Ocean Marina Yacht Club
Weekend Racing 2008

Sailing Instructions
(Issued 30.12.2007)

ORGANISING AUTHORITY

The racing is organised by the Ocean Marina Yacht Club Sailing Committee under the auspices of the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand. They will be held in the waters off the Ocean Marina, Na-Jomtien.

1. RULES

1.1 The Regatta will be governed by:
The Racing Rules of Sailing 2005-2008 (RRS),
The Prescriptions of the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand,
The IRC 2007 Handicap Rules Parts 1, 2 & 3 (IRC-C),
The OMR rule for Ocean Multihulls,
The Thaicap Rating Rules,
The Platu Class Rules,
The RORC Sports Boat Rules.

2. IDENTIFICATION

2.1 All boats shall carry an identifying number of at least 2 digits on the mainsail.

3. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to competitors will be posted on the official Notice Board located at the Ocean Marina Harbourmaster Office.

4. CHANGES IN SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

4.1. Any change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted by 20:00 hours on the day before it will take effect, including any change to the schedule of races.

4.2. Late changes may be made on VHF Ch. 72 prior to the warning signal. Code flag L will be displayed on the committee boat.

5. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

5.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed on a flag mast near Ocean Marina Harbourmaster Office.

5.2 When Flag AP is displayed ashore, “one minute” is replaced with “not less than 60 minutes” in race signal AP

5.3 When a visual signal is displayed over a class flag, it applies to that class only.

6. SCHEDULE OF RACES

6.1 Races on Saturdays : First warning signal 12:00 hrs

6.2 Races on Sundays: First warning Signal first race 11:00 hrs

7.1. The class flags will be:
Class 1 yellow
Class 2 white
Class 3 Blue P on white
Class 4 Green
Class 5 Blue P on white

These flags will be used as the warning signal for all classes.

8. RACING AREAS

8.1. The racing areas and courses will be provided at the briefing and posed as per the Notice of Race.

9. COURSES

9.1. WINDWARD-LEEWARD COURSES - This course, formed by two or three marks, will be as shown in the diagrams/course descriptions. The weather mark, Mark 1, will be moored in a range from 1nm up to 2 nautical miles from the leeward mark. All rounding marks shall be left to port.

9.2 COASTAL COURSES - Coastal courses will be as shown in the diagrams/course descriptions, and include areas off the Ocean Marina and the outlying islands.

10. MARKS

10.1 The marks of the course will be inflatable buoys or islands and navigation aids as identified in the course illustrations.

10.2 The start /finish marks will be an orange or red round buoy.
10.3 If at any time a buoy should become unserviceable, it will be replaced by an alternative buoy or by a Committee Vessel displaying Flag "M".

10.4 Failure of a mark boat to be in position shall NOT be grounds for redress. This changes RSS 62.1(a).

11. THE START

11.1. Races will be started using rule 26 with the warning signal given 5 minutes before the starting signal.

11.2. When a second race for a class(s) is started on the same day the warning signal of the first class to start will be preceded by the display of a postponement signal for at least 5 minutes. This instruction will not apply after a general recall or abandonment.

11.3 The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the Starting Boat at the starboard end and the port end starting mark.

11.4 A boat starting later than nine minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start. This changes rule RRS A 4.1.

11.5 Boats whose warning signal has not been made shall keep at least 100m all round clear of the starting line. Boats that infringe this Instruction may be protested. If the jury decides that an infringement of this Instruction has occurred, it may penalise the offending boat by disqualifying her or by adding a time penalty to her elapsed time or it may determine that no penalty is required.

11.6 At the start signal any boat observed to be on the course side of the line (OCS) will be recorded and the “X” flag displayed in accordance with RRS 29.2
The race committee will endeavour to inform competitors as soon as possible.

12.0 Not used

13. THE FINISH

13.1. The finishing line for the Windward-Leeward and Coastal courses, will be between the staff displaying an orange flag on the Finishing Vessel at the starboard end and the port end finishing mark.


14 PENALTY SYSTEM

14.1 The provisions of RRS 44.2 shall apply for all Classes.

14.2 Not used.

14.3 Unless otherwise prescribed in these Sailing instructions, The Jury may award a scoring penalty as an alternative to DSQ. The penalty will be at the discretion of the Jury. Rule 64.1 (a) refers.

15. TIME LIMIT

15.1. The passage course time limit for the first boat in each class will be 5 hours or 120 minutes after the first boat finishes whichever is the longer. However the absolute time limit is 1800 hrs on the day of racing. Boats finishing outside these limits will be scored "DNF". This changes rules 35 and A 4.1

15.2 The time limit for the windward/leeward courses shall be 2 hours or 45 minutes after the first boat in each class finishes.

16. PROTESTS and REQUESTS for REDRESS

16.1 Protest forms are available from the race office. Protests and Requests for Redress shall be delivered there within the protest time limit.

16.2 Each protest submission shall be accompanies by a non-refundable cash protest fee of Baht 1,000.-

16.3 For each class the protest time limit is 90 minutes after the last boat in the class has finished the last race of the day.
The daily close of protest time for each class will be posted on the official notice board.

16.4 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 heard in the approx. order of receipt, in the Jury Room at the times posted.

16.5 Notices of protest by the Race Committee or Jury will be posted to inform boats under rule 61.1(b)

16.6 Requests for redress or reopening of a hearing will only be accepted up to close of protest time on the final day of racing.

16.7 There will be No Request For Redress against OCS decisions. This alters RRS 62.1(a).

16.8 Decisions of the jury will be final as provided in rule 70.4

17. SCORING

17.1 The Low Point Scoring System of Appendix A will apply.

17.2 There will be 2 races, both of which shall be completed to constitute a series.

18. MARK BOATS & COMMITTEE BOATS

18.1. Not Used

19. RADIO COMMUNICATION

19.1 A yacht shall neither make radio transmissions whilst racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats except as described in SI 19.2, 19.3 and
19.2 No boat shall instigate radio communication from 10 minutes before the first warning signal until 20 minutes after the last start. Refer to Notice to Competitors No. 1.

19.3 A yacht retiring from a race must at the earliest opportunity notify the Race Committee of this by hail, message, VHF on Channel 72 or cellular phone on the number provided by the committee.

19.4 Approximate GPS positions of the principal laid marks of the course may be announced prior to the first warning signal each day.

19.5 Any radio communications by the Race committee, any naming or misnaming of boats &/or their numbers, colours, designs, logos, or shapes cannot be used as evidence in any redress hearing.
This changes rule 62.1 (a).

20. SHORTENING COURSE

20.1 The Race committee may shorten course in accordance with RRS 32 (2005-7) and/or as changed by this SI.

20.2 For the purposes of this SI, the mark at which the course is shortened shall be referred to as Mark S. The Time Limit will be from the time the first boat rounds Mark S plus 120 minutes or 1800 hrs., absolute.

21. PRIZES

21.1. Prizes for the respective Series will be awarded for the first three yachts in each of the classes.

21.3. Other prizes may be awarded for class and division results.