SI's: Cressy Qualifiers

Sailing Instructions:
South Atlantic District Qualifiers for U.S. High School Single Handed National Championship (Cressy Championship)

September 10-11, 2005
Clearwater Community Sailing Center

1 Rules
1.1 The regatta will be governed by the Procedural Rules of ISSA, the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the prescriptions of the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the Notice of Regatta, except as any of these are changed by the Sailing Instructions, and by these Sailing Instructions.

1.2 The immediate penalties for breaking RRS42 as described in Appendix 'P' of the RRS will be in effect.

1.3 The organizing authority is the South Atlantic district of the ISSA. The event host is the Clearwater Yacht Club (CYC). The event will be held at the Clearwater Community Sailing Center.

2 Changes to the Racing Rules
RRS 25 and 26 are changed to provide for the sound signal starting system (ISSA procedures 7.8).
No flags, shapes or visual signals of any kind will be utilized, except as described within these sailing instructions.

3 Eligibility and Entry
3.1 All competitors must meet the eligibility requirements as stated in the Notice of Race and have filed valid entries in accordance with the Notice of Race.

3.2 Races will be run for both Laser Full Rig and Radials. Competitors must provide their own boat and all equipment.

4 Designated Adult
4.1 At registration each competitor shall indicate in writing the adult representative that shall be responsible for the competitor throughout the event. Competitors without a responsible adult on site, may not be scored for races on days for which that adult is absent.

4.2 It is the competitor's designated adult's decision to enter the regatta and to start or continue any race. The adults supervising the competitors are ultimately responsible for the risks. This includes insuring that the competitor wears appropriate clothing for immersion in water.

4.3 The designated adult will accept full responsibility for all actions of the competitor during any activity related to the event. This includes on-shore activities before, during, and after the regatta.

5 Notices To Competitors.
Whenever possible, notices to competitors will be posted on the notice board near the Sailing Center main office.

6 Changes In The Sailing Instructions.
Changes in the Sailing Instructions may be made at any time, including on the water. Changes made on the water will be given orally following the hoisting of code flag “L” accompanied by a sound signal.

7 Signals Made Ashore
Signals made ashore will be conspicuously displayed at the Sailing Center.

Code flag "AP" (answering pennant) with two sound signals means "The race is postponed. Do not leave the harbor." The new time of the harbor start will be posted on the notice board before lowering the "AP".

8 Schedule of Events
8.1 Registration will be held on Saturday September 10 from 0800 until 0900.

8.2 A Competitor's Meeting will be held on Saturday September 10 at 0930.

8.3 On Saturday the harbor start will commence as soon as practical after the competitors meeting and on Sunday September 11 it will be at 0930.

8.4 A minimum of three races must be completed to constitute a regatta. In the event this cannot be completed, another date for the qualifiers will be selected by the organizing authority. If this is not possible, qualifying sailors may be chosen based on resumes.

9 Safety Procedures
9.1 Each competitor shall follow all instructions given by a designated safety or race committee boat.

9.2 Each competitor shall wear, properly secured, a United States Coast Guard approved life jacket (PFD) from the time the competitor leaves the shore until s/he returns to the shore. A competitor shall not be penalized for removing a PFD, for the specific purpose of changing clothing.

9.3 A competitor that withdraws from a race or intends not to start a race shall inform the nearest safety or race committee boat as soon as possible.

9.4 Failure to comply with any of these safety procedures may result in disqualification from the regatta.

10 Racing Area
The racing area will be in the Gulf of Mexico just south of the Clearwater Pass. The race committee reserves the right to race in Clearwater Harbor should conditions favor that location.

11 Courses
11.1 The diagrams in Appendix A show the courses which may be sailed. The approximate compass bearing to Mark 1 and the course to be sailed ('W' or 'T'), will be displayed from the Race Committee signal boat.

11.2 Competitors who have finished shall stay well clear of competitors that are still racing. Failure to comply with this instruction may result in disqualification from the races sailed on that particular day.

12.3 New marks, when used in accordance with instruction 16, Change of Course after the Start, will be triangular yellow “PYRA” marks with a black band.

13 Check In
Before the warning signal of the first race of each day, each boat shall sail past the stern of the race committee signal boat on starboard tack and hail her sail number and class, which will be acknowledged by the race committee. It is the responsibility of each competitor to insure that they have been identified. Failure to comply with this instruction may result in disqualification from the races sailed on that particular day.

14 The Start
14.1 The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the race committee signal boat and the course side of the pin end mark.

14.2 For each race the Laser Full rigs will start first, followed by the Laser Radials.

15 Recalls
15.1 Individual recalls will be signaled by a verbal hail of the sail number and one sound signal. An individual recall flag may be utilized in the discretion of the race committee.

15.2 A General Recall will be signaled by a verbal hail and multiple sound signals. The three minute starting sequence signal for that class will begin shortly afterwards.

15.3 The "Round the Ends Rule" provisions of RRS 51.1 (c) shall apply for all races, unless the Black Flag is flown from the begining of the starting sequence. Code Flag "I" will not be flown.

15.4 Whenever the “Round The Ends Rule” is in effect the Race Committee may hail the sail numbers of those boats that have not started correctly. A Race Committee Boat at either or both ends of the line may make these hails.

Boats identified within the triangle formed by the ends of the starting line and the first mark during the minute before the starting signal, may be hailed before the starting signal (changes RRS 29.2 and 30.3).

15.5 The following shall not be grounds for redress: failure of the race committee to hail one or more boats, failure of a competitor to hear the hail, timeliness of the hail, and the order in which boats are hailed.

16 Change Of Course After The Start
RRS 33 is changed as follows;
At any rounding mark the race committee may signal a change of the direction of the next leg of the course by displaying code flag “C”, provided no competitor is on that leg. The new mark need not be in position before the first boat begins the changed leg. All marks yet to be rounded may also be repositioned to maintain the original course configuration.

17 The Finish
The finish line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the Race Committee signal boat and the course side of the port end finishing mark. The Race Committee signal boat may fly the blue finish flag to indicate it is on station.

18 Abandonment
RRS 32(e) is changed to read "for any other reason directly affecting the safety or fairness of the competition, or, when in the Race Committee's judgment, the race is an unsatisfactory test of skill."

19 Time Limit
The time limit for the first boat to complete the first leg of the race shall be 20 minutes. The time limit for the first boat to finish shall be 35 minutes. Boats finishing more than 10 minutes after the first boat in their class may be scored in place, this changes RRS 35.

20 Protests
20.1 The Protest procedure will be in accordance with the ISSA Procedural Rules except as modified herein.

20.2 Competitors intending to protest shall inform the Race Committee immediately after finishing. Boats should first sail to the non-course side of the Finish Boat and report to the Finish Boat. Boats that do not finish shall report their intent to protest to any Race Committee Boat at the first possible opportunity.

20.3 Protest forms will be available at the sailing center office. Completed protest forms shall be delivered there within 30 minutes of the time the Race Committee Finish Boat docks. The Race Committee will post their docking time on the official notice board as soon as practical after docking.

21 Scoring
The Low Point Scoring System of RRS Appendix A as changed by ISSA PR 9 will be in effect. [DNF, OCS = +1; DNS, RAF = +2; DSQ,BFD = +4].

22 Breakdowns
The ISSA Procedure and compensation for breakdown points shall not apply.

23 Support Boats
23.1 During each race; coach, support and spectator boats shall stay well outside the course including the laylines to the windward mark.

23.2 After the finish, coach and support boats shall meet competitors in the waiting area to the right of the start/finish line and shall not communicate with competitors until they are well clear of the finish area.

23.3 Rules for coaches and spectators will be as described in the ISSA Procedural rules for races where boats do not return to the dock after each race.

Violation of any part of instruction 23 may result in disqualification of the competitor(s) associated with the craft or coach violating this instruction for the race in which the violation occurs.

24 Disciplanary Matters
No contestant shall use, either on or off the water, alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, distilled spirits), or use any controlled substance (marijuana, cocaine, etc.), the possession of which is unlawful. Infringements of this regulation and/or other discipline expectations occurring during 9, 10 or 11 September 2005 may be the basis for disciplinary action. Discipline problems and this regulation's enforcement will be handled promptly by an adult Discipline Hearing Board which will consist of three adult members; the Regatta Chairperson, a member of the ISSA Board of Directors and the Chief Judge. Said Board shall, at a time and method selected by them, meet to hear said problem and their decision to impose scoring penalties, or other sanctions they alone deem appropriate, including summary removal from the entire regatta, shall be final without appeal permitted.

25 Awards
Awards will be made to the top three full rig and top three radial skippers.

26 Qualification for Subsequent Events
The event's purpose is to assist the South Atlantic district of the ISSA in issuing invitations to 3 full rig and 3 radial rig High School teams to represent their school at the ISSA National Singlehanded Championship for the Cressy Trophy, to be held November 25-27, 2005 (Thanksgiving) at the Waikiki Yacht Club, Honolulu, HI.
If any qualifying competitor cannot attend the National Championship, the next place qualifying competitor will be invited.