The Doc Gilbert Memorial Potomac Cup

May 3 and 4, 2003
Lightning Fleet 50
Leesylvania State Park
Woodbridge, VA USA

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1 Rules

The regatta will be governed by the 'rules' as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2001-2004  (RRS).

2 Notices to Competitors

Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located between the hoists.

3 Changes in Sailing Instructions

Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted at least one hour prior to the starting time on the day it will take effect, except that any change to the scheduled warning signal will be posted by 6:00 pm on the day before it will take effect.

4 Signals Made Ashore

4.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed on the committee boat at the dock.

4.2 When flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 60 minutes’ in race signal AP.

5 Schedule of Races

5.1 The RC intends to run 3 races on Saturday and 2 on Sunday for both classes. 

5.2 The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race is 12:00 pm on Saturday and 10:00 am on Sunday.

5.3 To alert boats that another race or sequence of races will begin soon, the postponement signal will be displayed for a short period of time before a warning signal is displayed.

5.4 No warning signal will be made after 3:00 pm on Sunday.

6 CLASS FLAGS

The class flags will be:

Class                Flag

Lightning           White flag with red Lightning flash

Hampton          White flag with red Hampton H

7 Racing Area

The racing area will be approximately one nautical mile directly off the docks at Leesylvania State Park.

8 The Course

The diagram in the illustration below shows the course, including the order in which marks are to be passed, and the side on which each mark is to be left.

It will be twice around a windward-leeward course with an extra weather leg.  The weather leg will be approximately 1 mile.  There will be a weather mark and offset mark approximately 10-boat lengths away, both will be rounded to port. The leeward mark will be a gate with two marks 5-8 boat lengths apart.  A yacht must pass between the marks and can round either mark to go upwind.

Course W: Start-1-2-(3 or 4)-1-2-(3 or 4)-Finish

9 Marks

9.1 Marks 1 and 4 will be will be very large yellow balls.  Mark 2 will be a small orange ball.  Mark 3 will be a large orange ball.

9.2 New marks, as provided in instruction 11, Change of Course after the Start, will be a large orange ball with a dark stripe around them.  If the position of the leeward gate is changed, Mark 4 will be relocated to join the new Mark 3. 

9.3 The starting mark will be the starboard mark of the leeward gate; the finishing mark will be the weather mark.

10 The Start

10.1 Races will be started using rule 26.

10.2 The Starting Line will be between a staff or halyard displaying a red flag on the main committee boat and the course side of the starting mark described in 9.3.  A line boat may be positioned near the port end of the Starting Line.

10.3 Boats whose starting signal has not been made, shall avoid the starting area.

10.4 A boat starting later than 15 minutes after her start shall be scored Did Not Start.  This changes rule A4.1.

11 CHANGE of Course After the Start

A change of course after the start will be signaled before the leading boat has begun the leg, although the new mark may not then be in position.  Any mark to be rounded after rounding the new mark may be relocated to maintain the original course configuration.  When in a subsequent change of course a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced with an original mark.

12 The Finish

The finishing line will be between a staff displaying a blue flag on the committee boat and the course side of the finish mark described in 9.3.

13 Penalty System

The 720° Turns Penalty, Rule 44.2 of The Racing Rules of Sailing, will apply with the modification that when an infringing yacht has its spinnaker drawing at the time of the infringement it may optionally take a 360º Turn Penalty by dropping the spinnaker completely, doing one full 360º turn, including one tack and one gybe, and resetting the spinnaker and having it drawing.

14 Time LimitS

14.1 The time limit is one hour and forty-five minutes for both classes.

14.2 Boats failing to finish within forty five minutes after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored Did Not Finish unless the race committee believes that such boats can be scored in order of progress along the course in a fair manner.  The race committee will have final judgment in this decision.  This changes rule 35 and A4.1.

15 Protests

15.1 Protest Forms are available from the Regatta Chairman. Protest shall be delivered to the Race Committee within one hour after the official docking of the Race Committee Signal Boat. The Time of docking will be posted on the Official Notice Board.

15.2 Protests will be heard in approximately the order of receipt as soon as possible.

15.3 Protest notices will be posted within 30 minutes of the protest time limit to inform competitors where and when there is a hearing in which they are parties to a hearing or named as witnesses.

15.4 Rule 66 is changed by adding this sentence: 'On the last day of racing, a party to the hearing may ask for a reopening no later than one hour after being informed of the decision.'

16 Scoring

The Low Point scoring system, rule A2, will apply.  Five races are scheduled, none will be thrown out, and any races completed shall constitute a series.

17 Prizes

Prizes will be awarded to each member of the crews placing first through eighth in the Lightning class and first through fourth in the Hampton class.  In addition, the Gilbert Perpetual Trophy will be awarded to the highest-placing yacht skippered by a member of Fleet 50 in the Lightning class.