1. Rules
The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing 2021–2024. The US SAILING Prescriptions to the RRS do not apply. In the event of conflict between the The Racing Rules of Sailing, the Notice of Races (NORs) and the Sailing Instructions (SIs), these SIs as amended shall take precedence. This changes RRS 63.7.
2. Entries
The Series is open to any sailing vessel skippered by a member of Orienta Yacht Club (“Club”). Competitors may enter by 1) registering on a pre-race sign-up sheet posted on the Club bulletin board, or 2) registering with the race chair at the skipper and crew meeting held prior to any race, or 3) hailing the race committee boat at the starting line prior to the registrant’s division starting sequence.
Individual races within the Series are open by invitation to skippers and their yachts not belonging to the Club. Invitations will be issued in the form of a Notice of Race prepared by the race committee at least two weeks prior to a race date.
Boats will be assigned to one of two divisions by the race committee prior to any race. The race committee will assign a PHRF handicap rating to each boat.
There is no entry fee required to register for any race in the Series.
3. Notices to Competitors
Notices to competitors will be posted on the Club bulletin board.
4. Changes to Sailing Instructions
Any changes to the sailing instructions will be posted on the Club bulletin board before 1100 on the day it will take effect, except that any change in the schedule of races will be posted by 1700 on the day before it will take effect.
5. Signals Made Ashore
No signals will be made ashore.
6. Schedule
The 2023 Series will consist of 4 regular races plus the WSL Cup Race. The schedule for the Series is shown in Table 1.
Table 1 — Schedule
| Race | Scheduled Date | Rain Date |
|---|---|---|
| Race #1 | June 4, 2023 (Sun) | Possible June 10 (if bad weather forecast) |
| Race #2 | June 17, 2023 (Sat) | Possible June 24 |
| Gov. Cup | August 19, 2023 (Sat) | — |
| WSL Cup Race | September 2, 2023 (Sat) | Possible Sep 9 (if bad weather forecast) |
| Race #3 | September 17, 2023 (Sun) | September 23 (if bad weather forecast) |
| Race #4 | October 7, 2023 (Sat) | October 6 (if bad weather forecast) |
The race committee will hold a skipper and crew meeting at 1100 at the club house on the day of each scheduled race. The purpose of the meeting is to advise skippers of any modifications to the sailing instructions & racing rules, discuss course options (the final decision will be made by the race committee when on station at the starting line), and to assist crew looking for a position to connect with racing skippers.
The preparatory signal for all races in the Series will be 1250. The starting times, sequences, sound signals, and visual signals (flags) for all races in the Series will be as shown in Table 2.
Table 2 — Starting Sequence
| Time | Action | Sound | Visual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1250 hr | Preparatory (engines off) | horn (or gun) | Yellow |
| 1255 hr | 1st warning, divisions A&B | horn (or gun) | Blue |
| 1256 hr | 2nd warning, divisions A&B | horn (or gun) | White |
| 1259 hr | 3rd warning, divisions A&B | horn (or gun) | — |
| 1300 hr | Divisions A&B start | horn (or gun) | Red |
7. Class Flag(s)
No class flags will be required for the Series.
8. Racing Area
The racing area for the Series will be the waters of Long Island Sound approximately bounded as follows:
- To the west, a line drawn from the entrance to Echo Bay at New Rochelle to Prospect Point on Manhasset Neck.
- To the east, a line drawn from R 36 off Oakland Beach/Playland to Oil Neck Point on Long Island.
- To the north, the shoreline of New York State.
- To the south, the shoreline of Long Island.
9. Courses
Courses for each division will be signaled by the Race Committee boat using black letters on a white board. Each letter represents a government mark per Table 3 and the attached chart. The white board will also indicate mark roundings, i.e. leave marks to port or starboard.
Table 3 — Marks
| Mark | Government Mark Spec | Mark Location |
|---|---|---|
| A | G “1” can | Delancy Point |
| B | Fl R “42” bell | 1.0 nm SSW Peningo Point |
| C | R “40A” nun | SSW of Parsonage Point & Porgy Shoal |
| D | Fl G “21” gong | 1.0 nm N Matinecock Point |
| E | G “1” can | 1 nm N Weeks Point, east of Hempstead Harbor |
| F | R “6” nun | 0.5 nm NW Mott Point, in Hempstead Harbor |
| G | Fl G “23” gong | 0.5 nm N Prospect Point |
| H | Fl G “25” can | 0.4 nm northwest of Sands Point |
| I | G “1” can | 0.8 nm north of Execution Rocks |
| J | Fl R “2” nun | 1.0 nm S Hens and Chickens |
10. Marks — Distances & Bearings
Table 4 lists the marks that may be used in the Series, and includes the distance and bearing from any mark to another. Distances are approximate (nautical miles); compass bearings are approximate magnetic headings. ! indicates a bearing that may not be navigable (rocks, land, hazards).
Table 4 — From (row) → To (column): distance / bearing
| From \ To | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | — | 0.8 / 272° | 1.6 / 255° | 3.9 / 295° | 3.8 / 327° | 4.2 / 344° | 2.6 / 14° | 3.3 / 28° | 2.0 / 35° | 1.4 / 50° |
| B | 0.8 / 92° | — | 0.9 / 239° | 3.1 / 300° | 3.4 / 338° | 4.0 / 355° | 2.9 / 30° | 3.7 / 39° | 2.6 / 51° | 2.1 / 66° |
| C | 1.6 / 75° | 0.9 / 59° | — | 2.8 / 317° | 3.7 / 352° | 4.5 / 5° | 3.7 / 37° | 4.6 / 43° | 3.4 / 53° | 3.0 / 64° |
| D | 3.9 / 115° | 3.1 / 120° | 2.8 / 137° | — | 2.1 / 41° | 3.4 / 44° | 4.2 / 77° | 5.2 / 75° | 4.7 / 90° | 4.6 / 100° |
| E | 3.8 / 147° | 3.4 / 158° | 3.7 / 172° | 2.1 / 221° | — | 1.3 / 48° | 2.8 / 104° | 3.6 / !194° | 3.6 / 116° | 3.9 / 126° |
| F | 4.2 / 164° | 4.0 / 175° | 4.5 / 185° | 3.4 / 224° | 1.3 / 228° | — | 2.4 / 131° | 2.9 / !113° | 3.4 / 136° | 3.9 / 144° |
| G | 2.6 / 194° | 2.9 / 210° | 3.7 / 217° | 4.2 / 257° | 2.8 / 284° | 2.4 / 311° | — | 1.0 / 66° | 1.0 / 149° | 1.7 / 164° |
| H | 3.3 / 208° | 3.7 / 219° | 4.6 / 223° | 5.2 / 255° | 3.6 / !274° | 2.9 / !293° | 1.0 / 246° | — | 1.3 / !196° | 2.1 / !192° |
| I | 2.0 / 215° | 2.6 / 231° | 3.4 / 233° | 4.7 / 270° | 3.6 / 296° | 3.4 / 316° | 1.0 / 329° | 1.3 / !16° | — | 0.7 / 185° |
| J | 1.4 / 230° | 2.1 / 246° | 3.0 / 244° | 4.6 / 280° | 3.9 / 306° | 3.9 / 324° | 1.7 / 344° | 2.1 / !12° | 0.7 / 5° | — |
11. The Start and Finish
The standard starting and finishing lines will be between Can 1 off Delancy Point and the race committee boat.
Alternative starting and finish lines may be established approximately 1 mile south of Can 1 off Delancy Point when offshore or northerly winds are unfavorable to the standard starting line. The alternate starting and finish lines will be between the race committee boat and a tetrahedron racing marker.
The decision about which starting line to use will be made prior to the skipper and crew meeting held at 1100 prior to the race.
Boats in a division not in their designated starting sequence are requested to stay clear of the starting area.
Races will be started using the flag and horn signals described in Table 2.
The race committee will signal a premature start with repeated horn signals and will attempt to hail on VHF channel 71 each boat starting early. Boats thus hailed must restart by crossing back over to the starting side of the starting line either between the race committee boat and the mark or by going around either end. Boats failing to respond to the restart requirement will be disqualified (DSQ).
The race committee may signal a postponement by sounding a series of horn blasts immediately following the 1255 hr preparatory signal, and by flying the red and white AP signal. The starting sequence in Table 2 will start again one minute after the removal of the postponement AP signal in combination with a series of horn blasts.
The race committee may signal the cancellation of a race by flying the red and white AP signal over the blue and white A signal in combination with a series of horn blasts.
In addition to sound (horn) and visual (flag) signals, the race committee may broadcast information for the fleet and individual boats on VHF 71. Sailors are encouraged to monitor VHF 71 at all times when the race committee is on station.
The finish of the race will normally be between the race committee boat and Can One off Delancy Point, using the same configuration as the starting line. In other words, the race committee boat will not change position and will not re-anchor to the other side of Can One off Delancy Point. Boats must cross the finish line in the straight direction from the last rounded mark and go between the race committee boat and Can One off Delancy Point. Note this OYC SI supersedes racing rule number 28.
12. Time Limit
The time limit for the first boat in a division to sail the course and finish will be 4 hours. Any other boat in a division must finish within 30 minutes of the first boat in the same division, or within 4 hours, whichever is greater, else will be declared Did Not Finish (DNF).
13. Protests
No protests will be entertained unless they are reported immediately by radio (VHF chan. 71) to the Race Committee giving the name of the protesting boat, the boat protested and the nature of the alleged infraction. The Regatta Committee, whose decisions are final and are not subject to appeal, will hear protests immediately after the conclusion of the race. Should a member of the Regatta Committee be involved in a protest, that member shall recuse himself from the deliberations. Racers are urged to file protests, especially those involving flagrant breaches of the rules.
14. Scoring and Prizes
For each race, boats will be scored using the time-on-distance method based on published PHRF ratings as determined by the race committee, except that ratings will be modified as follows:
- A boat’s rating will be decreased by 10% for any race in which she flies a spinnaker, flasher, drifter or any other type of special sail the luff of which is not attached to the forestay. The decrease applies only to the race during which the special sail was flown.
For the season, scoring will be calculated by the use of the Cox-Sprague system, with the points for each race determined by the number of starters in the division and the finishing position of each yacht. Participation in a minimum of two (2) of the scheduled races is needed to qualify. If a yacht sails in more races than needed to qualify, its season standing shall be determined by the average score of the yacht’s best two (2) races. Boats in the starting area during a postponement prior to a cancellation shall receive credit toward qualifying should the yacht not otherwise complete the required two (2) races. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third season standings of qualifying yachts in each division.
For the WSL race, scoring is determined separately from the season and is based on the low-point system. However, participation in the WSL race will count towards the required two (2) qualifying races for season scoring. The first-place finishers in each division are recognized by an engraving on the WSL Cup perpetual trophy.
15. Disclaimer of Liability
As a condition of the participation of any boat in any race or related activity sponsored or undertaken by Orienta Yacht Club, the owner and each crew member agree that the safety of the boat and her crew and the decision whether or not to start or continue to race is solely their responsibility. See Rule 4, Decision to Race. All competitors waive all claims which he or she, or any heir, representative, successor or assignee, may have against Orienta Yacht Club and its officers, trustees, members, committees, employees or agents, arising out of or in any way connected with participation in such race or activity.