result of the boat taking part in racing. The organisers encompass everyone helping to run the race and the event, and include the organising authority, the race committee, the race officer, patrol boats and beach masters.

20.5. The provision of patrol boats does not relieve the boat of her responsibilities.

Attachment A

Windward/Leeward Course – Flag W

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

All marks rounded to port

Boats shall pass through the start/finish line on legs from 3 to 1 leaving mark S to port.

Triangular Course – Flag T

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

All marks rounded to port

Boats shall pass through the start/finish line on legs from 3 to 1 leaving mark S to port.