ORGANISING AUTHORITY
The event will be organised by Carrickfergus Sailing Club in conjunction with the International Topper Class Association of Ireland.
The notation [NP] in a rule of the sailing instructions means that a boat may not protest another boat for breaking that rule. This changes RRS 60.1(a).
1 RULES
1.1 The event will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.
1.2 Racing rule(s) Signal AP, 33, 35, 60.1(a), 60.1(b), 62.1(a), 61.3, 62.2, A2, A5.1, A5.2 will be changed. The changes are detailed in the notice of race or these sailing instructions.
2 CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
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.
3 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located at the ground floor, external facing window under the Club’s Balcony.
4 CODE OF CONDUCT
[DP] Competitors and support persons shall comply with reasonable requests from race officials.
5 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
5.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed at the flagpole located at the Club’s racing battery hut.
5.2 When flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 60 minutes in the race signal AP.
5.3 [DP] Flag D with one sound signal means the warning signal will be made not less than 45 minutes after flag D is displayed. Boats shall not leave the shore until this signal is made.
6 SCHEDULE OF RACES
6.1 Racing:
Date – Race
Friday 20 August – Races 1 to 3
Saturday 21 August – Races 4 to 6
Sunday 22 August – Races 7 to 9
6.2 The scheduled time of the first warning signal on Friday 20 August is 1155. The scheduled time of the first warning signal on succeeding days is 1055.
6.3 To alert boats that a race or sequence of races will begin soon, the orange starting line flag will be displayed with one sound signal at least five minutes before a warning signal is made.
6.4 One additional race may be run on the Friday or Saturday at the discretion of the Race Committee. To indicate this intention, the finish boat will display flag Numeral 4 at the end of race 3 on Friday or race 6 on Saturday.
6.5 No Warning signal will be made after 1500 on the last day of racing.
7 CLASS FLAGS
Class flags will be:
5.3 m2 Fleet – Flag T
4.2 m2 Fleet – Flag Numeral 6
8 RACING AREAS
The Sailing Area will be the Belfast Lough area in the vicinity of the Harbour and Marina.
9 THE COURSES
Topper Trapezoid Courses will be used. The diagrams in Attachment A show the courses, including the order in which marks are to be passed, and the side on which each mark is to be left.
10 MARKS
Marks 1, 2, 3P, 3S and 4 will be large round red marks. The Start Mark will be a round green mark, the Finish Mark will be a round yellow mark.
11 AREAS THAT ARE OBSTRUCTIONS
A patrol boat in close attendance to a competitor in difficulty is an obstruction.
12 THE START
12.1 The starting line will be between a red and white staff on the committee boat displaying an orange flag at the starboard end and the course side of the start mark.
12.2 A boat that does not start within 5 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start without a hearing. This changes RRS A5.1 and A5.2.
12.3 [DP] Boats whose warning signal has not been made shall avoid the starting area during the starting sequence for other races.
13 CHANGE OF THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE
13.1 To change the next leg of the course, the race committee will move the original mark (or the finishing line) to a new position.
13.2 Minor Course changes may not be signalled, this changes RRS 33.
14 THE FINISH
14.1 The finishing line will be between a staff displaying a blue flag on the committee boat and the course side of the finish mark.
14.2 A boat that retires before finishing or takes a one-turn or two-turn penalty under RRS 44.2 shall record the details, before the end of protest time, on the declaration form located near the tally board.
15 PENALTY SYSTEM
See NoR 14
16 TIME LIMITS
16.1 Boats failing to finish within a 15 minute finishing window after the first boat in her class sails the course and finishes will be scored Did Not Finish without a hearing. This changes RRS 35, A5.1 and A5.2.
16.2 In addition to RRS 32, the race committee may also award a finishing score to a boat that is still racing by displaying to her from a committee vessel (which may be in motion) flag W with one sound signal. A boat so notified is no longer required to sail the course, shall stop racing and shall return to the starting area, or return ashore if there is no more racing. A finishing score under this sailing instruction will be the score she would have received had she sailed the course and finished within any time limit, without gaining or losing any place. However, when two or more boats that are overlapped are notified, they will be scored as if they were tied. The decision by the race committee to use this procedure or not to use it shall not be grounds for requesting redress. This changes rules 60.1(b) and 62.1(a).
17 HEARING REQUESTS
17.1 The protest time limit is 60 minutes after the last boat has finished the last race of the day or the race committee signals no more racing today, whichever is the later. This changes RRS 61.3 and 62.2.
17.2 Hearing Request forms are available at the race office.
17.3 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 on the ground floor of the Clubhouse.
18 SCORING
As per NoR 15
19 SAFETY REGULATIONS
19.1 [DP] A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.
19.2 [DP] All competitors shall tally out and tally in as described at the briefing.
20 REPLACEMENT OF CREW OR EQUIPMENT
20.1 [DP] [NP] Substitution of competitors is not allowed without prior written approval of the race committee.
20.2 Substitution of damaged or lost equipment is not allowed unless authorised by the race committee. Requests for substitution shall be made at the first reasonable opportunity.
21 EQUIPMENT AND MEASUREMENT CHECKS
[NP] A boat or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules, notice of race and sailing instructions.
21 EVENT ADVERTISING
Does not apply to this event.
22 SUPPLIED BOATS
Does not apply.
23 OFFICIAL VESSELS
Official vessels will be identified as follows: The Committee Vessel is an ELAN 42.5 – “White Pearl”
24 [DP] [NP] SUPPORT TEAMS
As per NoR 16
25 TRASH DISPOSAL
Trash may be placed aboard official or support person vessels.
26 BERTHING
[DP] [NP] Boats shall be kept in their assigned places in the dinghy park.
27 HAUL-OUT RESTRICTIONS
Does not apply.
28 DIVING EQUIPMENT AND PLASTIC POOLS
Does not apply.
29 PRIZES
As per NoR 24
24 RISK STATEMENT
As per NoR 22.
25 INSURANCE
As per NoR 23
ATTACHMENT A – COURSES
4.2 m2 Course
Start – 1 – 2 – 3P – 4 – Finish
Marks 1, 2, 3P, 4 are to be rounded to Port
5.3 m2 Course
Start – 1 – 2 – 3P/3S – 2 – 3P – 4 – Finish
Marks 1, 2, 3P and 4 are to be rounded to Port
Marks 3P/3S are a gate
