These comments are preceded by the disclaimer that the CLYC HRO, CLYC Race Committee and CLYC Judges Committee are only trying to inform the Yacht Club members regarding changes in the rules.
The Racing Rules of Sailing including US Sailing Prescriptions, available from US Sailing is the defining document and will be the governing rules for CLYC racing program for the next Quad, as modified by local exceptions approved by the CLYC Board of Directors (eg. Rule 26 – starting sequence).
Any conduct deemed detrimental to the spirit of sailing in a Clear Lake Yacht Club sponsored event, either on or off the race course, may result in expulsion from that event and/or future events. The RO, HRO or Chief Judge will bring recommendations to the board officers for a final ruling. The subject Sailor will be notified in writing of the ruling and no appeals are allowed. Examples of such conduct include harassment of another competitor or official, improper language, unsportsmanlike conduct, and violating safety requirements.
Please review Rules 10 through 23 and know them. We have very few protests and that is a good thing. Let’s keep it that way.
Please review the updated definitions provided and the others listed in the Racing Rules of Sailing. .
Please pay special attention to the following:
- Mark Room and Dave Perry’s explanation of “Mark Room” – You’re not entitled to room to make a “Wide and tight” tactical rounding.
- Proper Course and Dave Perry’s explanation of “Proper Course” – multiple “proper courses” may exist in the same scenario on the water.
- Keeping Clear: a boat keeps clear of a right-of-way boat if
- the right-of-way boat can sail her course with no need to take avoiding actions and,
- when the boats are overlapped, if the right-of-way boat can also change course in both directions without immediately making contact.
- Room: The space a boat needs in the existing conditions, including space to comply with her obligations under the rules of Part 2 (When Boats Meet) and rule 31 (touching a mark), while maneuvering promptly in a seamanlike way.
- Mark: An object the sailing instructions require a boat to leave on a specified side, a race committee vessel surrounded by navigable water from which the starting or finishing line extends, and an object intentionally attached to the object or vessel. However, an anchor line is not part of the mark.
- Mark Room: Room for a boat to
- sail to the mark when her proper course is to sail close to it,
- to round or pass the mark on the require side, and
- to leave it astern
- Finish: A boat finishes when, after her starting signal, any part of her hull crosses the finishing line from the course side. However, she has not if after crossing the finish line she
- takes a penalty under Rule 44.2
- corrects an error in sailing the course made at the line, or
- continues to sail the course
- After finishing she need not cross the finishing line completely.
- Support Person: Any person who
- provides, or may provide, physical or advisory support to a competitor, including any coach, trainer, manager, team staff, medic, paramedic or any other person working with, treating or assisting a competitor in or preparing for the competition, or
- is the parent or guardian of a competitor
- Proper Course: A course a boat would choose in order to sail the course as quickly as possible in the absence of the other boats referred to in the rule using the term. A boat has no proper course before her starting signal.
Races will be sailed under the jurisdiction of the Race Officer (RO) on each course and Head Race Officer (HRO). All races will be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing, the prescriptions of the United States Sailing Association, the International Hobie Class Association, the Rules and by-laws of The ILYA, and by these sailing instructions.
Entries must be completed and all fees paid before any boat is to be scored in a series.
Notices to competitors may be made through the CLYC newsletter, through a calling tree of the fleets or on the racecourse with the use of Code Flag “L” [Come Within Hail]. The limited use of VHF Radio’s by the on water P.R.O. and the sailors is appropriate. Sailors contacting the R.O. should identify themselves. Asking if there will be a race prior to the normal starting time is not appropriate.
The Race Officers will use channel 72 and spectators are encouraged to monitor Channel 72 but should not broadcast on it except to respond to the RO’s request for assistance. **Those who can help during any particular race are encouraged to let the R.O. know they are available to help prior to the beginning of the starting sequence.**
While Racing, all competitors in the X Class shall wear USCG approved life jackets. This obligation extends from the preparatory signal until the boat has finished and fulfilled all obligations under the rules after finishing.
All competitors shall have enough USCG approved life jackets on their vessels for each crew member in accordance with state law over and above Rule 1.2
Signals MAY be made ashore. If signals are made ashore, communication of those signals will also be made via VHF Channel 72.
Rule 3 – Decision To Race – While the decision to race lies with the individual sailor, below are guidelines requested by each fleet via their respective Fleet Captains and approved by the CLYC Board of Directors
- Classes MC, Melges 15 and X: Steady 20mph and/or gust to 23mph as registered on the Committee boat.
- Classes E, C and Hobie: 25mph, steady or gusts as registered on the Committee boat
Other conditions such as temperature, sea state, impending weather, availability of support vessels, etc must be considered when determining to race. The RO will communicate conditions and their intent to set a course by VHF channel 72.
Signals MAY be made ashore. If signals are made ashore, communication of those signals will also be made via VHF Channel 72.
Courses will be displayed on the course board at the stern of the Race Committee Boat in the starting order. The course letter designator will be followed by a number, which indicates the number of windward legs.
*Windward-Leeward course will be used primarily, however, please familiarize yourself with the course diagrams*
Round orange buoys will be used to mark the course, and a smaller orange buoy will generally be used as the offset at the windward mark. The offset must be rounded with every windward mark rounding.
On Saturday a.m. and Sunday a.m. the smaller orange mark used as part of the starting line will also be used as the leeward mark for the X fleet and M15 fleets. Similarly, on Saturday p.m. and
Sunday p.m. the smaller orange mark will be used as the leeward mark for the C fleet. The remaining fleets will use the large orange mark and shall not cross the starting line, in either direction, until all remaining fleets have properly started and the starting line flag is lowered.
Classes will start in the order listed on the course board, at three (3) minute intervals with one (1) minute between fleets.
All fleets will have a red class flag.
The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the race committee boat and an orange buoy. Signals will be made from the race committee boat stationed at the starboard end of the line.
Rule 30.1 -The One Minute “Round the Ends” Rule will be in effect on all starts even when the flag ‘I’ is not displayed.
Boats starting have the right away over boats not starting one minute prior to each start. (i.e. Boats on starboard tack, but not starting, must stay clear of boats on port tack that are in the last minute before their start.)
The Saturday morning first fleet warning will be at 0930 and afternoon first fleet warning will be at 1400. The Sunday morning first fleet warning will be at 1000 and the afternoon first fleet warning will be at 1400.
When at her starting signal a boat must comply with rule 29.1 or rule 30.1, the race committee shall promptly display flag X. The signal shall be displayed until all such boats are completely on the pre-start side of the starting line or its extensions and have complied with rule 30.l, but not later than four minutes after the starting signal or one minute before any later starting signal, whichever is earlier.
A recall announcement is a courtesy and failure to hear it shall not constitute grounds for redress.
Rule 29.2 is in effect.
After the starting signal, the race committee may abandon the race (flag N or flag N over H or A) or shorten the course (flag S), as appropriate. However, after one boat has sailed the course and finished within the time limit, if any, the race committee shall not abandon the race without considering the consequences for all boats in the race or series.
Every effort will be made to complete a race as scheduled. Postponed or abandoned [make up] races shall be resailed, normally back-to-back, at the discretion of the R.O. Back to back makeup races, as a guideline, should not be sailed in winds less than 5 or more than 18 MPH.
Rule 32 is expanded to provide that the Race Committee may abandon or cancel a race when the first yacht, each fleet, that has started correctly, fails to reach the windward mark in the time allowed as follows:
- on a course with two windward legs, 45 minutes
- on an X course with two windward legs, 45 minutes
- on a course with three windward legs, 35 minutes
- on a course with four windward legs, 30 minutes
Any starting sequence, which follows the use of code flag “N”, shall begin with a warning signal as soon as possible.
When flag “N” over flag “H” is displayed with three sound signals, all yachts are to discontinue racing and find safe harbor.
At any rounding mark the race committee may signal a change of the direction on the next leg of the course by displaying flag C and the compass bearing of that leg before any boat begins it.
The time limit for all courses and all classes, shall be 75 minutes.
Rule 41(a) is modified – the CLYC will define a capsized boat and/or a sailor in the water as being in “danger”. Outside help may be received in these situations without being subject to penalty under Rule 41.
Rule has been changed so that if you sail across the finish line on the second windward leg of a three windward leg race you haven’t finished.
A code flag A displayed by the RC in the finishing area indicates that racing has concluded and no more racing for that fleet today. The absence of a code flag A indicates that competitors should prepare for another race, to be started as soon as possible. Hailing is a courtesy only.
A boat intending to protest because of an incident occurring in the racing area that she is aware of shall hail ‘Protest’ and conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity for each. She shall display the flag either until she finishes or retires, or if the incident occurs near the finishing line, until the race committee acknowledges seeing her flag. In all other cases she shall inform the other boat as soon as reasonably possible.
Any yacht in class C, MC and X, that acknowledges a foul may complete two tacks and two gybes in any order. Any yacht in Class E and Hobie may acknowledge a foul by completing one tack and one gybe in any order. These penalty turns must be completed at the first safe, reasonable opportunity after the foul, regardless of the tactical situation. Yachts completing tacks and gybes to fulfill penalties are advised to report these turns at the finish, in the event of a dispute over completion of penalty with a protesting yacht.
The intent to protest must be lodged with the Race Officer at the finish of the race. It is the duty of the protestor to remain in the finish line area until a Race Officer has the opportunity to acknowledge the protestors intent to protest. The protest filing should be made on the proper form: (https://www.ussailing.org/resource-library/us-sailing-hearing-request-form/)
The proper form and any supporting documentation shall be submitted to the Chief Judge Dan Allen by emailing dsallen@cltel.net within 24 hours of the alleged incident.
Protests shall be heard at the first reasonable opportunity for all parties after proper filing of the protests. Every effort will be made to hear the protest prior to the next racing weekend. The hearing may be conducted in person or via teleconferencing (Zoom, etc). The protest chairman will attempt to include one representative from each fleet, with the exception of the fleet in which the protest has been filed.
- Each boat starting and finishing and not thereafter retiring, being penalized, or given redress shall be scored points as follows. The low point scoring system will be used, One point for first, two for second, three for third, etc.
- To be scored for the first series, second series, and championship series, a boat must sail 60% of the scored races in that series.
- A “throw-out” will be awarded in the first series and another in the second series as long as the boat can score enough races to meet the 60% requirement without the “throw-out”. The “throw-out” will consist of the race with the highest number of points (worse race).
- Ties will be broken based on the best finishes, most number of firsts, most number of seconds, etc.
- When needed, redress will be the average points of all the races in the series (first or second). A “throw-out” will be allowed for the redress calculation as long as the 60% requirement is maintained, not counting the race where redress is being granted.
- If a boat so desires, they will be granted Regatta Participation for any races they miss due to the boat or the skipper, sailing on another Clear Lake Yacht Club boat of the same fleet, attending one of the off the lake regattas listed below. If an event is not listed below, please inquire to the Scorer if your event may qualify.
- Regatta Participation will just be used to determine if a boat has met the 60% requirement and if a throw-out can be deducted. The Scored Average for the boat will be based only on the races sailed, minus the Throw-out if one is allowed.
- So, if the fleet has sailed 10 races for the series, a boat must have sailed 6 races (60% of 10) to qualify for the series (7 to qualify for a Throw-out). If a boat has two Regatta Participation races, they will only require 4 races to qualify for the series (5 to qualify for a Throw-out).
- Regatta Participation will just be used to determine if a boat has met the 60% requirement and if a throw-out can be deducted. The Scored Average for the boat will be based only on the races sailed, minus the Throw-out if one is allowed.
ILYA E Invitational ILYA MC Invitational M15 Nationals
ILYA E Championship. ILYA MC Championship ILYA X Championship
E National MC Nationals X Blue Chip
ILYA C Invitational MC Masters Championship GLSS(X-boat)
ILYA C Championship MC Youth Championship. X-Treme (X-boat)
C National ILYA M15 Championship
For your boat to be officially scored, the scorer must be contacted in each race that the number on your sail is not your official registered sail number. Scorer Mark Tesar can be contacted at 641-529-0747 or Email mtesar@cltel.net.
Trophies will be awarded to the best-ranked yacht for each series, each regatta, the seamanship award, and the fleet championship. Additional trophies will be awarded based on the following calculations. For each series there shall be one additional trophy awarded for every three yachts registered. For each regatta there shall be one additional trophy awarded for every three yachts participating in the regatta.
It is important that all members of the Clear Lake Yacht Club remember that our sailing program is only one of many programs or groups of people who count on Clear Lake as a great resource of recreational pleasure. We share the lake with fishermen, water skiers, powerboats, other sailors, and a host of others. If we are to expect others to respect our rights and needs during our races, we must return the respect to those who are also using the lake.