2024 Sailing Instructions (SIs)
Western Michigan Yachting Association Championship Regatta
August 1, 2, 3, 4, 2024
White Lake Yacht Club – Whitehall, Michigan
2024 Sailing Instructions
1 RULES
1.1 The event is governed by the rules as defined in The 2021-2024 Racing Rules of Sailing.
1.2 Boats shall be subject to their Class Rules, except as noted in the Notice of Race (NOR), the Sailing Instructions (SI), or any Additional Sailing Instructions (ASI).
1.3 US Sailing Prescription Appendix T, sections T1, T2, and T4 will apply.
1.4 US Sailing Prescriptions to RRS 60, 63.2 and 63.4 will not apply.
1.5 Rule 41 Outside Help is modified so that the Butterfly, Optimist, and MC classes, who capsize, may receive outside assistance, without penalty, and may continue to race.
1.6 Only one sail number may be used for each boat. Any changes must be approved in writing by the PRO.
2 CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
2.1 Changes 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.
2.2 On the water changes to the Sailing Instructions are allowed and will be given after the L flag is displayed on the signal boat. Changes will be announced on the designated VHF channel and also by Loud Hailer. This changes RRS 90.2 and Race Signals.
3 COMMUNICATIONS WITH COMPETITORS
3.1 Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board is located at https:// theclubspot.com/
3.2 An unofficial physical notice board may be located at the White Lake Yacht Club.
3.3 A designated observer may report all visual signals displayed by the race committee on VHF channel 73 (E and MC Fleets) or 78 (C Fleet). Information provided is provided as a courtesy to the competitors and does not in any way alter the competitor’s responsibility to observe the Race Committee’s visual signals, which govern the conduct of the racing. Errors or omissions on the part of the designated observer will not be considered as grounds for redress under RRS 62. Radio calls will not be made for the Laser, Optimist, and Butterfly classes.
3.4 [DP] [While racing][From the first warning signal until the end of the last race of the day], except in an emergency, a boat shall not make voice or data transmissions and shall not receive voice or data communication that is not available to all boats.
4 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
4.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed by the Fleet Signal Boat located at Regatta Headquarters
4.2 When the Answering Pennant (“AP”) is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 30 minutes in the Race Signals AP’.
5 SCHEDULE OF RACES
5.1 Daily Schedules:
Thursday 8/1/24
10:00 a.m. – MC, Butterfly, Laser – Second race for all fleets immediately to follow. The warning signal for all fleets may not be after 12:15 p.m.
2:00 p.m. – E, C, Opti – Second race for all immediately to follow. The warning signal for all fleets may not be after 4:15 p.m.
Friday 8/2/24
10:00 a.m. – E, C, Opti – Second race for all immediately to follow. The warning signal for all fleets may not be after 12:15 p.m.
2:00 p.m. – MC, Butterfly, Laser – Second race for all fleets immediately to follow. The warning signal for all fleets may not be after 4:15 p.m.
Saturday 8/3/24
10:00 a.m. – MC, Butterfly, Laser – Second race for all fleets immediately to follow. The warning signal for all fleets may not be after 12:15 p.m.
2:00 p.m. – E, C, Opti – Second race for all immediately to follow. The warning signal for all fleets may not be after 4:15 p.m.
Sunday 8/4/24
All Fleet schedules for Sunday 8/4/24 will be determined by the Race Committee. The Race Committee will post the days schedule no later than 8:30 PM the prior day on the Official Notice Board.
5.2 On the last scheduled day of racing no warning signal will be made after 3:00pm.
5.3 E and MC’s will sail on Race Course A (orange marks)
5.4 C and Lasers will sail on Race Course B (yellow marks)
5.5 Butterfly and Optis will sail on Race Course C (pink marks)
6 CLASS FLAGS
6.1
| E Scow | Class Logo |
| C Scow | Class Logo |
| MC Scow | Class Logo |
| Butterfly | Class Logo |
| Laser | Class Logo |
| Optimist | Class Logo |
7 COURSES
7.1 Race Course Illustrations are shown at the end of this document.
7.2 No later than the warning signal, the race committee signal boat will display the number of legs and the approximate compass bearing of the first leg.
7.3 An “Offset” mark may be set 90 degrees at a distance of approximately 50 yards from the windward mark. If the Windward mark or the offset mark is missing, and no Code Flag “M” is displayed in its place, only the remaining mark shall be left to port.
7.4 E, C, Laser, and MC Scows will use a gate mark for all races. Boats shall sail between the gate marks from the direction of the previous mark and round either gate mark. If either gate mark is missing, and no Code Flag “M” is displayed in its place, only the remaining mark shall be left to port.
8 MARKS
8.1 E scow and MC scow marks 1 and 2, gates and offsets will be orange inflatables. Change marks will be orange inflatables.
8.2 C scow and Laser marks 1 and 2, gates and offsets will be yellow inflatables. Change marks will be yellow inflatables.
8.3 Butterfly and Optimist Pram marks 1 and 2 will be pink inflatables. Change marks will be pink inflatables.
8.4 The Race Committee Signal Boat may deploy a “keep away” buoy, which shall rank as a starting mark. Any boat touching this buoy will have broken rule 31 and shall act in accordance with RRS 44.1. Boats shall not pass between this buoy and the Signal Boat when approaching the line to start. The area between the limit mark and the Signal Boat does not rank as an obstruction for the purposes of RRS 18, 19 and 20.
9 THE START
9.1 Races will be started using RRS 26 with the warning signal made 5 minutes before the starting signal.
9.2 The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag, on the race committee boat at the starboard end of the line, and the course side of the port end starting mark.
9.3 If any part of a boat’s hull is on the course side of the starting line at her starting signal and she is identified, the race committee will attempt to hail her sail number. Failure to hail her number, failure of her to hear such a hail, or the order in which boats are hailed will not be grounds for a request for redress. This changes RRS 62.1(a).
9.4 A boat that does not start within 10 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start without a hearing. This changes RRS A5.1 and A5.2.
10 CHANGE OF THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE
10.1 To change the next leg of the course, the race committee will move the existing mark(s) as soon as practicable.
10.2 Course changes of less than 10 degrees may be made with no signal and no change of mark color. This changes RRS 33.
11 THE FINISH
11.1 The finish line for all fleets will be between a staff displaying a blue flag on the race committee boat and the nearby finishing mark.
12 PENALTY SYSTEM
12.1 After a race, a boat that may have broken a rule of Part 2 or Rule 31 while racing may take a post-race penalty for that incident.
12.2 Post Race Penalties shall be: a. 20% if taken before protest time limit. [Minimum 2 places] b. 30% if taken after protest time limit but before the beginning of a hearing involving the incident. [Min. 3 places]
12.3 Secured Positions – If the Race Committee deems it necessary in order to maintain the regatta schedule, and at the sole discretion of the Race Committee, the Race Committee may “secure” the position of any boat in the race and will score that boat in that position as if they have actually finished the race in that position. This modifies Rule 35, A4, A5 and changes the definition of Finish.
13 TIME LIMITS [AND TARGET TIMES]
13.1 Time limit for all classes is 2 hours.
13.2 Boats who have not finished their race in 2 hours and 15 minutes will be scored points equal to the number of finishers plus 2 points.
13.3 If no boat has passed Mark 1 within the 30 minute Mark 1 time limit, the race will be abandoned.
14 HEARING REQUESTS
14.1 A boat intending to protest about an incident that occurs in the racing area shall notify the finish boat after all yachts in her class have finished. Any attempt to notify the finish boat, before all yachts in her class have finished, will be ignored. This changes RRS 61.1a.
14.2 Protest forms are available at the race office. Protests shall be delivered there within the protest time limit.
14.3 For each class, the protest time limit is 60 minutes after the last boat in the class has finished the last race of the day for that class. The same time limit applies to protests by the race committee and protest committee about incidents they observe in the racing area and to requests for redress. This changes rule 61.3 and 62.2.
14.4 Notices will be posted within 30 minutes of the protest time limit, to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses. Hearings will be held in the jury room located at the White Lake Yacht Club beginning at the time posted on the notice board.
14.5 A protesting skipper and the protested skipper must remain within call of the arbitrator, protest committee or, at the discretion of the arbitrator, protest committee; the protest can be allowed or disallowed.
14.6 RRS 62.2(a) and 66.2(a) do not apply.
15 PROTEST ARBITRATION
15.1 Rule 44 is modified to allow a boat either to take the penalty described in RRS 44.1, 44.2, and as modified by these Sailing Instructions while on the water or to take a 40% Scoring Penalty for a breach of a rule of Part 2 after the incident but prior to the protest hearing by acknowledging the infringement before arbitration or by accepting the opinion of the arbitrator. After a protest has been lodged, one designated representative from each boat, who shall have been on the boat when the incident occurred, may appear together before an arbitrator appointed by the protest committee. No witnesses shall be allowed. The arbitrator will have each party describe the incident, limiting each party to approximately two minutes. After hearing the testimony, the arbitrator will express one of the following conclusions:
- No rule was broken. The protester has the option of withdrawing the protest. If he decides to do so, he signs to this effect on the protest form. The protest is then withdrawn and shall not be reopened or appealed. If the protester does not withdraw the protest, it will be submitted to the protest committee in the normal manner.
- A rule was broken by one of the boats involved. The representative of the offending boat has the option of either accepting a 40% penalty or submitting the matter to the protest committee for a protest hearing. If the penalty is accepted, the matter is closed and cannot be submitted to a hearing, be reopened, appealed or submitted for redress. When protests are submitted to the protest committee, the arbitrator shall not be a member of the protest committee hearing the protest, but may be present in the protest committee room, and may be called as a witness.
15.2 Application of the 40% penalty shall be calculated in accordance with rule 44.3, except that the penalty is modified to read 40%.[ Minimum 4 places]
16 SCORING
16.1 The low point scoring system in Appendix A of the RRS will apply.
16.2 2 races must be completed for a class to constitute a regatta.
16.3 There will be one throw out race allowed per fleet after that fleet has completed at least six races.
17 SAFETY REGULATIONS
17.1 Each competitor, including skipper and crew, Parent or legal guardian, is ultimately responsible for such competitor’s safety.
17.2 A boat that retires from a race shall notify a RC boat before leaving the racing area, or if that is not possible, notify a regatta official at Regatta headquarters immediately upon arrival on shore.
17.3 Boats that are not leaving the harbor to race shall inform Regatta headquarters or a regatta official prior to the start of the first race of the day.
17.4 A boat that breaks SI 18.1, SI 18.2, or SI 18.3 may receive without a hearing, a warning, a penalty or a disqualification. This changes RRS 63.
17.5 All E Scows are required to sail with NCESA mainsail flotation panels installed.
17.6 All sailors in the Butterfly, Laser, and Optimist classes must wear a USCG approved Life Jacket completely zipped or buckled. Failure to comply will result in disqualification.
18 CODE OF CONDUCT
18.1 Competitors shall comply with any reasonable request from any official, and shall not behave so as to bring the event or the sport into disrepute.
18.2 Competitors are expected to comply fully with rule 2 at all times. Abuse or intimidation of other competitors, race officials, or officials of the host club will not be tolerated. All such incidents shall be reported to the Principal Race Officer. Repeated incidents by individuals or teams shall be reported to the protest committee and may be considered gross misconduct (a gross breach of sportsmanship).
18.3 When a competitor and/or crew is found to have committed an act of Gross Misconduct, the penalty shall be a scoring penalty equal to 40% of the entries in the race for each incident. Additionally, the competitor and/or boat that was responsible for the crew may not discard this race in the series.
18 TRASH DISPOSAL
18.1 Trash may be placed aboard official or support person vessels.
19 PRIZES
19.1 Prizes will be awarded as described in the notice of race.
20 RISK STATEMENT
20.1 RRS 3 states: ‘The responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue to race is hers alone.’ By participating in this event each competitor agrees and acknowledges that sailing is a potentially dangerous activity with inherent risks. These risks include strong winds and rough seas, sudden changes in weather, failure of equipment, boat handling errors, poor seamanship by other boats, loss of balance on an unstable platform and fatigue resulting in increased risk of injury. Inherent in the sport of sailing is the risk of permanent, catastrophic injury or death by drowning, trauma, hypothermia or other causes. The White Yacht Club, Race Committee, Protest Committee, sponsors, volunteers, or any other affiliated organization or official accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death or inconvenience incurred, in conjunction with the regatta, however caused. By participating in this event, each competitor, or in the case of minors, each competitor’s parent or guardian, agrees to release the Regatta Organizers from any and all liability associated with such competitor’s participation in this event to the fullest extent permitted by law.
20.2 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.
Revised – 3/23/2024 Steve Schiller – US Sailing CRO ID#218413Q
