Sailing Instructions

ØPart I - GENERAL INFORMATION

Ø Racing will begin on Saturday, March 24th, and conclude on Sunday March 25th.

Ø The National Hospice Regatta Championship Race Committee, or its representative(s), reserves the right to inspect a boat without prior notification at any time to assure compliance with J/105 class rules and safety requirements.

Ø Competitors are reminded that the Port Everglades channel is an active shipping channel. It is narrow, making safety an issue for Coast Guard vessels, cruise ships and other large vessels. Competitors are reminded not to cross just ahead of ships in the channel and are asked to operate prudently while in the vicinity.

Ø The legal drinking age in Florida is 21. MINORS WILL NOT BE SERVED & PROOF OF AGE WILL BE REQUIRED. Intoxication or discourteous behavior may be grounds for expulsion from the event. Captains will be held responsible for the actions of their crew. A yacht is subject to protest and disqualification from the regatta if any under age crew are found to be consuming alcohol.

Ø The Skipper shall be responsible for all actions of his or her crew and guests. In the event of a serious breach of conduct, sportsmanship, destruction of property, or failure to comply with the request of any Race Officer, Committee member or agent of the National Hospice Regatta Championship Race Committee, the Skipper will be held responsible and the boat or competitor may be subject to protest.

Ø The Race Committee will use VHF radio channel 69.

Part II - RULES

1.0 RULES
1.1 The regatta will be governed by the 1997-2000 Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the current Class Rules of the J/105 Class, the Official Notice and Conditions of Race, by these Sailing Instructions, and any properly posted addendum.

1.2 The National Hospice Regatta Championship is classified as a Category A event for the purposes of Appendix G of the RRS.

1.3 All yachts sailing shall conform to the 2000-2001 Safety Recommendations for Offshore Sailing including ORC Special regulations governing Offshore Racing for Monohulls and Multihulls, (Category 4), except as modified in the Notice Of Race.

1.4 All yachts shall conform to the J/105 Class Rules concerning minimum equipment and accommodation standards.

1.5 A boat may not protest another boat for an alleged breach of RRS 75.2 with respect to ISAF Code21.1(b). This changes rule 60.1(a).

2.0 CREW LIMIT
2.1 J/105 Class Rules regarding crew weight limits shall apply for the National Hospice Regatta Championship. The maximum weight allowed shall be 440 Kilograms (970 lbs.). A yacht's owner or owner's representative shall not be included in the yacht's weight maximum.

2.2 Crew substitutions are allowed. Entrants desiring to substitute crew must have the substitute crew member weighed prior to 0900 on the race day at the Race Headquarters at the Lauderdale Yacht Club's Sailing Center. A crew substitution card, with the name of the substitute (who meets all One-Design class requirements) and the crewmember being replaced, must be submitted when being weighed in and signed by a designated Race Committee official. Crew substitution cards are available at race headquarters.

3.0 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
3.1 Official notices and numbered amendments to these Sailing Instructions will be posted on the Official Notice Board located at the Lauderdale Yacht Club's Sailing Center.

4.0 CHANGES IN SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
4.1 Any changes to the Sailing Instructions will be posted no later than 0900 on the date of the scheduled race for which the changes will apply except that any change in the schedule of races will be posted by 1800 on the day before it will take effect. Copies of any changes will be posted on the Notice Board at Race Headquarters at the Lauderdale Yacht Club's Sailing Center.

5.0 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
5.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed by the Race Committee on a flag staff located at the eastern end of the Lauderdale Yacht Club.

5.2 One (1) gun fired (or alternative sound) outside the marina harbor at 0930 will signal that the Race Committee is leaving for the racing area and intentions are to start the races as scheduled.

5.3 Code Flag "AP" with two (2) guns means, "The race is postponed". Code Flag "AP" over the appropriate numeral pennant(s) with two guns means "The race is postponed for that specific amount of time (hours)". The Warning Signal will be made not less than 90 minutes after "AP" is lowered with one gun.

6.0 SCHEDULE OF RACES
6.1 The Warning Signal for the start of the first race each day is scheduled for 1100 (this alters the Notice of Race).

6.2 It is the intention of the Race Committee to attempt to run multiple windward/leeward races of varying lengths per day, should conditions permit. If a subsequent race is to be sailed that day, the Race Committee's finish boat will display Code Flag "R" at the finish of a race. On Sunday, March 25th, no race will begin after 1300.

6.3 Five races are scheduled. Three races constitutes a series.

6.4 Approximately one minute before the Warning Signal of a subsequent race, multiple horn signals may be sounded from the Signal Boat.

7.0 RACING AREA
7.1 The racing area will be in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 1½ miles south of the Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) mid-channel marker. Racers shall rendezvous in this area and proceed to the starting area, which may vary slightly depending upon wind direction.

8.0 MARKS
8.1 The course marks used will be inflatable orange tetrahedrons.

8.2 The initial change of course mark, if signaled, will be a yellow tetrahedron.

9.0 COURSES
9.1 The National Hospice Regatta Championship Race Committee shall utilize the courses illustrated on the NATIONAL HOSPICE REGATTA CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES diagram. The appropriate numeral pennant, along with the magnetic bearing and distance to the first mark from the Signal Boat, will be displayed at or before the Warning signal.

9.2 If a leeward "gate" is utilized, code flag "G" will be displayed at or before the Warning signal.

10.0 THE START
10.1 Races will be started in accordance with RRS 26.1, System 2.

10.2 The Starting Line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the Race Committee Signal Boat and a starting mark.

10.3 The Committee may set a "Limit Mark" near the Committee Boat. If a yacht touches either the Limit Mark or the Committee Boat, or passes between them, she shall be considered to have touched a Starting Mark. For the purposes of RRS 31 (Touching a Mark) and RRS 28 (Sailing the Course) treat both the Limit Mark and the Committee Boat as a single Starting Mark.

11.0 RECALLS
11.1 Individual Recalls will be signaled in accordance with RRS 29.2. (Individual Recall)

11.2 The Race Committee shall attempt to identify premature starters by broadcasting their sail numbers on VHF Channel 69. Failure of a yacht to see, hear, or interpret a recall notification shall not relieve her of the obligation to properly start and will not be grounds for redress.

11.3 General Recalls will be signaled in accordance with RRS 29.3. (General Recall)

12.0 COURSE CHANGE AFTER THE START
(The following modifies RRS 33)
12.1 A change of course will be signaled near the mark(s) beginning the leg being changed by a Race Committee boat that will display the Code Flag "C", the approximate compass bearing to the new mark, and make a sound signal periodically

12.2 The change will be signaled before the leading yacht has begun the leg, although the new mark may not be in position. The new mark will be an inflatable race mark of contrasting color for the first change unless the first change is for the last leg. If subsequent change of course are necessary, the new color marks will be alternated with original color marks.

13.0 THE FINISH
13.1 For Leeward finishes, the Finish Line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on a Race Committee boat and a finishing mark.

13.2 For Windward finishes, the Finish Line will be located approximately 0.2NM to weather of the windward mark between a staff displaying an orange flag on a Race Committee boat and a finishing mark.

13.3 If a subsequent race is to be sailed that day, the finish boat will display Code Flag "R" at the finish of a race.

14.0 TIME LIMITS

14.1 Any race in which no yacht rounds the first windward mark within forty-five (45) minutes, or finishes within two and one half (2.5) hours of the start, will be abandoned.

14.2 If a yacht finishes within the 2.5 hour limit, the time limit for all other yachts shall be thirty (30) minutes from the first finisher. Yachts not finishing within the time limit will be scored "TLE". This alters RRS 35 (Time Limit).

15.0 WITHDRAWAL
15.1 A yacht that retires from a race or does not intend to start a scheduled race shall promptly report this fact to the Race Committee on station via hailing or the designated VHF channel. If this is not possible she shall report her withdrawal at the National Hospice Regatta Championship Race Headquarters at the Lauderdale Yacht Club's Sailing Center.

16.0 PENALTIES FOR BREAKING RULES OF RRS PART 2
16.1 A yacht that may have broken a rule of Part 2 while racing may take a penalty at the time of the incident by taking a 720° Turns Penalty in compliance with RRS 44.2.

17.0 PROTESTS
17.1 Protesting yachts are requested to notify the Race Committee by hail, or by VHF Radio, of their intent to protest immediately following the finish of the race in which the infringement occurred, modifying RRS Rule 61. Yachts notifying the Race Committee shall remain clear of the finishing line.

17.2 Protests shall be submitted on forms available at the Protest Desk (located at the National Hospice Regatta Championship race headquarters at the Sailing Center at the Lauderdale Yacht Club) and lodged there as soon as possible but no later than ninety (90) minutes after the Race Committee's Signal Yacht docks. The Protest Time Limit will be posted.

17.3 Protest notices will be posted as soon as possible after the protest time limit to inform competitors where and when there is a hearing in which they are party to a protest. Protest hearings will be scheduled to start as soon as possible after the notices are posted. The jury will attempt to hear protests in the order of receipt. Representatives of yachts who are parties to the protests shall remain on call in the vicinity of the Protest Room located in the Lauderdale Yacht Club's Sailing Center.

17.4 When a yacht has been involved in any incident that may be subject to a protest, it is her sole responsibility to check the Protest notices at the end of the protest filing time to see if she is cited in a protest. Failure of a yacht to appear when called for a hearing will be considered by the protest committee as grounds for proceeding under RRS 63.3 (b).

17.5 RRS 63.5 is changed by adding: "A protest involving contact may be heard by the Jury even though the requirements of RRS 61.1 (a) and 61.3 have not been fulfilled."

18.0 SCORING
18.1 The Low Point Scoring System as described in Appendix "A" of the Racing Rules of Sailing will apply, except that .75 points will be awarded for first place, and each boat's series score will be the total of all her individual race scores. The lowest series score wins.

18.2 Ties shall be broken in accordance with RRS Appendix "A" Rule A2.3 (Ties)

18.3 Three races must be completed to constitute a series.

19.0 INSPECTIONS
19.1 The Race Committee reserves the right to inspect a yacht, without prior notification, at any time to assure compliance with J/105 Class rules, crew eligibility or safety requirements.

20.0 AWARDS
20.1 Awards for first, second and third place will be presented.