Club Sailing Instructions

Victoria, DF 65 and One Meter

Hosted by

Maryland Model Yacht Club

March  2024 – November 2024

The organizing authority for this championship is the Maryland Model Yacht Club, AMYA #205

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1. RULES

1.1. This Championship will be governed by the ‘rules’ as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) 2021-2024 and where applicable, superseded by  “MMYC’s Simplified Racing Rules of Sailing”.

1.2. RRS 63.7, Conflict between Rules, is replaced by, “If there is a conflict between any rule and a rule in the sailing instructions, the sailing instructions and any amendments or Club Rules, verbal or written shall take precedence.”

1.3 All competitors will follow all MMYC rules and regulations regarding participation at “The Pond” or at any event coordinated by MMYC.

2. ENTRIES – In order to be scored for this series, a competitor must be a paid in full member of Maryland Model Yacht Club. Non-members may race, but they are not eligible to earn Season Championship points. They will be considered competitors only for scoring purposes that day.

3. NOTICE TO COMPETITORS - Notice to competitors concerning racing will be discussed at the skippers’ meeting prior to the first race of each race day and may also be distributed to all participants electronically.

4. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS - Any change to the sailing instructions will be discussed at the Skipper’s meeting prior to the start of the first race on any given race day and may also be distributed to all participants electronically.

5. ENTRANTS

5.1. Any class legal Victoria may participate in the Victoria class and any class legal DF65 or Hobby King Affinity in stock form may participate in the DF65 class. Any class legal one meter boat, (ODOM, Seawind, IOM,  US 1 Meter, Soling One Meter and Dragon Flite 95) may participate in the One Meter Class, and any class legal EC12 may participate in the EC12 class.  The only limitation for the One Meter class is the total sail area of a boat may not exceed the total sail area of an ODOM. If entrants and conditions warrant, any class may be subdivided and scored separately.

5.2. Unique, easily read sail numbers must be displayed by all boats racing.

6. SCHEDULE OF RACES

6.1. Race Days will be held March through November according to the following schedule:

Victorias, DF65 and One Meters will compete every third Saturday of every month March through November, or any other day designated by the club.

6.2. For all classes, there will be a skippers’ meeting 15 minutes prior to the start of each class’ first race of every race day.  All skippers or their designated delegate must attend.

6.3. On Race Days, seven races will be attempted for each class.

6.4. The starting sequence for the first race of each race day for the Victoria Class shall begin at 10:00 am,  DF65 Class will begin at 12:00 pm and the One Meter Class will begin at 2:00 pm and.  Each Fleet Coordinator or his delegate will decide when to start each race. Racing will continue for a period not exceeding two hours.

7. RACING AREA - The racing area will be the Pond behind Apple Ford at the intersection of Route 175 and Snowden River Parkway or other properly designated location

8. COURSE

8.1. Various courses will be utilized (ideally windward leeward) and will be announced by the Fleet Coordinator or his delegate at the Skipper’s meeting and/or before the starting sequence of any race., So as to accomplish the designated number of races in the allotted time, the length of each race will be wind/time determined.

8.2. All competitors must sail the required course to be scored. Any competitor not sailing the designated course will be scored DSQ. Any competitor not honoring (sailing on the proper side of a designated race mark) will be determined to have not sailed the designated course. A competitor will have been judged to have missed a mark or not sailed the proper course if two competitors verify the improper action. If two competitors do verify this, the competitor may exonerate himself by returning and honoring the mark or sailing the course correctly. He also may accept a DSQ, or retire from the race and accept a RAF. In those cases, the designation will result in zero points being awarded.

9. MARKS- Marks of the course will be standard MMYC marks. For club racing, any mark may be touched during a race, with the exception of the starting line marks while starting, and the finish line marks while finishing.

10. THE START

10.1. The Fleet Coordinator or his delegate will initiate each starting sequence. The Starting Sequence will be a timed one or two minute interval, unless it is decided by the Fleet Coordinator or his delegate and announced to all skippers that a different interval shall be used.

10.2. The starting line will be a line between two designated race marks.

RRS 31 (Touching a Mark) and RRS 28.1 (Sailing the Course) apply, with the exception that after the one minute mark, no boats may be on the course side of the starting line. A boat on the course side of the starting line, after the one minute mark, and prior to the race start, must exonerate herself by proceeding around either end of the starting line, and starting between the starting marks. No other requirements of RRS 31 or 28 are modified by this paragraph.

10.3. The Fleet Coordinator or his delegate will attempt to determine and announce boats identified as OCS by announcing their sail numbers and declaring them “OCS”. Boats identified as OCS and not exonerating themselves, will be scored OCS, and be given a score of zero for that particular race.

11. FINISH- The finishing line will be a line between two designated race marks. Upon finishing, each individual race winner will then assume the role of “Race Recorder” and will record the finishes of all remaining competitors. The second place finishing boat’s skipper will assist the Race Recorder by announcing the finishes of each remaining competitor.

12. TIME LIMITS AND ABANDONMENT

12.1. Races need to be completed in a reasonable time. In order to speed up racing, if, after a period of time, there are competitors still remaining on the course, they may be finished in place by the Race Recorder. However, this is providing there is no chance of any change in finish order. Being finished in place will result in the competitor being awarded scoring points the same as if he had finished in that position.

12.2 If, in the opinion of the Club Commodore, Fleet Coordinator or his delegate, there is cause to not run a race or an entire race day, (Lack of wind, too much wind, bad weather, weeds) he may abandon one or all races for that day. A day that is abandoned will reduce the number of monthly races raced and may reduce the number of drops. A race that is abandoned may be dropped.

13. PENALTY SYSTEM – Protests will be addressed in section 15. However, if a competitor while breaking the RRS, caused injury or serious damage, or gained a significant advantage in a race by his breach, his penalty shall be to accept an additional One-Turn Penalty, retire or be scored DSQ by the Fleet Coordinator or his designated delegate.

14. PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS

14.1. Protests, when hailed on the water, will not be refutable. There will be no protest hearings! The offender will accept a penalty and, at first opportunity, and before the next mark, execute a penalty turn consisting of one tack and one jibe. The protestor must clearly announce “PROTEST”, call the offending boat’s sail number, and cite the rule in violation, so the offending boat may hear and understand the protest.

14.2. Requests for Redress for all but protests, will be accepted, but must be submitted in writing (following all the requirements noted in RRS 2021-2024), to the Fleet Coordinator within 24 hours of the race in question. The Fleet Coordinator will render a decision, and answer the request within seven days.

15. SCORING

15.1. A high point total of all race days with drops will determine the Championship winner. Each boat’s championship score will be the sum of her race day scores for all days raced less corresponding class drops. For all classes, there will be 21 drops allotted during the racing season.

15.2. Scoring points will be awarded as follows: One point for starting a race, one point for finishing a race, and one point for each competitor beaten that race. Any boat that starts any race during that day, will be considered a competitor for all races run that day.

15.3 Competitors scored Did Not Compete (DNC), “On Course Side”, abbreviated to “OCS”, means: “Did not start; on the course side of her starting signal and failed to start, or broke rule 30.1″, or Disqualified (DSQ), will be awarded zero points. A boat starting a race and not incurring any penalty, but not finishing a race will be awarded one point.

15.4 Any competitor given an OCS, DSQ, or Retired after Finishing (RAF) will still count as a competitor beaten based upon their actual finish position, but in no case will a competitor finishing behind them, move up a finishing position.

15.5 A competitor scored DNC for a race will be considered beaten by all other competitors finishing.

16. SHORESIDE ETIQUETTE-

16.1 Sailing is a Gentleperson’s sport, and we require all competitors and observers to conduct themselves in a mature, respectful manner. Vulgar language, yelling obscenities or other verbal or physical abuse will not be tolerated. The MMYC Commodore, Fleet Coordinators or their designated delegates will be empowered to warn and or remove from the days racing or the club, any person not following this vital MMYC Rule.

 16.2 Racing may also be terminated for the day by the Fleet Coordinator or their designated delegate if their directions are not followed by competitors. Persons unable to control their behavior will forfeit their membership in MMYC and will not be allowed to participate in future MMYC sponsored events.

16.3 All persons in or on the Pond (in a dinghy) must wear a PFD/Life jacket.

16.4 Maryland Model Yacht Club is a guest at the Pond.  All instructions given by the Pond Owner or their representative (i.e. security) must be followed.

17. TRASH DISPOSAL AND STAGING AREA –Upon completion of each day’s racing, all competitors shall dispose of all their refuse in a proper manner, and while racing, shall keep their staging area free of tripping hazards and debris.

18. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY - Competitors participate in the Championship entirely at their own risk. See RRS #4, Decision to Race. This organizing authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with, or prior to, during, or after this Championship Series.