CSC Sailing Instructions,
January 2024 Edition
- GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
These Sailing Instructions (SIs) apply to all races at CSC unless the Notice of Race specifies otherwise.
1.1 Races will be conducted under the current Racing Rules of Sailing [RRS}, the RYA prescriptions thereto, the relevant Class rules and these Sailing Instructions of Chipstead Sailing Club.
1.2 The schedule of races for the year, quorums, scoring and qualification criteria will be set out in the Sailing Club Programme. Amendments to the Programme will be announced by email to all club members and shown on the club website. The current version on the club website will apply in the event of conflict.
1.3 For Open Meetings entry will be by completing an entry form and paying the appropriate fee. For Club Races eligible boats shall be entered by completing an entry on the Race Management computer. Official communications to competitors will be posted near the course board by the entrance to the clubhouse.
1.4 Any changes to these Sailing Instructions will be displayed near the course board and will be clearly headed ‘Changes to the Sailing Instructions’. No change will normally be made within 20 minutes of the start of a race, but if a change after that time is necessary, it will be signalled by breaking out Flag ‘L’ and by three sound signals. Any permanent change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted near or on the course board for 4 weeks and thereafter displayed on the official notice board in the clubhouse.
1.5 A boat is entirely responsible for her own safety, whether afloat or ashore, and nothing, whether in the Notice of Race or Sailing Instructions or anywhere else, reduces this responsibility.
1.6 It is for the boat to decide whether she is fit to sail in the conditions in which she will find herself. By launching, the boat confirms that she is fit for those conditions and her crew is competent to sail and compete in them.
1.7 The provision of patrol boats does not relieve a boat of her responsibilities as set out in 1.5 and 1.6
1.8 Boats sailed on the lake must be either registered with the Membership Secretary or have entered an Open meeting being run on that day.
1.9 The boat is required to hold adequate insurance and in particular to hold insurance against third party claims in the sum of at least £3,000,000.
1.10 Actions of the organisers do not reduce the responsibility of the boat nor make the organisers responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury, however this may have occurred, as a result of the boat sailing at Chipstead SC. The ‘organisers’ encompass everyone helping to run the race and the event, and include the organising authority, the race committee, the race officers and patrol boat crews.
1.11 Everyone engaged in sailing on the lake shall wear an adequate buoyancy aid. Wet or dry suits do not constitute adequate buoyancy.
1.12 Wet or dry suits shall be worn by everyone engaged in sailing on the lake between 25 December and 31 March inclusive.
1.13 Measurement certificates, proof of insurance and valid buoyancy certificates shall be made available, at reasonable notice, for inspection by any club official.
1.14 In Club Handicap and Pursuit races the Yardstick number of competing classes will be as determined by the Sailing Committee. For Open meetings this will generally, but not exclusively, be the RYA published yardstick.
1.15 Supplementary Sailing Instructions (SSIs) may apply to special races as run by the Club or Classes. Such SSIs will be displayed near the course board on the day of the race.
- COURSE
2.1 The course and the number of laps will be displayed on the course board not less than 20 minutes before the start of racing.
2.2 Unless otherwise indicated on the course board all marks of the course will be orange buoys painted with a letter, A to K, in black.
2.3 The standard RRS three boat-length rule at marks will apply to all races.
- STARTING
3.1 The starting times (or the warning signal time of the starting sequence) of races will be shown on the course board and in no circumstances will they be materially earlier than advertised.
3.2 The starting procedure for Open Meetings, Mongrels Bowl and Top Dog Races will follow RRS 26 with a 5, 4, 1, Go sequence. For all Club races RRS 26 will be amended by raising the Class flag 10 minutes before the start and the Preparatory flag 5 minutes before. Both flags to be removed at the start time. Each event to be accompanied by a single sound.
3.3 Starting and finishing lines will be as indicated on the course board and will be either:
(a) Club line: The transit of a line through a black and white post and the mast of the race box/starting platform.
(b) A line between a mark and a mast or staff on the committee boat or shore clearly identified on the course board.
In either case the course board may also prescribe that a mark will be laid at or near the inner (and/or outer) end of the line, in which case the boats shall pass between it and an outer (inner) mark or limit.
3.4 A boat will be deemed as starting if crossing the start line correctly and up to 10 minutes after its designated start time. Late starters must keep clear of boats preparing for the next start.
Starting recalls
3.5 Individual recalls will be made displaying Flag ‘X’ and one sound, as set out in RRS 29.. Recalled boats shall sail completely to the pre-start side of the starting line before starting.
3.6 General recalls will comply with RRS 29.2 except for Club Races where the start for the recalled boats shall be moved to the end of the current starting sequence.
Club restarts will take place 5 minutes after the last start in the original sequence, except for a recall of the last race.
(a) For a 5 min. club recall sequence:-
The First Substitute flag will be lowered 1 minute before the last start in the original sequence, with the Class and penalty flag raised at the last start time (the P flag stays up)
(b) In the event of a recall of the last race the restart will be 10 minutes after the originally scheduled start. The First Substitute flag will be lowered approximately 4 minutes after the recalled start with no sound signal. The Class, P and penalty flags will be raised 5 minutes before the new start with a single sound signal.
3.7 After a general recall the appropriate RRS 30 signal will apply to the recalled boats. In the case of start lines crossing the entire lake it will not be appropriate to use the ‘round the end’ rule.
- FINISHING
4.1 The finishing line will be as defined in 3.3 above.
4.2 A Grand Prix finish will apply for all non-pursuit races .- After the leading boat of a class has finished their full course all class boats will finish when they next cross the finish line at the end of a lap irrespective of whether they have finished the full course. Boats in non-handicap races completing fewer laps will be scored behind
those completing more laps. Boats in handicap races will have their times adjusted based on their average lap time.
4.3 If the race is shortened the race will be finished by:
(a) All boats:- at the next crossing of the prescribed finishing line, after the leading boat has crossed the line ,when continuing to sail the prescribed course (with subsequent finishers completing that lap.). Display flag S with two sounds.
(b) By Class:- as (a) but at the next crossing of the prescribed finishing line by the leading boat of a Class. Display flag S and the Class flag with two sounds..
(c) As above but between the committee boat and a mark of the course. The flags, prescribed above, and the accompanying sound signals, will be shown on the committee boat. (This will not be appropriate for handicap races.)
Time limits
4.4 At the discretion of the Race Officer, if no boat has completed the course within 2 hours of the starting signal of the relevant class, the race will either be deemed void or results will be calculated on the positions at the end of the previously completed lap.
4.5 Boats which have not finished within 30 minutes of the first boat of the relevant Class crossing the finishing line may be not finished and will receive retirement points. The Race Officer can exercise discretion in applying this rule.
- PROTESTS
In addition to conforming to the requirements of RRS 61, those wishing to protest must notify the Race Officer of their intention at the earliest opportunity or immediately on coming off the water and confirm the protest to the protestee. A verbal notification is sufficient. The formal protest form shall be lodged within 30 minutes of the last boat of the relevant race to finish. The protesting boat is responsible to ensure that the Race Officer records the time & date, and signs the protest form on receipt within the prescribed time limit. Any forms received without this validation will be deemed to have been submitted outside of the prescribed time limit. Protests will be decided by a Protest Committee appointed by the Race Officer or Sailing Secretary. There is no deposit. For Club Races the Protesting boat is responsible to identify available Protest Committee personnel and advise the OOD. The OOD or Sailing Secretary will then decide who to appoint to the protest committee. Any protest should be heard within one month and deemed to have lapsed by declaration deadline time for the Top Dog.
- DECLARATION
Retiring boats are not required to sign a declaration sheet.
- POST-RACE PENALTIES
7.1 Provided that rule 44.1(b) does not apply, a boat that may have broken one or more rules of Part 2 or rule 31 in an incident may take a Post-Race Penalty at any time after the race until the beginning of a protest hearing involving the incident.
7.2 A Post-Race Penalty is a 30% Scoring Penalty calculated as stated in rule 44.3(c). However, rule 44.1(a) applies.
7.3 A boat takes a Post-Race Penalty by delivering to the arbitrator or a member of the protest committee a written statement that she accepts the penalty and that identifies the race number and where and when the incident occurred.
- ARBITRATION
8.1 Arbitration meeting
An arbitration meeting will be held prior to a protest hearing for each incident resulting in a protest by a boat involving one or more rules of Part 2 or rule 31, but only if each party is represented by a person who was on board at the time of the incident. No witnesses will be permitted. However, if the arbitrator decides that rule 44.1(b) may apply or that arbitration is not appropriate, the meeting will not be held, and if a meeting is in progress, it will be closed.
8.2 Arbitrator’s opinion
Based on the evidence given by the representatives, the arbitrator will offer an opinion as to what the protest committee is likely to decide:
(a) the protest is invalid,
(b) no boat will be penalized for breaking a rule, or
(c) one or more boats will be penalized for breaking a rule, identifying the boats and the penalties.
8.3 Arbitration meeting outcomes
After the arbitrator offers an opinion,
(a) a boat may take a Post-Race Penalty, and
(b) a boat may ask to withdraw her protest. The arbitrator may then act on behalf of the protest committee in accordance with rule 63.1 to allow the withdrawal.
Unless all protests involving the incident are withdrawn, a protest hearing will be held.
- SCORING
9.1 The scoring system will be the RRS Appendix A low points system.
9.2 For RRS Low Point Scoring, points will be awarded as recommended in RRS Appendix A, except that: for Club series the “declared entry” for a race will equal the number of boats racing; the points for a retirement will be the declared entry plus 1; the points for a disqualification will be the declared entry plus 2. Any boat that does not start (DNC; DNS; OCS ) shall not be awarded a score.
9.3 Ties in all Class Points, Club Handicap Series and Handicap Mini-Series will be broken initially using RRS AppA 8.1. If a tie remains unbroken then all previously excluded scores from the series shall also be included to break the tie. If a tie still remains then RRS AppA 8.2 shall apply.
9.4 Ties in all club championships will be broken using RRS AppA 8.1 and 8.2
- OBSTRUCTIONS
The following constitute obstructions at which RRS Part 2 Section C rules apply:
(a) An imaginary circle of radius 10m centred on any angler present anywhere on the lake;
(b) An imaginary line 10m from the waterline of the island, which is situated to the west of the pontoons;
(c) An imaginary circle of radius 10m centred on the three buoys at the area of shallow water situated at the western end of the lake.
- ELIGIBILITY TO RACE
11.1 Only mono hull non-foiling boats without trapezes are allowed to race, subject to a maximum length of 16 foot, including any bowsprits.
11.2 Boats eligible to race in Open meetings will be set out in the Notice of Race and subject to the relevant class rules.
11.3 In a club race series spanning more than one day a helm may count races sailed in more than one boat. In a Club handicap race series of more than one day results in different classes of boat (including both single and double handed) as well as results for different choices of rig may be aggregated. In a Club points series results in different choices of rig may be aggregated as permitted by the class.
11.4 In a one day series any change in boat or rig is only permitted where a boat or rig is damaged beyond immediate repair and such change is restricted to the same Class of boat and the same choice of rig.
- TOP DOG & MONGREL’S BOWL RACE
12.1 Helms that sail the prescribed number of qualifying Races in any of the Summer Class Points Series or Club Handicap Series are eligible to sail in either the Top Dog race series or the Mongrel Bowl race series.
12.2 For any Summer Class Points Series or Club Handicap Series with 6 or less Qualifiers the top three qualifying helms shall sail in the Top Dog. For any Summer Class Points Series or Club Handicap Series with 7 to 19 Qualifiers the top four qualifying helms shall sail in the Top Dog. For any Summer Class Points Series or Club Handicap Series with 20 or more Qualifiers the top five qualifying helms shall sail in the Top Dog.
12.3 Double handed boats shall only be permitted to sail double handed. Double handed boats and single handed boats may sail with any choice of rig adopted by the Class and the current CSC handicap will apply.
12.4 If a helm qualifies in more than one Class Points or Handicap Series for either the Top Dog or Mongrels Bowl then he shall nominate the qualifying Class and type of boat and rig at least 5 days before the day of the Top Dog Race. If he fails to nominate before the deadline the Sailing Secretary shall make such nomination on behalf of the helm at his sole discretion and taking into account the Class where the helm has sailed the greatest number of races.
12.5 Where a helm is eligible to sail in the Top Dog but is unable to do so, a Class may extend an offer to sail to a replacement helm. Such offer shall not be extended by more than two positions below the permitted number of boats set out in 12.2. In handicap races the offer to sail as a replacement helm may be extended by no more than two positions at the sole discretion of the Sailing Secretary. A replacement helm shall not be obliged to accept an offer from the Class or the Sailing Secretary.
12.6 Any helm qualified to participate in the Top Dog or who has chosen to sail as a replacement helm in the Top Dog shall not be entitled to helm in the Mongrel Bowl in any Class. A helm qualified to sail in the Top Dog may crew in the Mongrel’s Bowl and a helm eligible to sail in the Mongrel’s Bowl may crew in the Top Dog.
12.7 The Top Dog Race Series shall consist of three races, with any two races to count. The position of the first three boats of a Class participating in the Top Dog shall count in determining the winning team.
12.8 The Mongrels Bowl shall consist of two races, with both races to count. The position of the first three boats of a Class participating in the Mongrels Bowl shall count in determining the winning team.
- NOTES TO COMPETITORS
13.1 Boats not racing (which includes boats awaiting their preparatory signal) shall keep clear of boats racing.(The following do not form part of the Rules, but should be observed nevertheless)
13.2 Boats that have finished shall sail clear of the finishing line without delay.
13.3 Sails shall not be left hoisted on boats moored to the pontoons or standing on the foreshore, which could impede the Race Officer’s view of the sailing area.
13.4 Competitors and club members should make themselves aware of the Club’s bylaws and safety requirements.