SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1. GENERAL – Except as provided below Races will be sailed under the I.S.A.F. Rules with the R.Y.A prescriptions and Class Rules.

2. SAFETY – A safety boat is provided for assistance only. All safety, including but not limited to, crew and craft, remains the sole responsibility of the individual helms. Personal flotation devices shall be worn by all dinghy competitors and junior helms, other competitors are recommended to wear personal flotation devices at all times. Parents and guardians have the sole responsibility for their competing children and wards and must appreciate that the Club cannot be expected to exercise supervision and control at any time.

3. LIABILITY AND INSURANCE – The race organisers shall not be liable for any loss, damage, death or personal injury, howsoever caused to the owner/competitor, his skipper or crew or any spectators as a result of their taking part in the race or races unless caused by or resulting from the race organisers’ negligence or deliberate act or that of those for whom they are responsible. Moreover, every owner/competitor warrants the suitability of his yacht and crew for the race or races. All entrants must be covered by adequate Third Party Insurance in the sum of at least £2,000,000 per incident.

4. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS – These will be posted on the official notice board located at race control where entries will be received.

5. SIGNING IN – It is a condition of entry that the helm (or parent/guardian) fully accepts the terms set out in the Sailing Instructions, confirming his/her agreement by singing the Master Entry Sheet at race control with the appropriate fee before the warning signal or as otherwise stipulated in the notice of the race.

6. REGISTRATION – Certificates need not be shown but all craft must be in accord with the spirit of their Class and confirm with class rules.

7. CHANGES TO THE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS – Will be posted at least one hour before the start of a race or as indicated at an official briefing.

8. HANDICAPS – whilst all yachts are welcome to compete in any race applicable to their class, only yachts with a ratified River Cruiser Class, Portsmouth Yardstick or EACC confirmed handicap will be awarded trophies at Thurne Mouth Open Regatta. The Race Officer’s decision on handicaps is final.

9. COURSE – the start and finish lines are imaginary lines between a mast at the Committee enclosure or boat  where the club flag will normally be flown) and another mark. The direction of start, buoys to be rounded and number of rounds to be sailed will be as displayed on the course board at the preparatory signal, or in the absence of a course board as advised at the briefing. The buoys, 1 and A downstream, 2 and B upstream and 3 River Thurne will be placed at the discretion of the RACE OFFICER.

10. SPLIT STARTS – The RACE OFFICER may, at his discretion, group entrants to start at intervals. The warning signal for each group will be the normal class flag over the appropriate letter flag for that group (A, B, C etc.) Details will be displayed at the start line before the first warning signal for that class.

11. RECALLS – No recall numbers will be used. Yachts over the line at the start will be recalled if practicable. The responsibility for returning rests with the yachts concerned.12. GENERAL RECALLS – When a class is recalled for a new start by 2 sound signals and the first substitute is flown, all subsequent starts in that series will be delayed and competitors should watch out for a new warning signal.

13. X ZONES – Yachts whose preparatory signal has not been made shall keep clear of the starting area and of all yachts whose preparatory signal has been made. Yachts may not sail in the hatched area as defined by the RACE OFFICER and displayed at race control until after their preparatory signal. However, a yacht may sail through the hatched zone once prior to their preparatory signal in order to gain access to the waiting zones beyond the x-zone.

14. SHORTENING COURSE – When the course is shortened, the leading yacht will follow the set course to the finish line, followed by all the competing yachts in succession having completed the same course.

15. DECLARATION AND PROTESTS – No declaration need by submitted unless requested. Protests shall be lodged in writing within 30 minutes of the yacht protesting returning to her moorings, or the race finishing, whichever is the sooner. The protest form must be accompanied by a fee of £1.00.

16. ALTERNATIVE PENALTIES
Rule 44.1 is changed. The Two-Turns and One-Turn penalties are replaced by Time Penalties of two minutes and one minute respectively, added to the yacht’s elapsed time. A yacht taking a Time Penalty shall:-

(i) Display a green rectangular flag at the first reasonable opportunity, which is normally immediately after the incident.
(ii) Call the Race Committee’s attention to her green flag at the finishing line at the first reasonable opportunity.
(iii) Identify to the Race Committee the yacht infringed against and the penalty accepted (1 or 2 minutes) at the first reasonable opportunity within the time limit for lodging protests.

17. RACING FLAGS – Yachts whilst racing shall fly a rectangular racing flag at or near the masthead or highest point  of her sailplan.

18. TIME LIMIT – At the discretion of the RACE OFFICER a time limit may be imposed.

19. START PROCEDURE

10 minute – sound signal and raise class flag
5 minute – sound signal and raise blue peter
Start – sound signal and both flags down

20. These sailing instructions may be varied by the RACE OFFICER verbally at a briefing or in writing at his discretion.

21. SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONS

a) NUMBER OF STARTERS – Two yachts or no first prize, three yachts or no second prize. There shall be no sail over.
b) CLASS RACES – Classes without a class race entering four or more boats in allcomers events mayat the discretion of the RACE OFFICER be timed as a separate race for which prizes may be awarded.
c) ALLCOMERS A & B – Allcomers A shall be for fixed keel boats only. Allcomers, B for centreboard boats.
d) MIXED ONE DESIGNS – shall be Yare & Bure One Designs, Yarmouth One Designs, Waveney One Designs, Rebels, Yeomans and Broads One Designs – NO booming out, NO spinnakers, NO non-class sails.
e) JUNIOR HELMS – shall be 16 years old or under. Entrants for the Pat Atkins Trophy shall be 12 years or under.
f) CREWS RACES – Entries will be accepted, at the discretion of the RACE OFFICER, from those who do not normally helm a race.
g) LOCAL BOATS – A local boat shall be a boat normally moored between Acle Bridge and South Walsham Broad on the River Bure, or between Potter Heigham Up-River Bridge and Thurne Mouth on the River Thurne, including Womack Water. A boat normally wintered in Thurne village shall also be eligible.
h) BRIEFINGS – Races requiring supplementary instruction (such as the Cock of the Broads) will be preceded by a briefing given by the RACE OFFICER which will be advertised in the programme and at race control.
i) MOTOR CRUISERS – please note that motor cruisers are asked to slow down and keep to the right. Please make every effort to allow them to continue on this course unless absolutely necessary; and please treat other river users with courtesy. THANK YOU.