FAIRFIELD HARBOUR YACHT CLUB

2009
Bill Wilkerson Memorial Race

General Instructions

MANAGEMENT AND RULES.              The Bill Wilkerson Memorial Race shall be conducted and managed by the Fairfield Harbour Yacht Club, Ltd.  It shall be governed by the 2009-2012 Racing Rules of Sailing, including the prescriptions of US Sailing, except as altered by these sailing instructions, and the Ensign Class Rules for the Ensign Class.  Where there is conflict between the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions the SI shall take precedence

ELIGIBILITY.            Entries shall be accepted from FHYC Members who have a NC-PHRF or FHYC Club rating and who complete the entry form and pay the entry fee.  (If you need a FHYC Club Rating please contact Bill Jarvis before Monday April 20^th.  There is no charge for a FHYC Rating.)

NOTICES TO COMPETITORS and CHANGES TO THESE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS will be announced at the skipper’s meeting. Changes may also be announced on the water over marine radio channel 78 in which case they must be acknowledged by each Skipper. 

No signals will be made ashore. In the event of cancellation or postponement an announcement will be made on VHF radio channel 78 an hour before the scheduled start.

SCHEDULE OF RACES.  The event will consist of a single race on the Neuse River in the vicinity of markers 17, 19 and Broad Creek #2

The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first class is 1325

A.  CLASSES.    The fleet may be separated into two or more classes if there are at least three boats in each class. Anticipated classes are Pearson Ensign, and non-spinnaker PHRF.   

B. COMMUNICATIONS. The Committee Boat will monitor and use channel 78. All boats are required to monitor this channel during the start sequence and race.

C.  TIME LIMIT              There shall be a time limit of two hours. If any boat sails the course and finishes within the time limit other boats shall finish within an additional half hour or be scored DNF.

D.  STARTING SIGNALS. Races will be started according to Rule 26. The committee will sound a series of short horn blasts approximately 30 seconds prior to beginning the start sequence.  The Ensign Class Flag will be the Class Flag for the Ensigns.  The Non Spinnaker Class flag will be Light Blue. The Preparatory Flag will be a will be the P Flag  The around the ends rule, Rule 30.1 will be in effect at all starts without the use of the I flag as the preparatory signal. This changes Rules 26 and 30.1

            Signal                   Flag and Sound                       Minutes before starting signal

            Warning               Class Flag; 1 Sound                                                      5

            Preparatory         Preparatory Flag: 1 Sound                                          4

            One-Minute          Preparatory Flag removed; 1 long sound               1

            Starting                 Class flag removed; 1 sound                                      0

There will be at least one minute between the start of one class and the start of the sequence for any subsequent class.

E.  THE COURSE. The course will be displayed on the starboard side of the Committee Boat. Marks in green are to be left to starboard, those in red, to port. If marks 2 or 19 are used, round an inflatable mark close to the government mark. Mark 18 is a position approximately midway between 17 and 19. “W” will indicate a windward mark and “L” a leeward mark from the Committee Boat.  “G” will represent a gybe mark located approximately on an extension of the start/finisf line.

F.  SCORING.            The race will be scored using PHRF time on time with the correction factor equal to 650/550+PHRF.

For purposes of determining an overall winner the Ensigns will have 15 seconds per mile deducted from their PHRF handicap if they race under Class rules.

G.  PROTESTS.            If a yacht wishes to protest the action of another, the protested yacht must be hailed immediately following the perceived infraction to allow the protested yacht to exonerate herself and a red flag flown at the earliest reasonable time. Notice of the protest must be given to the Race Committee by hail immediately upon finishing the race and shall be acknowledged by the Committee.

All protests must be presented to the Race Committee in writing within one hour after the Committee Boat docks. All protests shall be heard on the same day, or as soon as practicable, at a time and place to be announced.  It is the responsibility of all skippers involved in the protest to be present at that hearing.

H.  AWARDS. One trophy shall be awarded to the winner of each class. The overall winner will have his name added to the Bill Wilkerson Memorial Perpetual Trophy

I.  STARTING AND FINISH LINE. The starting and finishing line shall be between the orange flag on the Committee boat and an orange inflatable mark. 

J.  WITHDRAWAL FROM RACING.            A yacht which retires from the race shall notify the Race Committee before leaving the race course area or, if that is not possible, immediately upon arriving ashore. 

K.  ABANDONMENT.         The Race Committee may abandon or cancel a race in progress, or it may cancel a race not yet started, when existing conditions, in its judgment, make the race an unsatisfactory test of skill or constitute sufficient hazard to participants to warrant discontinuance. When such is the case, the Race Committee shall display code flag N (blue and white checkered) and make three sound signals.

L.  PENALTIES.            If a yacht infringes a rule of Part 2 of the Right of Way Rules, she may exonerate herself by making use of the Two Turns Penalty as per Part 4, Rule 44.  If a yacht touches a mark, she may exonerate herself by doing a One Turn Penalty as per Part 3,  Rule 31.

M.  CHASE BOAT.  All races must have a Chase boat to set marks, monitor mark passing, display race changes and provide safety watch and recovery of persons overboard.