MYCRF NOR & SIs

Notice of Race and Special Conditions

• Rules
  The sailing and management of all races will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing. Races are designated ORC Category Four.
• Advertising
  Advertising will be restricted to Category A.
• Yacht Ownership and Eligibility
  Each yacht shall be owned and skippered by a member of MYC. With approval of the Fleet Captain, yachts from other clubs may be invited to participate in individual races. Such visiting yachts are eligible to win trophies or flags for an individual race, but not for a series of races. Entry fees will be the same for visiting yachts as for MYC yachts.
• Fees
  Each owner/skipper will pay membership dues in the MYCRF, or pay an entry per race. Entry fee amounts as follows. Full season including series and individual races $125.00. Individual races $15.00. The MYCRF chairman will collect dues. Applications can be downloaded from www.muskegonyachtclub.org and mailed along with a current PHRF/ Class Certificate, Proof of Liability insurance and the yearly fee to MYC or submitted to the MYCRF chairman (Bob Harvey) prior to the first race.
• Race Schedule
  Race schedule will be created by Fleet Captain with consultation with the race committee and the MYCRF chairman. Schedule will include dates, starting times and in the case of series, the number of throw outs.
• Measurements
  Each boat shall produce a valid PHRF measurement certificate or be registered in their one design class.
• Sailing Instructions
  Sailing instructions will be available prior to the first scheduled race. These will be available at MYC and online at www.muskegonyachtclub.org.
• Courses
  Courses will be set in MuskegonLake unless indicated in the race schedule. Series with their own race instructions may use Lake Michigan if indicated in the race instructions. The race committee boat will plan to leave the dock 30 minutes prior to a Muskegon lake start and 60 minutes prior to a Lake Michigan start and will signal their leaving by raising the race committee flag and sound one horn blast.
• Radio Communication
  A boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This restriction also applies to cell phones. Courtesy broadcast from the race committee will be on Channel 73.
• Prizes
  Prizes will be awarded at the awards dinner noted on the race schedule.
• Disclaimer of Liability
  Competitors participate in the racing entirely at their own risk. See Rule four (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 any racing.
• Insurance
  Each yacht shall provide proof of watercraft liability with coverage of at least $300,000.00. This must be submitted along with your application.
• Further Information
  For further information contact Chairman of MYCRF Bob Harvey, at MYC or at 5876 Martin Road, Norton Shores, Michigan. 49444.

Special Conditions

• Main and Jib rules
  For the Main and Jib [non spinnaker] races, no more than one headsail may be flown at one time, and it may not be set flying. When yachts with headfoil type fore stays change jibs during a race, they must do so as though the sail was hanked on. That is, the first sail must be completely lowered before the second is raised. The same halyard must be used for both sails. Spinnaker/whisker poles may be no longer than the “J” measurement. Must be attached or held to the mast during use, and may be carried only on the side opposite the boom.
• Lake Michigan Destination and Return Races
  When there is no turning mark at the halfway point of a destination and return race, yachts shall turn to seaward within 100 yards of a pier or the shore if the reference point is a landmark.
• Change of ownership
  The changing of yachts by an owner/skipper in mid-series shall be permitted only if the change represents a permanent change from one yacht to another. At such times the scores of both yachts may be used toward series totals except in cases where the new yacht is in a different division or class.
• Handicap Ratings
  Each yacht will have a current PHRF certificate or be a current One Design Class member. Each skipper will provide copy when submitting division dues. In the event a skipper is unable to obtain a rating through no fault of their own or only wish to race in one race during the season, they may be allowed to race with an assigned rating upon the approval of the MYCRF chairman or the approval of the MYC Race Committee chairman.  The assigned handicap will carry a six second penalty. Yachts using such assigned ratings will be eligible to win trophies/flags for an individual race, but not for a series. Once an assigned-rating yacht receives a current rating, her finishes in previous races will be re-calculated, but she need not forfeit any trophies/flags already awarded.  The race committee may waive the six second per mile penalty for boats which do not normally race in the MYC PHRF events.
• Government Marks
  Government marks are to be passed on the correct side. The exception to this rule will be the Muskegon Lake Green Mark 3 (MYC mark #9), which may be passed on either side
• Multiple Starts
  In any multiple division single race, the starting order of the classes will be determined by the race committee and will be signaled by the appropriate class flag displayed during the start sequence.
• Trash, Garbage
  Discarding trash, garbage or other debris into the water shall result in disqualification from the race.
• Non-racing Vessels
  Racing yachts shall observe Great Lakes Rules of the Road which require avoidance of commercial vessels underway.

(NOR as of 12/9/2012)

Sailing Instructions

• Rules
  The races will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing.
• Notices to Competitors
  Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located in the yacht club.
• Changes to the Sailing Instructions
  Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted before 0930 on the day it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted one week in advance of the new race date. Posted instructions may be superseded by written or verbal instructions given by the race committee to each skipper prior to the warning signal.
• Signals Made Ashore
  Signals made ashore will be displayed on the MYC flagpole. When the AP flag is displayed ashore 1 minute is replaced with not less than 30 minutes in the race signal AP. When Y flag is displayed ashore, rule 40.1 applies at all times while afloat. This changes the Part 4 preamble.
• Schedule of Races
  Dates, starting times, and number of throw outs will be indicated in the MYCRF race schedule.
• Class Flags Class flags will be:
  • PHRF Div. 1                           Code Flag one
  • PHRF Div. 2                           Code Flag two
  • PHRF Div. 3                           Code Flag three
  • Melges 24                               Melges 24 Class Flag
  • Main & Jib Fleet                       Code Flag five
• Courses
  No later than the warning signal the race committee signal boat will display the buoy numbers to be rounded or will display the approximate compass bearing to the first mark and the number of legs of the course.  All marks to be left to Port unless special instructions say otherwise.
• Marks
  Muskegon Lake races will use the following marks. Permanent Club race Marks numbered one through eight, The green Navigation buoy, MYC number nine, Bultima’s westernmost mooring MYC number B will be used as well as Orange inflatables called X and Yellow inflatables called Y. Lake Michigan races will use Orange and Yellow inflatables. If multiple races are scheduled, the race committee may use a white inflatable as one end of the finish line.
• The Start
  The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the signal boat at the starboard end and the port end starting mark.  Boats whose warning signal has not been given, shall avoid the starting area. A boat starting later than 5 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start. This changes rule A4.
• Individual Recalls
  Will be signaled in accordance with RRS 29.1. The race committee will attempt to hail any boat recalled on VHF channel 73. Failure to make a broadcast or to time it accurately will not be grounds for a request for redress. This changes rule 62.1 A.
• Change of course after the start
  A change of course after the start will be signaled before the leading boat has begun the leg, although the new mark may not yet be in position. Any mark to be passed after passing the new mark may be relocated to maintain the course configuration. When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark. The race committee may make course changes up to five degrees with no signal and no change of mark color.
• The Finish
  The finish line will be between the staff holding a Blue flag and a nearby race mark.  The finish boat will display the second substitute signal flag at the finishing line if the race committee intends to start another race that day.
• Time Limit
  Muskegon Lake course races will have a 2-hour time limit for the first boat in each class to finish the race.  Lake Michigan course races will have a 3-hour time limit for the first boat in each class to finish the race.  Boats still racing 30 minutes after the first boat in their class has finished and not thereafter retiring will be scored TLE (Time Limit Expired…see Scoring).  Time limit will be adjusted by handicap in PHRF races.  This changes rules 35 and A4.
• Scoring
  With reference to 13 (Time Limit), boats scored TLE shall receive points equal to the number of finishers in her class plus 2 points.  This alters RRS A4.2 and RRS A5.
• Penalties
  A boat may take a one turn penalty when she may have broken rule of Part 2 or Rule 31 while racing. However, when she may have broken a rule of Part 2 while in the zone around a mark other than the starting mark, her penalty shall be a Two Turns Penalty.
• Penalties taken after a race
  After a race, a boat that may have broken a rule of Part 2 or rule 31 while racing, may take a post-race penalty for that incident. The penalty shall be a scoring penalty as follows:
  20% If taken before the protest time limit (min 2 places) or
  30% if taken after the protest time limit but before the beginning of a hearing involving the incident.(Min 3 places)
• Protest Arbitration[This changes RRS 60.1[b], 63.1, 63.6, and 66.]
  An arbitration meeting will be held prior to the protest hearing for all protests involving part two of the Racing Rules of Sailing. After a protest form is delivered, one designated representative [conforming to RRS 63.3[a]] of each party will appear before an arbitrator. No witnesses are permitted.After hearing the testimony of each representative, the arbitrator shall reach one of the following conclusions:
  1. There was no breach of the rule. If representatives agree, the protest is withdrawn and can not be reopened. If any representative disagrees, the matter goes to the protest committee for a hearing.
  2. There was a breach of a rule by one of the boats involved. The representative[s] of the offending boats have the option of accepting a 40% alternative penalty [calculated as in RRS 44.3(c)] or submitting the matter to protest committee. If the penalty is accepted, the matter can not be reopened or made the subject of a redress request.
  3. The matter should go to the protest committee for a hearing. When the protest is referred to the protest committee, the arbitrator shall not be a member of the protest committee but may be called as a witness.
• Protests
  A boat intending to protest is required to report her intention and the boat[s] being protested to the race committee at the finish. This changes RRS 61.1[a]. Protests shall be written on US Sailing protest forms available from the race committee or the MYC bar and must be delivered to the race committee within one hour of the docking of the race committee boat.
• Safety Regulations
  A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.
• Radio Communication
  A boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This restriction also applies to mobile telephones.
• Disclaimer of Liability
  Competitors compete in the racing entirely at their own risk. See rule Four (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 race.
• Insurance
  Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third–party liability insurance with a minimum cover of $300,000.00 per event or equivalent.

(SIs as of 3/13/2013)