Quannapowitt Yacht Club

Chaos Cup Regatta Sailing Instructions

Racing Rules

The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in the current Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) with U.S. Sailing Prescriptions, the rules of the class and these sailing instructions.

RRS Rules 77 and 78 are not applicable.

Rules which prohibit substitution of crews except in case of emergency, are altered to permit crew substitution for any reason with notification to the race committee.

Eligibility

Competitors must have submitted a completed registration form, paid the registration fee prior to the first race, and signed a waiver.

Notices to Competitors

Official notices will be posted on the bulletin board inside the Quannapowitt Yacht Club house. It is the responsibility of each yacht to check the board for information.

Changes in Sailing Instructions

Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted before 0900 hours on the day it will take effect.

Signals Made Ashore

Signals made ashore will be displayed at the flagstaff on the beach at the Quannapowitt Yacht Club.

Flag AP with two horns (one horn when lowered) means “The race is postponed. The warning signal will be made not less than 15 minutes after AP is lowered.”

Race Schedule

The schedule of events is as follows:

Time / Event
0930 / Skipper's Meeting
1000 / Races Begin
~1200 / Lunch
After Lunch / Races Continue
~1600 / Awards & Dinner

No race will be started after 15:00 on Saturday.

The race committee has the option of modifying this schedule based on weather conditions.

The Course

It is the intention of the Race Committee to start all races toward the windward mark, the first mark.

The race committee may choose to use a separate finish line boat at the finish line if a finish is not set near the Race Committee boat.

When an offset mark is set at the beginning of the down wind leg, boats must round both the windward mark and the offset mark prior to proceeding to the next mark or finish. Rounding the offset is not necessary if the next mark is a jibe mark.

Course information will be displayed on a rack of the Committee Boat. The course will be designated using character placards:

Character / Mark
A / Windward
B / Jibe
C / Leeward
R / Repeat (repeat all marks after the previous R if applicable)
Examples:

●A-C-R-A : Windward - Leeward - Windward - Leeward - Windward - Finish.

●A-B-C-A : Windward - Jibe - Leeward - Windward - Finish

The letters of the chosen course will be displayed on the Race Committee Boat before or with the warning signal. Marks of the course will be left to PORT when being rounded.

Marks

Marks A, B, and C will be orange colored balls.

Starting and finishing marks will either be an orange colored ball or an orange flag ("Pin"), depending on the course.

If the Pin is in the water, it always represents one end of the start and/or finish line. Additional nearby marks represent course marks only.

The offset mark will be a green or purple colored ball. Only one offset mark will be used in any one race.

The Start

Races will be started using a 3-minute Sound Signal Start (RRS Appendix Q) with the Race Committee flag being raised simultaneously with the 3-minute sound. The table below lists the sound and timing sequence.

TIME / Action / Sound/Signals / Event
Faint beeping sound / 10 second countdown to sequence start
5 Short Blasts / WARNING
3 Min / Raise RC flag / 3 Long Blasts / PREPARATORY
2 Min / 2 Long Blasts
1:30 Min / 1 Long Blast + 3 Short Blasts
1Minute / 1 Long Blast
30 Sec / 3 Short Blasts
20 Sec / 2 Short Blasts
10 Sec / 1 Short Blast
05 Sec / 5 Short Blasts
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Seconds / Short blasts to Start
START / Lower RC Flag / 1 long blast

Times shall be taken from the sound signals. This changes rule 26.

The starting line will be between a staff displaying an ORANGE flag on the Committee Boat and a nearby mark or pin.

A boat shall not start later than 10 minutes after her starting signal.

Change of Course After the Start

A change of course after the start will be signaled before the leading boat has begun the leg, although the new mark may not then be in position.

Any mark to be rounded after rounding the new mark may be relocated without further signaling to maintain the original course configuration.

The Finish

The finish line will be between a staff displaying an ORANGE flag on the Committee Boat or Finish Line Boat and a nearby mark or pin.

When the Committee Boat is on station, it will be indicated by display of a BLUE flag. Failure of the Committee Boat to display this signal will not be grounds for redress. This changes rule 62.1(a).

Time Limit

The time limit from the Starting Signal to the Finish for the first boat will be one and one half (1½) hour. A boat that did not finish within 45 minutes after the first boat finishes or within the time limit (whichever is later), shall be scored points for the finishing place one more than the number of boats that finished within the time limit. This changes rule 35 and A4.2

Protests

Written Protests shall be submitted to the Race Committee not later than 30 minutes after the Race Committee Boat arrives at the dock following the last race of the day.

A list of the yachts protesting and protested will be posted on the bulletin board and the competitors or their representatives must remain available for a hearing to be held as soon as possible.

A protest committee shall be chosen according to RRS rule 89(a).

Scoring

The Low Point scoring system, rule A2, will apply. 6 races are scheduled, of which 1 shall be completed to constitute a series. If all 6 races are run, then there will be 1 throw out. Each yacht’s total score will be the sum of her scores for all races unless there is a throw out. DNS will be scored as the number of competitors + 1. DNF will be scored as the number of boats in the race + 1

Safety

Safety equipment applicable U.S.C.G. and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Registry of Motor Vehicles, Marine Division regulations for each boat category must be carried by all competing yachts.

Current minimum requirements are:

●One U.S.C.G. approved P.F.D. for each person on board.

●Paddle or oar

●Bailing bucket

Addendum

All yachts are warned that there is a stone wall between the striped barrel, referred to as “cemetery point”, and the west shore of the lake. The water is also very shallow in this area.

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