SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

NORTHWEST HARVEST BENEFIT RACE 2008

Seattle Singles Yacht Club        www.ssyc.com


STARTING AND FINISHING AREA: In the vicinity of Shilshole Breakwater. The Start/Finish line is between the center of the "Hamburger" buoy and the Orange Flag on the SSYC Race Committee Boat.  The Start-Finish line is CLOSED except when starting or finishing. Please stay clear of this area an other starting or finishing boats, except when Starting or Finishing.

OFFICIAL RACE VHF CHANNEL.

The Race Committee Boat will not answer radio communications from participants other than check-in, emergencies or retirement.

VHF 69 channel for general information (but no discussions with any boats). This is for

a.       General information only such as attempting to hail individual recalled sail numbers, shorten course, etc and hailing to all the participants a countdown to the first flag and horn - which is the  Warning flag/horn for Class 1.

b.       Any general information that is not covered in the Instructions, Race Rules, Skipper’s Meeting, etc that will not prejudice any participant.

 

SKIPPERS MEETING: Mandatory skipper’s meeting at 8:30AM on race day at Shilshole Elks Club parking lot before the race.  Bring your cans of food for Northwest Harvest too!!  Skippers pick up the Skipper’s Packet then.

 

CHECKING IN: All participants must check in with the Race Committee Boat on the course to be counted as racing. You can do this by hailing the RC as you sail by or on VHF channel 69. Please use radio courtesy. Be sure to tell them the boat’s name, sail number and class. Be sure to get an acknowledgement.


FIRST START: 12:00 pm, first warning flag 11:55 am

 

ALL STARTS: Races will be started using RRS rule 26.

 

OVER-EARLY: Boats will be attempted to be hailed by VHF 69 if 3 or less boats are over early; Class (General) Recall flag will be flown and all boats and attempted to be hailed by VHF if over 3 boats over early. Remember it is your responsibility to know if you are over early

 

COURSES:

There are three possible courses, all starts are upwind.  One to be selected at the Skippers meeting by the Race Chair based on current and forecast weather conditions.

 

Marks on the North Course (starting to the north) are to be rounded to Port (counter-clockwise). 

Marks on the South Course (starting to the south) are to be rounded to Starboard (clockwise).

 

1.       Start, Blakely Rock, Finish.

2.       Start, West Point, Point Jefferson White Spar Buoy , Finish

3.       Light Air Course, Start, West Point, Meadow Point, Finish.

 

The Course may be changed after the Skipper’s Meeting by the race committee by posting the letters for the buoys to be rounded before the start on boards on the committee boat.  Make sure you check before your Class Start!

 

COURSE DIAGRAMS:  Chartlets are included.  Note: All Marks are obvious except for Course Two which is a White spar buoy in 35 feet of water off Point Jefferson. (approximately 47º 44.730' N, 122º 28.350' W)

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARKS OF THE COURSE:

“S”, “F”             Start and Finish - the Hamburger buoy off Shilshole breakwater.  The Line will be between the "Hamburger" buoy’s center and the orange flag pole on the SSYC Committee Boat.

“M”                  Meadow Point Buoy…..

“P”                   Jefferson Point); a White Spar Buoy in 35 feet of water off Point Jefferson. (approximately 47º 44.730' N, 122º 28.350' W)

“W”                 West Point Buoy

“B”                  Blakely Rock.

 

SHORTEN COURSE (Only at a mark of the course): Times will be recorded at the halfway point whether or not the course is officially shortened to be used if needed.  Shorten Course Flag – small blue square on a larger white square – will be flown from the Assisting Committee Boat after it is formally shortened at the Mark where it is shortened.

 

CLASSES: Mandatory - All boats will fly their class ribbons from their aft stay identifying their class:

 

-          Multi-hull                    Yellow

-          J-105                             Red

 

-          Flying Sales

Fast                               Green

Slow                             Orange

 

-          Non-flying Sales

Fast                              Blue    

Slow                             Pink

 

-          Half-Fast Class                White

 

SAIL NUMBERS – (mandatory): Note-This is a change from last year as the Race Committee and aerial photography team had a difficult time identifying many boats without sail numbers. If you don’t have a sail number, black tape will be handed out at the Skipper’s Meeting for you to install a sail number on the top of both sides of your mainsail. 3 ‘random’ digits should suffice. Please remove the tape after the race so the adhesive won’t mark the sailcloth. IMPORTANT – If you are in this situation, Notify the Race Committee at the skipper’s meeting of your number so they can make a note of your number on the scoring form.

 

SCORING: Will be time on distance according to the PHRF formula, except for any one-design class(es) and the Half Fast class

 

TIME LIMIT: 17:00(PDT) Any boat not crossing the Finish Line by 17:00 will be scored DNF. This is to ensure adequate time remains for preparation for the award ceremony and all Skippers and crew to attend the ceremony.

 

PROTESTS: 720 rule applies - if you foul you must do a 720-degree turn before you finish. No other protests will be allowed.

 

SAFETY: When on or near the Puget Sound Traffic Lanes, boats will monitor VHF Channel 14. Also monitor the official Coast Guard Channel 16.

 

All skippers are reminded they and they alone are responsible for the safety of their crew and boat.  No part of racing rules reduce that.

 

All coast guard and other rules for safety are to be obeyed, including those regarding crossing the shipping lanes.  Any vessel receiving a horn or radio warning of danger will be disqualified.

 

AWARDS: The Northwest Harvest Benefit Race trophies will be awarded at approximately 18:00 on Saturday evening at the Shilshole Bay Beach Club (Ballard Elks Club).