The Oakville Club Open Regatta      

Saturday August 19, 2023

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Amendments:

August 17, 2023

Section 6.1 – Class flags have been corrected to reflect starting sequence

Section 11.1 – inserted “for all fleets” and corrected course designation as Alpha

Added Section 14.2 to outline the finishing instructions for the cruising fleet.

  Section 13.5 - Race Committee is allowed to make a change of 10 degrees either way or 10% up or down 

without signaling Charlie. 

Removed Section 15.1 - conflict with section 1.1.1 

1. RULES

   1. The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing except the following:

      1. RRS 44: PENALTY AT THE TIME OF AN INCIDENT - The first two sentences of rule 44.1 are changed to: ‘A boat may take a One-Turn Penalty when she may have broken one or more rules of Part 2 or rule 31 in an incident while racing. However, when she may have broken one or more rules of Part 2 while in the zone around a mark other than a starting mark, her penalty shall be a Two-Turns Penalty

   2. If there is a conflict between the Notice of Race (NOR) and the Sailing Instructions (SIs), the SIs will take precedence.

2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to competitors will be posted at the Oakville Club on the Yachting Board in the hallway beside the River Bar.

3.  CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted before 0900 on the 19 August 2023, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by 2100 on the 18 August 2023.      

4. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

   1. Signals made ashore will be displayed on the flagpole located on the dock outside the club.

   2. When Flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 30 minutes’ in the Postponement Signals, AP, under Race Signals

5. SCHEDULE

• 0930 hrs; Skipper’s meeting 

• 1055 hrs; tentative first warning signal

• A maximum of three races, no warning signal being made after 1500hrs

• A minimum of one race must be completed to constitute a regatta

• 1630 hrs; Awards

• 1730 hrs; Dinner / Poolside Party 

6. CLASS DIVISIONS AND STARTING ORDER: 

   1. Alpha Course

Class PHRF Rating Start Class Flag

Etchells 1-design 4 Class Pennant

Flying Sails 1 FS < 130 3 Pennant # 3

Non Flying Sails 1 NFS < 170 2 Pennant # 2

Flying Sails 2 FS = or > 130 1 Pennant # 1

Non Flying Sails 2 NFS = or > 170 1 Pennant # 1

2. Cruising Course

Cruising all 5 Pennant # 5

Division Flags maybe provided by the Organizing Authority to be displayed on the backstay, or other conspicuous position on the stern of the boat.  Division Flags, if provided must be visible and insight from the warning signal until the race committee has acknowledged the boat’s finish. Division Flags maybe in the form of a pennant, patch, streamer or other form.

7. RACING AREAS

8. Races will take place on the open waters of western Lake Ontario in the vicinity of the Oakville Club and Sixteen Mile Creek.

9. THE COURSES

   1. The diagram in Appendix A shows the course for all classes, except the Cruising class, and the order in which the marks are to be passed.

   2. The diagram in Appendix B shows the course for the Cruising class.  A middle distance (approx.10NM) race using the OYS fixed marks.  Marks are to be passed to port.

   3. After starting, boats shall not pass between a start/finish mark and the RC Boat except when finishing. 

10. MARKS

    1. Inflatable marks to be used for all courses will be yellow tetrahedrons. The “pin” end of the start/finish line will be an orange tetrahedron.

    2. In the event, if the offset (Mark 1a) is missing, it should be ignored and Mark 1 should be rounded normally.

11. THE START

    1. The starting line, for all fleets, will be between a staff displaying an orange flag or shape on the signal boat at the starboard end and the orange tetrahedron as the port-end starting mark.  Alpha course masthead flag will be the blue and white RC pennant.

    2. Boats whose warning signal has not been made shall avoid the starting area during the starting sequence for other races by remaining outside the box bound by the starting line and 100m to leeward of it.

    3. There will be at least 1 minute between starting sequences.

    4. If any part of a boat’s hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the starting line during the minute before her starting signal and she is identified, the race committee will attempt to broadcast her sail number on VHF channel 72. Failure to make a broadcast or to time it accurately will not be grounds for a request for redress. This changes rule 62.1(a).

    5. Five minutes after a boat’s start has been signaled, she shall keep clear of any boats attempting to start in their proper sequence.

    6. The cruising fleet will be the fifth start in the sequence for race #1

    7. A boat starting later than 5 minutes after her starting signal will be scored DNS (did not start) without a hearing. This changes Rule A4. 

12. RECALLS

    1. The Race Committee may attempt to notify boats identified as OCS by announcing their racing numbers, or boat name, on the VHF channel described in Sailing Instruction 19.1. The following will not be grounds for redress:

• Failure of a boat to receive the recall broadcast 

• A boat’s position in the sequence of broadcast numbers 

• Failure of the Race Committee to hail a boat’s number

13. CHANGE OF NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE

    1. To change the next leg of the course, the race committee will lay a new mark (or move the finishing line) and remove the original mark as soon as practicable. When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark.

    2. Substitute marks will be orange tetrahedrons.

    3. If the windward marks (mark 1 & 1a) are changed they will be replaced by a single mark.

    4. Courses will not be shortened to less than two (2) legs.

    5. The Race Committee is allowed to make a change of 10 degrees either way or 10% up or down without signaling Charlie. 

14. THE FINISH

    1. The finishing line will be between a staff displaying the blue and white RC pennant or an orange flag or shape on the signal boat and the course side finishing mark.

    2. The Cruising fleet will sail between the fixed OYS finish mark and the end of the west pier and physically be within ~50 yds of the finish mark itself.  Participants will record their finishing time and take note of those finishing ahead and behind them.

    3. If the race committee is absent when a boat finishes, she should report her finishing time, and her position in relation to nearby boats, to the race committee at the first reasonable opportunity.

15. PENALTY SYSTEM

    1. A boat may take a Two-Turns Penalty when she may have broken one or more rules of Part 2 in an incident while racing. She may take a One-Turn Penalty when she may have broken Rule 31. 

    2. After getting well clear of other boats as soon after the incident as possible, a boat takes a One-Turn or Two-Turns Penalty by promptly making the required number of turns in the same direction.

    3. Rule 44.1 is changed to permit a boat that has broken a rule of Part 2 or rule 31 to take a penalty after racing but prior to any protest hearing. Her penalty shall be a scoring penalty as calculated in rule 44.3(c) equal to 50% of the difference between her finishing position and the number of entries in her class, whichever is less. However, if she caused injury or serious damage or gained a significant advantage in the race or series by her breach, her penalty shall be to retire.

16. TIME LIMITS AND TARGET TIMES

    1. If no boat of the Cruising Division sails the course as required by RRS 28 within 4 hours after the start the race will be abandoned.

    2. Boats in the Racing Divisions failing to finish within 20 minutes after the first boat in that class sails the course and finishes, will be scored the number of participants plus one (1) without a hearing and should proceed to the starting area if another race is scheduled. This changes RRS 35, A4 and A5.

    3. A boat that retires from a race or leaves the racing area between races shall notify the Race Committee as soon as reasonably possible.

17. PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS

    1. Protest shall be written on the protest form provided in your race kit. Completed protest forms shall be submitted to the Jury Secretary within 30 minutes of the docking of the Committee Boat.

    2. The time and location of the protest hearing(s) will be displayed on the Official Notice Board. This posting constitutes the notice required by RRS 63.2 (Time and Place of Hearing).

    3. Hearings will start after the protest time limit has expired and will generally be heard in the in the order the protest forms were submitted.

    4. A request to reopen a hearing shall be delivered no later than 30 minutes after the party requesting reopening was informed of the decision on that day. This changes RRS 66.

    5. These sailing instructions are not subject to protest by a boat and may have a penalty other than DSQ at the discretion of the Protest Committee: 14, 19 and 27.

18. ARBITRATION

    1. For a protest between two boats alleging a breach of a rule of Part 2 or rule 31, an arbitration meeting may be held prior to any protest hearing.

    2. One representative from each boat will meet with the arbitrator. No witnesses will be permitted.

    3. The arbitrator will advise on whether: 

a) One or both boats should take a penalty; 

b) The protest should be withdrawn; or 

c) The protest should go to the protest committee for a hearing.

4. When a boat accepts a penalty or the arbitrator advises that the protest should be withdrawn, the arbitrator will allow the protest to be withdrawn. This changes rule 63.1.

5. When a protest is withdrawn, it will not be reopened or made the subject of a request for redress.

19. SCORING

    1. The low point scoring system will apply for boats starting and finishing.

For boats not starting/finishing, the scoring system is as follows:

• DNS / DNF / RET - # of participants + 1 point

• OCS / DSQ / DNC / NSC - # of participants + 2 points

This changes rules A4.2.

2. The PHRF-LO time on time will be used to score boats.

3. One race is required to be completed to constitute a regatta.

4. A boat’s score will be the total of her race scores. There are no drops, all scores are counted.

20. RADIO COMMUNICATION

    1. Marine VHF Channel 72 Canadian shall be used by the Race Committee for radio communication during the race on Alpha course.

    2. Except in an emergency, a boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats.  This restriction also applies to mobile telephones.

21. PRIZES

    1. Prizes will be awarded to the boats placing first, second, and third in each class for the regatta.

    2. ‘The Oakville Club Cup’ is presented to a Racing Division boat having the best overall performance by score. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined under scoring RRS rule A8.2.

    3. ‘The Oldershire Cup’ is presented to an Oakville Club member boat having the best overall performance by score. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined under scoring RRS rule A8.2.

    4. ‘The Heineken Cup’ is presented to the Cruising Division boat having the best overall finish.

    5. Other prizes may be awarded.

22. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 4, Decision to Race. The organizing authority and Host Clubs 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.

23. INSURANCE

Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover of $2,000,000 CAD per incident or the equivalent for Canadian boats and $300,000 USD per incident or the equivalent for non-Canadian boats.  

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CONTACTS:

Regatta Director Alex McMillin Mobile – 289-681-2853 

OC Commodore Courtnay Macrae

Regatta scorer Max Childerhouse

Principal Race Officer Colleen Gravelle

OC Dock Manager Paul Carter VHF channel 68

Phone#: 905-845-0231 extension 221

BERTHING

• Berthing is available on a first come, first serve basis. To reserve a slip, you must enter the regatta first, then please contact The Oakville Club’s Dock Manager at 905.845.0231 extension 221 or via email at pcarter@oakvilleclub.com.

• Boats shall follow the directions of the Oakville Club Dock Manager.  Failure to comply with the directions of the Dock Manager and/or crew or organizers shall be grounds for disciplinary action and possible expulsion from the regatta.

Appendix A – Course Layout

Windward-leeward course (all classes except Cruising class)

Appendix B – Cruising course

The Cruising course is 1 time around the OYS fixed markers (approx. 10NM) as outlined below.  Cruisers will sail around the marks as follows:

Start – Mark 2 West – Mark 3 East - finish