Notice of Race

Royal Southern Yacht Club

Women’s Open Keelboat Championship

4th - 5th July 2009

Notice of Race

1.ORGANISING AUTHORITY

The organising authority is the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Rope Walk, Hamble (R Srn).

2.RULES

The event will be governed by the Rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) including the IRC Rules parts 1, 2 and 3 but IRC Rule 27.4.2 shall not apply to boats rated as one designs. In the event of conflict the Sailing Instructions (SIs) shall prevail; this changes RRS 63.7. Sail numbers must be readily readable and in case of doubt sail number dodgers must be displayed. The RYA Racing Charter will apply.

3.ELIGIBILITY and ENTRY

Boats shall have all-women crews. Men are not allowed aboard when racing.

Classes offered are:-

IRC rated boats within a guide rating range of TCC 0.900 to 1.090. Boats falling just outside that range are invited to discuss possible entry with R Srn.Sports boats racing under the RYA/RORC Sportsboat Rule (SBR)One Design class(es) at the discretion of the R Srn and subject to at least 6 boats having entered by 1000 on Monday 22 June 2009.

It is hoped there will be classes for Laser SB3s and J/109s racing under class one-design rules. A J/109 class may be restricted to standard class No 3 headsails and a maximum of 9 women (including helm).

Details will be confirmed by Amendment or in the SIs.

Boats shall hold a valid current SBR, IRC, or class certificate as appropriate. Except as a result of a rating protest, or to correct a rating office error, no changes to a boat’s rating dated less than 7 days before the first race will be accepted except at the discretion of the RSrn.

Entry is by completed entry form with the required entry fee, to be received by RSrn before the boat races. The early entry fee is £90 (reduced to £70 for R Srn members) and this closes at 1000 on

Monday 22nd June 2009. Early entry will greatly assist planning for the event. Later entries are accepted subject to receipt of an extra 25% entry fee.

Cancellation of entry: Refunds (less an administrative charge of £20) will only be given if cancellation is received by1000 on Monday 22nd June 2009.

4.SAFETY

All sports and day boats shall comply at least with the RSrn Sports Boat and Day Boat Safety Regulations (displayed on the RSrn website and available on request).

IRC rated boats shall comply at least with ISAF Offshore Special Regulations for Category 4 races.

To the extent that one design class rules may provide a higher standard, boats in the relevant one design class shall comply with that higher standard.

All boats shall carry functioning VHF radio capable of receiving all usual marine channels including M1 (37) and M2.

Boats unable to comply in all respects with the safety requirements may seek a dispensation from the race committee.

5.SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

SIs will be emailed to competitors and posted on the Royal Southern YC website www.royal-southern.co.uk a few days before the event and will also be available at registration.

Courses (using the SCRA recommended 2-digit list of marks) will be advised by VHF radio.

The race committee may signal that spinnakers shall not be used in certain races, e.g. in heavy conditions.

The Championship will comprise up to 7 races. Racing will be in the Central Solent. Courses will be announced by VHF radio. The planned programme is:

Friday 3rd July

1500-1900Registration at R Srn

1930Briefing

Saturday 4th July

0800-0845 Registration of remaining boats

1030First race of the day

Sunday 5th July

1000 First race of the day

1630 (target time)Prize giving

6.PENALTIES

For sports and day boat classes, the turns penalties of RRS 44.2 are changed so that only one turn is required, including one tack and one gybe.

For IRC rated boats, time penalties will apply instead of the turns penalties of RRS 44.2. Details will be in the SIs.

Penalties arising from protests will be at the discretion of the protest committee.

 

7.SCORING

The Low Point System of RRS Appendix A will apply except that a boat’s championship score in her class will be the total of her race scores.

The overall Women’s Open Keelboat Champion 2009 will be determined by taking each boat’s championship score in her class multiplied by 60, divided by the number of races to count for that class, and divided by the square root of the number of entries in her class. The boat with the lowest resultant score is the champion. This weights the points in favour of larger classes.

8.PRIZES

There will be prizes for individual races, and for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in the championship.

Prize giving will take place after racing on Sunday 5th July 2009 at the Royal Southern YC. The target time is 1630 but this depends on weather, any outstanding protests and other circumstances.

9.DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

A boat is entirely responsible for her own safety, whether afloat or ashore, and nothing, whether in the Notice of Race, SIs or anywhere else, reduces this responsibility.

It is for the boat to decide whether she is fit to sail in the conditions in which she will find herself. By launching or going to sea, the boat confirms that she is fit for those conditions and her crew is competent to sail and compete in them.

The boat is required to hold adequate insurance and in particular to hold insurance against third party claims in the sum of at least £2 million per event.

Nothing done by the organisers can reduce the responsibility of the boat nor will it make the organisers responsible for any loss, damage, death or injury, however it may have occurred, as a result of the boat taking part in the racing. The organisers encompass everyone helping to run the racing and the event, and include the organising authority, the race committee, committee boat(s), the race officers and others.

The boat is responsible to ensure that she is equipped and seaworthy so as to be able to face extremes of weather; that there is a crew sufficient in number, experience and fitness to withstand such weather; and that the safety equipment is properly maintained, stowed and in date and that the crew knows how to use it.

Any inspection of a boat by the race committee does not reduce the responsibilities set out in this paragraph.

ROYAL SOUTHERN YACHT CLUB

Rope Walk, Hamble SO31 4HB

Telephone Sailing Office 023 8045 0302. Fax 023 8045 0310

Email sailing@royal-southern.co.uk

Website www.royal-southern.co.uk