Sailing on Georgian Bay

Racing Info

   2008 sailing instructions (91 KB)

   2008 Racing Marks (20 KB)          

2008 Sailing Instructions

  1. RULES
    1. Races will be governed by The Racing Rules of sailing (RRS) of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the prescriptions of the Canadian Yachting Association The Racing Rules of Sailing 2005-2008. and these sailing instructions.
  2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
    1. The notice of race will be posted in the TYC notice boards on the north and west sides of the marina and will be available all season.
  3. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
    1. Any change to the sailing instructions will be communicated at the race skippers meetings prior to the race. A copy of the modified Sailing Instructions will be made distributed to all racers and posted on the TYC notice board at the Harbour.
  4. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
    1. Signals made ashore will be displayed at the flag pole adjacent to the Harbourmaster building on the north side of the Thornbury Marina.
    2. The Race committee will communicate with the racing fleet using VHF radio channel 09 as required at the discretion of the Race Committee. 5 minutes after the start of the race the race committee will switch to monitoring channel 16. Hailing the racing fleet will be done on channel 16 with instructions for competitors to switch to channel 09 or a channel prescribed by the race committee.
    3. All transmissions between the race committee and competitors will be accomplished at one watt transmission levels
  5. SCHEDULE OF RACES
    1. The 2008 racing schedule will consist of 11 club races as outlined below

      Sunday May 25th Ice Breaker Race
      Saturday May 31st Club Race*
      Sunday June 8th Founders Cup Race*
      Saturday June 14th Club Race*
      Saturday June 21rd TYC Regatta Day 1 R1*
      Saturday June 21rd TYC Regatta Day 1 R2*
      Sunday June 22nd TYC Regatta Day 2 R3*- Long Distance
      Saturday July 5th Mighty Mary Ladies race
      Saturday Sept 6th Meaburywood Challenge at Thornbury
      Sunday Sept. 7th Boomerang Races
      TYC to RBC, TYC to TYC, TYC to CYC
      Saturday Sept. 13th Stewart Wootton Memorial Race *
      Saturday Sept 20th Lakes Garage Long Distance race *
      Saturday Sept 27th Turkey Race

      * indicates points race

    2. The TYC race championship series will include 8 races identified with an asterisk in the above table in para 5.1
    3. Make-up days may be used if races are not completed as scheduled or if the race committee considers it unlikely that races will be completed as scheduled.
    4. Skippers’ meetings will take place in or at the Harbourmaster’s building. Meetings will start at 0930hrs on the day of the race unless otherwise posted. Warning will be signalled at 1050hrs and race will start at 1100hrs unless otherwise directed at the skippers meeting by the race committee.
    5. All boats are expected to have a valid PHRF-LO certificate. If a boat does not have a valid certificate the race committee will assign a provisional ASP and Time-on-Time correction factor for that race. To avoid delaying results, competitors without PHRF certificates or provisional handicaps are requested to request a provisional handicap from the Club Handicapper before race day.
    6. Reciprocal agreements with Collingwood Yacht Club allow for CYC boats to enter TYC races.
  6. CLASS FLAGS
    1. Class flag will be The TYC burgee. TYC will run flying sail and non flying sail classes provided there are a minimum 3 boats in that class.
    2. Skippers must elect to sail in either flying sails or non flying sails prior to the race. Boats registered at the skippers meeting will be assumed to be flying white sails unless specifically electing flying sails by the registering skipper.
  7. RACING AREAS
    1. Attachment A shows the location of racing area.
  8. THE COURSE
    1. The diagrams in Attachment A show the locations of fixed race marks, including the approximate bearings between the marks and the leg lengths between marks.
    2. The courses will be communicated to the race skippers at the pre-race skippers meeting.
    3. Generally the courses will be selected from the West, Centre, East and Fairway marks. For longer distance races the race committee may include other navigation marks or an inflatable tetrahedron to set a fair course for that particular race..
    4. If a course change becomes necessary after the skippers meeting the race committee will communicate the changes to all racers using the VHF radio on the prescribed channel.
  9. MARKS
    1. The fixed race marks will be inflatable orange spherical buoys approximately 3 feet in diameter. The moveable mark will be an inflatable orange tetrahedron. The Fairway mark at the mouth of the Thornbury Harbour lead-in will also be used as a turning mark or a start/finish mark as deemed necessary by the race committee.
    2. Fixed marks will be known as West, Centre, East and Fairway marks. The movable tetrahedron will be known as the "tetrahedron mark".
  10. THE START
    1. Generally races will be start at 1100hrs.
    2. Races will be started using a 10 minute start sequence. For following signals shall be made;
      Signal Visual signal and sound Minutes before start
      Warning TYC Flag + 1 sound 10
      Preparatory Preparatory flag + 1 sound 4
      One Minute Preparatory flag removed + 1 long sound 1
      Start TYC flag removed + 1 sound 0
    3. The starting line will be communicated to the race skippers at the pre-race skippers meeting. Generally the Fairway mark will form part of the start line. The other end of the start line may be bounded either by a race committee boat or a designated land mark. The race committee may decide to establish an alternate start line if prevailing weather conditions dictate.
    4. An alternate self start may be used at the discretion of the race committee. The self start will be administered from one of the participant boats in the race.
    5. If self start is designated only sound signals will be used to signal warning, prep, one minute and race start.
    6. Sound signals may be simultaneously broadcast over the VHF communication channel.
    7. Timing for all races will be local GPS time.
    8. There will be no penalty for boats starting the race late. Boats may start at any time after the start signal.
    9. The around the end rule (RRS 30.1) will apply to all TYC race starts. The race committee may choose not fly the "I" flag. Racers will assume these race instructions prescribe the invocation of RRS 30.1 for all TYC races.
  11. THE FINISH
    1. The finishing line will generally be between the Fairway mark and the Committee boat. However due to prevailing circumstances the finishing line may be struck between the fairway mark and a mark on shore, or any series of landmarks or navigation buoys as deemed necessary by the race committee.
    2. If the race is sailed under self start racers are responsible for recording their own finish times.
    3. Finish times will be recorded as local GPS time.
    4. Finish times will be reported to the race organizer for results calculation.
  12. TIME LIMITS
    1. Generally a time limit of 4 hours will be in effect for all TYC races. Exceptions to this rule will be
      1. The TYC Regatta races on will have a 3 hour limit:
      2. The Lakes Garages Long distance Race will have a 5 hour time limit.
    2. The race committee reserves the right to change these limits in the interests of safety, fair racing or general satisfaction of the TYC racing fleet.
    3. Boats failing to finish within time limits will be scored as "Did Not Finish".
  13. SCORING
    1. Boats will be scored using PHRF-LO ASP and Time-on-Time correction factors
    2. After applying the appropriate handicap formulae, the Low Point Scoring system, with the first place finisher receiving 1 point will apply with the following modifications to the Appendix A4 of the RRS;

      DNF = DID NOT FINISH - number of boats started +1
      RET = RETIRED - number of boats started +1
      DNS = DID NOT START - number of boats started +2
      DNC = DID NOT COMPETE- number of boats started + 2
      DSQ = DISQUALIFIED - number of boats started + 2

    3. CYC boats entered in TYC races will be scored as per their corrected times within the TYC fleet. Place flags will be awarded to CYC boats as placed. However TYC placings will exclude CYC boats. Points and flags will be awarded to TYC boats excluding any CYC placings.
  14. SAFETY REGULATIONS
    1. Skippers will register their boats for the race at the pre-race skippers meeting.
    2. A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.
    3. Every boat shall carry at least the minimum safety equipment as described in the Canadian Coast Guard's safe Boating Guide. The appropriate equipment shall be on board, in working order, and ready to use at all times.
  15. REPLACEMENT OF CREW OR EQUIPMENT
    1. The use of an Autohelm/Autopilot is permitted during any TYC race.
    2. The use of power winches is permitted during any TYC race
    3. The Mighty Mary race on July 7th, 2007 will be the only race with a restriction on regular crews. The helmsperson of a boat entered into the Mighty Mary race must be female. The rest of the crew may include not more than 1 male. The single male crew member may not take the helm starting from 4 minutes prior to the starting signal until the boat crosses the finish line. In an emergency the male member may take the helm temporarily. That boat will retire or may proceed only after taking an on water penalty by accomplishing 2 full turns to include 2 tacks and 2 gybes.
  16. RADIO COMMUNICATION
    1. The race committee will communicate with the racing fleet via VHF radio Channel 09 Communication between boats while on the race course and to the race committee will be via VHF radio Channel 09 unless agreed otherwise at the pre-race meeting.
  17. PRIZES
    1. Position flags will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers for single races. The exception will be the Annual Thornbury Regatta. The overall placers for the series of races constituting the TYC Regatta will be awarded place flags. Winners of races designated as cup races will be awarded the sponsored trophy at the end of season banquet.
  18. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
    1. 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.
  19. INSURANCE
    1. All boats competing in TYC races will carry minimum $2,000,000 Cdn Third party liability insurance