Points Series races at EDYC will be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the prescriptions of the RYA and these Sailing Instructions and any amendments thereto.
The Points Series races are open to all yachts belonging to members of EDYC provided that they satisfy the conditions for award of points in EDYC Club activities in accordance with Club Rule 30. Any yacht which fails to satisfy these conditions can be neither ranked nor scored as a starter.
Additionally, Club Rule 42 states that "all craft taking part in Club activities must be insured against third party liability to a minimum of £1,000,000 ", and that "no boat belonging to a Club Member may be awarded points ... unless its details have been reported (as prescribed), and unless it carries clear identifying sail numbers and/or name ..., and unless all subscriptions ... have been paid and unless the helmsman and crew are all fully paid-up members of the Club or bona-fide visitors."
Notices to competitors will be posted on the Sailing Instructions Notice Board at the Clubhouse. Their authority will be the Sailing Captain, a properly nominated deputy of the Sailing Captain or, on the day of a race, the Officer of the Day.
Any change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted on the Club Notice board eight days before the first race for which the change applies. In the exceptional circumstance of a change to the Sailing Instructions after this time and up to the time of the warning signal for any affected class, the Officer of the Day must ensure that adequate measures are taken to ensure that all affected yachts which are intending to race are appraised of the change.
Signals made ashore will be displayed on the flagstaff at EDYC but may not be accompanied by a sound signal.
6.1 The schedule of dates is incorporated in the Sailing Calendar.
| 6.2 Classes | Time of Warning Signal | ||
| Sat | Wed | ||
| Cruiser 1 Handicap (PYS 1080 & under) | 14.20 | 19.20 | |
| Cruiser 2 Handicap (PYS 1081 & over) & Leisure 17 |
14.25 | 19.25 | |
| Dinghy 1 Handicap (PYS 1140 & under) | 14.30 | 19.30 | |
| Dinghy 2 Handicap (PYS 1141 & over) | 14.35 | 19.35 | |
| Perpetual class prizes will continue to be awarded.
Further prizes may be awarded at the sailing committee's decision
Explanatory note - The intention as that single design prizes will be awarded for the named single boat designs of Topper and Wayfarer. This has the benefit of promoting the classes yet encompassing all comers in series racing. |
6.3 A cruiser with PYS in the range 1050 to 1120 (inclusive of allowances for variations in keel/engine/propeller configurations, but exclusive of allowances for variations in sails carried) may elect to race for the entirety of the season in the cruiser class other than that defined in Rule 6.2, provided that a written declaration to this effect has been lodged with the Sailing Captain before Opening Day.
6.4 A dinghy with PYS in the range 1141 and over may elect to race for the entirety of the season in the dinghy class other than that defined in Rule 6.2, provided that a written declaration to this effect has been lodged with the Sailing Captain before Opening Day.
6.5 In the absence of any such declaration, a boat will be scored in the handicap race and series corresponding to its PY number as issued.
Class flags will be the following Code Flags:
| Class |
Code Flag |
|
| Cruiser 1 | H | |
| Cruiser 2, & Leisure 17 | G & B | |
| Dinghy 1 | W | |
| Dinghy 2 | V |
All races will be on the southern part of Strangford Lough, from a starting line in Holm Bay. (The starting area includes Holm Bay and the Dorn).
9.1 Possible courses are designated by letters and are specified in a separate List of Courses. The approximate positions of the marks of the courses are shown on a diagram, which accompanies the List of Courses.
NB The diagram showing the positions of marks must not be used for navigational purposes.
9.2 The courses to be sailed by the various classes will be indicated by their respective course letters being displayed in the following positions on the Committee Boat (or on a craft serving as the Committee Boat):
| Class | Position | |
| Cruiser 1 | port side, forward. | |
| Cruiser 2 & Leisure 17 | port side, aft. | |
| Dinghy 1 | starboard side, forward | |
| Dinghy 2 | starboard side, aft |
9.3 The number of Rounds to be sailed will be displayed before the course to be sailed for each class.
9.4 All yachts must cross the start line between each round, and cross the finish line, in the same direction, relative to the line, that they started.
10.1 Races shall be started by using the following signals. Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded.
| Signal | Flag and Sound |
Minutes before starting signal |
| Warning | Class Flag; 1 sound | 10 minutes |
| Preparatory | P flag; 1 sound | 5 minutes |
| Starting | Class and P removed; 1 sound | 0 minutes |
The warning signal for each succeeding class shall be made with or after the starting signal of the preceding class.
10.2.a A mark E will be laid forming a start line with the rear mast of the Committee boat.
All yachts shall start in the direction of the first mark.
10.3 In amendment to RRS 29.2, General Recall, after the OOD has signalled a general recall, the recalled class will return to the start area. The normal sequence for the other classes will continue and the recalled start will be postponed until after the last class has started. Thus, the start signal for the last class will be the preparatory signal for the recalled fleet. Any subsequent general recall will follow in this manner.
10.4 RRS 30.1, I Flag rule, shall apply except that Flag I will not be flown and no sound signal will be made.
11.1 Yachts will finish by breaking a line between the main mast of the committee boat and the appropriate outer limit mark used at the start (E) in the direction in which they started.
11.2 Finish signals - yachts will finish at the finishing line, where the Committee Boat shall display a Blue Flag above her class flag.
11.3 Shortened courses
(a) The Committee Boat shall display Code Flag S above the class flag of any class finishing before the prescribed number of rounds. Code Flag S shall be displayed alone for all classes finishing before the prescribed number of rounds.(b) Code Flag S displayed at the Committee Boat means: 'After the round still to be completed by the leading yacht, sail one more round, as specified in the List of Courses, until finished in accordance with Sailing Instruction 11.4'.
11.4 A Blue Flag means:
(a) When displayed at the Committee Boat:(b) When displayed on a launch or other craft:
'Finish the race by crossing a finishing line between the
craft on which this Flag is displayed and the nearby mark of the course'.
If the Blue Flag is displayed alone, all classes are so to
finish, but if above class flags then only the designated classes are to
do so.
The OOD may supplement flag signals with other means for ensuring that competitors are fully aware of his intentions regarding the shortening of courses. Such means may be, for example, use of radio, a loud hailer, or a rescue craft for delivering verbal instructions.
12.1 RRS 35, Time Limit, is amended to read: "Any yacht, in any race, not finishing within the time limit and any extension thereto, as specified in the Sailing Instructions, will be scored 'Did not finish'."
12.2 If any yacht of a class finishes within the stated time limit the time limit shall be extended by the stated extension period for all other yachts of that class.
12.3 Code Flag "T" will be used to signal that the time limit, or the extended time limit if appropriate, has been reached if at that time there are any yachts still racing.
(a) If the time limit is reached and some, but not all, classes are to cease racing, Code Flag "T" will be broken out above the respective class flags, accompanied by two sound signals. It will remain displayed until the Officer of the Day is confident that all yachts concerned have received and responded to its meaning.(b) If the time limit is reached and all classes are to cease racing, or if an extended time limit is reached and some yachts are still racing, Code Flag "T" will be broken out alone, accompanied by three or more sound signals. It will remain displayed for five minutes, or for a shorter time if the Officer of the Day is confident that all yachts have received the signal and responded to its meaning.
12.4 The time limits and their possible extension periods will be:
| i) for Saturday Points Series races: | ||
| 17.15 BST with 45 minutes possible extension to 18.00 BST, | ||
| ii) for Wednesday Points Series races in May, June and July | ||
| 21.30 BST with 40 minutes possible extension to 22.10 BST, | ||
| iii) for Wednesday Points Series races in August: | ||
| 21.10 BST with 30 minutes possible extension to 21.40 BST, | ||
Protests shall be lodged with an Officer of the Club within one hour after
the finishing time of the yacht, which finished last in the same class as the
protesting yacht. Competitors are advised to make use of the RYA Protest Form. Parties to a
protest should be prepared to appear in a hearing either on race day or within
10 days.
A protest fee of £20 must accompany any protest when handed to an Officer of the Club and the Officer must write the receipt date and time, fee received and his/her signature on the protest form. The protest fee is not required when the protestor is the helm of the boat and is eligible to be a Cadet Member. The protest fee will not be returned where the protest is deemed frivolous.
14.1a Scoring shall be in accordance with the Low Points System of RRS Appendix A, 4.1Scoring. The number of races to count in a series shall be fewer than the number of races sailed in accordance with the following scale, and shall be subject to the restriction that points awarded for a disqualification for unfair sailing shall not be discarded:
| Number of races sailed | Number of discards |
| 7-9 | 2 |
| 5,6 | 1 |
| 4 or fewer | 0 (all to count) |
14.1b: Overall Series. Only boats which have scored points (other than duty points) in all the Series in that season will be eligible for the Overall Series for each class. All races will be re-scored to include only those eligible boats and the number of discarded race scores will be the sum of the discards of the individual series.
14.1c: Midfleet winner. Awarded in each class to the boat which is eligible for the Overall Series and is not placed in the first three in any of the individual Series.
14.1d: GP14 Overall winner. All races will be re-scored to include only GP14 boats which must also be eligible for the Overall Series in their class.
14.2 Duty Points for race and house (tea and bar) duties - Provided that an appropriate declaration is made and signed on the Officer of the Day's result sheet, a yacht which is unable to race because its crew is carrying out race or house duties will on conclusion of the series be awarded compensation points for the race/s concerned. These will be calculated as the average of her scores in the races of the series apart from the race/s concerned and apart from any other race/s, not exceeding the number of race scores in the series which may be discarded, in which she did not come to the starting area.
14.3 Races with at least one starter, will be scored. A race with no starters will not be scored and will be declared cancelled, unless a boat which would otherwise have sailed in that race performs a duty for which compensation points would be awarded.
14.4 Points equivalent to duty points (as per 14.2) will be provided to allow
members boats to compete in other Lough events. Claims for these points
must be made (to a member of the sailing committee) within one week of the other
Strangford Lough event and must be accompanied by evidence to the satisfaction
of the sailing committee that the boat attended the other Strangford Lough
event.
An allowance limit of only one equivalent duty points contributed due to another
Strangford Lough event per club series is to be enforced.
15. Handicapping Systems
15.1 The Sailing Committee shall adjust the elapsed times of yachts competing in handicap classes according to the RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme (PYS).
15.2 RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme
Yachts racing under the Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme will have their Portsmouth Numbers determined by the Sailing Committee in accordance with the current YR2 publication, and such Numbers shall be liable to revision in accordance with the method described therein after every 4th assessable points race.
Trial Numbers will be assessed and changed after each race until judged to be stable and a Club Number issued. PY handicaps will be calculated after each assessable race and Club Numbers and Recorded Numbers changed after four individual valid assessments. Secondary and Primary Yardsticks will be assessed and published for information, but not changed by the Club. Recorded Numbers, Secondary and Primary Yardsticks will be used at the first race of the season as issued by the RYA in the YR2 document for that year.
16.1 All Dinghy 1 and Dinghy 2 class boats must:
i) have adequate self-buoyancy,
ii) have adequate means for bailing,
iii) carry a tow rope of reasonable length, and
iv) carry appropriate means for manual or powered propulsion
16.2 All dinghy sailors must wear adequate personal buoyancy while racing, irrespective of the use of Code Flag Y (RRS 40).
All dinghies are advised to carry an anchor.
16.3 All keelboats must carry the following safety equipment while racing:
Engine (in-board or out-board), fuel for 1 hour motoring, sail number on mainsail, fire extinguisher, bucket and lanyard, warp (2 x LOA of yacht), torch, adequate anchor and warp, foghorn and lifejackets or buoyancy aids for all crew members and First Aid equipment
16.4 Crews must accept help if so directed by a rescue crew. Non-acceptance of such help shall result in disqualification.
The Officer of the Day may cancel or abandon races for dinghy classes if, in his opinion, available rescue facilities are inadequate for the conditions prevailing.
Sailing Committee, March 2008