2010 Sailing Instructions (updated 4/3/2010)

1 RULES

1.1 These races will be governed by rulesas defined by The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) 2009 – 2012, and by the Class Rules of any participating class. Course sheets are available on line at www.ClearLakeRacing.com.

2 Schedule of races

2.1 Regular season races will be held every Wednesday between April 7, 2010 and September 22, 2010. These Sailing Instructions also cover the Championship Series.

2.2 The Warning Signal for the first race each Wednesday of the regular season will be 6:15 pm for races held on Clear Lake, and 6:30 pm for all races held on Galveston Bay.

2.3 The scheduled season is made up of 6 series of 4 nights of racing each. One race may constitute a series.

2.4 The Fleet Championship Series is scheduled to be held between September 22 and through October 6, 2010, inclusive. The warning signal for the first race for each day of the championship series will be no earlier than 3:00 pm.

3 Time of registration AND Procedure for advance registration

3.1 Registration may be made at the Skipper’s Meeting, in advance of the first series, or anytime during the year by filling out the on-line form at the CLRA web site (www.clearlakeraces.com or www.clearlakeracing.com), and mailing the appropriate fee to:

CLRA
1006 Acorn Court

Friendswood, Texas 77546

3.2 First time participants are allowed to race without advance registration, but shall register after the race, before the post-race awards. All others shall pre-register before they race.

3.3 Participants shall not attempt to register or make payment on the water.

3.4 Fee Schedule

Period # Races US Sailing Member Non-Member

Year 24 $200 $220

Series 4 $40 $45

Night 1 $10 $12

Post Race Each $15 $15

3.5 Closing date for registering for the year to receive the annual registration discount is April 28th, 2010.

4 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

4.1 Notices to competitors shall be posted on the web site at http://www.clearlakeracing.com.

5 CHANGES IN SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

5.1 Any change to these sailing instructions shall be posted on the web site before 1:00 PM on the day it will take effect.

6 PRE-RACE SIGNALS (SIGNALS ASHORE)

6.1 Signals prior to the normal sequence time shall be displayed aboard the Race Committee boat.

7 THE STARTING ORDER AND CLASS FLAGS

7.1 The tentative starting order for all regular season races on the lake is as follows:

PHRF Non- Spin
Sunfish or Laser

V15
Portsmouth
J22
J24
PHRF Spinnaker

The tentative starting order for all regular season races on the bay is as follows:

Multihulls

J80

Sonar

The starting order is subject to change at the discretion of the Race Committee. Other one design classes may be added at the discretion of the race committee.

7.2 A white “wipe” board, displayed on the race committee boat prior to the warning signal for the first start, will signal the starting order each night.

7.3 Class flags will have the following designations displayed on a yellow background:

CLASS SYMBOL

PHRF Non-Spinnaker NS

Sunfish S

V15 V

Portsmouth PM

PHRF Spinnaker SP

J24 24

J22 22

One Design Class #1 OD1

Multihull M

J80 80

Sonar SR

7.4 If fewer than three boats in a class are in the starting area prior to the warning signal, the race committee may, at its discretion, skip that class and continue immediately with the next class in the starting order.

8 COURSES

8.1 Course diagrams shall be posted on the web site and are available on the web site as four different course sheets. Course diagrams are specific to one of four groups:

1. PHRF Non-Spinnaker

2. Sunfish / Laser / Portsmouth

3. PHRF Spinnaker / J Boat

4. Bay Boats (Multihull, J80, Sonar)

8.2 The Course Sheets are for on-the-water convenience; if there is a discrepancy between the sailing instructions and the Course Sheets, these sailing instructions control.

8.3 The course to be sailed for each class shall be indicated by a numeric code flag. The course flag shall be displayed at the time of a class’ warning signal, flown underneath the class flag for that class. On the lake, there is an optional ‘Count Flag’ on a Modified Course 1, which indicates how many times to sail around the windward mark (on a windward/leeward course) before sailing to the Finish.

8.4 After the start of the race, the race committee may adjust the position of an existing mark to square up a course without any signal, but shall not do so in such a way as to prejudice any competitor. This modifies RRS 33.

8.5 The Bay race committee may, at its discretion, set three small tetrahedrons to address wind shifts, each of a different color: yellow, orange, and green. When in use, the bay race committee can effect course change using code flag “C”, normal sound signals, and a yellow, orange, or green flag to indicate the color of the weather mark. This modifies RRS 33.

9 MARKS AND ROUNDING DIRECTION

9.1 Start and Finish Marks – These are small tetrahedrons.

9.2 Non-Spinnaker Class – Other than the Start/Finish, marks for this class are orange balls, large orange inflatables, and on Course 2, channel mark #16. Roundings are to port.

9.3 Sunfish, Laser, and Portsmouth Classes – Small, orange tetrahedrons and the Start / Finish marks make up the marks for this class. All roundings are to port.

9.4 PHRF, J22, J24 Classes - Other than the Start/Finish, marks for these classes are orange balls or large, orange inflatables, and channel mark #16 on Courses 4, 5, 6, and 7. All roundings are to port.

9.5 Bay Boat Classes - Other than the Start/Finish mark, marks for these classes are orange balls,or inflatable tetrahedrons, yellow, orange, or green in color.All roundings are to port.

10 Racing Area AND Lake SHOAL AREA OBSTRUCTION

10.1 On the lake, the racing area for each class shall be as shown in the course diagrams. The bay racing area shall be in the vicinity of Marker #2 at the mouth of the Clear Creek Channel. The area may be positioned north or south of #2 depending on the wind conditions and at the discretion of the race committee.

10.2 There is a shoal in the lake racing area. The organizing authority will attempt to keep this area marked with four PVC poles, but the shoal being unmarked is not grounds for redress. The marked shoal area is an obstruction for all PHRF Classes. Boats racing in the PHRF Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker Classes shall not cross imaginary lines drawn between any of the shoal markers. Any boat violating this rule may exonerate them self by completing a One Turn Penalty.

11 The Start

11.1 The race will be started in accordance with RRS 26 except the rule is changed so that the Warning Signal will be given 3 minutes prior to the race start, and the Preparatory Signal will be given 2 minutes before the race start.

11.2 The starting line shall be between a staff displaying a white “Line” flag on the race committee boat at one end, and a Start mark at the other end.

11.2 Boats whose warning signal has not yet been made shall avoid the starting area after the preparatory signal for any other class has been given.

11.3 A boat shall not start later than 12 minutes after her starting signal.

11.4 The last sentence of RRS 29.2, General Recall, is deleted and is replaced with the following: “When a general recall has been signaled, the recalled start shall move to the back of the starting order. All other classes will be started at their scheduled times with the recalled class starting 3 minutes after the last scheduled start. Subsequent recalled classes shall start at three minute intervals in the order of their recall.”

12 THE FINISH

12.1 The normal Finish Line for all classes, in races that have not been shortened, shall be between the ‘Line’ flag and a Finish mark.

12.2 When sailing courses 1, 2, or 3 on the lake, the J Boat Classes, the PHRF Spinnaker Class, and the Non-Spinnaker Classshall continue to sail their prescribed course repetitively until the S flag is displayed by the race committee. Course 5 for the PHRF Non-Spinnaker Class is also finished in this manner (by shortening the course).

12.4 After finishing, a boat shall not sail back through the finishing line, but shall clear the area by sailing around the end of the line.

12.5 Boats finishing shall not interfere with any boat that may be in the process of rounding a mark to start another lap.

13 TIME LIMIT

13.1 The time limit shall be official sunset time for all classes. Boats failing to finish within twenty minutes after the finish of the first boat in their class, or before the time limit, whichever is later, may be scored ‘Did Not Finish’ (DNF) at the discretion of the Race Committee.

14 PROTESTS, EXONERATION AND REDRESS

Wednesday Night Sailboat Races are supposed to be fun, protest-free, and full of sportsmanship. Everyone should strive to race by the rules for safety, for sport, and for the positive growth of personal relationship with other competitors. Unexonerated, flagrant fouls should be dealt with by protesting the offending boat. In this way, we educate those who need to know the rules a little better, and elevate the quality of the sport for all.

14.1 In RRS 44.1 and 44.2, replace all instances of the words “Two-Turns Penalty” with the words “One-Turn Penalty”.

14.2 Any boat that commits a foul shall perform a penalty turn, including one tack and one gybe, in accordance with the rules, or shall be available to engage in protest procedures as described in 14.3.

14.3 Arbitration hearings for any protests shall begin at 8:30 pm, at the club where any weekly prizes are to be awarded. The decision of the arbiter shall be final for the purposes of any weekly prizes. However, a formal protest hearing may be requested by any party to the protest, and the outcome of that hearing, if different from the arbitration, shall be applied to the Series. Request for a formal hearing must be made the night of the race, but after the award’sceremony.

14.4 Protest time expires at 8:15 pm. Competitors shall supply their own protest forms.

15.       RADIO_COMMUNICATION

15.1     Whileracing, a boat shall neither make nor receive radio or telephone communications not available to all boats.

15.2     On the bay, event communications with boats racing shall be made using VHF Channel 68. On the lake, event communications with boats racing shall be made using VHF Channel 72.

19 Scoring

19.1 Points for End of Year Class Champion shall be accrued by a unique helmsman racing a particular design of boat in 60% of the races held (rounded up). One co-skipper may be designated before the start of Series 2.

19.2 The worst score for each boat in a series consisting of four completed races shall be thrown out.

19.3 The End of Year Class Champion for each class shall be decided by applying the same low-point scoring system to the best five of six series finishes.

20 PRIZES

20.1 Weekly sailing prizes are awarded as follows:

Either:

1st - (2 boats competing) - Food/Drink Credit at hosting Club.
2nd - (4 boats) - Food/Drink Credit at hosting Club.
3rd - (6 boats) - Food/Drink Credit at hosting Club.
4th - (8 boats) - Food/Drink Credit at hosting Club.

Or:

A food buffet open to all participating skippers, their crews, and family members.

20.2 Weekly random prizes are as follows:

1 Random Prize for 3 or more boats in a class.

20.3 Series Sailing Prizes are apportioned the same, based on average number of boats in the series. Series Prize values are determined by the monthly trophy sponsors.

20.4 Annual Sailing Prizes are apportioned the same, based on average number of boats in each series. Class Champions are eligible to enter the Fleet Championship, and each Class Champion and crew member receives a Class Champion Polo Shirt. Second, Third, and Fourth places, as warranted by participation, in the final standings receive 1 trophy per boat.

20.5 Perpetual Trophies:

The winner of the Fleet Championship Regatta shall have his or her name inscribed upon The Endeavor Perpetual Trophy, and shall be awarded a keeper trophy.

The Boat of the Year Perpetual Trophy shall be awarded to the boat with the lowest score using the following formula: Average finish points (for every race in the season) / Average number of boats participating in that class (for every race in the season). The skipper’s name shall be inscribed upon the perpetual and a keeper awarded as well.

The good natured, Trident " Aaaaaarrrgg" Award may be presented to competitors who perform spectacular, unseamanlikemaneuvers. The skipper’s name shall be inscribed upon the perpetual and a keeper awarded as well.

The Most Improved, Sportsmanship, and Best Crew Perpetual Trophies shall be determined by ballot accessed through the web site. The winners shall have their names inscribed upon the perpetual and keepers awarded as well.