General Instructions

The General Committee of the Kettering Yacht Club (KYC) issues the following instructions for races and social events conducted by the KYC. The instructions in Section 3 will always apply unless over-ridden by an instruction or correction issued in writing and agreed to by the General Committee.

Rules

All races will be sailed under the current Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) of the International Sailing Federation, and the Prescriptions and Special Regulations (SR) of Australian Sailing (AS) except as amended by KYC rules listed in this Handbook.

Responsibility

All those participating in a KYC race or event do so at his or her own risk and responsibility. The KYC is not responsible for the seaworthiness of a yacht whose entry is accepted or the sufficiency or adequacy of its equipment. Attention is drawn to Fundamental Rule 4 that states:

‘The responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue racing is hers alone.’

The attention of all persons participating in a KYC race or event is drawn to the requirement to be aware of the application of the Marine Safety (Misuse of Alcohol) Act 2006. It is recommended that all entrants have a Man Overboard procedure that all crewmembers have practised. Attention is also drawn to the requirement for boats to keep well clear of vessels under pilotage.

Safety

All yachts shall comply with the appropriate Australian Sailing safety regulations. For all daylight inshore races, this will be Category 7 for keelboats and Category 6 for trailable boats. For the races around Little Betsey Island and those that go south of Gordon, this will be Category 5. Other nominated races may require a greater safety category and this will be advised by SMS, email, KYC website and/or in the sailing instructions for that race.

Insurance

The owner of a yacht entering a KYC event shall have Public Liability and Third-Party Property Insurance that includes racing cover with respect to the yacht in an amount of not less than $5M.

Yacht Registration

A financial family or full member may register their yacht with the KYC by signing the appropriate declaration form signifying their compliance with all safety requirements (clause 3.3) and delivering the form to the Secretary – even if paying electronically.

Eligibility

Entries to KYC races and events will be accepted from yachts registered with the KYC and from visiting yachts that are a member of an affiliated yacht club. Entry may also be accepted from other visiting yachts at the discretion of the General Committee or the Principal Race Officer (PRO). Any other yacht is ineligible. If an ineligible yacht sails the course in a KYC race it is considered to have not raced.

Entries

All yachts on the register of the KYC have the right of entry to all races appropriate to their Division and Safety Category without the necessity of an entry form. KYC yachts entering an event should ensure that they have been recognised by the PRO prior to the start. Entry by other eligible yachts will be accepted by notifying the Secretary during the week prior to a race, or the Principal Race Officer up until the 5-minute signal of the race.

Race Entry Fees

There is no entry fee for yachts registered with KYC to participate in most KYC race series or social events listed in the KYC Sailing Program. However, some KYC events and a number of those run by other organisations may have entry fees.

For eligible visiting yachts, a fee of $10 per race is payable prior to or immediately after the race at the clubrooms.

Fees for special KYC events will be advised on the KYC website and/or sailing instructions. For those events, fees are payable in advance to the Secretary.

Divisions

When the General Committee approves racing in two or more divisions, the Committee will determine that a yacht is to compete in a particular division and shall convey that decision to the owner. Yachts shall not change divisions during the course of a series.

Radio contact

Yachts fitted with radios must monitor VHF Channel 73 during all races for announcements regarding shortening or abandonment of the race or other information, unless advised otherwise by the race instructions.

Spinnakers

Spinnakers are not allowed in any Twilight Series (T, TB, TA) race nor the Ladies / single-handed / double-handed race. For the purposes of the KYC, the AS definition of a spinnaker (RRS Rule 50.4) is expanded to include all headsails and staysails that are not attached to a permanent stay.

Australian Sailing (AS) Handbook

It is mandatory that all boats carry a copy (paper or electronic) of the Australian Sailing’s Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) handbook so that skippers are able to follow any references in this handbook to the AS handbook.

Penalties

General Penalties

The two-turns penalty will apply in accordance with RRS rule 44 – Penalties at the Time of an Incident.

Touching a Mark Penalty

If RRS rule 31 applies (while racing, a boat shall not touch a starting mark before starting, a mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing, or a finishing mark after finishing) a yacht must take a one-turn penalty.

Protests

Protest Flag

The protesting boat will conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity (RRS rule 61.1 - Informing the Protestee).

Lodgement of Protests

Protests must be lodged with the Principal Race Officer within one hour of the last boat completing the course. A committee nominated by the Commodore (or his delegate) will hear the protest as soon as reasonably possible.

Race Scoring

Points Score

When a race is part of a series the point score shall be calculated in accordance with Appendix A - Low Point System of the AS handbook.

All KYC yachts that compete in any race in a series will be included in the point score compilation, but points will accumulate for each race whether the yacht competes or not (see Section 4 – Racing Series Summary regarding discards).

Visiting yachts that compete in a race that is part of a series will not be included in the point score unless they specifically enter for the series.

For the purpose of allocating points to vessels which do not enter a particular race, the number of yachts considered as series participants shall be the number of KYC yachts which raced during the series plus the number of any visiting yachts which have opted to enter that series.

Committee Boat Duties

A yacht unable to compete in a race in a series in which she is entered, because one or more of the crew is required to carry out duties allocated by the Committee for the conduct of that race, shall be allocated points for that race equal to the average points she has received from all the other races (including the ones in which she did not compete) in the same series. The races, if any, to be excluded will be selected after the averaging is done.

Starting and Finishing Races

Courses

Courses will be indicated by code flags, or communicated by radio, from the committee boat prior to the start. All courses will be a single lap unless otherwise indicated by a numeral code flag or as advised by the Principal Race Officer.

If applicable, the direction of the race will be signalled by a red or green flag. Boats shall round mark E to port or starboard as required for all other marks for the course.

At the discretion of the Principal Race Officer, the course for Twilight Races may be a short triangular or windward and return course of one or more laps. If specifically required for that race by the PRO, yachts shall pass through the finish line at the completion of each lap.

Starting Area

Unless advised by special sailing instructions for that event, the starting area will be in the general area off Little Oyster Cove indicated as containing mark E (see chart of marks’ location). The PRO has the discretion to move the start line to suit conditions. Yachts should allow sufficient time to reach the start and identify themselves to the committee boat.

Starting Line

The starting line will be between an imaginary line from the mast of the committee boat to a starting buoy (generally mark E) in the vicinity of the committee boat. The direction of the start will be through the start line towards the first mark.

Starting Times

Starting times will vary with the nature of the races and are noted on the race calendar. Starting times are nominal only and the definitive starting time shall be indicated by the flags and sound signals given by the Principal Race Officer.

Division Flag

The Division flag used to signal the start of specific Division is white with black number.

Individual Recalls

Individual recalls will be signalled in accordance with RRS Rule 29.1 i.e. code flag ‘X’, with one sound signal to draw boats’ attention to the code flag. The responsibility for returning shall rest with the yacht concerned. Any yacht failing to re-start correctly after an individual recall will be disqualified.

General Recalls

A general recall in accordance with RRS Rule 29.2 is signalled by the raising of the first substitute code flag, with two sound signals to draw boats’ attention to the code flag. A new warning signal will be made one minute after the first substitute is lowered. Succeeding starts will be postponed accordingly.

Signals for Starting

Warning Signal Five minutes before the start of each race, a division flag will be displayed and a sound signal may be made.

Preparatory Signal Four minutes before the start of the race, the preparatory flag will be displayed and a sound signal may be made.

One minute Signal The preparatory flag will be removed and a long sound signal may be made.

Start Signal The division flag will be removed and a sound signal may be made.

RRS rule 26 states: ‘Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded.’

If two or more divisions are starting separately then a division flag will be displayed during the 5-minute period. The ‘Start’ signal for one division will constitute the 5 minute ‘Warning Signal’ for the next division and so on.

Yachts in a division to start at a later time should keep clear of yachts manoeuvring during the 5-minute pre-race start period.

For all races, Division 1 will start 5 minutes before Division 2 and so on, unless indicated otherwise by the PRO.

Flags

See submenu for the International Maritime Signal Flags.

Shortened Course

RRS Rule 32.1 is amended by adding …

‘(f) or for any other reason the Principal Race Officer considers appropriate.’

All yachts shall keep a listening watch on VHF Channel 73 for announcements regarding a shortened course.

Abandoning a Race

When a storm or gale force wind warning is current for the D’Entrecasteaux Channel or waters that a race will be sailed in, the race will be abandoned and code flag ‘N’ will be displayed at the KYC Clubhouse. The KYC Committee Boat will not be at the start area.

The Principal Race Officer may signal that a race is to be abandoned at any time for any reason at his or her absolute discretion. However, this does not detract from the primary duty of each skipper to reach a decision on whether to commence or continue to race.

The signal to abandon a race once started is by radio from the Principal Race Officer and shall be made over VHF Channel 73. In addition, the Principal Race Officer will hoist code flag ‘N’ and accompany it with three sound signals.

Retirements

Any yacht must report the circumstances of its retirement as soon as practicable after the retirement to the Principal Race Officer on VHF Channel 73 or by approaching the committee boat.

Time Limits

Long Series and Channel Challenge

If the first yacht in a division does not finish by 5:30 pm, the race for that division shall be abandoned. If the first yacht finishes before 5:30 pm, then other yachts in that division will be timed until the later of 5:30 pm or 60 minutes after the first yacht. Yachts that have not finished within this limit shall be deemed to have retired. The above can be altered by special sailing instructions for that event.

Twilight Series Races

If the first yacht in a division does not finish before 7:30 pm, then the race for that division shall be abandoned. If the first yacht finishes before 7:30 pm, then other yachts will be timed until the later of 7:30 pm or 30 minutes after the first yacht. Yachts that have not finished within this limit shall be deemed to have retired.

Winter Series Races

If the first yacht in a division does not finish by 2:00 pm, the race for that division shall be abandoned. If the first yacht finishes before 2:00 pm, then other yachts in that division will be timed until the later of 2:00 pm or 30 minutes after the first yacht. Yachts that have not finished within this limit shall be deemed to have retired.

Finishing

Courses are described in Section 3.18. All courses describe a series of marks with the conclusion of the course being described as ‘finish’. A competing boat completes the course according to the rules if it proceeds from the last-named mark and crosses an imaginary straight line from the main mast of the committee boat to the buoy marking the finishing line when proceeding from the direction of that last named mark. The finishing line will be in the vicinity of the starting line unless advised otherwise by the Principal Race Officer. It may include land-based points.

In any race, the Principal Race Officer may request yachts to record their own finishing time.

COURSES AND MARKS

All courses may be altered at the discretion of the Principal Race Officer.

Course Codes

If course Q, R, V or W is more than one lap, then yachts shall round Mark E to complete each lap.