Sailing Instructions

Sailing Instructions - 2020

• Informal racing Wednesday evenings May through August and Sunday afternoons September through October.
• For fun, crew training, and of a test of your boat against other boats of the same size and/or rating.
• Sail single-handed or with full crew and spinnaker - there will be other boats similar in size and crew for you to race.

Safety
It is the sole responsibility of each yacht to decide whether or not to start or continue to race. If visibility is severely limited due to fog or heavy rain, no race will be started

US Sailing has adopted an ORC prescription for 1999 that requires flotation devices. No particular type of life vest or flotation device is specified. If foam filled PFDs seem too bulky, consider one of the many new USCG approved inflatable devices on the market.

The ORC prescription is as follows:

“Competitors shall wear personal flotation without exception when starting and finishing a race, and at all other times while racing and on deck except when the Captain of the boat directs that flotation may be set aside.” U.S. prescription to 1998/99 ORC Special Regulations..

Classes
There are just two classes, Spinnaker and Cruising.
Class I - Spinnaker
Class II - Cruising (No spinnaker)
All ratings will be based on either valid PHRF certificates or Eastern Long Island Sound rating book listings.

Starting Times
Wednesday Evenings
6:10 - Warning, all classes; 1 blast
6:15 - Start Class II; 1 blast
6:20 - Warning Class I; 1 blast
6:25 - Start Class I; 1 blast
Sunday Afternoons (Fall series)
11:00 - Warning, all classes; 1 blast
11:05 - Start Class II; 1 blast
11:10 - Warning Class 1I; 1 blast
11:15 - Start Class I; 1 blast

Official Time
The "official time" of the "Around the Buoys" series is the time given on The Weather Channel. Please, let's all synchronize our watches. In the event of a discrepancy, however, the committee boat's horn blast(s) are final.

Communications
VHF channel 68 shall be the information channel for all races. All check-ins with committee boat shall be made by hailing boat name, class and sail number. VHF check-ins will be accepted at the discretion of the Committee Boat.

Start/Finish Line & Committee Boat Duty
Generally, the races are more fun and much less confusing when there is a committee boat. Please, please, please, volunteer to serve as committee boat at least once. As an incentive, your first committee boat duty will be scored as if you took a "first place" (summer and fall). When setting the line be sure NOT to make it too short. The line should be set equal to the length of all the boats starting. The pin should be set such that it is passed on the same side as the rest of the marks.

PHRF racing is usually done on a 1/3 upwind, 1/3 Reach, 1/3 Downwind. When you are performing as committee boat, please evaluate wind and tide and if necessary, change the course to one that is appropriate for the conditions.

The start/finish line has been moved. The Committee Boat shall not use in anyway R34 or the rocks related to it. The Start/Finish line be between the orange pin and the committee boat. The committee boat shall set the line about 200 yards due South of R34. If there is no committee boat, the start/finish line will be determined for that race by whoever takes the finishing lines.

Finishing
Please identify yourself (boat name, type, etc.) when crossing the finish line.
The committee boat is responsible for recording finish times. However, when there is no committee boat, the first boat to cross the finish line shall take finish times and boat names. (Appropriate arrangements will be made to obtain the results from you.)

In order for a Wednesday evening race to be "counted," the first boat must cross the finish line on or before 1 hour after sunset (based upon sunset at Battery Park in New York, as listed in the Eldridge Tide & Pilot Book). In addition, the race will be "called" if the lead boat has not rounded the first mark by 8:00p.m. For the Sunday fall series, the first boat must cross the finish line by 3:00 p.m. The race will be "called" if the lead boat has not rounded the first mark by 1:15 p.m.

Rules
The latest edition of the International Yacht Racing Rules, as published by US Sailing, shall apply. New rules are in effect for 2012. They rules are now shorter and easier to understand. Please obtain a copy before the season begins. At a minimum you should be familiar with the rules pertaining to right of way. If you are not familiar with the basic rules we will help you get the information you need. If you are on the course in a close situation and are unsure of who has the right of way, yield to the other boat.

Scoring
The Modified Cox-Sprague Scoring System, as used by the Windjammers Sailing Club shall apply. 60% of the actual number of races held will be used for final scoring. Class scoring remains the same as last year, including the penalty system for 1st - 3rd place overall trophies. This system handicaps the winners of the previous season, giving other boats a better chance and placing in the money. Here's how it works: The yacht that comes in first place overall will have a 15% reduction in overall score, 2nd place - 10%, and 3rd place - 5% for the following season. The yacht will lose 5% of this penalty for each year it does not place. If a yacht places 2 or more years in a row, an additional 5% penalty will be added. THIS PENALTY WILL NOT APPLY TO YOUR RESULTS IN CLASS, ONLY TO THE POINTS ACCUMULATED TOWARDS OVERALL FINISH. Results will be based on Time on Time.

Penalties for this year: Please check the excel master spreadsheet.

Results
The results will be available on the World Wide Web. Please visit www.aroundthebuoys.com for results and info.

Awards
The following awards will be given:
1. The Pierce Ackroyd Trophy - given to the overall first place finisher.
2. Trophies for 2nd and 3rd place overall.
3. Trophies for 1st - 3rd place within each class (usually).

The Pierce Ackroyd Trophy is a perpetual award named for the founder of the "Around the Buoys" series. The trophy was custom made and donated by Marine Fabricators, Branford.
After Race Get together and Dinner.
Meet the boats you race with as we usually gather at Indian Next Pizza, Lenny’s or Martin's at Bruce and Johnsons.
Fun and Relaxation
Required of all participants.