MORC Page

Sailing Instructions
MORC99 International Regatta

Wayzata Yacht Club
September 16-19, 1999

  1. Rules

    The regatta will be governed by International Sailing Federation (ISAF) -- The Racing Rules of Sailing 1997-2000 (RRS) including Prescriptions of the United States Sailing Association and Special Rules governing the MORC Internationals Sailing Events, except as any of these are altered by these Sailing Instructions or special supplemental instruction sheets for J-24, J-22, or Capri-25 fleets.

  2. Entries

    MORC membership and eligibility requirements of MORC Handbook Section 8, Rule II.A2 MORC Membership, apply except as modified as follows:

    To enter, skipper or helm the International Regatta the individual(s) must be a General, Family, or Lifetime member of MORC International or have a MORC99 General Membership. Only one MORC99 General Membership will be issued per boat and only to boats in a one-design class, which will be racing under a Fleet Rating. Yachts must have a valid MORC measurement-rating certificate, a MORC standard hull/standard sail rating certificate or be assigned a common fleet certificate. A common fleet certificate will be assigned to one-design yachts subject to providing proof of conformance to their respective fleet/class requirements.

    Each skipper has the sole responsibility for the safety of the crew and the seaworthiness of his yacht. Neither the establishment of the general conditions, sailing instructions, the RRS shall in any way limit the skipper's responsibility or confer any such responsibility on a sponsoring yacht club or the Race Committee. The entry form constitutes the skipper's certificate of compliance with these conditions, and any breach or violation of these requirements is subject to protest and is the skipper's total responsibility. All yachts are subject to inspection by the Race Committee at any time to insure compliance with paragraphs 3, 4 and 23.

  3. Notices to Competitors

    Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located at the main entrance of the Wayzata Yacht Club.

  4. Changes in Sailing Instructions

    Any change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted at least two hours before the race on the day it takes effect, except that any change in the Schedule of Races will be posted at least two hours before the race that immediately precedes it on the schedule. The Race Committee may, after flying Code Flag 'L' (Come within Hail) alter these instructions by vocal hail.

  5. Signals Made Ashore

    Signals made ashore will be displayed at the Wayzata Yacht Club (WYC) Flagpole or by the Committee Boat when at or near the WYC docks. Flag ‘AP' with two sound signals (one sound signal when lowered) means the race is postponed. The warning signal will be made not less than 45 minutes after AP is lowered.

  6. Certification and Weight Verification

    All participating yachts must have a current certificate. One-design yachts (CAPRI25, J/22 and J/24) will be assigned fleet certificates. All the certificates will be posted and maybe in book style at the WYC. Weight verification shall be made as follows:

    1. MORC Individual Certificates: They must all have weight verfication. Local MORC Station 40 yachts may use the weight obtained for this regatta when launched in the spring or when weighed prior to the regatta. Visiting yachts will be weighed when launched for the regatta.

    2. CAPRI25, J/22 and J/24 one design fleet certificates: One design fleet yachts which meet all class weights and are current members of their class will not require being weighed.

    3. Standard Sail/Standard Hull (SS/SH): The weight certification process need not be done if all the SS/SH measurements are properly made by the MORC Station Measurer and processed by MORC International with a sign off by the International Measurer.

  7. Schedule of Races

    8. MORC99 Internationals Race Schedule

    Date Day Warning Time Limit Location Race Number
    Sept 16 Thurs 1030 hours 2 hours ea. Main Lake 1, 2 and 3
    Sept 17 Fri 1000 hours 6 hours Commodore Cup 4
    Sept 18 Sat 1000 hours 2 hours ea. Main Lake 5 and 6 *
    Sept 19 Sun 1000 hours 2 hours Main Lake 7 *

    * Makeup races may be added.

    Competitors Meeting will begin at 0830 hours on 16 September 1999 at the Wayzata Yacht Club.

  8. MORC Yacht Class Assignment

    9. MORC yachts will be divided by rating in descending order and assigned to MORC A, MORC B, MORC C, and MORC D classes. Similar Yacht will be group together which may unbalance the number of yachts in each class.

  9. Sponsor Bow Numbers

    Sponsor identification bow stickers with assigned boat numbers will be distributed during registration or at the Skippers meeting and must be on the bow while racing

  10. Racing Area and Course(s)

    The buoy course racing area is the "Main Lower Lake area of Lake Minnetonka" (about a 15-minute motor from the WYC). The courses are:

    1. Buoy Courses

The diagrams in Illustration 'A' show the buoy courses, 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. In buoy course racing Mark 1 will be an orange tetrahedron approximately 0.6 to 2 miles from Mark 3.

Buoy courses will be designated on a display from the Committee Boat by letters and numbers. Courses will be made up of combinations of 'W' for Windward/Leeward and/or '0' for Olympic-- which make up the elements of a complete course (see Illustration A). If no number follows the letter, sail that element one time. If a number follows a letter, sail that element of the course that number of times. The approximate compass bearing from the starting line to Mark 1 will be displayed on the course board.

Course Examples:

W2 is Windward/Leeward twice around with a downwind finish

W2-1/2 is Windward/Leeward two and one half times around with an upwind finish.

OW is an Olympic course plus an extra Windward/Leeward with an upwind finish.

    1. Commodore Cup Course is shown in Illustration 'B'.

  1. Marks

    1. Initial Marks of the course will normally be orange tetrahedron, though red or green spheres may be substituted.

    2. The Starting Mark will be the same as Mark 3, except in the case where a separate starting Mark is set which will be a mark smaller than 3.

    3. An offset mark smaller than Mark 1 may be used near Mark 1 and is a Mark of the Course to be passed after and on the same side as Mark 1.

    4. All boats shall obey all navigational buoys while racing. Note that "SLOW' buoys at channels are neither navigational buoys nor are they marks of the course.

  2. The Start

    1. Races will be started using Rule 26, System 2, with Classes starting at 3 minute intervals in the with the highest rated yachts first as follows:

      2. Status/Class

      		 Flag

      Time

      Warning

      Yellow

      :00

      Preparatory

      Blue

      :03

      MORC A

      Red

      :06

      Next Class

      Red

      :09

      Etc.

      Red

      :12

      Etc.

      Red

      :15

      The actual class starting sequence will be defined and distributed at the Thursday 16, September Skippers meeting.

    2. The preparatory signal for each class(es) shall be the warning signal for the next class(es). This changes Rule 26.

    3. The starting penalty described in Rule 30.1 shall be in effect for all starts. Code Flag 'I' will not be displayed. This changes Rule 30.1.

    4. The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag and Mark 3 (or the special starting mark described in Instruction 11b). Any paraphernalia trailing from the Committee Boat shall be treated as though it were a part of the Committee Boat.

    5. Starting Zone. The purpose of the starting zone is to provide safe passage for boats to pass the stern of the committee boat to obtain course information without restricting the actions of boats that are racing, and to provide a clear starting line for each fleet.

    6. From the time the Committee Boat displays the line flag and until a boat's preparatory signal has been made: a boat shall not sail on port tack closer than two of her overall lengths to the stern of the Committee Boat, nor motor against the flow of starboard tack boats closer than two of her overall lengths to the stern of the Committee Boat. For a period of one and one-half minutes before each start, all boats not starting shall stay clear of all boats that are starting in the starting zone, described as follows: the starting line plus 300 ft extensions in both directions and 300 ft to the pre-start side of the line formed by the starting line and both extensions. Only the Race Committee may protest a boat for infringing these zone restrictions. This does not preclude a boat's right to protest under Rule 22.1.

    7. A boat more than two minutes late to her start shall keep clear of all boats that are not more than two minutes late to their starts until she has started and cleared the starting line.

  3. Individual Recalls

    4. Individual recalls will be signaled with the raising of code flag X and one sound signal sounded for each boat recalled. The Race Committee will attempt to vocally hail each boat being recalled. This changes Rule 29.2. Recalled boats must round the ends.

  4. General Recalls

    1. General recalls will be signaled in accordance with Rule 29.3. Two sound signals will be made upon signaling. There will be no sound signal upon lowering.

    2. The Class recalled shall always go to the end of the starting order and start 3 minutes after the last Class has started.

    3. "First Substitute" will be flown no more than two minutes after the start signal. This changes Rule 29.3.

  5. Change of Course After the Start

    1. A change of course after the start will be signaled before the leading boat has begun the leg, although the new mark may not then be in position.

    2. The Race Committee intends to use 5-ft. red or bright green change marks, if available.

    3. Any mark to be rounded after rounding the new mark may be relocated to maintain the original course configuration.

    4. The Race Committee will not display the minus (-) sign or the plus (+) sign described in Rule 33 even though the leg may be lengthened or shortened as the marks are easily visible. This changes Rule 33.

  6. The Finish

    7. The finishing line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on a Race Committee Boat and the nearby mark of the course.

  7. Time Limit

    1. The time limit will be two hours for all races, except for the Commodore Cup, which have a six-hour time limit.

    2. In the event of light wind, the RACE COMMITTEE may choose before the start to shorten the time limit to one and one half hours, and so signal by raising Code Flag 'S'.

    3. Boats failing to finish within 30 minutes after the first boat in their class finishes or within the time limit, whichever is later will be scored Did Not Finish. This changes Rule 35.

  8. Protests

    1. Rule 61.1(a) is changed to add that a boat intending to protest shall, as soon as possible after finishing or retiring, inform the finish line Race Committee Boat of her intent to protest and the sail number(s) of the boat(s) being protested. Except in cases where damage or medical emergency forces a boat to retire, a protest will be ruled invalid when this requirement is not met and the Protest Committee shall refuse to hear the protest under Rule 63.5.

    2. Protests shall be written on U.S. Sailing protest forms available at WYC and lodged there in the box provided. Lacking a proper protest form, a protesting boat shall provide in writing the information required under Rule 61.2.

    3.  

    4. Time limit for filing protests shall be one hour after the docking of the RC Boat after the last race of the day.

    5. Protests will be heard in approximately the order of receipt as soon as possible.

    6. If a protesting party wishes to withdraw a protest already filed, they must obtain agreement from the other party(s) to the protest and then request withdrawal from the Protest Chairman or its Vice-Chairman who then may elect to approve the request to withdraw in accordance with Rule 63.1.

    7. Failure to appear: if a party to the hearing does not come to the hearing, the Protest Committee may nevertheless decide the protest in the absence of the party in accordance with Rule 63.3(b).

  9. Scoring

    The Low Point scoring system, rule A2, will apply, modified so that each boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores, with her worst score discarded if six or more races have been completed. Seven races are scheduled, of which three races shall be completed to constitute the regatta.

  10. Haul-out Restrictions

    All boats shall be afloat before 6:00 P.M. on the day preceding the first scheduled race and shall not be hauled out during the regatta except with and according to the terms of prior written permission of the protest committee.

  11. Plastic Pools and Diving Equipment

    Underwater breathing apparatus, plastic pools or their equivalent shall not be used around boats after 6:00 P.M. on the day preceding the first scheduled race.

  12. Radio Communication

    13. A boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. Radio communications of an emergency nature are permitted. In extreme circumstances only, competitors may contact the Race Committee by radio. Prior to racing there may be periodic hails from the Race Committee on VHF Channel 68.

  13. Prizes

    Prizes will be awarded to each boat placing first, second and third in the regatta.

    14. ILLUSTRATION A—Buoy Courses
                Windward Leeward                          Olympic-1

ILLUSTRATION B

Com_Cup.JPG (91493 bytes)