Royal Dart Yacht Club

Notice Of Race 2008

General

The Royal Dart Yacht Club will run the yacht races specified in this programme, subject to any variations considered appropriate by the Race Committee, which shall be posted on the Club Notice Board.

All races will be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing 2005-2008, The Equipment Rules of Sailing, RYA prescriptions, the RDYC Notice of Race and RDYC Sailing Instructions.

Any boat belonging to a recognised class shall comply with the rules of that class.

Classes and handicaps

Races will be run for the following classes and the following flags will be used for the Warning, Cancellation and Shorten Course Signals.

Class	Class Flag	Warning Signal and Shorten Course Flag	Wednesday Start Time
Fast Handicap	NP1	NP1	18:45
J/80	NP2	NP1	18:45
Slow Handicap	NP4	NP4	18:30
Squibs	NP7	NP7	18:35

The Racing Secretary may allocate a boat to a particular class. The allocation between fast and slow handicap classes will be according to entry.

Boats holding a valid IRC certificate must declare it. Handicapping will be at the discretion of the Racing Committee.

Yachts racing in Fast Handicap, J/80 and Slow Handicap classes must fly their Class Flag from their backstay or equivalent position.

Entry

All boats shall complete a Race Entry Form (enclosed with the Spring 2007 issue of Masthead, from this website, or available from the Sailing Office) by 16 April 2008 if they intend to race in any races in this programme. Entries from RDYC members received after April 30th must be accompanied by a fee of £10 payable to RNLI. Entries from members of other clubs to the Short Handed Series and Coastal Races, and from new members, may opt out of this fee. Members of other recognised yacht clubs may enter the Wednesday evening races and the Autumn Series for a fee of £25. There are separate entry forms for the Medical Rally and Alderney Race available from the Sailing or General Office.

Eligibility

Races are run for the benefit of RDYC members. Members of other clubs may enter races subject to the approval of the Racing Secretary, for which a supplementary fee may be required. The Coastal Races, the Alderney Race and the Short Handed Series are open to members of RDYC, DYC and SDCRA.

Prizes

Prizes may be awarded to RDYC, DYC or SDCRA members or to members of invited clubs.

Prizes will be awarded to the winner of each series and where there are sufficient entries prizes may also be awarded to second and third competitors.

Insurance

Boats must have adequate third party insurance.

Sailing Instructions

Sailing Instructions for the Wednesday Evening Series, Spring Regatta, One Design Regattas, Short Handed Series, Coastal Races, and the Autumn Series are on this website. Additional Sailing Instructions will be available from the RDYC Sailing Office at least one week before the event for the Pursuit Race and the Medical Rally. A separate Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions are issued for Dartmouth Royal Regatta. Sailing Instructions for races organised by other clubs are available from the sailing secretary or website of the organising club.

Scoring

Unless specified otherwise in the Sailing Instructions, the winner of each class in each series shall be the boat with the lowest score. Series will be scored as provided in the RRS Appendix A using the low points system, using Rule A9. Series ties will be broken in accordance with RRS A8. For a series, at least two races must be completed. One discard will be allowed if four or five races are completed and two discards if six or more races are completed. For the overall Wednesday Evening Series 12 races shall count, however many are sailed.

Race Officer Duty

Competing boats may be required to supply a team to start and manage a race. The owner of the boat will be notified. When an owner acts as OOD and, as a consequence, his boat is unable to compete, the boat shall score her average points (less discards) for that series.

Safety Notice

The responsibility for deciding whether to start a race or whether to continue racing lies solely with the individual yacht, keelboat or dinghy skipper in accordance with RRS Fundamental Rule 4. No responsibility for the craft and crew entered in these and other RDYC organised races is implied or accepted by any officer of the RDYC or the DYC, regardless of the conditions prevailing. By launching or going to sea the skipper of the boat confirms that it is fit for those conditions in which it will find itself and that its crew is competent to sail and compete in them.

The safety of a boat and its crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the owner, or owner’s representative, who must do his or her best to ensure that the yacht is fully found, seaworthy and manned by an experienced crew who have undergone appropriate training and are physically fit to face bad weather. He must be satisfied as to the soundness of hull, spars, rigging, sails and all gear. He must ensure that all safety equipment is properly maintained and stowed and that the crew know where it is kept and how it is to be used.

The boat is required to hold adequate insurance for racing purposes.

Nothing done by the organisers can reduce the complete and unlimited responsibility of the owner or owner’s representative, nor will it make the organisers responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury, however it may have occurred, as a result of the boat taking part in racing. The organisers encompass everyone helping to run the races and the events, and include the organising authority, the race committee, the race officers and patrol boats.

The provision of patrol boats does not relieve the boat of its responsibilities.

JPC 22/3/2008