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Awards will be given to the top ten boats.

55^th Annual Whitecap Regatta Racing Rules

Pontiac Yacht Club, Keego Harbor, MI U.S.A.

September 7-8, 2013

1. RULES

The regatta will be governed by the following rules, except as modified by the sailing instructions and notices:

1. The 'rules' as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing.
2. The Rules Governing All Lightning Class District/Area Championships.

2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located on the front of the club house.

3. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

Signals made ashore will be displayed from the committee boat, "Old Blue." 

When flag AP is displayed ashore, '1 minute' is replaced with 'not less than 30 minutes' in race signal AP.

4. SCHEDULE OF RACES

The skipper's meeting will be held at 11:30 on Saturday. 

The start for the first race on Saturday will be at 1:00PM, and 10:00AM on Sunday.  Subsequent races will be held as soon as possible after the end of the previous race.   There will be 3 or more races sailed on Saturday and 2 or more races sailed on Sunday weather permitting.

On Sunday, no warning signal will be made after 1:00PM.

There will be a maximum of five races for the regatta.

5. RACING AREA

The racing area will be Cass Lake

6. THE COURSES

Courses will either be a 5 leg, Windward-Leeward (indicated by Code Flag "W"), or Olympic (Triangle, Windward-Leeward, finish to Windward; indicated by Code Flag "O").

The course flag will be displayed five minutes prior to the warning signal.

All marks will be left to port, except when there is a gate in which case boats shall sail between the gate marks from the direction of the previous mark and round either gate mark.

Participants are permitted to sail through the start-finish line during the race.

7. MARKS

All marks other than offset marks will be tetrahedrons. 

Offset marks, if used, will be "Hippity Hops." 

A “Hippity Hop” “guard mark” may be attached to the committee boat for the start.  Hitting the guard mark or sailing between it and the committee boat is the same as hitting the committee boat.

8. THE START

Races will be started using rule 26 with the warning signal given five minutes before the starting signal. 

One minute prior to the warning signal, there will be five short horn blasts at one-second intervals.

The starting line will be between a tetrahedron mark and the flagstaff of the solid color faded yellow/orange flag just ahead of the signal flags on the committee boat.

A boat starting later than fifteen minutes after her starting signal will be scored DNS. This changes rule A4.1

In the case of a general recall, a rolling five minute sequence will be used.

9. CHANGE OF THE POSITION OF THE NEXT MARK

To change the position of the next mark, the race committee will lay a new mark (or move the finishing line) and remove the original mark as soon as practicable. The change 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 rounded after rounding the new mark may be relocated without further signaling to maintain the course configuration.  When in a subsequent change the new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark.  

10. THE FINISH

The finishing line will be between a tetrahedron mark and the flagstaff of the solid color faded yellow/orange flag just ahead of the signal flags on the committee boat.

When the course is shortened at a gate, a race committee boat near the gate will display code flag "S".  Boats shall finish by sailing through the gate from the direction of the previous mark.  The finishing line will be between the gate marks.  This changes race signal "S".

11. PENALTY SYSTEM

The penalties are as described in rules 44.1, 44.2 and 44.4, except if penalty occurs when an infringing yacht has its spinnaker drawing at the time of the infringement, drops it completely below the gooseneck while taking her penalty and resets it and has it drawing after the penalty, the penalty is one turn of 360 degrees instead of two, This modifies rule 44.2.

A boat that has retired under rule 31.2 or 44.1 shall notify the race committee within the protest time limit.

As provided in rule 67, the protest committee may, without a hearing, penalize a boat that has broken rule 42.

12. PROPULSION.

"Modifying rule 42.3(b), on a free leg of the course, when surfing (rapid accelerating down the leeward side of a wave) or planing is possible, the boat's crew may, in order to initiate surfing or planing, pump the sheet, but not the guy controlling any sail, but only once for each wave or gust of wind.  When the mainsail is pumped, only that part of the sheet between the crew member handling the sheet and the first block on the boom shall be used."

13. TIME LIMITS

The time limit for the first boat to finish each race shall be two hours.  Boats that are attempting to finish but fail to finish within one hour after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored 2 more than the last boat to finish within the time limit. This changes rules 35 and A 4.1.

14. PROTESTS

Boats planning on protesting, should report this to the race committee, as they finish. 

Protest forms are available in the club house.  Protests shall be delivered to the protest box within 30 minutes after the race committee finish boat docks.  The protest time limit and a list of protests received will be posted on the notice board.   Hearings will be held as soon as possible after racing each day in the club house.

Notices of protests by the race committee will be posted to inform boats under rules 61.1(b).

A list of boats that have acknowledged breaking rule 42 or have been disqualified by the

protest committee will be posted before the protest time limits.

Decisions of the jury will be final as provided in rule 70.4

15. SCORING

1. Each boat finishing in a race and not thereafter retiring or being disqualified will be scored points equal to her finishing place, as follows:  First boat scores 1 point, second boat scores 2 points, and so on. "DNC", "DNS", "DNF", and "RAF" score points equal to one more, and "OCS", "DNE","BFD", and "DSQ" score points equal to two more than the number of boats eligible to start in any race of the series. 
2. Each boat's total score will be the sum of her scores for all races.  There will be no throw outs.

16. TIES

1. Boats which tie in a single race shall score points equal to the best position involved.  The position(s) immediately after shall remain vacant (if two boats tie for first place, both are scored I point, and the next boat to finish scores 3 points). This paragraph modifies rule A7.
2. When there is a tie on total points between two or more boats at the end of a series, the tie will be broken in favor of the boat or boats with the most first places, and, when a tie remains, the most second places, and so on. When a tie still remains, it shall be broken in favor of the boat which beats the other(s) in the last untied race of the series. All races, including those possibly excluded in calculating total scores in accordance with paragraph 16c. shall be considered for the purpose of breaking ties. This paragraph modifies A8.2.

17. SAFETY REGULATIONS

Each boat shall carry safety equipment conforming to government regulations class rules, and US Sailing or ISAF rules.

Boats are required to report in and verbally give the race committee their sail number prior to the start of their first race each day.  A boat that retires from a race or chooses to return to the club prior to a subsequent race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.

18. REPLACEMENT OF CREW OR EQUIPMENT

Substitution of competitors will not be allowed without prior written approval of the race committee.

Substitution of damaged or lost equipment, except safety equipment, will not be allowed unless approved

by the race committee.

19. EQUIPMENT AND MEASUREMENT CHECKS

A boat or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules and sailing instructions.

20. PRIZES

Prizes will be awarded to the top eight places.

21. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk.  See rule 4, 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 regatta.

22. Radio Communication