WYC Sailing Instructions
General Sailing Instructions for all Fleets
New and revised rules appear in italics and are underlined.
1. Rules
The races shall be governed by the rules as defined in the current Racing Rules of Sailing; the prescriptions of the United States Sailing Association; the rules of each established class at the Wawasee Yacht Club, except as modified by these "Sailing Instructions for all Fleets"; and the following "Class Sailing Instructions for Each Fleet".
2. Eligibility and Entry
Racing is open to all members of the Wawasee Yacht Club. The helms person of each yacht shall be an active or junior member in good standing. Racing shall be limited to current one-design classes and yachts that meet all scantlings of their class associations. Crew members who race more than three race days must be a club member (Active, Junior or Social) for their skipper to be scored.
3. Official Notices
The bulletin board located in the porch at the Wawasee Yacht Club shall be used to advise competitors of the changes in the instructions, published starting times, protest meetings and other official information. Posting such notices shall be deemed notification to all competitors.
4. Signals Made Ashore
Signals made ashore shall be displayed at the WYC flag staff located on the pier or the Race Committee Boat's flag staff.
| a. | Code flag "AP" (pennant with white and red vertical stripes) with two sound signals means, "The races are postponed." The warning signal for the postponed races will be made no less than 30 minutes after the "AP" is lowered with one sound signal. |
| b. | The Committee Boat will sound one signal upon its return to the WYC pier. This signals the start of the 90-minute time limit for filing protests. |
5. Schedule of Races
The official race schedule and starting times will be published in the WYC Year Book. Note--the published starting times are for the "Warning Signal."
6. Courses
Courses are diagrammed and numbered at the end of these sailing instructions. The Race Committee shall display the class insignia and the course number to be sailed on a signboard mounted to the side of the WYC Committee Boat before the class' "Preparatory Signal."
7. Changed Course After The Start
| a. | When changing the course after the start, the Race Committee shall lay a new mark and shall lift the original mark as soon as possible. Any mark to be rounded after rounding the new mark may be relocated to maintain the original course configuration. |
| b. | The Race Committee shall station a boat near the mark beginning the new leg. The boat will display code flag "C" (blue-red-white-blue horizontal stripes) and hail each rounding boat to the nature of the change. The change shall be signaled before the leading boat has begun the leg. This may be signaled from the mark boat. |
8. Shortened Course
The Race Committee may in accordance with RRS 32 shorten the course. The Race Committee shall display code flag "S" (white background with a blue square in the center) and sound two signals. A course shall not be shortened to less than three legs.
9. Start
The race committee at their discretion may make a sound, firing of cannon or horn, approximately 15 seconds prior to the Warning Signal to notify the fleet that the starting sequence is approaching.
| Signal | Flag and Sound | Minutes Before Starting Signal | |
| Warning | Class Flag Raised | One Sound | 5 |
| Preparatory | "P" Raised | One Sound | 4 |
| One-Minute | "P" Removed | One Long Sound | 1 |
| Starting | Class Flag Removed | One Sound | 0 |
| a. | The start lime shall be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the committee boat at the starboard end of the line, and the course side of a port end starting mark. |
| b. | A boat shall start no later than ten minutes after her starting signal to be scored. |
10. Recalls
| a. | Individual recalls shall be signaled with one sound signal and display of code flag "X" (blue cross on white background) in accordance with RRS 29.2 modified as follows:
The Race Committee will attempt to notify all premature starters by hailing their sail numbers. Failure of a boat to hear her hail shall not relieve the boat of her obligation to start correctly. VHF radios may be used to hail OCS boats. |
| b. | General recalls shall be signaled with two sound signals and the display of code flag "First Substitute" (Yellow pennant with blue edge) in accordance with RRS 29.3. The restart sequence shall begin one minute after the General Recall flag is lowered. |
11.Abandonment and Cancellation
| a. | The Race Committee may abandon a race after the starting signal per reasons stated in RRS 32. The Race Committee shall sound three signals and display code flag "N" (blue and white checkered). |
| b. | Only the Race Committee may officially abandon a race; but the Race Committee must abandon a race at the request of a Fleet Captain or the WYC Race Chairperson. |
12. Finish Line
The finishing line shall be between a flagstaff displaying an orange flag either on the WYC Committee Boat or on a boat flying a blue flag at the starboard end of the line, and the course side of a port end finishing mark.
13. Time Limit
| a. | The leading boat must complete the race in one and one-half hours for all racecourses. If no boat completes the first leg in thirty minutes or three legs in one hour the race shall be abandoned. All competing boats that do not finish within 30 minutes of the first finisher shall be scored points equal to the first finishing boat plus the number of boats that finished within 30 minutes of the first place boat plus one. |
| b. | The Race Committee with the approval of the Race Chairman and/or Fleet Captains may abandon any WYC season series fleet race not started by 1200 hours. |
14. Protests
All protests shall be made in strict accordance per the IYRU Rules. Protests shall be filed in writing with the Race Committee within 90 minutes after the Committee Boat returns to the WYC pier. Protest forms are available at the WYC Clubhouse.
15. Alternate Penalties
The 720 degree turns penalty, as provided in the RRS 44.2, shall apply with the additional provision that when the infringing boat has its spinnaker drawing at the time of the infringement; drops it completely while taking her penalty; resets it and has it drawing after the penalty; the penalty is one full (360 degrees) turn instead of two turns.
16. Scoring (See Low Point Scoring System for additional detail)
A fleet eligibility clause has been added to the Cynthia Cup requirements. (See Cynthia Cup scoring system for an explanation)
| a. | Accredited Race - At lease four or more boats must participate in a race for that race to be scored by the WYC. |
| b. | Scoring Systems - The Championship Series for each fleet will use the Low Point Average Scoring System. All regattas and monthly series will use the Low Point Scoring System. The Cox-Sprague System shall be used to determine the Cynthia Cup winners. |
| c. | Excused Absence - A skipper will receive an excused absence for committee boat duty and off-the-lake regattas. To receive credit for an off-the-lake regatta, the skipper must be sailing in a class that is raced at WYC. |
| d. | Eligibility for Awards - The skipper must compete in at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the total number of races in the club series to be eligible for awards; excused absences are not included. The skipper must satisfy the 75% rule in their respective fleet to be eligible for the Cynthia Cup award. |
| e. > | Breakdown Throw-out - A skipper may request that his boat not be scored due to a mechanical breakdown on his boat that would prevent him from competitively finishing the race. The skipper must not finish the race and must notify the race committee or race chairman as soon as practical. Only ONE breakdown throw-out shall be allowed per boat per seasonal series. The boat shall receive its seasonal average place for its score. |
| f. | Alternate Skipper - A skipper may allow another skipper, a crew or an interested party to skipper his boat and not have his boat scored. The race committee shall be notified prior to the race that the boat is not to be scored. If the race committee does not receive a notice not to score and the skipper is a regular WYC member the boat will be scored. |
17. Radio Communications
No communication device except a radio tuned to receive only RC transmissions intended for all yachts is allowed on a yacht at any time while she is racing. A yacht shall be awarded a DSQ for an infraction of this rule. The RC will broadcast information to all yachts on VHF Channel 68 including the identification of OCS starters.
Fleet Sailing Instructions
E-scow Class| 1. | Floation: Flotation shall be installed on the main sail to prevent a boat from "turtling" after capsize. A DSQ shall be awarded to each boat that violates this rule. |
| 2. | Alternative Penalties: The 720 degree turns penalty, as provided in the RRS 44.2, shall be modified to be a 360 degree turn at all times. This is effective for class E Scow only. |
| 3. | Scoring System with Throw-outs: The Escow fleet will use a throw-out system to encourage skippers to participate in more races. See the LOW POINT AVERAGE SCORING SYSTEM section in the yearbook for a description of this scoring system. |
Lightning Class
| 1. |
Propulsion: The following modifies RRS 42.3 (b) - On a free leg of the course, when surfing (rapidly 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. |
| 2. | Clothing and Equipment: Each boat shall carry a minimum one gallon bucket, a paddle, an approved wearable life preserver for each person on board and a throwable life preserver (cushion). Each boat shall be equipped with a centerboard preventer. |
| 3. | Fleet Division: The class shall be divided into two fleets: the Champion Fleet and the Commodore Fleet. The fleet will be divided based upon each skipper’s standings after the scheduled date for the Independence Day Regatta. The fleet shall be equally split. If there are an odd number of skippers in the fleet the Championship fleet shall have the majority. |
| 4. | Number of Crew: To compete in a WYC club race a skipper shall have one or more crew to be eligible for scoring. |