updated: 2nd October 2018

BAHAMAS OPTIMIST NATIONAL OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2018

Friday, 12th October – Saturday, 13thOctober 2018

Organizing Authorities: Harbour Island Sailing Club

 The Bahamas Optimist Class Association

Harbour Island, Bahamas

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1. RULES

1.1 The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.

1.2 The class rules of the International Optimist Dinghy Association will apply.

1.3 The following prescriptions of BSA shall apply:

      a)    Racing Rules of Sailing PART 4 – Add under preamble:

BSA prescribes that Part 4 rule 40 shall also apply to boats sailing to the race course from the launching area and vice-versa.

      b)    Rule 40 – Add below:

BSA prescribes that competitors racing in single-handed dinghies shall wear personal floatation devices at all times while afloat except as provided in rule 40.

2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located by the Registration Area under the Fig Tree.

3. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted before 0900 on the day it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by 2000 on the day before it will take effect.

4. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

4.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed at the Registration Tent under the Fig Tree.. 

4.2 When flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 30 minutes’ in the race signal AP.

 4.2 Flag D with one sound means ‘The warning signal will be made not less than 30minutes after flag D is displayed.  Boats are requested not to leave the beach until this signal is made. 

5. SCHEDULE OF RACES (Championship & Green fleets)

5.1 Dates of Racing:

Friday, 12th October 2018

10:00 Warning Signal for the first race of the day. 

Additional race(s) to follow depending on sailing conditions

12:30 (approximately) Lunch at the Race Site, Under the Fig Tree

13:30 Warning Signal for afternoon’s races

Additional race(s) to follow depending on sailing conditions

Saturday, 13th October 2018

10:00Warning signalfor the first race of the day

Additional race(s) to follow depending on sailing conditions

13:30(approximately) Lunch at the Race Site, Under the Fig Tree

Race(s) to follow

5.2 The Race Committee will attempt to complete 7 races. 

5.3 To alert boats that a race or sequence of races will begin soon, an orange flag will be displayed with one sound for at least five minutes before a warning signal is displayed.

5.4  On the last day of the regatta no warning signal will be made after 1300.

6. CLASS FLAGS 

Class flags will be: 

Class                                         Flag

Championship Fleet                 Optimist Class Flag

Green Fleet                              Green Optimist Class Flag

7. RACING AREAS

7.1 The general racing area will be in the vicinity of the Bay between North Eleuthera and Harbour Island.

7.2 The exact locations of the course will depend on the specific wind and sea conditions and are at the discretion of the Race Committee.

8. THE COURSES

8.1 The diagram in Appendix 1, Race Courses, shows the course for both the Championship  Fleet and the Green Fleet including the approximate angles between legs, the order in which marks are to be passed and the side on which each mark is to be left.  The course length and exact configuration will be based on the sailing conditions.

8.2 When there is a gate, boats shall sail between the gate marks from the direction of the previous mark and round either gate mark.

8.3 Legs of the course will not be changed after the preparatory signal. This changes rule 33.

9. MARKS

9.1 The Start Mark for the Championship Fleet will be an orange teardrop buoy. 

9.2 Marks 1, 2, 3s and 3p for the Championship Fleet will be yellow tetrahedron buoys. 
9.3 The Finish Mark for the Championship Fleet will be orange teardrops buoy. 
9.4 Green Fleet Marks will be described at the competitors meeting.

10. THE START

10.1 Start will be pursuant to rule 26.

10.2 The starting line for Championship Fleet will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the RC signal boat and the starting mark.

10.3 The starting line for Green Fleet will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the RC signal boat and the starting mark.

10.4 A boat starting later than 5 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start (DNS) without a hearing. This changes rule A4. (Championship Fleet Only)

11. THE FINISH

11.1 The finish line for the Championship Fleet and Green Fleet will be between the respective finish boat displaying an orange flag on a staff and the respective finish mark.

11.2 Boats that have finished shall keep clear of all boats racing.

12. PENALTY SYSTEM

12.1 Appendix P will apply

12.2 Any competitor using a one/two turn(s) penalty shall report that use to the Race Committee promptly upon finishing that race.

12.4 The Jury Boat will be identified by displaying the code flag J.

12.5 In addition the application of Appendix P, the jury will observe racing for other rule infringements. When a protest committee member sees such an infringement, and no boat hailsprotest or takes an appropriate penalty, the protest committee member may make one sound but no yellow flag will be pointed and no sail number will be hailed. This signal means that one or more members of the protest committee believe a boat should take an appropriate penalty.

12.4 Rule P2.3 will not apply and rule P2.2 is changed so that it will apply to any penalty after the first one.

13. TIME LIMIT

13.1 The time limit shall be 60 minutes for the first boat in a race to finish.

13.2 Boats failing to finish within 30 minutes after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored Did Not Finish (DNF) without possibility of hearing. This changes rules 35 and A4. 

13.3 There will be a 30 minute time limit for the first boat in a race to finish the first leg of the race.

14. PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS

14.1 Only competitors sailing in the Championship Fleet are allowed to protest or request for redress. 

14.2 Competitors in the first half of the Green Fleet may be disqualified by Jury boat and/or Race Committee for blatant infractions to rulesand SI, if they have not cleared themselves after being signaled to do so by whistle or otherwise. 

14.3 RRS 61.1 (a) is modified in that, in addition to a hail of “Protest”, a competitor shall, immediately following the race in which the incident occurred, notify the RC finish boat of her intent to protest, including the sail number of the protested boat.

14.4 Protests shall be written on forms available at Registration/Presentations Stage. Completed protest forms shall be delivered to the jury desk no later than 60 minutes after the race committee finish boat docks. This time limit will be posted on the Official Notice Board.

14.5Notice of hearings will be posted on the Official Notice Board. Hearings will be held as soon as possible after the end of the protest time limit. 

14.6  Reopening a Hearing - On the last day of racing a request for reopening a hearing shall be  delivered: (a) within the protest time limit if the party requesting reopening was informed of the  decision on the previous day; (b) no later than 30 minutes after the party requesting reopening  was informed of the decision on that day. This changes RRS 66.

14.7 A list of boats that, under instruction 14.5 have acknowledged breaking rule 42 or have been disqualified by the protest committee will be posted before the protest time limit.

15. SCORING

15.1 Three races shall constitute a regatta.

15.2 When fewer than 6 races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores. When 6 or more races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score.

16. SAFETY 

16.1 Each competitor must have a whistle to alert support/safety boats in case of emergency or to request outside assistance.

16.2 Each boat must be equipped with at least one bailer properly secured to the boat by a rope or bungee cord.

16.3 Before the warning signal of the first race (morning and afternoon) all competitors must check-in with their respective (Championship or Green Fleet) Race Committee boat at the starboard end of the start line by sailing past the stern of the Committee boat on a starboard tack, by hailing her sail number and being acknowledged by the Race Committee with a return hail of her sail number.  The penalty for a violation of this instruction will be a 20% penalty applied as in RRS 44.3(c) to the competitor’s best finish on the day of the violation.

16.4 A boat retiring from a race shall notify the RC boat or safety boat before leaving the course area or notify the RC immediately upon returning to shore.

16.5 There is no restriction on the use of waterways by vessels not associated with the regatta. Any attempt by a boat to exercise right of way, to cross in close proximity to, or to interfere with the reasonable transit of the race area by commercial freighters, tugs and tows and other vessels which are unable to respond readily or which are bound by navigation restrictions will be grounds for a protest by the RC or the Protest Committee.  If such a protest occurs, the burden of proof is on the boat allegedly interfering. Boats shall take evasive action well in advance of any potentially dangerous situation.

16.6 It is the responsibility solely of the parent(s) or the adult representative of the competitor to decide if the child should sail in the weather and sea conditions that might arise during the event. Parents not personally attending any part of the event must ensure that another adult is prepared to make these decisions for their sailor. This changes rule 4.

16.7 Only the race committee or jury may protest a competitor for a violation of this section (Section 16) of the sailing instructions. This changes RRS 60.1.

17, REPLACEMENT OF CREW OR EQUIPMENT

17.1 Substitution of competitors will not be allowed without prior written approval of the [race committee] [protest committee]. 

17.2 Substitution of damaged or lost equipment will not be allowed unless authorized by the Race Committee. Requests for substitution shall be made to the committee at the first reasonable opportunity.

18. EQUIPMENT AND MEASUREMENT CHECKS

A boat or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules and sailing instructions. On the water, a boat can be instructed by a race committee equipment inspector or measurer to proceed immediately to a designated area for inspection.

19. EVENT ADVERTISING

Boats shall display event advertising supplied by the organizing authority as follows: Adhered to the bow or stern on boat.

20. OFFICIAL BOATS

Official boats will display an ‘OFFICIAL’ flag 

21. SUPPORT BOATS 

21.1 Team leaders, coaches and other support personnel shall stay outside areas where boats are racing from the time of the preparatory signal for the first class to start until all boats have finished or retired or the race committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment.

21.2 Support boats shall be marked with Official Flag

22. TRASH DISPOSAL

Trash may be placed aboard support or official boats.

23. PRIZES 

Prizes will be given as follows:

a)    Top five finishers in Championship Fleet

b)   Top five finishers in each Red, Blue and White Class

c)    Top female in each Red, Blue and White Class 

d)   Top female in Championship Fleet 

e)   Top five finishers in Green Fleet 

f)     Top female in Green Fleet 

g)   The National Champion will be awarded the “Geoffrey Holowesko Floating Champion Trophy”.  

24. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 4, Decision to Race. The 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 the regatta.